Seiko's cult-favorite Rotocall just got a stealthy new look

Seiko turned a lot of heads last year when it revived its 1982 classic Seiko A829, popularly known as Rotocall. The quirky digital watch, famous for its rotating function-selecting bezel and its stint on the wrists of NASA astronauts, was reissued in three different colors and saw a global release. Now Seiko is giving the retro classic a cosmetic refresh with a more contemporary look.

The Japanese watchmaker has released the HFL002P and HFL003P, two new Rotocall digital watches that swap the standard digital display for a negative one, adding a stealthy look to the iconic tool watch.

The HFL002P pairs a brushed silver stainless steel case and bracelet with a silver-and-black rotary bezel, while the HFL003P comes with a gold-tone case, bracelet, and matching black-and-gold bezel. Beyond the new colorways and inverted displays, the two models are identical to the blue-and-silver SMGG21, red-and-black SMGG19, and yellow-and-black SMGG17 that debuted last year.

As far as features and functionality are concerned, nothing has changed. The new models run on the same quartz Caliber A824 found inside the reissue version, which promises accuracy within ±20 seconds per month and around three years of battery life. And the signature rotating bezel still serves as the primary interface for accessing the various modes and watch functions, letting you jump between timekeeping, dual time, alarm, timer, counter, stopwatch, and settings without having to press any buttons—the same glove-friendly design that made the original popular with astronauts.

The rest of the spec sheet also carries over unchanged. There's a compact 37mm stainless steel case that's 10.6mm thick and 43.5mm lug-to-lug, a Hardlex crystal, 100 meters of water resistance, an LED backlight, an automatic calendar (through December 2074), a battery warning indicator, a screw-down caseback, and a stainless steel bracelet with a one-push three-fold clasp.

Pricing & Availability

The Seiko HFL002P is priced at ¥72,600 (~$447), while the gold-tone HFL003P comands a slight premium at ¥77,000(~$474). Both are scheduled to launch in Japan this August. There's no word yet on a wider release, but given last year's Rotocall reissue eventually made its way to the US, UK, and other markets, the new variants will likely follow suit.

Specifications

• Models: Seiko HFL002P (silver) and HFL003P (gold)
• Movement: Seiko Caliber A824 battery-powered quartz
• Accuracy: ±20 seconds per month
• Battery life: Approximately 3 years
• Case material: Stainless steel
• Case size: 37mm × 43.5mm × 10.6mm
• Crystal: Hardlex
• Water resistance: 10 ATM (100 meters)
• Weight: 108g
• Bracelet: Stainless steel with one-push three-fold clasp
• Functions:
  • Rotary bezel function selector
  • Dual-time display
  • 1/100-second stopwatch (up to 99 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds)
  • Countdown timer (1-minute increments, up to 100 minutes)
  • Single alarm
  • Counter function
  • Fully automatic calendar (through December 31, 2074)
  • LED backlight
  • Battery life warning indicator

• Other features: Rotating bezel, screw-down caseback
• Price: ¥72,600 (HFL002P) / ¥77,000 (HFL003P)
• Availability: Launching in Japan in August 2026