For Mazda, manga fans: Seiko to drop new Initial D watch

MANILA: Seiko, through Premico, has announced a new collaborative timepiece inspired by the franchise Initial D.

Dubbed Initial D x Seiko Keisuke Takahashi RX-7 FD3S Model, the quartz chronograph is heavily influenced by the character design of the hot-tempered Mazda RX-7 driver and his automobile. 

Fans of the title will be familiar with Ryosuke’s younger brother due to his rivalry, turned friendship with series protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara, and the wristwatch is unmistakably him.

It even comes in a themed box, which kind of gives it a collector-grade appeal since most Seiko watches ship with just a standard white carton. 

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Here are some of its features:

Busy, yellow dial

Drawing inspiration from Takahashi’s yellow-colored RX-7 from Mazda, the watch’s dial looks bold and has striking contrast with the black tachymeter.

Starting at the top, the 12 o’clock index is replaced with a dial furniture that harks back to the triangle rotor of a rotary engine. Under which is a sub-dial that tracks the elapsed time in 10 minute intervals.

The RedSuns logo, topped with a chrome Seiko branding, can be seen on the right-hand side of the watch. Just beneath it — between the four o’clock and five o’clock mark is a small window for the white-on-black date complication.

Sitting at the lowest portion of the watch is a sub-dial that measures the seconds. It gets the stylized “D” for added flair.

Lastly, the nine o’clock sub-dial keeps track of the hours and runs on a 12-hour format.

All the sub-dials get some red-colored treatment and are fashioned to mimic the instrument cluster of Takahashi’s Mazda RX-7.

In the dark, the Initial D x Seiko Keisuke Takahashi RX-7 FD3S Model will prove to be an effective time teller as the indices, as well as the hour and minute hands, are coated with Lumibrite — Seiko’s proprietary luminous paint.

Stailness steel case

The watch is encased in a stainless steel body. It measures 39.8 millimeters (mm), so the Initial D x Seiko Keisuke Takahashi RX-7 FD3S Model will not look awkwardly large even for those with smaller wrists.

Pushers can be found on the right side of the watch, sandwiching the guarded , but unfortunately, unsigned crown.

The watch has an overall thickness of 12.8 mm (probably due to the curved Hardlex crystal), so it will be hard to hide even when wearing long-sleeved shirts. 

On its screw-down caseback are the Initial D logo, the Akagi RedSuns emblem, and the Seiko branding. Visible too is its 100-meter water-resistant rating, number allocation (the watch is limited to only 1,995 samples), and “Made in Japan” seal.

The stainless steel case is complemented by a stainless steel oyster-style bracelet with hollow end links. It is not shown, but if the end links are hollow, the clasp will likely be pressed and not milled.

And while the metal bracelet does give it “tool watch” vibes and will likely be ideal for everyday use, buyers can elevate the look by switching to a rally-style strap. 

Japanese movement

Premico did not specify which Seiko movement was used in the Initial D x Seiko Keisuke Takahashi RX-7 FD3S Model, but it will likely be the mecha-quartz VK series, which uses mechanical gears and hammers, resulting in a satisfying snap of the chronograph seconds hand.

The movement is listed to have an average monthly difference of plus or minus 15 seconds, which is “pretty dece.”

Pricing, availability

The Initial D x Seiko Keisuke Takahashi RX-7 FD3S Model will set watch and Initial D fans back some ¥65,780 including tax, or approximately P25,306.

At the time of writing, the initial shipment scheduled for January 2027 is already full. Those ordering now will have to wait for their watches to be shipped late in March next year.

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