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- Two of Seiko’s most adventurous watch designers sat down with Man of Many to discuss their latest creations during the Sydney tour of Seiko’s Power Design Project: Incredibly Specialised Watch Exhibition 2.
- Yuya Suganuma revealed how he designed his Ninja Stealth Watch to challenge the way we interact with and wear our timepieces.
- Yu Ishihara’s Vampire-Exclusive Watch is sure to be a hit with any Dracula devotees, and the creator hinted at more monster-inspired watches to come.
On a whirlwind visit to Australia last week, six weird and wonderful watches took centre stage within Seiko’s Sydney boutique. The pieces make up the Japanese watchmaking powerhouse’s Power Design Project: Incredibly Specialised Watch Exhibition 2 collection (yes, it’s quite a mouthful) and provide a potent demonstration of what watches can look like when creators are free to indulge some of their more out-there impulses.
Rather than thinking about potential customers, the watchmakers designed these watches to playfully expand horological thinking. From timepieces specially designed for those who’d prefer to keep out of sight (ninjas, vampires, and… Santa Claus?) to those honed to help the wearer perfectly boil an egg or play a round of “He loves me, he loves me not”, the quirky collection is a celebration of unfettered imagination.
Accompanying the watches on their trek Down Under were two of the masterminds behind key contributions to the collection, and with their translator, they sat down with me for a brief discussion of how their watches came to be. Yuya Suganuma, whose daily duties revolve around the Seiko 5 Sports line, discussed his all-black Ninja Stealth Watch, while the design director across Seiko’s high-end Prospex and Grand Seiko lines, Yu Ishihara, revealed how he created his Dracula-ready Vampire-Exclusive Watch.
Yuya Suganuma — Ninja Stealth Watch
Man of Many: You’ve left no ambiguity as to who you made this piece for. Were there any specific ninja characters from fiction or history that helped you to find the inspiration for this watch?
Yuya Suganuma: I didn’t base the watch on any particular ninja. Instead, I deepened my understanding of ninjas by reading academic research on the subject and speaking with people who are actively involved in preserving and sharing ninja culture as practitioners of Nin-do.
MM: Have you ever found yourself in a real-world scenario where this watch would have come in handy? One where you’ve wanted to discreetly check the time but haven’t been able to?
YS: It might actually be quite useful in places like movie theatres or dark auditoriums. You can check the time discreetly without looking directly at the watch or disturbing the people around you.
MM: What did you learn from this experience that you’ll take back into your day-to-day work creating Seiko 5 Sports products?
YS: The biggest thing I’ll take back to my day-to-day work is the importance of thinking more freely and creatively. By challenging ourselves with structures and ways of wearing a watch that we wouldn’t normally consider, we were able to create something new and interesting. It’s a mindset I’d like to continue applying to my regular design work as well.
MM: Can you explain the spell you’ve included on the back of the watch? What does it say and how does it work?
YS: It is pronounced, “Rin, Pyō, Tō, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen.” The phrase is often interpreted as meaning, “Those who possess the power to fight, gather before me and form a protective barrier.” It is said that ninjas would recite these words while forming nine symbolic hand signs as a way of focusing and centring their minds.
MM: Given the secretive nature of ninjas, are there any public figures you think would suit your watch, or any you’d particularly like to see wearing it instead?
YS: I sometimes wonder if there are ninjas living quietly among us in modern society without us even realising it. If so, I’d love to see this watch worn by those modern-day shinobi who blend seamlessly into everyday life.
Yu Ishihara — Vampire-Exclusive Watch
Man of Many: Given the Power Design Project’s possibilities are endless, what made you decide to design a watch for a vampire?
Yu Ishihara: Generally speaking, a wristwatch is something people put on before heading out in the morning and take off when they return home at night. However, in today’s world, where people embrace a wide variety of lifestyles, I began to wonder whether there might be some who do the exact opposite and only wear a watch at night.
Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind: Could they be vampires? That playful idea became the starting point for this watch.
MM: Given your role overseeing high-end Grand Seiko models, did any elements from that part of the watchmaking world make their way into this concept piece?
YI: There are several elements that draw inspiration from the world of high-end watchmaking. The bezel, with its gemstones set in a graduated pattern, and the three-dimensional Louis-style hour and minute hands, which appear as though they were crafted by a master metal artisan, are both design features commonly found in luxury watches and antique pocket watches.
The unidirectional bezel used to set the date of the next blood feast was inspired by the timing bezels found on divers’ watches. Divers use them to keep track of remaining underwater time, whereas in this case, I reimagined the same mechanism for a vampire’s schedule. That kind of playful reinterpretation is something I particularly enjoyed in this project.
MM: What did you learn from this experience that you’ll take back into your day-to-day work?
YT: One of the most valuable things I learned from this project was the appeal of designing for a very specific individual.
In my regular work, I rarely design with a single person or a clearly defined character in mind. However, through the Vampire Exclusive Watch, I realised that a design created for an extremely niche audience can still resonate deeply with many passionate Seiko enthusiasts. In fact, the more niche an idea is, the stronger the connection can sometimes become with those who relate to its unique world and story.
Going forward, I would like to continue exploring such niche ideas, refining and developing them even further, and ultimately creating designs that inspire excitement and enthusiasm among even more people.
MM: How would you approach watches for other famous monsters from fiction? For example, the Wolf Man, the Mummy, or the Invisible Man.
YT: That’s actually an idea I’m keeping under wraps for a future exhibition, so I’m afraid I can’t reveal it just yet. Stay tuned!
MM: In the absence of any real-world vampires looking to reveal their existence to the world, are there any particular public figures who you think would suit your watch or any you’d particularly like to see wearing it?
YT: I didn’t design it with any specific celebrity in mind. That said, I can certainly imagine it being worn not only by a noble gentleman such as Count Dracula, the iconic aristocrat of vampire lore, but also by an elegant, enigmatic woman with a captivating sense of mystery.
Incredibly Specialised Watches
While the watches of Seiko’s Power Design Project: Incredibly Specialised Watch Exhibition 2 have now departed Australia’s shores, I’ve no doubt there will be a third instalment to this exhibition series sooner rather than later.
When that time comes, will we see another creature feature from Yu Ishihara? And how will Yuya Suganuma further challenge the how and by whom watches are worn? Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long for answers. In the meantime, check out my hands-on session with the watches and then discover more via the link below.
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