Seiko Releases Two Vintage-Inspired Speedtimer Chronographs, Frederique Constant' Music Themed Collection, Awake Explores Elegance, Worn & Wound x Timex And New From Chopard And Ulysse Nardin

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. Seiko continues with their revival of old models, but these two seem to quite on point. I like them.

If you like this newsletter, you might consider supporting it directly through Patreon. If you were subscribed, you could have already read my lengthy piece on Only Watch and it potentially being the biggest scam of the watch world. Other subscriber-only articles include the Completely Sterile Secret Watches Of MACV-SOG and my choice of 11 vintage Heuer watches that would make the perfect basis for new TAG Heuer recreations, including a possible MoonSwatch type watch that could actually break the internet.

In this issue:

• Seiko Takes Inspiration From Vintage 70s Chronographs With Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ047 and SRQ049

• Frederique Constant Teams Up With French DJ The Avener For A Music Themed Highlife Collection

• Awake Takes A Big Leap Into New Territory With The Elegant Summetria Collection

• Worn & Wound Continues String Of Fantastic Collaborations, This Time With Timex For The Second WW75

• Chopard Launches Brand New Alpine Eagle Summit Gem-Set Collection

• Ulysse Nardin Introduces The Freak One OPS In A Military Style Colourway

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 52 seconds

👂What’s new

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Seiko Takes Inspiration From Vintage 70s Chronographs With Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ047 and SRQ049

Over the past several years, Seiko has been on a great roll of recreating some of their best vintage watches. And you can’t blame them. They have an incredibly rich history to draw from and it’s clear that vintage-inspired watches are a great hit among buyers. And while most of these recreations focused on iconic diving watches, it would be very unfair of them to skip over their contribution to the chronograph. Back in 1969, Seiko introduced the calibre 5179, making it one of three manufacturers, along with Zenith with the El Primero and Heuer/Breitling/Hamilton with the Calibre 11/Chronomatic, to make an automatic chronograph. These movements were used in the Seiko Speedtimer, a name that the brand has been using regularly once again since 2021, but now Seiko is reworking the watch and paying homage to early 1970s models with the SRQ047 and SRQ049.

The new Speedtimers are not vintage in size, that’s for sure. They come in at 42mm wide and 14.6mm thick. While not tiny, it is slightly smaller than the current lineup of Speedtimers which measure 42.5mm x 15.1mm. But what’s more pronounced is the change to the case of the watch which gets a much more vintage shape making it look much smaller, also helped by the combination of brushed and polished finishes. The stainless steel case has a solid caseback and 100 meters of water resistance.

The two references mean two different colors, both very classic - Panda (SRQ047) and Reversed Panda (SRQ049). The reverse panda gets a dark grey matte dial with silver dials, while the reverse version gets a silver brushed case with the same grey subdials. The new Speedtimers now get a tricompax layout and while the positioning of the date wheel at 4:30 is always unfortunate, at least the date wheel is color matched to the dial so it blends in, especially on the reverse panda version. Both dials have applied markers, retro baton hands and a contrasting inner tachymeter flange.

Inside the watch is the calibre 8R48 which is equipped with a vertical clutch and column wheel. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 45 hours. Seiko doesn’t talk about accuracy, so it’s safe to say it’s within the standard range of the movement of +25/-15 seconds per day. The new calibers of the Speedtimer also get two new bracelets with a multi-link construction that resemble those from the 70s. You also get an additional leather strap and both options come on three-fold clasps.

Both versions will go on sale worldwide from December 2023 with the SRQ047 being an unlimited part of the permanent collection and the reverse panda SRQ049 a limited edition of 1,000 pieces. The SRQ049 is also part of the celebration of 100 years of Seiko. The panda version will retail for €2,700, while the limited reverse panda for €2,900. See more on the Seiko website.

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Frederique Constant Teams Up With French DJ The Avener For A Music Themed Highlife Collection

The legendary Swiss brand Frederique Constant is best known for their Classics and Manufacture watches which offer incredible value for money and often bring otherwise out-of-reach complications to the masses. In 2020, the brand launched a third line called the highlife, which was exactly what they needed - a luxury sports watch collection that brought the integrated bracelet look, again with great prices. Now, they are teaming up with French musician and DJ The Avener for two limited edition Highlife models with music themed dials.

The watches come in a 39mm wide and 10.34mm thick stainless steel case, with one coming in completely uncoated and the other with a black sandblasted DLC coating. You still get the half-moon facets, along with the already familiar 100 meters of water resistance.

What’s, of course, new are the dials which mimic shapes of waveforms you would see on a piece of software while producing music. The stainless version has a black dial with blue sound waves that travel from left to right, while the PVD version has white waveforms on a black background that spread out from the center. Both version have applied steel indices.

