Each year, Seiko holds a contest called the Power Design Project. I don’t know all the details, but I believe it involves a contest among Seiko designers (and maybe other designers as well) in Japan to design cool new concept watches. Often times, many of the designs are very sober and classic – less wildly futuristic. Seiko actually produces some of the winning designs each year. Most of these pieces are limited in production and only sold in Japan, but you can get them online.

One of my favorite Power Design Project watch models from the last few years that was actually produced is this Ref. SBPP003 (white dial) or SBP001 (black dial). It looks like a combo between a sport Seiko, Tag Heuer Carrera, and an Omega Speedmaster. It is quite thin at about 10mm thick, and 40mm wide (in steel).

The dial comes in black or white – each matched to a black bezel. The piece is handsome and easy to like. Nothing wild here, save for a nicely polished design with both modern and vintage looking accents. I really do like the bracelet. Seiko is known to have the competence to make fantastic bracelets for relatively low priced watches.

Inside the SBPP001/3 watch is a Seiko 7T62 quartz movement. Basic, but highly effective, and used in a healthy number of watches. The movement has the time, date, 60 minute chronograph, and an alarm. The lower subsidiary seconds dial is where you set the alarm. Though it is all includes in a nicely organized fashion. The hands and applied hour markers have lume. Little touches like the polished rings around the subdials help this watch be a winner. Don’t forget to always look out for Seiko Power Design Project watches for interesting, good-looking watches at relatively reasonable prices. The SBPP003 and SBPP001 watches are gonna cost about $450 at the current yen/dollar conversion rate.

These images are mostly from Keiya Japan, where I think you can actually get the watches. seikousa.com