A Pine Needle Green Limited Edition From Seiko
Seiko has turned to one of Japan’s most recognisable living art forms for its latest Presage limited edition. The new HCC009, created with the Tokyo bonsai collective Tradman’s Bonsai, dresses the brand’s classic dress watch formula in a pine needle green dial inspired by a Japanese black pine tree caught in moonlight.
Only 2,000 examples will be made, each numbered on the caseback, and the watch arrives in September 2026 with a price of USD 1,350.
Why Bonsai, and Why Now
Bonsai is among the most internationally recognised of Japanese crafts, and Seiko’s Presage line has spent years exploring traditional Japanese artistry through its dials. Urushi lacquer, enamel, Arita porcelain and hand painted motifs have all appeared in the collection. A bonsai theme, surprisingly, had never been attempted until now.
The collaboration partner is Tradman’s Bonsai, a creative collective founded in 2015 with a mission to share bonsai culture with the world while redefining what the brand calls Japanese cool. The group has previously worked with figures from fashion and art, and its approach treats bonsai less as a static museum tradition and more as a living craft open to fresh interpretation.
For the watch, the reference point is a Japanese black pine illuminated by the moon. The gold tone of the case and bracelet stands in for that moonlight, while the dial, finished in a deep green known as matsuba iro, or pine needle green, carries a texture modelled on the bark of an aging pine tree. In traditional Japanese colour symbolism, matsuba iro is associated with good fortune.
Design and Dial Details
The HCC009 belongs to the Presage Classic Series, and its proportions stay true to the dress watch template that has made that family so popular. The round stainless steel case measures 38mm across, with a lug to lug distance of 43.8mm and a height of 12.9mm. It is a compact, balanced shape that sits comfortably on a range of wrist sizes.
Everything on the outside is treated in a gold tone that Seiko says is intended to evoke the glow of the moon on the bonsai. The bracelet matches the case, and the folding clasp uses a push button release. In the box buyers also find a second calf leather strap, and its underside carries an embossed sanko matsu pine needle motif, another traditional symbol of good fortune.
A dual curved sapphire crystal, coated with anti reflective treatment on its inner surface, protects the dial.
The Calibre 6R51
Powering the HCC009 is Seiko’s Calibre 6R51, an automatic movement with manual winding capability. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour, carries 24 jewels, and offers a power reserve of roughly 72 hours when fully wound.
Seiko rates the movement’s daily precision at plus 25 to minus 15 seconds per day, and a stop second hand function allows the watch to be set to the exact second.
Notably, this is a pure time only configuration. Unlike some other Presage models, the HCC009 has no date window, which keeps the textured dial completely unbroken and gives the watch a cleaner, more formal character.
The caseback is a see through screw back, letting owners watch the automatic rotor at work, and it carries both the words Limited Edition and the individual serial number.
Water Resistance and Everyday Use
Despite its dress watch appearance, the HCC009 is not fragile. Water resistance is rated to 10 bar, or 100 metres, which is more than enough for hand washing, rain and even recreational swimming.
Magnetic resistance is rated at 4,800 A/m, in line with the increased exposure to magnets that modern life brings through phones, laptops and other electronics.
Full Specifications
Reference HCC009J1
Case stainless steel in gold tone, 38.0mm diameter, 12.9mm thickness, 43.8mm lug to lug, 20mm lug distance
Crystal dual curved sapphire with anti reflective coating on the inner surface
Caseback see through screw caseback engraved with Limited Edition and serial number
Water resistance 10 bar, equivalent to 100 metres
Magnetic resistance 4,800 A/m
Movement Seiko Calibre 6R51, automatic with manual winding, 24 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour, approximately 72 hour power reserve, stop second function, rated at plus 25 to minus 15 seconds per day
Functions hours, minutes and seconds
Dial pine needle green with a textured finish inspired by the bark of an aging pine tree
Bracelet and strap gold tone stainless steel bracelet with a deployment clasp and push button release, plus an additional calf leather strap with embossed pine needle motif
Availability September 2026, limited edition of 2,000 pieces
Price USD 1,350
Market Context and Positioning
The HCC009 arrives at a moment when Seiko has been steadily pushing the Presage line into more expressive territory. Limited editions tied to Japanese cultural themes have become a regular rhythm for the brand, and each one seems to find an audience among collectors who value design storytelling as much as mechanical substance.
At USD 1,350, the watch sits in the well established mid range of the Japanese brand’s catalogue, above the entry level Seiko 5 models but well below Grand Seiko. For that price the buyer gets a sapphire crystal, a three day movement and a dial that carries a genuine cultural narrative.
The question some collectors will ask is how the gold tone finish will age, since gold tone coatings depend on the quality of the underlying plating process. Seiko’s track record with such finishes is solid, and the brand is generally conservative in its claims, so the finish should hold up well under normal wear.
For now, the HCC009 is a thoughtful addition to the Presage family, and one of the more distinctive dress watch releases of late summer 2026.
For more details, visit the Seiko Presage HCC009 product page on the official Seiko website.
Related Reading on Horologyne
If you enjoyed this introduction, you may also want to explore the full history of Seiko watches, understand how the automatic rotor works, or compare automatic and quartz movements.
