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What first started as a playful design experiment has now become reality, as Seiko has just introduced two limited-edition Panda Chronographs that take the famous dial nickname quite literally!

Seiko has just brought into production what is arguably one of the most fun and unique timepieces I have seen this year. These “conceptual” panda chronographs recreate what a “panda-dial” timepiece should actually look like, taking the design back to the truest expression of a panda watch.

The story of this creation, however, starts with Seiko’s Power Design Project, which originally began in 2001 and operated through 2009 as more of an internal initiative within the company, encouraging its designers to explore watchmaking from a completely different perspective. And as we can see, this is exactly what these Panda editions represent.

Rather than creating timepieces based around the brand’s existing collections or conventional expectations, the Power Design Project initiative allowed Seiko’s in-house designers the opportunity to experiment with unusual ideas. The philosophy behind this project was to challenge established watch design conventions and discover new ways of expressing functionality and the overall appearance of timepieces.

In 2022, Seiko gave the Power Design Project new life by introducing a new creative direction and a renewed emphasis on playfulness within its designs. The theme behind this revival was “REBIRTH”, where seven designers revisited historical watches from Seiko’s archives and reimagined them through the Power Design Project lens.

In 2024, Seiko introduced the Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition, which featured seven designers creating watches intended for highly specific interests or audiences. These were primarily experimental design exercises, with the resulting concepts not automatically guaranteed a production run.

This was then followed by the second Incredibly Specialized Watches Exhibition in 2025, which formed part of Seiko’s Power Design Project. This time, there were six concept designs, which included several unique timepieces with actual real-world uses.

The WatchAdvice team was fortunate enough to see the different timepieces within this second “Incredibly Specialized Watches Exhibition” Power Design Project, and I personally have to say that Seiko has done a great job of bringing this philosophy to life. Many of the timepieces within the project have functionality that can actually be useful in everyday life, such as the Egg-Boiling Watch, Santa Claus’ Specialized Watch, and the fun “A Watch for Girls in Love”.

In 2025, Seiko also created the commercial Power Design Project collection, allowing collectors and enthusiasts to actually purchase timepieces developed through previous Power Design Projects. In this case, it was a reimagined 1984 Tissé-inspired design that was originally created for the 2022 Power Design Project REBIRTH exhibition, which became part of “Collection 1”.

Now, in 2026, Seiko is introducing the commercial Collection 2, which features the Panda Chronographs originally designed for the first Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition, introduced as part of the Power Design Project in 2024.

The original concept behind these Panda Chronographs was created by Seiko designer Kiyotaka Sakai, who paid incredible attention to detail in the design. This ultimately led Seiko to develop the concept into two commercially available limited editions for 2026: the traditional black-and-white panda and a pink version inspired by a baby panda.

A Panda In More Ways Than One!

Both editions of the Panda Chronograph share the same design and proportions, with the timepieces featuring a 43mm stainless steel case, measuring 14.6mm thick and just 44.1mm lug-to-lug. Now, the case proportions may look large, as a 43mm diameter is not small by any means, but don’t let that throw you off.

Even though the dimensions may look substantial on paper, the wearability of the timepiece comes down to its 44.1mm lug-to-lug measurement. While the case profile might be large, it tapers off very quickly, meaning that it won’t protrude too far, even on smaller wrist sizes.

You may not notice it at first glance, but this is actually a chronograph model, with the design featuring a distinctive bullhead-style configuration. The traditional 2 and 4 o’clock chronograph pushers have now been positioned at the top of the case, forming the panda’s ears at 1 and 11 o’clock. With the case shape distinctly resembling a panda’s head, the ears are a beautiful design feature that perfectly encapsulates not only the aesthetic of the panda but also the functionality of the chronograph.

The dial also has an immense amount of detail that brings the panda to life. Firstly, the dial features an embossed radial texture that has been created to resemble panda fur, while the hour and minute hands take inspiration from bamboo leaves. We then have the chronograph sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock, which are another distinctive feature of this timepiece. The sub-dials have been completely blacked out to form the panda’s drooping eyes, while its nose and smiling mouth are incorporated near 6 o’clock.

The tachymeter scale on the outer edge of the dial for the chronograph has also been renamed SASAMETER, which references sasa, the Japanese word for bamboo leaves. Its 30km/h marking playfully references a panda’s theoretical maximum running speed!

While the first edition portrays the traditional black-and-white panda, the second model in this limited-edition collection features a beautiful pink dial, which Seiko explains is inspired by the soft pink appearance of a newborn panda. This gives the dial a distinctive look while also allowing the black details of the timepiece to contrast beautifully against the pink shade.

Quartz Precision Behind The Playful Design

The two Panda Chronograph editions both use Seiko’s quartz Calibre 8T61, rather than a traditional mechanical movement. This arguably is also what keeps the models in the sub-AUD $1,000 price category. The movement offers accuracy of approximately ±15 seconds per month, ensuring that despite the playful nature of these timepieces, the watches still remain reliable and practical for everyday use.

The chronograph functionality of these Panda editions is split between a running seconds counter at 3 o’clock and a 60-minute chronograph counter at 9 o’clock. This chronograph layout maintains the two-eye design that is essential to the panda-inspired aesthetic.

Initial Thoughts

If there were one brand to perfectly execute the design concepts that surround the Power Design Project, it would be Seiko. The brand is already known for creating fun and playful timepieces, whether it be through various collaborations or within its own collections.

The Power Design Projects of 2022, 2024 and 2025 showcased what was possible through watchmaking, bringing real-world functionality and playful creativity onto the wrist. While the Panda Chronograph started as a design concept, bringing to life one of watchmaking’s most recognisable dial nicknames, Seiko has now brought it into commercial production for enthusiasts and collectors to enjoy.

This could have easily been a gimmicky design, but Seiko has done anything but that. The amount of detail, from the ear-shaped chronograph pushers and embossed radial texture resembling fur to the bamboo-inspired hands, panda eyes and SASAMETER scale, shows just how thoroughly Seiko and Sakai have explored this concept.

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These timepieces show that watchmaking doesn’t always have to be so serious, and that fun, purposeful and playful creativity is still very much alive in the industry, which has been the philosophy behind the Power Design Project all along. And with both models priced at AUD $875, they are also relatively affordable, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to own something genuinely different without breaking the bank.

Reference: Seiko Power Design Project Collection 2 Panda Chronograph (Ref. HHK001P

Specifications:

Australian Retail Price: AUD $875

Availability: Limited to 3,000 pieces worldwide. Available from November 2026 through Seiko boutiques and selected retailers, or visit www.Seikoboutique.com.au

Reference: Seiko Power Design Project Collection 2 Panda Chronograph (Ref. HHK001P

Specifications:

Australian Retail Price: AUD $875

Availability: Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide. Available from November 2026 through Seiko boutiques and selected retailers, or visit www.Seikoboutique.com.au