Explore a range of ‘incredibly specialized watches’ – including a watch for ‘Panda Lovers’ and a watch to help cook sukiyaki – in this display, in collaboration with Japan House London Corporate Member, SEIKO UK Limited.
Power Design Project
SEIKO’s ‘Power Design Project’ challenges in-house designers to delve into the essence of watchmaking from a different angle, exploring styles distinct from their regular work to generate innovative outcomes. The experimental project, which began in 2001, centres on an annual theme and ran for eight years. In 2022, it was revived with the theme of ‘Rebirth’.
For 2024, designers have created seven timepieces around the theme of ‘incredibly specialized watches’. Over its 140 year history, SEIKO has introduced a variety of specialized watch designs to the market, including dedicated divers’ watches, stopwatches for sporting events, and railroad watches, all of which have gained global recognition. In this exhibition, each of the seven designers has taken an individual approach to creating a watch, with highly specialized functions.
SEIKO
Now a household name in timekeeping technology, SEIKO (as it is known today), was founded by Hattori Kintarō in 1881 as a watch and clock retail and repair store based in Tokyo. As the business prospered, the company became Seikosha in 1892, expanding to manufacture wall clocks. By 1913 the company had launched Japan’s first wristwatch, the Laurel.
When the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Japan in September 1923, Seikosha lost all of its factories and stores, but somehow managed to resume operations by November of that year, adopting the name SEIKO, and replacing all of the timepieces that were held for repair with brand-new watches. This gesture won public trust and support.
SEIKO achieved worldwide recognition at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 when it became the official timer of the Olympic Games. This milestone propelled the company onto the global stage, enabling SEIKO to compete with the Swiss watch brands that dominated the market at the time. Since then, SEIKO has continued to pioneer innovative designs and develop groundbreaking technologies in timekeeping.