In space no one can hear you tick.
In the movie Alien, futuristic alien butt-kicker Sigourney Weaver AKA Ripley wore a futuristic-looking chronograph. This piece, the Seiko 7A28-7000, was one of the first watches with a quartz chronograph movement and featured a unique pusher design with buttons that stuck straight up on either end of a large metallic bar on the side of the case. Originally conceived by car (and Apple product) designer Georgette Giugiaro, the watch was far ahead of its time in terms of design and was part of Seiko’s move towards true quartz watches and chronographs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In short, it is a cult favorite.
You can read a bit more history here.
Now Seiko is reissuing the piece with a few changes. The new Seiko X Giugiaro Spirit Smart looks a bit like the original model but features a newer quartz chronograph movement but remains true to the odd yet compelling pusher position. The new watches will cost $260 in gray and $292 in black and will be available in limited runs of 3,000.
Seiko has been experimenting with oddly styled pieces of late through their new Spirit line. The SCVE007, for example, hearkens back to a Giugiaro-inspired design that looks like a cross between a 1970s disco timepiece and an early Swatch. For a company dedicated to making only a few iconic designs – an a lot of boring quartz pieces – this move towards unique reissues is quite exciting.
