Seiko Street Fighter Watches: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Many people who grew up going to arcades would argue that you cannot call yourself a true arcade-goer if you have never tried out an intense round of Street Fighter. As one of the hottest fighting games ever created, Street Fighter has become an action-packed staple in arcades all around the world.
Over the years, the game has only continued to grow in popularity, so much so that it even has its own competitive merchandising scene. If you are an avid gamer who enjoys the thrill of Street Fighter, you should definitely consider checking out the exceptional timepieces of the hard-hitting, nostalgic Seiko Street Fighter collection.
Brief Description of Street Fighter
For those who are not that familiar with gaming culture, Street Fighter is a competitive fighting game franchise created by Japanese video game developer CAPCOM. The game was first introduced in arcades in 1987 and has only grown in popularity ever since. What set Street Fighter apart from other fighting games during that time was its innovative use of game controls. By performing a sequence of complicated motions, players can execute special moves like shooting a blue fireball (Hadouken) or a flaming uppercut (Shoryuken). Some of the game’s most iconic characters include the hard-hitting Ryu, his hot-blooded rival Ken, and the charming yet skilled Chun-Li.
The Six Watches of the Seiko Street Fighter Collection
In 2020, Seiko released the Seiko Street Fighter series as part of the Seiko 5 Sports collection. The video game-inspired lineup showcases six models based on some of the most popular characters in all of Street Fighter. Without further ado, let us have a closer look at the Seiko Street Fighter collection.
1. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Ryu (SRPF19K1)
The first watch we will cover is the Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Ryu. Based on the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series, the watch features a design inspired by the character’s iconic do-gi Judo uniform. Its 42.5mm case is made of stainless steel and is fitted with a layer of Hardlex crystal to protect its dial. The red and black unidirectional rotating bezel on top of the watch even includes scratch marks that reflect the rigorous training that Ryu has to go through to become a true fighter.
Located at the back of the timepiece is an exclusive see-through case back engraved with the controller command of Ryu’s world-renowned “Hadouken” attack, as well as the logo of Street Fighter V. This case back is securely screwed down, providing the Seiko Street Fighter Ryu with a depth rating of 100m that makes it a tough timepiece both on land and underwater.
The watch face of the Seiko Street Fighter Ryu has a patterned white dial that resembles the material of Ryu’s uniform. At the 9 o’clock marker are the kanji characters for “Furinkazan,” which symbolizes “wind, forest, fire, mountain”, four words that play an essential role in Ryu’s character. Adorned with luminous hour markers, a syringe hour hand, and an arrow-shaped minute hand, the Seiko Street Fighter Ryu is stylish and highly legible. The watch also has a rectangular day-and-date window positioned at 3 o’clock.
Underneath the watch face is an automatic Seiko 4R36 movement. This calibre features manual winding and hacking capabilities and is equipped with a 41-hour power reserve. Seiko pairs the Street Fighter Ryu watch with a matching white canvas and calf leather strap, with the Furinkazan characters etched on its reverse side.
You can purchase the Seiko Street Fighter Ryu for approximately $405 USD.
2. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Chun-Li (SRPF17K1)
Renowned for being the First Lady of Fighting Games, Chun-Li is arguably the most famous female character in the history of fighting games. When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Chun-Li overwhelms her opponents with her signature fighting style, which includes various kicking techniques. The exclusive Seiko Street Fighter Chun-Li embodies all the best qualities of its namesake — toughness, beauty, and precision.
Made out of stainless steel, this watch’s case is fitted with a blue and gold unidirectional rotating bezel designed to resemble Chun-Li’s Chinese dress. This is paired with a blue calfskin strap bearing a detailed dragon pattern on its reverse side. Turning the watch over, wearers will see an exhibition-style case back decorated with the Street Fighter V logo and the controller command for Chun-Li’s iconic “Spinning Bird Kick” move. This Seiko Street Fighter timepiece is water-resistant up to 100m, so you can easily bring it with you for a swim.
The dial of the watch features a blue sunray surface with hands and hour markers generously applied with Lumibrite. The sharp indices at 6 and 9 o’clock are inspired by the heavy spike bracelet Chun-Li uses in battle. Replacing the 12 o’clock marker is a unique symbol that replicates the design of Chun-Li’s dress collar. In addition, you can find a day-and-date complication with black text and a white background at 3 o’clock.
Running the watch is a Seiko 4R36 calibre. Held by twenty-four jewels, this automatic movement comes assembled with a power reserve that, when fully wound, can power this Seiko Street Fighter watch for 41 hours. It is also capable of manual hacking and winding, which allows wearers to adjust the time as they please.
