Seiko’s new compact solar watches thinner than a Cartier Tank are now on sale, with a catch

Seiko’s four compact rectangular solar watches can now be ordered from outside Japan. Japan Heartful Store is a popular exporter that ships directly from Japan. It has listed the HFJ001P, HFJ002P, HFJ003P and HFJ004P, which we first covered in October. The catch is the price — it is well above what Seiko charges at home.

The premium comes from how Seiko sells these watches. Its Japanese site files all four under nano・universe Special Edition models. They are made under the fashion retailer’s supervision, and says they are sold only at specific stores. Seiko has listed no online channel for them. So buyers outside Japan have little choice but to go through an exporter. They are currently available on Chrono24 as well, but the markup over there is even higher.

Seiko’s own prices start at 35,200 yen (about $220) for the two leather models. The steel HFJ001P costs 38,500 yen ($241) and the gold-tone HFJ002P costs 41,800 yen ($262). Japan Heartful Store asks 52,900 yen ($331) for the HFJ001P and 57,500 yen ($360) for the HFJ002P, around 37 percent more in both cases. The leather pair gets an odd treatment. The black HFJ004P is listed at 48,400 yen ($303), while the pink-gold HFJ003P sells for 43,000 yen ($269), even though Seiko prices both the same.

The store offers free shipping on orders over $250, so all four clear that bar. US buyers pay duties and taxes at checkout.

Hardware-wise, each case measures 27.4 x 18 x 5.9 mm — that makes it smaller in every direction than a Cartier Tank Must small model. The watch has the solar caliber V115. It drives two hands, runs for about a year on a full charge and is rated at plus or minus 15 seconds a month. The crystal is Hardlex, and water resistance covers daily life only.

nano・universe is not a new partner for Seiko by any means. The same page also shows the retailer’s older quartz editions, including the SSEH019 and SSEH020.