Seiko’s designers let their imaginations run wild with a new generation of watches

Innovative Japanese craftsmanship lies at the heart of Seiko, which celebrates its designers’ creativity with an annual event in London. The Power Design Project – this year titled Passionately and Obsessively Crafted Watches – returns to Japan House, inviting Seiko’s in-house designers to play with the conventions of the traditionally uniform watch design.

The components of the watch itself are considered by the designers here, from the dial textures to the hands and watch surfaces, elements which are often overlooked but require intrinsic artistry and great care.

‘I told the designers, ‘We welcome ideas that go all out!’’ says Grand Seiko design director Shinichiro Kubo on the first Power Design Project relaunch in 2022. ‘Usually, when working on regular products, we design with clear goals and boundaries in mind and, for better or worse, we become accustomed to that way of thinking. So I reassured them that even ideas that might make them wonder – ‘Is it really OK to release something like this?’ – were acceptable. But I also emphasised that it had to be a full-swing effort – no holding back.’

This year’s watches are both playful and surprising, replacing traditional hands with cats, creating a textured maze instead of the usual bar indices and replacing the day indicator with positive text-based messages.

‘People have long asked, ‘Why do we still need watches in this digital age?’’ says Hisashi Fujieda, manager of the Seiko R&D Department. ‘In some countries, more and more people are unable to read analogue timepieces. That’s why I hope, through exhibitions like these, we can continue to showcase the beauty of analogue technology and help people rediscover the unique appeal of watches.’

Kubo adds: ‘Before we began these projects, watch exhibitions mostly appealed only to watch enthusiasts. But this time, we managed to engage people who had never shown much interest in watches before. That, for us, was the most rewarding part.’

Seiko’s ‘Passionately and Obsessively Crafted Watches’ exhibition from 27th August – 15th September 2026 at Japan House London. Free admission

japanhouselondon.uk