The Seiko Street Fighter Chun-Li fetches a price of $370 USD.
3. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Ken (SRPF20K1)
Son of the Masters family, Ken is a bodacious fighter and the rival and best friend of Ryu. When fighting, Ken finishes off his opponents with his ultimate move, the “Shoryuken” (Rising Dragon Fist). Made in collaboration with Street Fighter, the Seiko Street Fighter Ken is a bold, attention-grabbing timepiece that wonderfully captures the essence of the intense blonde fighter.
This watch has a black ion-plated stainless steel case that measures 42.5mm in diameter, making it suitable for various wrist types. The gold-tone stainless steel bezel on top of the case is unidirectional and utilizes a black and red insert for the elapsed time scale. At the 4 o’clock marker, you can find a bright gold push-pull crown, with black crown guards on both sides to keep it safe. The case back of the Seiko Street Fighter Ken is transparent and features the controller commands for performing the “Shoryuken”.
Protected by a layer of Hardlex glass, the dial’s black and red layout follows the style of Ken’s new fighting gear in Street Fighter V. It shows off applied geometric hour indices outlined in metallic red, as well as large gold-tone hands that pair well with the bezel and crown. The submerged date window at 3 o’clock, with its black background and white text, blends in nicely with the watch face.
This watch is powered by a reliable 4R36 movement, which offers automatic and manual winding and hacking abilities, a 41-hour power reserve, and 100m of water resistance. To complete its look, Seiko couples the Street Fighter Ken with a red canvas and calfskin strap. Printed on its underside is the Masters Foundation logo, showing off the other side of Ken’s personality.
This version of the Seiko Street Fighter costs around $395 USD.
4. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Guile (SRPF21K1)
Guile is a calm and collected individual who fights as a major in the United States Air Force. Do not let his tall flattop haircut fool you, for Guile is capable of dishing out some serious attacks that could knock down anyone. With the release of the Seiko Street Fighter collection, fans of the hard-boiled soldier can now express their love for the character by wearing the Seiko Street Fighter Guile.
This timepiece comes in a 42.5mm hard-coated stainless steel case, with a unidirectional rotating dive bezel mounted on it. The bezel has a navy green insert with red and white accents, featuring a time scale in military-style numbers. This Seiko Street Fighter watch is paired with a stitched brown calfskin leather strap and has a good water resistance capacity of 100m. Sheltering the dial is a layer of Seiko’s patented Hardlex crystal.
Rugged and easy to read, the dial boasts a military camouflage pattern inspired by Guile’s uniform. Another element from his gear is the military patch that takes the place of the watch’s 6 o’clock marker. At 9 o’clock, you can find a dog tag of Guile’s best friend and former captain of the United States Air Force Charlie Nash, further identifying this timepiece as a tribute to the popular Street Fighter character.
Underneath the military-inspired watch face is the Seiko 4R36 automatic movement, complete with twenty-four jewels and a 41-hour power supply. Wearers who want to see the calibre at work can view the 4R36 through the exclusive exhibition-style case back. This rear case also displays the controller directives for Guile’s special move “Sonic Boom,” along with the Street Fighter V logo.
This Seiko Street Fighter watch retails at a price of $375 USD.
5. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Blanka (SRPF23K1)
Known for his green skin and ability to generate electricity, Blanka is a friendly feral man from the Brazilian jungle. As you would expect from his appearance, Blanka fights unpredictably, like an uncaged and ferocious predator. Arguably one of the most interesting fighters the franchise has ever made, Blanka’s character is strikingly depicted in Seiko’s colourful timepiece, the Street Fighter Blanka.
Starting with its case, the Seiko Street Fighter Blanka uses a hard-coated stainless steel case, with a matching black-tone crown at the 4 o’clock position. The bezel of the watch shows off a green insert with an electric discharge pattern that mimics the character’s special move, “Electric Thunder.” Water-resistant up to 100m, this timepiece’s quirky and vibrant look is enhanced by a green and red nylon strap with the image of Blanka on the back of the strap end.
The dial of the Street Fighter Blanka showcases a spinning motion design based on the character’s iconic rolling attacks. The pointed triangular hour indices also resemble Blanka’s sharp and powerful teeth. This dial also features a bright yellow syringe and arrow hands, and a day-date complication at 3 o’clock, all outlined in silver.
