Seiko puts its 2024 panda-ear Pandagraph concept into production

Seiko has turned its 2024 Pandagraph concept into a production watch. Designer Kiyotaka Sakai's chronograph, first shown at the Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition, becomes two limited editions arriving in November: 3,000 pieces of the white-and-black HHK001 and 2,000 of the pink-and-black HHK002.

The Pandagraph began in Seiko's Power Design Project. Attention was strong enough that the brand decided to build it, and the production watches barely differ from Sakai's concept. One notable change: the Pandagraph name is gone from the dial and was not mentioned in the press release at all.

Seiko, the Japanese maker behind everything from the Seiko 5 to Grand Seiko, has left the panda's ears where they were. Pricing is €590, US$540 or £510 for either version, and both editions become available in November.

The case is not small, whatever the word cute suggests. The brushed and polished stainless steel cushion case measures 43mm across and 14.6mm thick. Lug-to-lug is 44.1mm, barely more than the diameter, because the strap attaches almost directly to the case.

The case has a bullhead layout, which puts the crown and both chronograph pushers on top rather than on the side. Those pushers are shaped like little panda ears, the detail that made the original concept so popular.

The all-steel case back carries the limited-edition number and the words water resistant, and it is styled as a panda's rear end, complete with a tail. It does not state the 30m rating that the watch carries.

The movement is Seiko's 8T61 mecha-quartz, accurate to plus or minus 15 seconds a month, with roughly three years of battery life. That last figure depends heavily on how much the chronograph is used. It resists magnetic fields up to 4,800 A/m.

What the panda dial looks like

Under a Hardlex crystal, the dial comes in classic white-and-black or a kawaii pink-and-black version inspired by newborn pandas. Kawaii is Japanese for cute. Both carry the same panda-fur-inspired texture and two sub-dials shaped like panda eyes.

Around the dial runs a two-layered scale Seiko calls the Sasameter. Sasa means bamboo grass in Japanese, the panda's favorite food, and the scale lets a wearer determine a panda's speed. Running pandas should reach a maximum of about 30 km/h.

The strap is leather, white or pink to match the dial, with a plain finish. Only the tip and the first keeper use a suede-like material. On the design concept the keepers were very hairy, a flourish Seiko toned down for production.

How it fits Seiko's range

We reported on the Seiko panda chronograph from its 2024 design project when it became a real watch. This announcement fills in the details: the reference numbers, the movement, the case size and the price for each edition.

Seiko's range runs wide. In our guide to Cartier Tank alternatives we recorded its rectangular dress watch at about $210, and our best field watches list includes the Seiko 5. The Pandagraph is a design experiment from the same maker.

Grand Seiko is among the attainable picks in our ranking of the best luxury watch brands. The panda chronograph plays in a different register, a playful quartz-based limited edition rather than a mechanical showpiece.

Early reaction has been warm. Commenters on the announcement called the limited editions very well priced given the extra work involved, while others expect speculators to snap them up when sales open in November.

The awkward part is ordering. Seiko has not said how the watches will be sold, and the official site linked from the announcement carries no buy button.