Call a wrist watch with an elapsed time function a “stopwatch” in the presence of some horophiles and there’s a good chance you’ll attract a disdainful look that translates as “Do you mean a chronograph?”.
But despite holding the title of “Japan’s first wrist chronograph”, Seiko’s Crown of 1964 really was more “stopwatch” than chrono as we know it. It was operated by a single button, had no subdials and measured elapsed times of up to 60 seconds with its central hand, leaving longer periods to be monitored using the minute hand and rotating bezel.
The watch was launched to coincide with the last time Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics, of which Seiko was the official timer. But while the Crown might not have been the ideal precision instrument with which to verify that America’s “Bullet” Bob Hayes really did equal what was then the men’s 100 metres world record (10.06 seconds), it was ideal for less crucial tasks, and, more importantly, it carried off the tool-watch look to perfection.
No wonder, then, that the Crown Chronograph’s design has recently inspired a few modern-day interpretations, the first being the Presage SRQ031 of 2019, a champagne-dial, three-counter number limited to 1,000 examples and launched to mark the original’s 55th anniversary.
Last year saw the release of green-, champagne- and black-dial three-handers (which more closely resembled the look of the 1964 watch) and now that line has been extended with no fewer than seven new models under the title “Style 60s”.
Recognising that the future looks set to remain in the past, Seiko has further enhanced the existing models to create a wider choice of designs with an even stronger vintage vibe. To that end, they all have box crystals, faceted indexes, dagger hands and “pre-faded” LumiBrite to complement a choice of black, brown, ivory, blue or green dials.
And, for the first time on a watch in the Prospex (for “Professional Specifications”) family, you can choose a military-style nylon strap on black- and brown-dial models in place of the regular steel bracelet.
For those who like to see a bit more happening on the dial, there’s also a version of the watch with a 24-hour counter providing a second time zone reading and an opening that exposes the mechanism’s balance wheel.
But whichever model you choose, it probably won’t break the bank. Despite being fitted with Seiko’s decent 4R35 self-winding movement, any watch from the Presage Style 60s range will only set you back between £440 and £530.
Now all we’re waiting for is a single-button “stopwatch” version that’s a dead ringer for the 1964 Crown Chronograph. And could the return of the Olympics to Tokyo be a better time to launch one? Seiko, the clock is running.
Seiko revives two vintage watches with explorer creds
Why this rare Seiko Spirit watch should be your ‘mini grail’
