Hibayashi joined Seiko in 2007, and for several years he was engaged in development design for digital watches. Since 2012, he has been primarily engaged in designing watches for the Asian markets. Currently, he is leading one of our design development teams, and designing Grand Seiko.

Masking tape is a personal favorite of mine. Initially designed for industrial purposes, it has evolved into a distinctive form of stationery, thanks to the texture of Japanese paper and the many unique patterns that adorn it. Not only is it used for jotting down notes, wrapping sweets, and embellishing small items, but it has also become a highly addictive collectible, with more than 1,000 new varieties introduced in Japan each year. I often find myself surrounded by masking tape rolls of every color.
Cute, user-friendly, and designed in a way that makes you want to show it off to others. Drawn in by its mysterious charm, I instinctively picked up a roll of masking tape and placed it on my favorite watch. It was the moment when my nature as a watch designer, which is to connect everything to watches, responded strongly to the allure of masking tape.

Wearable? Intriguing. Oh, you want it in a width ranging from 10 mm to 20 mm? Certainly, we can customize it to any width you like. Our company prides itself on efficient printing technology, ensuring a quick turnaround time, and our commitment to sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a notable aspect of our operations.
Can we produce such a diverse range of products? Absolutely. We specialize in small-batch production of a wide variety of items. Fun fact: a single design firm within our company has conceived and launched around 1,000 different products. While our planning involves all team members, the idea of creating a case for a watch has surprisingly never crossed our minds.

While the product itself comprises a simple mechanism, it's precisely this simplicity that makes the masking tape design so appealing.