Seiko Goes Classy With A Deep Navy Dial And Orange Accents For the Speedtimer HBJ008

The solar Seiko Speedtimer, regardless of what Seiko does to it, will always kind of be on the short list for best chronographs under €1,000. That is, until Seiko moves it above €1,000, and don't pretend that won't happen. And it's not just the 39mm steel case, retro racing looks, and a light-charged quartz movement you never have to think about, that make it a good choice. I would say that Seiko's seemingly unending stream of different dial, all of the pretty good looking. This latest one is called the HBJ008 and it gets a beautiful navy blue-and-orange racing combination. Just one problem, for some of you – it's an European exclusive.

Nothing changes with the case. It’s still 39mm wide, 13.3mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 45.5mm, in steel with a fixed steel bezel that has a black tachymeter scale. That height is still the Speedtimer’s one real proportion problem, especially since this does not have a mechanical movement. On top is a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inside, out back is a screw-down caseback engraved with the edition number, and you get 100 meters of water resistance.

Orange is used sparingly against the navy: the central chronograph hand, the small hand at 6, and the lume on the four cardinal markers. Hours and minutes get beige Lumibrite, matching the beige-tipped hands in the other sub-dials, a 24-hour indicator at 3 and running seconds at 9. The sub-dial at 6 does two jobs, counting up to 60 minutes when the chronograph is running and showing remaining charge on an E-to-F scale when it doesn’t. All three sub-dials are translucent gray because the solar cells sit underneath. The date, white on black, sits between 4 and 5 and that almost ruins the entire dial.

Inside is the Seiko calibre V192, a solar quartz, accurate to ±15 seconds per month, with chronograph timing to a fifth of a second. A full charge lasts six months, any light source tops it up, and the seconds hand jumps in two-second steps when it’s running low. The 20mm three-link bracelet is now fully brushed, an improvement over the polished center links on earlier editions, and closes with a push-button folding clasp. There’s still no quick-release and no micro-adjustment, which is a bummer. A tan leather rally strap comes in the box, and I think I like it more.

The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer HBJ008 European Limited Edition is limited to 4,000 pieces, priced at €880. It goes on sale November 1, 2026, at Seiko’s European boutiques and authorized dealers. See more on the Seiko website.