Beneath the green dial is the automatic Seiko 4R36, which wearers can view through the transparent case back. With its manual winding and hacking capabilities and 41-hour power reserve, you can always count on the Seiko Street Fighter Blanka watch to be a reliable timekeeper. Printed on the rear case are the controller instructions to perform Blanka’s “Electric Thunder” move, as well as the logo of Street Fighter V.
This exclusive Seiko diver’s watch costs approximately $350 USD.
6. Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Zangief (SRPF24K1)
Known for fighting Siberian brown bears and crushing his opponent’s skull like a sparrow egg, Zangief is a Russian professional wrestler and one of the largest characters in the entire Street Fighter series. With his massive iron-like build, multiple battle scars, and fearless character, Zangief is regarded by his countrymen as a national hero. If you’re looking for a bold timepiece that is as reliable and as tough as the Red Cyclone himself, look no further than the Seiko Street Fighter Zangief.
The Seiko Street Fighter Zangief uses a 42.5mm gold-tone stainless steel case paired with an exclusive gold and red nylon strap. Its unidirectional rotating bezel showcases sturdy steel studs that resemble the character’s gold belt. Located at the rear of the watch is an exhibition-style case back engraved with the controller command for Zangief’s finisher, the “Screw Pile Driver,” along with the Street Fighter V logo. You can easily take this robust video game watch for a swim too, as it has a substantial depth rating of 100m.
The Seiko Street Fighter Zengief’s dial represents Zangief’s character as the hot-blooded Red Cyclone. The red surface features a circular ripple-like pattern that is reminiscent of his other signature move, “Cyclone Lariat.” A day-and-date window is positioned at 3 o’clock and can be viewed through the cyclops lens fitted on the watch’s Hardlex glass. Paired with black hands, hour indices, and large Arabic numerals all outlined in gold, this dial is effortlessly legible.
This Seiko Street Fighter timepiece is powered by the Seiko 4R36 automatic movement. Its manual winding, hacking abilities, and 41-hour power reserve all ensure the Seiko Street Fighter Zangief stays reliable and accurate no matter what.
The Seiko Street Fighter Zangief retails at around $375 USD.
An Alternative Video Game Watch – The Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Far Cry 6 Limited Edition (H70645533)
For a different kind of video game-inspired watch, let us step out of the realm of Street Fighter and enter the Caribbean island nation of Yara. Far Cry 6 is an action-adventure first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft. Compared to Street Fighter, Far Cry 6 has a more detailed storyline and a realistic combat system that involves characters fighting with conventional weaponry, such as guns, in an open-world environment. The Swiss watchmaking company Hamilton created a limited edition Khaki Field model to celebrate the game: the Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Far Cry 6.
The design of this particular Hamilton model is inspired by the very watch the player wears in Far Cry 6. Its 42mm case is crafted from titanium, making it exceptionally sleek and durable but also lightweight. Coupled with a brown leather strap, the timepiece is water-resistant up to 100m. Protecting the dial is a layer of sapphire crystal, a type of glass chosen by countless watchmakers for its luxury and superb scratch resistance.
The watch’s black dial has a 24-hour layout, divided into an outer ring and an inner section with different textures. The outer ring holds the markers for the first 12 hours, while the inner circle of the dial displays the other half of the numbers to complete the 24 hours. The 6 o’clock marker has been stylized to match the aesthetic of the “6” in the latest Far Cry game. A red seconds hand adds an accent of vibrant colour to this snazzy and robust watch.
This Hamilton Far Cry watch is powered by a mechanical H-10 automatic calibre. This movement has a beat frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz). It comes equipped with twenty-five jewels and an extended power reserve that can last up to an impressive 80 hours when fully wound. This movement can be viewed through the watch’s see-through case back. Whether virtually or in real life, the Hamilton Far Cry 6 is a sturdy and reliable timepiece ready for whatever the world has to throw at it.
You can purchase the Hamilton Khaki Field Far Cry 6 for approximately $1,215 USD.
Final Thoughts
As it stands, the Seiko Street Fighter Line is an excellent series of video game-themed watches. Each model from the Seiko Street Fighter is an eye-catching and reliable timekeeper that helps you express your love for the action-packed fighting game, whether you have been a fan of the franchise for a long time or just recently got into the game.
If you are a fan of the Street Fighter series looking to get your hands on some exclusive merch, then you better pick up these models quickly, as each timepiece is a limited edition with only 9,999 pieces available. Hopefully, in the future, Seiko will continue adding more awesome models based on other fan-favourite characters like M. Bison, Dhalsim, Juri, and so on.
Featured Image By: Seiko Watches
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