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Seiko Prospex 145th Anniversary Speedtimer Solar Chronograph Limited Edition 41.5mm Mens Watch Edo Purple
Ref. HBJ005P1
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 187 Seiko watches in stock.Seiko traces its origins to a Tokyo repair shop opened in 1881, and this limited run of 8,000 pieces marks 145 years from that beginning. The Speedtimer itself debuted in 1969 as one of the more serious chronograph proposals of its era, and the dial here reaches back further still: Edo Murasaki, the deep purple associated with the refined culture of pre-modern Tokyo, chosen by the brand as a colour that looks forward as much as it looks back. The bi-colour black and purple bezel insert and the gold accents on the sub-dials sit within that same register — ornate without being fussy. At 45.9mm lug to lug the watch sits closer to the wrist than the 41.4mm diameter might suggest, which keeps a chronograph of this complexity from reading as bulky. The hands are drawn from the 1969 original, recognisable if you know the reference, and the LumiBrite treatment across all twelve hour markers means the dial remains readable long after the light has gone. The solar V192 runs for up to six months on a full charge from any light source, and the power reserve sub-dial at six o'clock means the owner always knows exactly where they stand — no guessing, no dead battery anxiety.
- Reference
- HBJ005P1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Speedtimer
- Case size
- 41.4mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Purple
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- V192
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45.9mm
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 7 collections
This watch appears in the Seiko Speedtimer range (18), Back in Stock (4,868), Stainless Steel Watches (3,133), Chronograph Watches (1,199), Sports Watches (800), Dive Watches (572) and Limited Edition Watches (197).
Temporarily out of stock
Mappin & Webb is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 12 November 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 45.9mm lug-to-lug keeps the 41.4mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Seiko's more premium watches
Also seen with this model (1)
Other versions of this model, not necessarily this exact watch.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger · Seiko Prospex ref. H558-5009 · Worn on screen · Predator, Commando, The Running Man · Source
Seiko Prospex 145th Anniversary Speedtimer alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | HBJ005P1 | 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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat 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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45.9mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
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