This new Seiko watch is inspired by vintage Italian race cars

It might not be the brighter ‘Rosso Corsa’ red associated with today’s Ferrari supercars, but the darker red of Seiko’s latest Prospex watch will surely appeal to any vintage racing buff.

Close to the darker red used by pre-war Alfa Romeo race cars – including those run by then-Grand Prix team manager Enzo Ferrari – the new dial colour is called Factory Red and it’s exclusive to the European market.

Priced at £730 and available to pre-order now, the watch is an addition to Seiko’s Prospex Speedtimer family. It’s a timepiece said to be inspired by the aesthetics of classic cars, and features a matte-textured dial with bright orange indexes. There’s a sapphire crystal glass, a 39mm stainless steel case, and the watch comes with a matching bracelet plus a brown punches leather strap designed to mimic classic car interiors.

Limited to 2,400 examples, the Prospex Speedtimer in Factory Red is powered by Seiko’s in-house Japanese V192 movement. This is a quartz movement that has its power topped-up via a solar panel integrated into the dial; Seiko says this gives the watch a power reserve of up to six months.

The watch features a tachymeter around its bezel, which can be used in conjunction with the stopwatch function to calculate the average speed of an object travelling a known distance – such as a race car completing a mile, or a sector of a road rally, where average speed is key to victory. The stopwatch and sub-dials are controlled via a pair of push buttons at the two and four o’clock positions, sat either side of the crown.

Presented in a special edition box, the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer European Exclusive in Factory Red is priced at £730 and is available to pre-order now.