Seiko Launches Three Speedtimers With New Dial Colors

I still vividly remember the first time I saw the Seiko Speedtimer SSC813. It felt like one of the most deliberate and thoughtful nods to the brand’s 1960s and 1970s sports timekeeping heritage. Nicknamed the “Seitona” (no prizes for guessing why), it wore its classic panda dial with absolute confidence, easily earning itself a spot among some of Seiko’s most attractive sports watches ever made. Even better, it delivered those heritage-inspired racing aesthetics without the premium price tag associated with a Daytona. Now Seiko introduces a new triumvirate to the Speedtimer lineup: the SSC961, SSC963, and SSC965. This trio of Prospex watches draws from the angular sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing distinctive shades of white-silver, sandy salmon, and mint green. But can these experimental colors of the new Seiko Speedtimer "Youngtimers" as they've come to be known capture the same motorsport DNA that made the beloved panda chronograph such a standout?

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The dial is unequivocally the soul of the new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer watch. In all three references, it sets the stage for a tri-register layout in the usual 3-6-9 arrangement. Here, the “Youngtimer” models embrace a nuanced and highly experimental palette. Each model features a 24-hour counter at 3 o’clock, balanced by a running seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. Nestled between the two is the 60-minute chronograph register at 6 o’clock, combined with a power-reserve indicator for the solar-powered movement.

The SSC961 is a white-silver number, arguably the safest and most versatile of all three. It catches the light beautifully while staying faithful to the familiar formula, retaining the black-filled sub-counters that echo the beloved SSC813 reference. The dial is framed by a black tachymeter bezel but feels a little softer in comparison. In certain lights, the black sunken sub-dials look almost purple, since they cunningly house the solar cells that power the movement.

The same arrangement is found in the sandy-pink hues of the reference SSC963. Historically, salmon dials have long been the darlings of haute horlogerie, and though usually reserved for the perpetual calendar or other similar complications, they look most at home in the Speedtimer.

Finally, the SSC965’s Surf Green dial takes a detour from the racetrack and looks to the coast, offering a fresh yet understated pale green that can shift toward soft grey or even icy blue, depending on the environment. Interestingly, the desaturated color scheme is paired with a steel tachymeter bezel rather than the black-filled configurations seen in the other two models. The design pivot dramatically alters the watch's visual weight, evoking the refined presence of a vintage Daytona.

[toc-section heading="The Unchanged Speedtimer Basics"]

Anyone who loved the proportions of the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SSC813 will be genuinely relieved to learn that the SSC961, SSC963, and SSC965 all stick to the same winning formula: a versatile 39mm diameter and 13.3mm thickness with 45.5mm lug-to-lug length. The cases are all crafted from stainless steel, echoing the profiles of the vintage 6139-powered models, with flowing contours that feel surprisingly compact for a modern chronograph. The caseback is screwed down to ensure a 100M water-resistant rating.

The solar-powered Caliber V192 movement is manufactured entirely in-house by Seiko and remains a solid example of pragmatic engineering. The V192 effortlessly draws energy from both artificial and natural daylight, storing it in a secondary battery via the translucent solar cells disguised as the functioning chronograph sub-counters. When fully charged, the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer “Youngtimer” can run for six months.

Finally, Seiko equips the Speedtimer Youngtimer” models with a three-link stainless steel design with brushed upper surfaces to complement the watch’s rugged tool-watch vibe. The ergonomically formed links articulate with fluidity, avoiding the rattly stiffness of cheaper bracelets, and comfortably conform to the wrist's shape, finishing with a folding push-button clasp.

The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer is priced at $725 and you can learn more at seikowatches.com