The 1960s were an important decade for Seiko, which made advances in the measurement of elapsed time by taking part in various international sporting competitions, supporting athletes who required reliable and accurate timing to the nearest one-hundredth of a second. In 1969, Seiko introduced the Speedtimer, the world’s first automatic chronograph equipped with both a vertical clutch and a column wheel, two features that greatly enhanced the measurement of elapsed time.

Also launched in 1969, the Datsun 240Z became a worldwide hit, especially in Japan and North America. With the aim of demonstrating its high performance as a sports car, the Datsun 240Z began to participate in world rally competitions. Seiko, sharing Datsun’s spirit for taking on challenges, supported the Datsun 240Z in motorsports activities in the early 1970s. In 1971, adorned with the Seiko logo, the Datsun 240Z with No. 11 on its side conquered harsh terrain as it raced 6,200 kilometers to overall victory in the East-African Safari Rally, widely regarded as one of the toughest races in the world.

Today, three limited-edition watches drawing on a range of Seiko technologies join the Speedtimer series, paying homage to the shared legacy of the Datsun 240Z and Seiko and their advancements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. An additional three watches join the main Prospex Speedtimer series, adding to the automotive spirit of a series built for speed and precision.