Seiko Unveils Luxury ‘Poké Ball’ Watches Comprising Three Starter Pokémon

By Mikelle Leow, 12 Jul 2021

Image via Seiko / PR Times

After spending time, pun intended, in the world of Studio Ghibli, watchmaker Seiko is celebrating yet another Japanese animated classic with luxury timepieces Professor Oak would approve.

Just as you’d be hard-pressed to choose between three starter Pokémon in the games, Seiko urges you to pick from the grass-type Bulbasaur, fire-type Charmander, and water-type Squirtle in a limited-edition Pokémon series. Each watch is washed in the relevant hue of the Pokémon element.

Thoughtful details can be found throughout the accessories. The monsters’ superpowers are portrayed in the backgrounds, such as a green gradient depicting Bulbasaur’s ‘Solar Beam’, a red pattern illustrating Charmander’s ‘Fire Spin’, and blue tones nodding at Squirtle’s ‘Hydro Pump’. The characters are mirrored by their evolved selves, namely Ivysaur, Charmeleon, and Wartortle.

To ensure they’ll sustain intense Pokémon battles, the watches are crafted from high-quality stainless steel and a sapphire glass face.

Turn them around, and you’ll meet the ultimate evolution of each character: Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. The Pokémon appear once again on the accompanying boxes and microfiber cleaning fabrics.

For a meta experience, the watches are nostalgically posed as Poké Balls in the boxes, with characters hovering them to replicate the animation.

Like pets, these characters will eat into some of your savings, and each timepiece will be priced at ¥49,500 (US$450) when they are released from August 6. According to SoraNews24, they’ll only be sold via the Japanese online store, with just 700 pieces per model.