Mi Time
Henry Ford famously quipped that “Auto racing began five minutes after the second car was built”. While no doubt true, we’d bet dollars to doughnuts that the driver of that first car started timing their own runs four-minutes and fifty-nine seconds before that. You see, speed only exists within the context of time, so it only makes sense that automobiles and timepieces are inextricably linked. Every racing driver and team, no matter the format, has their own horological sponsor. The timing of every racing event is handled by one of the giants of that watch industry. So It should surprise nobody that drivers are spoiled for choice when it comes to wrist wear with both a functional and aesthetic bent to- wards cars and racing. And just like the automobiles that often inspire them, the prices for those time- pieces will span quite the range. We’ve culled a collection of three such watches – timepieces that we feel best exemplify the style and purpose that get drivers’ pulses racing – available for budgets under $1,000 and $5,000 as well as one that pushes beyond, but justifiably so. Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chrono Solar When it comes to value for dollar, few brands in the world of watches can compete with what Seiko is able to produce. Be it a watch from their celebrated Seiko 5 Sports line, an example that has been crowned King Seiko or something in between, the attention to detail and functionality of the mechanicals are exemplary. The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chrono Solar is, as the naming convention implies, from their Prospex line watches which are timepieces built to “professional specifications”. The solar-powered V192 Caliber is ac- curate to within 15 seconds per month and boasts a six-month power reserve, once fully charged. At 39 mm in diameter, the stainless steel case hits the sweet spot in terms of sizing and the sandblast- ing on the dial provides texture while enhancing legi- bility. Our personal choice would be the Panda-esque, SSC813 variant but nostalgists may prefer the Pepsi coloured SSC913 that pays truest homage to Seiko’s original 1969 Speedtimer. All twelve indexes, as well as the hour and minute hands, have been treated with Lumibrite to aid legibility once the sun goes down, or should you choose to test its 100m depth rating.
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