Seiko Revisits Its Past to Move Fashionably Forward with the New Power Design Project Collection 1
A bold roundness runs rings around current watch design in this first true collection from the Japanese maker’s revived "power design project” initiative.
By Mike Espindle
Executive Editor
From 2001 to 2009, Seiko began a period of in-house focus that strove to push its designers to move beyond their usual practices, aiming to convey fresh thinking and unexpected creativity in its watches. While forward-looking, the process also involved delving into the watchmaker’s impressive archives of innovative design inspiration to spark out-of-the-box ideas and approaches.
The program was refueled in 2022 with an official name – “power design project” – and design teams focused on seven specific historical Seiko models to reimagine them from a modern perspective.
The initial results were boldly re-envisioned one-off takes on the classic Hi-Beat (“Radiant Time”), a stripped-down colorful revise of the Marinemaster dive watch (“Put on Time”), a retro-modern square chronograph (“Shikachro”), a whimsical redux of the technical Time Sonar (“Time Sonar 434 Feels”), and others that largely were only available in Japan.
Today, the project’s rebirth has resulted in its first new collection (albeit in limited editions) based on the 2022 offerings, proving that, sometimes, coming full circle sometimes requires thinking outside of the box.
Round and Round
One of the stand-out offerings of the 2022 project was an updated riff on Seiko’s popular Tissé model from 1984. The original – conceived as a women’s piece that was as much an accessory as it was a watch – presented a small, circular case with the world’s smallest quartz movement at the time, surrounded by a loose-fit, jangly beaded bracelet.
The new 2025 Seiko power design project collection 1 not only expands the mix with offerings in globally available stainless steel silver-tone (SSEH021), dark grey (SSEH023), and gold-tone (SSEH024) versions, but the new colorways, updated technology, and design break the 1984 Tissé’s gender wall, which is definitely a bonus, considering today’s more open attitudes toward watch design.
We can’t help but marvel at how brilliantly these pieces bring the project full circle, so please indulge us with this aptly mid-‘80s hair-metal moment that enthusiastically speaks to the circular nature of the new collection.
Full Circle
The 2025 models’ 20.2mm circular case now houses a state-of-the-art precision Caliber 4N30 quartz movement. Meanwhile, the dials now feature a complete set of twelve hour markers, reinforcing the time-telling intent of the re-envisioned collection without detracting from its undeniable style, as both the 1984 Tissé and the 2022 rebirth only had four hour markers.
However, the most loaded revision to the 1984 original is the Seiko design team’s recasting of the watch’s bracelet.
The loose spherical beads of the original have been replaced with flattened, beveled, brush-finished, and mirror-polished circular components in a tighter formation. Furthermore, those pieces gradually increase in size over the bracelet’s length, creating a more artful, asymmetrical overall look.
Starting small, they emerge at the bottom of the case at 6 o’clock. By the time the links rejoin the watch at 12 o’clock, they are nearly the size of the case itself. A special multi-faceted angle design on the third link creates an optical “arrow” that encourages the eye to “make the circuit,” if you will.
Pricing & Availability
All three versions will be available at Seiko boutiques and select retailers worldwide starting in December 2025, but they will be limited to 500 editions in each execution. The steel silver tone SSEH021 is listed for €405, with its dark grey and gold-toned siblings priced at €450 each.
You can learn more via Seiko’s website.