Comments on: Seiko Power Design Project Watch Releases

by: GMT+9 » Blog Archive » Seiko Spirit SBPB001 Power Design Project Pictures

Sun, 04 May 2008 23:40:45 +0000

[…] Some watches we categorize as “fun to wear,” and that is what Seiko Spirit SBPB001 looks like to me. The watch is all about style — sleek and modernistic. But it also has a utilitarian, easy to read dial. […]

by: bryanandersen

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:12:33 +0000

I like the Sallaz (below) — case reminds me of an early ’70s King Seiko, the version that was re-released with a 4S movement in the Year 2000 Historical series.

I echo your comments on the 7N movement. Good workhorse movement, but a little slop in the gearing when setting. Right. The accuracy on ones I have is better than specs, but doesn’t rise up to the +/- 10 seconds to +/- 20 seconds per year that I demand from Seiko quartz at this point in my watch-collecting career. As noted above, exceptions are Seikos under $150 or so, and Seiko quartz chronograph/complicated movements.

by: petew

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:43:34 +0000

I agree 100% with the 7N comments. I will say that the 7N watches I’ve had (two) were very accurate, but there was some slop in the gearing on each of them.

Okay, just for fun, here are some simple time only PDP watches that I would love to see released:

by: bryanandersen

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:13:56 +0000

I think I’m a bit more positive about the design than you are Pete, as I prefer three hand, no day/date designs. Good ones are hard to find in the mid-price range. The negative with this particular release for me is the 7N quartz movement. At this point, unless it’s a complicated chronograph movement, it’s unlikely I’ll purchase a Seiko quartz watch that costs over $150 but only keeps time to +/- 15 seconds per month.

If Seiko had outfitted Seiko SPBP003 with an 8J, 5E, or 4J quartz movement, found in Dolce models and all of which keep time to +/- 10 second per year, or an 8F quartz movement at +/- 20 seconds per year, I’d be interested in purchasing one. That said, I appreciate that these watches are all about case/dial/crystal design and admire them on that level.

They remind of a stylized version of this Lord Quartz (below) from the 1970s, which of course featured a high-end quartz movement.

by: petew

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:36:47 +0000

Well I have to say that I’m lukewarm on this one. There have been some fantastic designs shown by the Power Design Project in the past, (most notably that 300M diver that was posted all over the internet) and this one never jumped out at me in the past. That said, I think it’s pretty promising that Seiko moved beyond producing prototypes to display at an annual show to production on this one. Perhaps it’s a sign of things to come.