Fans of Japanese automotive icons such as the Datsun Z as well as enthusiasts of fine timepieces from Seiko will truly appreciate the latest collaboration between the two powerhouses from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Not only are they both Japanese in origin, but Seiko actually sponsored several Datsun rally cars, including the 1971 East African Safari Rally-winning Datsun 240Z, an entry run by pilot Edgar Herrmann and co-pilot Hans Schuller. This collab isn’t just some marketing PR special; there is a true historic connection between the two. 
SPB517
The SPB517, a Prospex Speedtimer, takes some of its design cues from divers watches. The stainless steel case measures 39.5mm by 12mm with 200m of water resistance. The watch has a second crown that moves an inner rotating countdown bezel. There’s also a middle contrasting white minute track and an inner black dial with the Seiko, Speedtimer, and Datsun logo branding, with a date at 4:30. 
With lume on the hands and at the end of the applied indices, it could function as a dive watch well enough. It’s also punctuated with some red on the hands and inner bezel. The automatic Caliber 6R55 movement powering this exquisite timepiece gives 72 hours of power reserve. The watch is delivered on a leather rally-style perforated racing strap, and the caseback carries the Datsun logo. The new SPB517 is limited to 2,500 individually numbered pieces (the second most of all three LEs).
SRQ057
If you love your chronographs, the blacked-out SRQ057 automatic chronograph is perfect, giving it a serious, functional and almost military-grade stealthy feel. It has the script Datsun logo below Seiko, Speedtimer and Prospex logos, while the dial itself is packed with other features. This is quite similar to the SRQ047 through SRQ053, but now with that black tachymeter (with red accents) and because of the change in design, the watch measures 42mm by 14.6mm, with 100m of water resistance. Overall, it looks very busy, just as the instrumentation required to keep race and rally cars operating at their optimal level equally so. 
The Caliber 8R48 automatic movement is a column wheel and vertical clutch system, and features a date, 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, and 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock. The power reserve of the movement is 45 hours. There’s also the limited-edition Datsun SRQ057 Speedtimer which comes with a leather strap with a three-fold clasp with push-button release, and on its September release, will be limited to just 500 pieces.
SSC957
The Seiko Speedtimer Solar Chronograph Datsun 240Z Limited Edition ref. SSC957, which, as the name suggests, is powered by the solar-charged Caliber V192 movement. That movement has a cell storing about 6 months of power without needing to be charged. Features include a 24-hour hand, a power reserve indicator, date, and chronograph counter, with blackened pushers and black coated center links on the stainless steel bracelet. The stainless steel case measures 41.4mm by 13mm. The SSC957 is the most widely produced of all three limited edition models, with 4,000 pieces being made and released in September, and it will be the most affordable in this collection. But it also doesn’t have any non-limited edition counterpart released alongside it.
The best part?
These limited edition timepieces will officially be made available in the country very soon. Datsun / Nissan Z fans and Seiko fanatics, let’s all form an orderly queue please.
