Director K:
A theoretic designer who loves to analyze things.
He is usually calm, but when it comes to talking about watches, he is more passionate than anyone else.

Veteran designer T:
A warm-hearted designer who is like a Holy Mother figure.
She reads the thoughts behind watch designs from a deep perspective.

Mid-level designer T:
A mid-level designer with a cool-guy nature.
His devotion to his senior, whom he talks about several times during the discussion, is a point of charm.

Young designer I:
A young designer who has just joined the company.
Although she has a sweet face, her comments are harsh. She is a bitter beauty.

A look back at the watch industry in 2020

Director K:
Today we will be sharing this discussion without revealing our identities to the readers, so I hope we can have a frank discussion without worrying about our respective positions. Thank you all for joining.

All members: Thank you for having us.

Director K:
This time, we surveyed our in-house designers in advance. The theme was “What designs did you like among the watches released in 2020?” Today, I’d like to discuss the results of the survey, but first, let’s take a look back at this year as a whole. After all, the year 2020 was a very special year.

Mid-level designer T:
There is no doubt that not only our company, but the entire Japanese watch industry was in a difficult situation. The effect of refraining from nonessential and non-urgent outings reduced the number of opportunities for customers to visit stores. On the other hand, we’ve seen an increase in purchasing through electronic commerce (EC).

Young designer I:
The first watches I was in charge of after joining the company was for the Christmas demand last year, but it seems that fewer customers came to the stores than usual.

Director K:
Seiko has made a strong emphasis on the in-store experience, so that may have had a significant impact.

Mid-level designer T:
EC allows you to carefully compare specifications and information, and purchasing is easy, but for those who want to actually put the watch on their wrist to see how it fits and feels, there may be some anxiety and hesitation.

Veteran designer T:
On the other hand, there was a demand unique to last year. It seems that many people chose watches to buy something nice instead of going on a trip. I have the impression that luxury watches sold relatively well, especially during the period when the government provided benefits.

Director K:
It seems that there are some watches that are particularly attractive and impressive in relation to these times. I’d like to take a look back at the watches released in the peculiar year of 2020, including from that perspective.

Re-creations and modern interpretations that connect the past and present

Director K:
Looking at the results of the survey of in-house designers, I get the impression that those products whose stories are easy to tell were chosen. For example, the Re-creation of King Seiko KSK received the most votes.

Young designer I:
The Re-creation of the King Seiko KSK is a great design from more than 50 years ago that has a lot of fans. I think it must be very difficult to re-create the kind of appeal that is particular to vintage watches like this.

Director K:
The techniques used to re-create the design of this model with different materials and processing machines from those days are amazing. What I thought was particularly advanced was the glass. Back in that time, it was made of acrylic, which was fragile and not water resistant, but the re-creation is made of sapphire glass. If we were to re-create the shape of the glass as it was back then, we would not be able to see the dial because of the different refractive index. This problem has been solved by devising a special shape for the glass so that the dial is displayed beautifully. This is a really nice effort to re-create the functionality and the beauty of the original watch. Just from the look of the finished watch, you would never know that such a technique was used.

Mid-level designer T:
I see, that’s one way to look at it. I think the reason why the re-creation of the King Seiko KSK is so popular is because it meets the requirements of a re-creation, but with a modern approach and ingenuity.

Veteran designer T:
This model has a particularly distinctive design, so I’m sure fans are happy to see it faithfully reproduced. Actually I am happy because I’m one of those fans. I can see that the design has been re-created with the hope that people will use it for decades to come, while retaining the good qualities of the old design. There are also many re-created versions of Prospex, which was also popular in the survey.

Mid-level designer T:
That’s right. There are two types of Prospex reproductions: re-creation and modern re-interpretation. The re-creations are as faithful to the original as possible with today’s technology, while also meeting stricter standards such as water resistance. The modern interpretations, on the other hand, take advantage of the good qualities of the original while adding interpretations and innovations that can only be done now. It is quite interesting to compare the two types.

Director K:
It seems that among the various Prospex models, the SPB143 model has gained particular support within the company.

Veteran designer T:
It’s a modern interpretation of the Seiko’s first diver’s watches. It’s smaller than a typical diver’s watch, so it seems to be popular for its size.

Mid-level designer T:
I agree. My senior who was in charge of the design was very particular about the size, the shape, and even the color. It would be awkward for me to go into the specifics of the design here, though, so I will refrain.

(All members laugh.)

Mid-level designer T:
Diver’s watches were originally designed to be used for diving. As such, they were designed to fit over a wetsuit. However, modern interpretations are designed to fit when worn directly on the skin, with consideration to the center of gravity of the entire watch and lugs being made. It’s very comfortable to wear.

