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Culture > Time

Here are two Subaru watches made by Seiko and Citizen

Because cars and wristwatches really go well together

Two watchmakers decided that it was worth partnering with Subaru. PHOTO FROM SUBARU

Cars and watches go hand in hand. Sometimes, the two even undergo partnerships or collaborations, and the end results can vary from racing sponsorships to product integration (like optional IWC clocks in Mercedes-Benz cars) and brand-related partnerships.

These two Subaru-themed watches fall into the third category. We know that Orient is the automaker’s official timing partner in Super GT, but that doesn’t prevent other watchmakers like Seiko and Citizen from collaborating with the brand.

The Seiko diver's watch has the automaker's signature blue color. PHOTO FROM SUBARU

The Seiko timepiece takes the form of a more conservative-looking diver’s watch. It has a large 49mm stainless-steel case that’s 14.1mm thick and is certified by JIS and ISO standards. There’s a curved Hardlex crystal surrounded by a stainless-steel bezel insert with a lume pip at 12 o’clock, and the crown has a printed six-lug motif.

The quirkiness begins as you take a closer gander at the dial. Aside from the printed Subaru logo (no “Prospex X” badge here) and the date window, the watch face has a subtle grille pattern that you’d find on the automaker’s recent products.

The indices all have unique shapes too. Those found at the two-, four-, six-, eight- and 10-o’clock positions feature the same hexagonal motif, while the ones at three and nine o’clock are shaped like the light signatures of Subaru’s current “Bolder” design language. All are framed by a World Rally Blue bezel insert.

Ticking underneath this quirky dial is the workhorse 4R35 automatic movement with hacking and hand-winding, and should be good for 41 hours. Though it comes with an ugly three-fold style 22mm rubber strap which should be easy to replace.

The Citizen chronograph has more of a sporty theme. PHOTO FROM SUBARU

The second watch is the STI Sports Chronograph 2022 by Citizen. It’s a bit more eccentric as it features a two-tone finish of silver and black on the 49mm stainless-steel case (rated for 200m of water resistance) and bracelet. The cherry-red STI color can be found accenting the pushers (with an engraved STI emblem on the crown) and tachymeter engravings. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.

While not as intricate as Seiko’s dial, the Citizen watch still features all the usual hallmarks of a chronograph such as the three subdials for seconds, function and hours. Finally, there’s an STI emblem and a red zone from 12 to three o’clock that resembles the rev limiter on a tachometer.

Underneath is Citizen’s Eco-Drive, which is a solar-powered movement that can last for up to three years and has features like a perpetual calendar, an alarm, and location-based time adjustment.

You can get the Seiko diver’s watch for ¥66,000 (P30,000) from this link. But you should act fast as this timepiece is limited to 300 units. Meanwhile, the Citizen chronograph retails for ¥73,700 (P31,000), and you must enter a lottery to be able to purchase one. It’s also a limited-edition timepiece, but its production count isn’t mentioned.



Sam Surla

Sam used to be the youngest member of our editorial team when he was our managing editor. He specialized in photography and videography, but he also happened to like writing about cars a lot.



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