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Have you ever wanted a watch specifically designed to accommodate the nocturnal escapades of a vampire? Or perhaps you’re a ninja-type looking to tell the time without taking your eyes off your intended target? Then again, maybe you just want something more wholesome, like a watch that accompanies your DJ set or simply helps you boil an egg to perfection. If any of these sound appealing, Seiko’s Power Design Project: Incredibly Specialised Watch Exhibition 2 is for you.
As I discovered at a recent hands-on session, this collection of six watches is unlike anything you’d normally expect to encounter at your local watch boutique. Instead, the Power Design Project is an initiative that invites Seiko’s in-house designers to break free of the limits of conventional watchmaking and create something inventive, maybe a little abstract, but certainly memorable.
Fortunately, Seiko has brought all of this thinking-out-of-the-box watchmaking to its Sydney boutique, but you’ll need to plan your visit quickly, as these watches, equal parts quirky, charming, fun, and funny, will only be on display until Thursday, September 24. Here’s what you can expect to discover walking through the doors of Seiko’s home at 197 Pitt St, Sydney, before then.
Ninja Stealth Watch
A watch specially crafted for ninjas, this piece is designed to facilitate discreet time-telling as you hide in the shadows waiting for the best moment to strike. Its all-black design features a tactile dial with exaggerated markers that allow the wearer to sense the time with their fingertips alone.
The design is intended to recall the precision of a ninja’s arsenal, and the wearer can deploy their choice of two covers that swivel out of the way to reveal the watch’s dial. The first of these is a metal lid that provides resistance to external shocks, while the second has a glass window that lets you check the time at a glance (I guess this option is reserved for those more casual ninja outings).
Specialised Watch for Club DJs
Whether you’re a bedroom DJ or someone who’s accustomed to spinning the decks in front of a large crowd, this watch would make a perfect accessory for your next performance.
It features an “infinity mirror” dial, created via mirrors that face one another to create an endless chain of reflections. Paired with the watch’s dramatic hues—its lume is reminiscent of a club’s laser lights and truly something to behold—the watch’s interplay of colours and textures creates a three-dimensional effect. Looking at its dial with a freshly charged lume, you can almost hear the drop.
Egg-Boiling Watch for Boiled Egg Lovers
If, like me, you’re trying to get more protein in your diet, you probably know that eggs are your friend. Cooking them perfectly, however, isn’t always as straightforward as you’d want it to be.
Fortunately, this delightful effort from Seiko is extremely useful, regardless of whether you’re a soft-boiled devotee or the hard-boiled approach has your heart. The dial features a boiled-egg motif, and around its edge sits a gauge that ranges from “super-soft” to “hard”, as well as a considerate reminder to use a ladle to place your egg in the boiling water.
Further, the case, which is inspired by the cross-section of a boiled egg, is crafted from a unique plastic material containing 10 per cent egg shell, while the strap is also constructed using an eco-friendly material derived from eggs.
Santa Claus’ Specialised Watch
Are you Santa Claus? That’s the most important question to consider when deciding whether this watch is right for you. If you are, please note that I’ve been very good this year before you read on.
Yes, this watch is specifically designed for Old Saint Nick and comes equipped with a range of features designed to enhance your present-delivery efforts. These assist with nighttime legibility, seamless adjustment across time zones, and (in a curious link with the Ninja Stealth Watch) the ability to avoid being seen by prying eyes.
First, most of the dial is illuminated by Lumibrite, which makes it easy to keep track of time as your reindeer prance across the night sky. It also features a star-shaped GMT hand so you can keep track of your next destination’s time zone. Finally, it comes with a lid attached that enables the Lumibrite to be concealed, so you can complete your present delivery duties without being spotted.
A Watch for Girls in Love
As you may have guessed from its name, this watch was made for girls in love (we say, why not boys, too?), who can’t wait to know how their beloved feels. The rotating disc hand reveals whether it’s “LOVE me” or “LOVE me NOT”. When I tried it out during my aforementioned preview session, I received NOT time and again, much to the mirth of the Seiko team. Oh well. I don’t need your pity.
This cute watch features glass in a plump dome shape, which refracts light, preventing anyone from peeking from the side to see if you’re lucky in love. It’s only by looking from the front that you can see the dial, delicately decorated in flower petals and waiting to reveal whether the object of your affections feels the same way you do.
Vampire-Exclusive Watch
This was my pick of the collection, although I’m not sure what that says about me. Not unlike the Ninja Stealth Watch and Santa Claus’ Specialised Watch, this is a piece for those who operate under the cover of darkness.
As a vampire must avoid sunlight at any cost, this watch’s 24-hour dial is divided in half, with night hours occupying the top half and day hours relegated to the bottom. Where night hours feature easy-to-read Roman-numeral markers in black, the hours where any self-respecting vampire would be snoozing in their coffin are marked by harder-to-see translucent numerals that blend in with the red dial behind them.
Other nice touches include a rotatable bejewelled bezel, which boasts a colour gradient from deep red to clear, helping you track your last “meal” and when you can expect your appetite to return, as well as a leather strap that takes its inspiration from a bat’s wings. As intended, it’s a timepiece worthy of Dracula himself.
Discover Seiko’s Exhibition for Yourself
As mentioned, this collection of idiosyncratic watches is currently enjoying a very brief stay at Seiko’s Sydney boutique, located at 197 Pitt Street in the heart of the city’s CBD.
Whether you fancy the vampire watch (perhaps lather yourself in SPF 50 first), the DJ number, or the delightful practicality of the Egg-Boiling Watch, it’s worth the effort to pay the store a visit. After all, once these curiosities depart our shores, you won’t get the chance to encounter watches of their ilk anytime soon.
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