Seiko's New Panda Chronograph Is Literally a Panda: The Power Design Project HHK001 and HHK002
Watch collectors have called chronographs with black subdials on a white dial “panda dials” since the 1960s. Seiko has now taken the nickname literally. Announced on October 6, 2026, the Power Design Project panda chronograph turns the two subdials into a panda's eye patches, adds a nose and smile, and puts the pushers on top of the case as ears. It comes in black and white ( HHK001 , 3,000 pieces) and newborn-cub pink ( HHK002 , 2,000 pieces), each at US$540 , from November 2026.
At a glance
HHK001 (black/white, 3,000 pieces) and HHK002 (pink, 2,000 pieces), not individually numbered • 43.0mm × 14.6mm steel cushion case • quartz chronograph calibre 8T61 • 30m (3 bar) water resistance, Hardlex crystal • US$540 each, November 2026 at Seiko Boutiques, seikowatches.com and selected retailers.
From Concept to Production
The watch comes from Seiko's Power Design Project , a design studio programme that creates experimental concept watches. Designer Kiyotaka Sakai drew the panda for Seiko's 2024 “Incredibly Specialized Watch Exhibition,” where it was billed as a watch made only for panda lovers. It was the most popular concept at the show, so Seiko put it into production. Early coverage nicknamed it the “Pandagraph,” but the production watch drops that word from the dial.
Where the Panda Appears
Almost every part of the watch is in on the joke. The two sunken black subdials are the eye patches, a small nose and smile sit above 6 o'clock (brown and red on the pink HHK002), and the brushed, uneven dial texture suggests fur. The hands are shaped like bamboo leaves , and the tachymeter scale is renamed the “Sasameter” — sasa is Japanese for bamboo — running to 30 km/h. The chronograph pushers sit at the top of the case in a bullhead layout to form the ears, and the crown is recessed so the round head stays unbroken. On the back, the caseback is patterned like a panda's back, with a raised 3D tail .
Specifications and Price
| Specification | HHK001 / HHK002 |
|---|---|
| Edition | HHK001: 3,000 pieces; HHK002: 2,000 pieces (not individually numbered) |
| Case | Stainless steel cushion case, 43.0mm × 14.6mm, 44.1mm lug-to-lug |
| Movement | Seiko quartz chronograph calibre 8T61 (±15 sec/month), 60-minute chronograph in 1/5 seconds |
| Water resistance | 30m (3 bar) |
| Crystal | Hardlex |
| Strap | Leather with suede-like panels: white (HHK001) or pink (HHK002) |
| Price (US) | $540 each |
| Availability | November 2026, Seiko Boutiques, seikowatches.com and selected retailers |
A Brief History of the Panda Dial
A panda dial is a white or silver chronograph dial with black subdials; the reverse, black with white subdials, is a “reverse panda.” The look became famous on 1960s racing chronographs and is now a staple of Seiko's Prospex Speedtimer line. Seiko itself has a deep chronograph history, from Japan's first chronograph wristwatch in 1964 to the 1969 calibre 6139, one of the first automatic chronographs — see our Seiko calibres history. The HHK001 and HHK002 are a light-hearted coda to that story: a quartz watch that makes a design joke into a production collectible. For Seiko's high-end sibling, see Grand Seiko.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Seiko panda watch?
The Seiko Power Design Project panda chronograph, refs HHK001 and HHK002, a quartz chronograph whose dial, pushers and caseback form an actual panda.
How much is the Seiko panda chronograph?
US$540 for either the HHK001 or HHK002.
How many Seiko panda watches will be made?
3,000 of the black-and-white HHK001 and 2,000 of the pink HHK002; they are not individually numbered.
What is a Sasameter?
Seiko's joke name for the tachymeter-style scale on the panda chronograph; sasa means bamboo in Japanese.
What movement does the Seiko panda use?
The quartz chronograph calibre 8T61.
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