Seiko SSC813 Speedtimer Review: One Of The Best Chronographs Under $1,000?

Seiko has a well known and understood design language that is expansive in nature. It’s a style that feels just as at home on a humble skin diver as it does in the context of a field watch or chronograph. It always feels comfortable, but never derivative. Like a perfectly well worn-in pair of jeans that you keep coming back to. The Speedtimer name is a perfect example of this originality since it was first used by the brand in 1969, and it largely remains so today. The modern Speedtimer SSC813 within the Prospex collection is not entirely reliant on that history, rather, it presents a contemporary vision of a Seiko chronograph at its most accessible. 

[toc-section heading="Seiko And Chronographs"]

Seiko plays an important role in the history of the chronograph as we experience it today. The Japanese brand’s mechanical timers of the mid ‘60s showed off a modern vision for a highly focused design that would open the door for a new generation of watches. These designs did not use a host of subdials, but rather a single timing hand and a single pusher. This is a focus that would be retained until 1969, when Seiko introduced the reference 6139, one of three automatic chronographs to be revealed that year that would shape the genre for the coming decades. Unlike the other two, the Seiko used just a single subdial which would totalize up to 30 minutes.

The 6139 would have a cultural impact just as big as its horological impact, appearing in films and, in the case of the so-called Pogue, in space, on one of NASA's 1973 Skylab missions (the nickname coming from astronaut Colonel William Pogue, who wore the watch). Seiko continues to build on this history while also advancing it forward for a new generation to enjoy, and to that end, offers a wide range of chronograph styles that serve as a nod to history, while also feeling firmly modern in design and construction. The Speedtimer SSC813, a solar-powered chronograph, falls into that camp.

[toc-section heading="Reviewing The Seiko Speedtimer"]

Seiko SSC813 Case And Design

The modern Speedtimer name is expressed in four different variations within the Prospex family, and yes, a single-pusher, centrally mounted mechanical timer is still among them. Seiko’s mechanical chronograph game hasn’t waned, even if it hasn’t developed in the manner you’d have expected. At the entry point sits an array of solar powered designs, with a range of colorful dials on display. As vibrant (and historically relevant) as some of those dials are, it’s tough to beat a classic black-on-white colorway, and that’s exactly what we find in the SSC813.

A chronograph with a white dial and black accents, aka ‘Panda’ colorway, certainly isn’t the most original, but it’s a safe bet, and ticks that coveted ‘suitable for daily wear’ box. I’m not going to make any comparisons to the Rolex Daytona with this one, but it does have a nickname that points out the resemblances. Personally, I think this Seiko goes about its own business just fine, and the high contrast design is perhaps self evident to some degree. Regardless, this SSC813 has caught plenty of love from the fashion crowd as well as the watch enthusiast space, which is just fine. 

On its surface, the SSC813 is a very straightforward chronograph design, with a trio of subdials right where you’d expect them at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. A closer look reveals some interesting details that hint at the underpinnings, but in day-to-day use, this is a very easy watch to get along with. There’s even a date, though it’s placed slightly oddly just under the 4 o’clock hour marker, rather than directly at 4:30. The steel case is pretty no- frills in nature, but at 39mm in diameter, 13.3mm in thickness, and 45.5mm in lug to lug length, it’s perfectly comfortable, if slightly tanky in nature. So what’s going on under the hood?

Seiko SSC813 Movement

The Speedtimer SSC813 uses Seiko’s V192 solar movement that is accurate to within +/-15 seconds per month. On a full charge, it’ll last approximately six months. At some angles, and in the right light, you’ll notice that those black subdials aren’t exactly black, but rather almost purple, as they are actually the apertures allowing for the solar cells to charge the watch. It’s a holistic solution that brings an unexpected bit of character to the aesthetic of the watch. The subdials themselves are also not as straightforward as you might expect. 

As for features, this movement has a 24-hour hand placed in the dial at 3 o’clock. There is a running seconds hand (at 9 o’clock), and a minute totalizer (at 6 o’clock), just as you’d expect, but outside of the 6 o’clock subdial you’ll find an ‘F’ (full) and an ‘E’ (empty) that serve to indicate the current level of power reserve within the movement. Pressing the button above the crown will put the watch into charge level display, and the hand will adjust accordingly to let you know the current level of charge the watch is holding. 

When the watch is in timing mode, the buttons behave as those you’d find in any chronograph, with start, stop, and split/reset functionality. Additionally, there is a tachymeter in the bezel itself, rounding out the full-on timing-instrument nature of the watch. There’s a lot going on here, both technically and aesthetically, but Seiko has managed to balance everything out in a pretty easy to navigate manner, and stepping back, the design as a whole is quite handsome. 

Seiko SSC813 Bracelet

The whole thing is affixed to a steel three-link bracelet that’s fully brushed. Like the case, there’s no fancy finishing work going on here, no polished chamfers or center links, no quick-adjustment mechanism in the clasp, just a vertical brush throughout. This raw quality lends to the overall tool or instrument vibe of the watch with no real pretension sneaking in. This one isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is, and these days, that feels quite refreshing. 

[toc-section heading="Final Thoughts and Pricing"]

A trend sweeping pretty much every part of the industry is the move to create more ‘luxury’ or high-end watches, and while Seiko hasn’t been immune to that (with the Seiko 5 Sport filling the gap left by the SKX, and the Prospex range moving upmarket), this SSC813 is comfortable in its own skin. Instead of focusing on more complicated finishes, Seiko has instead created a design with personality in other ways, from the shape of the bezel, to the applied hour indexes and odd date placement. There’s real character here, even without the flashy colorway. 

This is a $725 watch, and it feels every bit of that. The market for quartz, solar, and mechaquartz chronographs is increasingly competitive, with attractive examples out there from brands large and small. While many of these attempt to capture a retro charm of sorts, Seiko’s Speedtimer range remains true to its roots in a very evolutionary way. It will use throwback colorways, but the underlying design language is entirely contemporary in nature. In black and white, this SSC813 comes off as nothing other than modern, even though the same tenets that drove the core design in the 1960s are still in use here. 

The Speedtimer SSC813 has a deceptive level of charm that grows on you through use, and if you’re a fan of Seiko you’ve no doubt recognized this quality in many of its watches. There’s something that gets under the skin. This collection has had no small cultural impact as a result, and while a lot of that is owed to Seiko’s reputation and name recognition, the watch itself is doing some heavy lifting as well. It’s a fun, easy watch to wear that hits all the notes it needs to hit, all while building on Seiko’s vast chronograph history. You can learn more at seikowatches.com.