For years, Seiko fans have been clamoring for the return of the Pogue. From all corners of the internet, enthusiasts never let an opportunity to request a reissue of Seiko’s classic sports chronograph go to waste. The Pogue, otherwise known as reference 6139-6002, is legendary, famous for being on the wrist of NASA astronaut Col. William Pogue on his flight to Skylab. The watch in question was among the first automatic chronographs and issued in a variety of colorways, but it’s Pogue’s mustard yellow dial with a red and blue bezel that is the most collectible, and certainly the Seiko chronograph most of us picture in our mind’s eye when we think “Seiko chronograph.” For reasons the community can no doubt speculate on endlessly, Seiko never has relaunched the Pogue proper, but they’ve come about as close as they ever have with their latest release, the Prospex Speedtimer reference SSC947.
We’ll examine the elephant in the room right upfront: this is not a mechanical chronograph, so is perhaps not the true heir to the Pogue legend. What we have in the SSC947 is a new entry in Seiko’s popular and quite good lineup of solar powered sports chronographs. We’re pretty big fans of these watches, which offer a ton of vintage inspired style and endless practicality in a package that’s extremely approachable. The retail price is $700 for watches in this collection, and they’re sized at a versatile 41.4mm. The special sauce with the Speedtimers is really in the vintage adjacent styling, though, and with this new addition to the collection, Seiko has brought back one of their most sought after vintage colorways.
The yellow dial is an unmistakable nod to the original 6139-6002. It’s complemented by black subdials at 3, 6, and 9, which operate as a 24 hour scale, a minute totalizer, and running seconds indicator. It’s worth pointing out the obvious that this is a very different layout than the 6139, which featured only a 30 minute totalizer at the 6:00 position. For that matter, the subdial on the 6139 was color matched to the dial, and not a contrasting color. Needless to say, this isn’t an exact port of the Pogue experience on the wrist, but the essence is there, and the connection is made that much clearer by the blue and red tachymeter bezel.
The format change is certainly a result of the movement being used, in this case a solar powered Seiko V192. Accuracy is rated at +/-15 seconds per month, and the battery is expected to last 6 months on a full charge. Solar powered quartz watches are truly unmatched when it comes to pure grab-and-go utility, and having that type of watch in a collection with the Pogue style is just a really fun concept to consider.
It will be interesting to see what type of reaction the SSC947 gets in the watch community. Personally, I had long since given up hope of Seiko reviving the Pogue. There just isn’t a modern mechanical movement in their catalog that would allow for a 1:1 recreation. This, I think, is about as close as we’re likely to get, and I’m glad that it’s an affordable, easy to wear watch that isn’t limited and that just about anyone can enjoy. When Seiko gets meticulous with the vintage reissues, the watches often end up out of reach for many.
The new Prospex Speedtimer SSC947 is expected at Seiko retailers in August. Seiko