Young designer I:
The color of the dial is grayish, which gives it a sense of lightness, whereas black would feel too heavy to me. I like that it has a modern feel to it.

Director K:
For customers, in addition to the fact that it is designed for these times, the fact that it also has a history may be attractive to them. Whether it’s a re-creation or a modern interpretation, I think it’s easier for people to feel a connection to a watch if there is a story behind it.

A collaboration watch made with love and passion

Mid-level designer T:
The various collaboration models of the Seiko 5 Sports also received many votes, but I have the impression that the Brian May model (SRPE83) stands out in particular.

Young designer I:
This was quite a topic of conversation within the company at the time.

Mid-level designer T:
There were comments on the survey saying that the timing of the launch was perfect. The movie about the band was a big hit, Brian May was coming to Japan for a performance, and the collaboration model was released right after that.

Veteran designer T:
The designer in charge of this project was also an avid fan, so she was very attached to it, and this is reflected in the attention to detail. If you look closely at the dial, you can see the designer has replicated the texture of the wood grain of the guitar, which is very beautiful. The red gradation and the lapping finish also bring out that sense of luster of the guitar. The red color was also created to reproduce the Red Special guitar, and the designer visited an exhibit to see a replica to confirm the color tone.

Young designer I:
I personally have the image that collaboration watches are difficult to use on a daily basis, but…

(All members laugh.)

Young designer I:
I think it’s good that this design is easy to wear for anyone even if you’re not of that generation.

Director K:
The difficult part of a collaboration is how to incorporate a particular world view into the watch in a clever way. At the same time, the watch needs to be easy to wear and easy to read or customers won’t like it. The Brian May model managed to achieve both these requirements at a high level, and I personally think it’s fantastic!

Personal likes of discussion members

Director K:
The watch I was personally interested in was the Astron model for women (STXD009). It is a very challenging design, as someone wrote in the survey, “I didn’t think it was possible to make a ladies’ model of Astron.” I was also surprised at the way the femininity was expressed with the elliptical ceramic bezel. I think it is marvelous that a watch with a certain sense of size can be so elegantly presented.

Young designer I:
The one I liked is the Street Series model of Prospex (SRPE31). I’ve always liked the model known as the “Tuna Can”, which has the outer case protector, and was curious about it, but when I saw this watch in the store, I very nearly bought it on the spot.

Veteran designer T:
But you didn’t buy it!

Young designer I:
Well, I liked the way it felt on my wrist—not too big—but I wasn’t planning on doing any shopping that day, so… I also liked that the strap, bezel, and dial were all in gray, which is a color scheme you don’t see very often. …I think I’ll probably buy it someday.

Mid-level designer T:
As for me, I was interested in the GMT model of Grand Seiko (SBGJ239). It is a very attractive Grand Seiko model with a good mix of sports watch qualities. In the responses to the questionnaire, one responder wrote, “I like the surface ratio of the case, bezel, and dial configuration, and the relationship between the indexes and hands.” I agree with that opinion. I also find this designer’s work to be a very helpful reference in terms of balance.

Director K:
It’s true that this series has the perfect balance of “sportiness” that is typical of Grand Seiko. Which watch did you like the most, T-san?

Veteran designer T:
I would say the Presage Sharp Edged Series (SPB167). I think the Asanoha (hemp leaf) pattern on the dial and the strong metal texture of the entire watch are attractive. By highlighting the personality of the watch, the design is not something that appeals to everyone, but rather something that appeals to a certain set of people. I think this is a good thing. I feel like it represents how Seiko designs should be new and unique.

What kind of watch design will be wanted in the future?

Director K:
Considering how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives so drastically, what do you think will happen to watch design in the future?

Young designer I:
I have a feeling that the major trends in design will not change. Fashions repeat themselves, so I think we will see the recurring boom of old and new. However, as purchasing methods change, I believe that the way a product looks will become more important in the future.

Director K:
I agree. In addition to the way a watch looks when it is displayed in a store, watch designers will have to think about how they want it to look online and how they can make their ideas clearer.

Veteran designer T:
It is a fundamental prerequisite that the product is good. Beyond that, the issues of how to create opportunities for customers to know about the product and how to go about selling it are important in today’s world where EC is becoming mainstream.

Mid-level designer T:
I would like to share more about the development stories of products, the background of their designs, and the thoughts behind them on the Seiko website, SNS, and here in “by Seiko watch design.”

Veteran designer T:
It will be interesting to see what kind of watches will be talked about and how watch design will change in 2021 as the “new normal” progresses. As a designer, I find it very rewarding.

Director K:
Also, 2021 is the 140th anniversary of the founding of Seiko, so I would like people to look forward to what kind of models Seiko will launch! Thank you very much for your time today, everyone.