By Jovan Krstevski
Seiko’s been the go-to timekeeper for track and field since pretty much forever and with the World Athletics Championships landing in Tokyo this September, the brand’s running out of the blocks with a fresh limited edition; the Prospex Speedtimer SSC955 in bold Edo Purple.
If that shade sounds familiar, it’s because Edo-Murasaki is a classic Tokyo color, tied to centuries old textile dyes and now doubling as the official color of the 2025 Championships. Here it shows up on the dial in a soft, almost glassy lilac tone and not just for looks either. That gentle translucence is doing double duty, letting sunlight through to juice up the V192 solar quartz movement underneath. That’s right: no batteries needed, just daylight.
Design wise, it follows the blueprint of last year’s Euro exclusive Speedtimer; same 39mm x 13mm case, tricompax chronograph layout and 100m water resistance, but this one’s got home turf flavor and a bit of sparkle thanks to that stunning dial. The black subdials pop just enough and there’s a subtle World Athletics Championships logo tucked in for good measure.
Now, purists might scoff at quartz or solar movements, but let’s not forget: these things are built to take a beating. Mechanical movements are cool and all, but if you’re sprinting, hurdling, or long-jumping your way through life (or just like your watches fuss-free), a solar chrono like this makes a lot of sense. It’s not trying to be a G-Shock, but it doesn’t need kid gloves either.
And at $775, it’s punching in the same weight class as plenty of entry-level mechanical pieces. Factor in Seiko’s solar tech, the limited run of 6,000 pieces (okay, not exactly unicorn rare, but still), and the hometown pride baked into the design, and you’ve got yourself a proper commemorative chrono that won’t sit around long.
