Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions just released, and they are wild – preorder here

Andrew McUtchen

I was always a Blanka man. There was something about the key combination to make him bring the voltage that came naturally to me. That same charge of electricity will be running through Seiko fans the world over with the news that Seiko has just released a Seiko 5 Sports collection dedicated to Street Fighter, and specifically its latest iteration in Street Fighter V. Get ready for the fight, because Seiko is bringing it with these models. They are wild. And, most impressively, each of the six models is truly idiosyncratic and true to its character. These have the fingerprints of a design team that really and truly love Street Fighter.

A quick backstory of the Seiko 5 Sports and of Street Fighter

Introduced in 1968 and re-born in 2019, Seiko 5 Sports has offered a wide variety of durable and reliable mechanical watches for watch lovers of every age for more than half a century. Zach recently reminded people in his recap of the best watches you can buy for under $1000USD that the Seiko 5 Sports was the first-ever automatic day-date watch from Seiko in their sports line. The number 5 represents the five pillars that every Seiko 5 watch must meet: a reliable and shock resistant automatic movement, a calendar function, 100 metres of water resistance, a crown at 4 o’clock (to prevent shearing that could occur in daily wear), and a robust case, bracelet and/or strap.

This new collection takes inspiration from Street Fighter V, the latest edition of the world-famous Player VS Player fighting game, Street Fighter V. It was first released in 1987, and the press release states that “it is now the leading fighting game in the esports field, played and viewed by millions worldwide”.

Each of the six watches is inspired by the game’s central characters: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief and Blanka. The series will be available worldwide at Seiko Boutiques and selected retailing partners in September as limited editions of 9999 each. So, here they are, model by model.

Ryu

The watch’s design is said to be inspired by his “do-gi” Judo uniform, and the scratch-like marks across the bezel reflect the tough training required of Ryu to become a true fighter. At the 9 o’clock position is a simplified version of the “Furinkazan” kanji characteristics on his gloves. They translate to “as swift as the wind, as gentle as forest, as fierce as fire and as unshakable as the mountain”.

You will also find these four characters on the back of the watch strap. That magic combo of controller commands for his special move, “Hadoken” is discreetly printed on the caseback.

Ken

I used to call my brother Ken, because his hair was iridescently blond. Ken’s costume and shock of blond hair explain the watch’s red and yellow colour scheme. The dial also reflects his costume.

The reverse side of the strap end is emblazoned with the logo of his company, the Masters Foundation. The command for his well known magic track, “Shoryuken” is printed on the caseback.

Chun-Li

Chun-Li’s China dress explains the dazzling blue and gold colour scheme, and the same design on her dress collar is at 12 o’clock. Her spike bracelet inspires the indexes at six and nine o’clock. The dragon pattern on her waist belt is printed on the strap back, and her special move “Spinning Bird Kick” command is printed on the caseback.

Guile

Camo is almost always the winner for me, when it comes to watches like these, which has my sights set on Guile’s watch – as it evokes his uniform as Major of the US Air Force.

Note also his patch at the 6 o’clock position. The “dog tag” at 9 0’clock is of his best friend Charlie Nash, something of a motivational token that he draws strength from. The command for Guile’s special move, “Sonic boom” is on the caseback.

Zangief

Zangief is quite the unit, though, to be fair, the body fat percentage of all six is unlikely to hazard into double digits. The dial is said to be inspired by “the power of Zangief’s muscular body”. The circular pressed pattern evokes his special move “Cyclone Lariat”. Its nylon strap is a referent to Zangief’s wrist band. The caseback is inscribed with the command of his move “Screw Pile Driver”.

Blanka

Oh, Blanka. What a legend. And, if I recall, he was by far the easiest character to win with. Because what I didn’t disclose earlier is that I was hopeless at Street Fighter. My only hope to win was with this guy, and the bezel’s electric discharge pattern reminds the wearer of the only move I could regularly rip out, “Electric Thunder”.

The dial’s pressed vortex pattern is inspired by Blanka’s iconic rolling attacks, and the jagged indexes are of the dentally gifted chap’s teeth. The caseback divulges the key combo for his special move, “Electric Thunder”.

The movement

The movements are all Seiko Caliber 4R36, with 24 jewels, optional manual-winding, a 41-hour power reserve and a hacking second hand. They are water resistant to 10 bar and have exhibition casebacks.

Pricing and availability of the Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions

Seiko 5 Sports x STREET FIGHTER V Editions are $695 AUD and available now for preorder in Australia at this link. For international information, click here.

Retail sales commence on September 26.