Inside both watches is the automatic calibre FC-303, which is basically a rebranded base Sellita SW 200-1. It’s a robust movement that is easily servicable, beats at 28,800 bph and has a power reserve of 38 hours. The stainless steel Highlife Automatic comes with a fully interchangeable integrated 3-link stainless steel bracelet with a folding buckle as well as an additional black rubber strap, while the black version comes on a black rubber strap and an additional black Nubuck leather strap with a pin buckle.

Both versions are limited to 432 pieces and this is where FC gets a little corny. They claim that this choice was inspired by 432Hz, “which is considered the perfect frequency, producing absolute harmony and promoting mental clarity and calmness.” Yeah, OK. The watch also comes in a very nice box inspired by those trunks DJ’s use to carry all their equipment around. The stainless version is priced at €1,995, while the black DLC at €2,495. See more on the Frederique Constant website.

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Awake Takes A Big Leap Into New Territory With The Elegant Summetria Collection

The French microbrand Awake is known for it’s very ambitious and great looking collaborations. Previously they have worked with renowned designer Alain Silberstain as well as NASA on a series of space-themed watches. They so often push their design forward you could easily call them very adventurous. However, it now seems they are looking to explore new territory with their new collection called the Summetria. With guilloché dials and very simple cases, they look fantastic.

The new Summetria comes in a 40mm wide titanium case that’s a bit chunky for a time only watch at 11.89mm. However, I assume that it’s easy to forgo this size due to the titanium case and curved lugs. The size and material make it clear it’s nowhere near a dress watch, despite the elegant dial, as does the 100 meters of water resistance.

According to Awake, they took inspiration “from the delicate balance and harmony found within nature”. They particularly point out the sunflower as inspiration for the dials. They are offering four different dial colors - royal blue, black, dark green and copper. Adding a bit of play to the dials are the handset and indices that are same on the majority of Awake watches and are becoming their calling sign. The colors work fantastically with the guilloché, at least in photos and videos (to be fair, they are all renders so I’ll reserve final judgement until the real thing comes out), and they seem to shimmer in the light like crazy. Sorrounding the dial is a rehaut that reminds you that the watches are limited to 50 pieces in each color.

Inside the watches is the familiar Miyota 9039 with a 42-hour power reserve. You can see it through the exhibition caseback. Regardless of the color you chose, your watch will be delivered on a handmade gray leather strap that comes from an ethical source. I’m not really sure how you get ethical leather, unless they mean artificial leather, but I would love to learn more.

The Summatria line is available for order on Awake’s website now, at a price of €890 without VAT. See more on the Awake website.

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Worn & Wound Continues String Of Fantastic Collaborations, This Time With Timex For The Second WW75

The watch blog and retailer Worn & Wound has been on an absolute tear. They made the incredible GMT with Boldr and the striking Zodiac inspired by the 90s. It’s great to see it, as it’s obvious the good folks there have some serious design chops. And now they’re deploying them on a Timex. In fact, they’re doing so for the second time, after releasing the 70s inspired Timex x Worn & Wound WW75 limited editions in 2022.

Version two of the collaboration continues where V1 left off. You get the same 37mm wide stainless steel case that’s 12.7mm thick (mostly due to the domed acrylic crystal). With an almost square stance thanks to the lug-to-lug of 43mm and the classic barrel shape, you can clearly see the 70s inspiration in it.

The dial remains basically the same in layout, but with completely new colors that make it pop. The first color combination is a mix of blues, from a dark blue ring to a lighter blue center. Applied markers cross the boundary from one to another accented with pink and blue paint. Dark blue hour and minute hands with pink fill stand off the backdrop while the seconds hand is a white stick with a bright teal tip. The second dial takes the pale pink highlights from the first and uses it as a base. Teal minute markers add energy and legibility. The applied markers feature dark red paint at the polar positions with white paint highlights in between. Teal is once again used for the hour and minute hands to ensure visibility.

Both watches are powered by a quartz movement and come on a steel mesh bracelet.

The Timex x Worn & Wound WW75 V2s are limited to 500 per color and priced at $239. They are available now through the Windup Watch Shop.

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Chopard Launches Brand New Alpine Eagle Summit Gem-Set Collection

I’m still catching up on watches that were released last week at Dubai Watch Week, but there were so many releases. One of the more talked about was the brand new collection of four gem-set solid gold watches Chopard released in their sports line called the Alpine Eagle. Since it’s a sports watch nobody really expected them to release something like that. But not many people are complaining.

The watches come in 41mm ethically sourced 18k yellow, white or rose gold cases with a thickness of 9.7mm. The tonneau-shaped case and the highly polished central link on the gold bracelet are throwbacks to the original St. Moritz model. Since it’s a sports model, you get 100 meters of water resistance, regardless of the material and gem setting (unlike the Patek Aquanaut I mentioned yesterday which isn’t waterproof at all). The raised and polished bezel hosts 36 stones.

