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Seiko Speedtimer “Racing” Solar Chronograph 41.5mm Mens Watch Silver
Ref. HBJ001P1
Sits in Seiko’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Seiko watches we list, which start at £110.
Price range £110 to £3,550 across 173 Seiko watches in stock.The original Speedtimer of 1969 was a landmark in Seiko's chronograph history, and this modern solar iteration wears that lineage visibly: the panda layout of black sub-dials against a silver ground, red accent hands, and tachymeter markings around the bezel all trace back to that first generation. The motorsport reference is not decorative — the whole colour scheme is a direct nod to the racing cars of that era. The V192 calibre charges under natural and artificial light alike and holds six months of reserve on a full charge, which means battery anxiety is effectively removed from daily wear. At 41.4mm the case has real presence, and 13.0mm of thickness is unremarkable for a solar chronograph with this complication set — it will not disappear under a cuff, but it carries its size honestly on the wrist. The power reserve indicator on the dial means you always know where you stand. The bracelet's three-fold clasp with a push-button release and safety lock sits at the more secure end of what steel sport bracelets typically offer, and the LumiBrite application on the hands and markers holds through a full night without fading to uselessness — something a chronograph used in low light actually depends on.
- Reference
- HBJ001P1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Speedtimer
- Case size
- 41.4mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- V192
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Also in 4 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,484), Chronograph Watches (961), Sports Watches (649) and Silver Dial Watches (547).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Seiko's more premium watches
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | HBJ001P1 | YA142301 | C0434173808100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £690 | £619 | £590 |
| Case size | 41.4mm | 41mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Fabric strap |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
What size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Goldsmiths and Mappin & Webb list it at £690, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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