Pre-Owned Seiko Spirit x Giugiaro Design 'Ripley' Chronograph 40991014/AS06841

WHY WE LOVE IT

Forget the Speedmaster for a second. Well, forget that Speedmaster. 

Sure, Omega’s ‘Moonwatch’ is an icon, beloved by space geeks, watch lovers and just about everyone else in equal measure. (And rightly so.) But there’s another ‘Speed Master’ that deserves your attention — especially if you’re a sci-fi fan. 

The Seiko ‘Speed Master,’ sometimes called the ‘Ripley,” was released in 1983 as part of a series of four watches, two of which were analog and two digital. It’s referred to as the ‘Ripley’ because — you guessed it — Signourney Weaver’s famed Ellen Ripley wore it in 1986’s Aliens, the James Cameron-directed sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 Alien. Designed by Italian industrial designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, the original Reference 7A28-7000 notably featured the world’s first analog quartz chronograph movement, the Cal. 7A28.

The ‘Ripley’ was admittedly an oddball upon its debut: Featuring a protruding, rectangular housing on the case’s right flank, it orient’s the watches chronograph pushers vertically — an unusual but immediately recognizable design. A yellow seconds track and a bright orange handset offered a bright pop of color against an otherwise subdued, brushed steel background, making for a watch that’s now known far and wide as one of Seiko’s wonkiest (and coolest) references. 

In 2015, Seiko debuted a modern variant of the ‘Ripley’ within its Spirit collection, offering an all-black take on the funky quartz chronograph at an accessible price point. The Seiko Giugiaro Design SCED043 that we have here is housed in a 42mm black PVD case with red gold-toned square pushers, a stepped bezel, a Hardlex crystal, an unsigned crown, and an integrated, PVD folded-link bracelet with a signed, push-button clasp. Its matte black dial still features excellent contrast, with a white minute track, an outer tachymeter scale, a rose gold-toned handset, a triple-register chronograph display with scales in white, and a date display at 3 o’clock.

In outstanding, lightly worn condition, this tactical, all-black version of the classic ‘Ripley’ ranks up with the original as one of the coolest chronographs ever designed. But don’t take our word for it…

Try it on for yourself!

OVERALL CONDITION

The case is in outstanding condition overall showing light signs of wear consistent with age and use. Gloss black dial with white minute track and black tachymeter rehaut is in outstanding, as-new condition with matching rose gold-tone handset. Unsigned crown. Intact factory caseback sticker. Caseback numbered 0487/2000.