The dial is deeply brushed giving it textured pattern and all four models share applied baguette-cut diamond hour indices and applied gold Roman numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12. The yellow gold model has a textured “Golden Peak” dial with pink and white sapphires set in the bezel There are two white gold models, one with an electric “Zinal Blue” dial inspired by the Zinal glacier with brightly coloured blue and purple sapphires in the bezel and the second model, picking up on the quartzite stone of Graubünden with a more discreet “Vals Grey” dial with an assortment of gradient green tsavorites and white sapphires. The pink gold model plays with warmer tones, and its “Pink Dawn” dial is complemented by orange and tawny spessartites and white sapphires in the bezel.

Inside the watch is the Chopard 01.15-C automatic calibre with COSC chronometer certification, which gets 60 hours of power reserve.

Equipped with the Chopard 01.15-C automatic calibre with COSC chronometer certification, the movement delivers a 60-hour power reserve and has a stop-seconds function to set the exact second. The four Chopard Alpine Eagle Summit watches will be available exclusively in Chopard Boutiques; the price has yet to be confirmed. For more information, please consult Chopard.com.

As one would expect, pricing on these models is pretty steep, with the white and yellow gold examples carrying a price tag of $85,400 and the rose gold listing for $77,600. See more on the Chopard website.

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Ulysse Nardin Introduces The Freak One OPS In A Military Style Colourway

Another introduction at the Dubai Watch Week was a new colorway for the iconic Ulysse Nardin Freak One. Like so many of previous UN watches, this new one, called the Ulysse Nardin Freak One OPS, comes in a very military-inspired colorway of black and olive. Sure, the brand calls it khaki, but that’s obviously a shade of the color known in the military as OD Green, with OD standing for olive drab.

While it seems that his is just a change in color, UN did some major changes with the new model. The well known 44mm diameter black DLC coated titanium case is now topped with a new rotating bezel (you don’t rotate it for timing, you use it to set the time) made out of Carbonium. This is Ulysse Nardin’s carbon composite material that’s made out of recycled offcuts produced during the airplane manufacturing process.

This new, darker appearance is mirrored in carrousel display as well, the bridges of the rotating movement now being black as opposed to gold. The fluted backdrop and peripheral hour track are in khaki green.

Inside, you still get the Calibre UN-240, developed way back by Ludwig Oechslin, that has a 90 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a choice of two different black and khaki green rubber straps.

The retail prices are CHF 63,000 or EUR 67,500, VAT included. See more on the Ulysse Nardin website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

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Hands on with the new H. Moser Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel

2/

A review of the Brew Metric Max Gold

⚙️Watch Worthy

A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like

The Knopf NY-405 does Art Deco a little differently

Let’s focus on the main selling point of the NY-405 – it’s wacky dial. Apart from a framed date at 6 o’clock, there isn’t much here that would translate from your typical watch dial. There are no (traditional) indices, no subtle way to nod to the passage of time by sectoring the dial into 12 portions. It’s just a series of intersecting angles and shapes the likes of which you may find inlaid into the marble-floored lobby of the Waldorf Astoria. Three base dial colours are available – black, blue or white – with the latter swapping out silver highlights for gold ones. Read the whole text on Time+Tide.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• Netflix, Spotify, Twitter, PayPal, Slack. All down for millions of people. Wired speaks to group of teen friends who plunged into an underworld of cybercrime, built a web-killing monster and broke the internet—then went to work for the FBI.

• A celebrated startup promised Kentuckians green jobs. It gave them a ‘grueling hell on earth.’ The inside story of how AppHarvest's indoor farming scheme imploded — and took its blue-collar workforce down with it.

• This is an older one, but I just love a good cat burglar story. Toronto Life magazine goes deep into the hunt for the break-in artist who terrorized Toronto’s wealthiest neighbourhoods

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

This is as niche as these video recommendations will get. For years, Porsche has been putting out videos with the actor Michael Fassbender on his quest to race at Le Mans. Now, they put out a feature length documentary on this effort that racked up something like 250k views in a day. It’s one of the best produced things I’ve seen on YouTube.

💵Pre-loved precision

Buy and sell your watches. Think of this section like old school classifieds - i don’t guarantee anything except that a bunch of people will see your ad and I’ll put the buyer and seller in touch. Want to advertise your watch? Contact us 

• NEW WATCH FOR SALE: Well, not really new. It’s a great looking mid-90s Tudor Submariner 75090, offered for sale by a member of the It’s About Time reader crew. I love the way it looks and seems to be in great condition. Check it out over on Chrono24.

• LOOKING TO BUY: One of our readers is looking to purchase three very specific watches: an Islander ISL-133 Mother of Pearl, a Sinn 556 Mother of Pearl or a Zelos 300m GMT Mosaic Mother of Pearl. If you’re selling any of these, reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch

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