Model: Seiko SOTTSASS SBBP011 / 7T34-6A40
Year: April 1993
Features:
The History. The SOTTSASS SBBP011 is a collaboration between Seiko and an Italian design icon - it sits at the intersection of horology and modernist art. Ettore Sottsass began his career as an architect but applied his avant-garde style to everything from ceramics and furniture to typewriters - and eventually, watches. In the early ’90s, Seiko commissioned him to design a small collection of chronographs, and the result is one of the rare cases where the crystal becomes the defining feature of a watch.
The Shadows. The minute track, hour indices, and even the SEIKO logo are printed on the underside of the crystal. When light catches them, they cast shadows - not onto the dial beneath, but onto an invisible secondary crystal layer. Seiko has always been coy about the exact mechanics, but as you can see from the image above, the shadows appear to float between the dial and the crystal. The effect is dynamic, playful, and unmistakably modernist - a clever optical illusion that shifts with your perspective.
The Functionality. A 30-minute chronograph counter occupies the 12 o’clock sub-dial, while a circular date display sits at 3 o’clock. The alarm function, which also serves as a GMT indicator, is positioned at 6 o’clock, and the running seconds can be found on the 9 o’clock sub-dial. This arrangement leaves the smooth-sweeping chronograph seconds hand on the central post
The Desirability. In 2019, Wright Auctions managed to assemble a complete set of these rare timepieces - presumably the only time all the designs have been in the same room together in decades. Sadly, they were auctioned off individually, with final prices ranging from $1,875 to an impressive $5,938.
Specifications:
The Condition: In very good condition. Any marks are not noticeable or significant. Most importantly, as shown in the pictures, the crystal is in very good condition. The strap is not original.
Scope: No box or papers.
Movement: 7T34 Quartz
Dimensions:
- Case Width: 37.0mm
- Lug to Lug: 41.0mm
- Case Thickness: 10.6mm
