You could argue that the humble Honda C50 Cub was the one mode of transport that revolutionised society in the 20th century. Yes, the Beetle was a cheap mass produced car, but it was still beyond the reach of many Germans in the 1930s, it was – like the electric SUVs of today – a car for the elite and those who enable or support the regime.

But when Soichiro Honda strapped a crude starter engine to a bicycle frame in post-war Japan, he was onto something, like the Italian designer of the Vespa. This was basic transport for the working man – or woman. Affordable, easily repaired and durable. The Cub evolved into a perfect urban delivery vehicle in the modern world, a cheap commuter in Europe, a workhorse in Africa that would run on the lowest grade of fuel around.

The Cub replaced public transport, horses and bicycles, which were the only options for 90% of the population in the 1940s. It gave people personal freedom.

No surprise then that the Honda Cub in all 50/80/125cc formats, has sold 100 million units around the world. It does the job, without fuss or pretensions. Bit like a Seiko 5.

So yes, Seiko’s limited editions of the Cub watch will go down well with collectors and Honda fans alike. There are 6000 numbered pieces of the green design and 5000 of the black and red dial variant. They feature the 4R36 auto movement, which is inside a stack of Presage and 5 models, super reliable.

Both Super Cubs are set to appear in Feb 2023, but you can pre-order now.

They have a 42.5mm wide case, come on NATO straps and the green model has a red tinted see-thru back, while the black models has a sort of yellowy one. Casebacks have the Super Cub logo on them too. Colour matched boxes and cushions too.

The green one has orange hour markers on the 11/1 positions, which look like the indicators on the Cub – cool touch.

The UK price is £340 for the green and £380 for the black. Buy now flip later we say, cannot go wrong.

More here.