A tiny yellow scooter that folded into the boot of a Honda City nearly 45 years ago has just been reborn on a wrist. Seiko has unveiled the 5 Sports HDB010, a limited-edition field watch built entirely around the Honda Motocompo, the fold-up recreational bike Honda sold as a factory accessory back in 1981. If you grew up watching Japanese city cars with a scooter tucked in the trunk, this release is going to hit differently.
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What Was the Honda Motocompo, Anyway?
For readers who have never heard the term, the Motocompo was a compact, foldable motorcycle launched by Honda in 1981. It weighed just 42 kg, ran on a 49cc two-stroke engine producing 2.5 horsepower, and its handlebars and footrests folded flat so the whole thing could be stashed in a car boot. Honda designed it as a companion accessory to the Honda City, its subcompact hatchback of the same era, letting owners drive to a destination and then unfold a scooter for the last mile. It never became a mass-market hit, but it turned into a design cult favourite, and original units in good shape now sell for thousands of dollars among collectors.
The Watch Wears the Scooter’s Personality
Seiko has based the HDB010 on its 5 Sports Field Collection, but shrunk the usual case down to a wearable 36.4mm diameter and 12.5mm thickness, closer to a vintage field watch than the brand’s usual chunky sports pieces. The case carries a matte black hard coating rather than raw steel, and the crown is engraved with the word “TURN,” a nod to the fuel cock design on the original scooter.
The dial is where the tribute gets literal. It uses the same sunshine yellow that defined the Motocompo’s launch colour, split by a black horizontal bar carrying the Honda logo, echoing the protective side bar on the scooter itself. Even the typography plays along: the “AUTOMATIC” text at six o’clock borrows its font from the original Motocompo badge.
The strap is where Seiko had the most fun. It is a nylon band with two phrases lifted straight from the scooter’s design language. One section reads “Carrying Point,” referencing the strap point used to secure the Motocompo inside a car trunk, and the strap tip is marked “Insertion Point.” The caseback completes the theme with a silhouette of the Motocompo, the words “Limited Edition,” and an individual serial number, since only 8,000 pieces are being made worldwide. The watch even ships in a presentation box styled after the scooter’s original corrugated shipping carton.
Specifications at a Glance
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | HDB010 |
| Collection | Seiko 5 Sports, Field Series |
| Movement | Caliber 4R36, automatic with manual winding |
| Power reserve | Approx. 41 hours |
| Jewels | 24 |
| Case material | Stainless steel with black hard coating |
| Case diameter | 36.4mm |
| Case thickness | 12.5mm |
| Lug-to-lug | 44.4mm |
| Lug width | 18mm |
| Crystal | Curved Hardlex |
| Water resistance | 10 bar (100m) |
| Magnetic resistance | 4,800 A/m |
| Strap | Nylon |
| Limited run | 8,000 pieces worldwide |
| Release | September 2026 |
Price and Availability in India
Seiko has priced the HDB010 at roughly GBP 340, which works out to approximately ₹43,000 to ₹44,000 at current exchange rates. This is only an approximate conversion since Seiko has not confirmed an official India price, and the currency figure will shift with the rupee’s movement against the pound.
The bigger catch for buyers in India is availability. This is a boutique-exclusive release, meaning Seiko is selling it through its own retail channels and select international boutiques rather than through mainstream e-commerce or general retail. It has not been listed for India at the time of writing, and pieces like this tend to sell through collector networks, resale platforms, or international pre-orders rather than local stores. If you are set on owning one, keeping an eye on Seiko’s official channels and authorised dealer stock updates will be more useful than searching for it on a regular shopping site.
If You Love the Look, Here Is What You Can Actually Buy Today
Since the HDB010 itself will be tough to get hold of in India, here are related picks that let you get a taste of the same Seiko 5 Sports DNA, the 4R36 automatic movement, the field-watch character, and accessories to go with them.
| Product | Why It’s Relevant | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Seiko 5 Sports SRPD79 | Same 4R36 automatic movement and Seiko 5 Sports Street design language, available to buy in India today | Check price on Amazon |
| Seiko 5 Sports nylon straps | Same nylon strap style used on the HDB010, useful if you want to customise another Seiko 5 | See options on Amazon |
| Automatic watch winder | Keeps an automatic movement like the 4R36 wound and accurate when it is not on your wrist | View on Amazon |
| Watch collector’s display box | A practical way to store and show off a limited-edition piece once you do get your hands on one | Browse on Amazon |
Why This Release Matters
Seiko’s collaborations tend to work best when the source material has genuine character, and the Motocompo is a strange, lovable piece of Honda history rather than a generic licensing tie-in. The brand has form here too, having previously turned to Pepsi cans and cartoon panthers for inspiration on other 5 Sports limited runs.
What makes the HDB010 stand out is restraint: instead of piling on graphics, Seiko translated the scooter’s actual engineering details, the fuel cock, the tie-down strap, the boxy packaging, into watch parts that still function as a normal, wearable field watch. For anyone who collects Seiko 5 Sports references or has a soft spot for 1980s Honda oddities, this is a genuinely well-thought-out crossover, even if getting one home to India will take some effort.
source : seikowatches.com