Seiko has partnered with the world-famous Player VS Player fighting game, Street Fighter to bring you six new watch creations.
Each of the six Seiko watches in the Seiko Street Fighter Limited Edition Series is inspired by one of the game's central characters.
The collaboration draws on and uses the reliability, durability, performance, and value of the Seiko 5 Sports collection – a much-loved timepiece for over 50 years now.
What Is Street Fighter?
Street Fighter is a fighting video game franchise developed by Japanese manufacturer Capcom. Since its initial release in 1987, it has become a mainstay in gaming culture with various series, spin-offs and crossovers released.
It basically defined an entire genre of 1-on-1 fighting games and inspired other companies to create some of their most famous titles. And yep, you guessed it – every Street Fighter game starts with the same basic formula. You control one martial artist that basically beats the other one to a pulp and the last man standing wins!
Whilst most people associate the game with button mashing, there are combos for ‘special moves’ that guarantee to drain the health of your opponent.
The game's main characters are Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, Guile, Blanka, and Zangief and of course, they all have their very own Seiko 5 Sports watch for this collaboration. So, let’s take a look at all of the individual watches in more detail!
Ryu Model SRPF19K1
Ryu is the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. He is an experienced martial artist, who dedicates himself to the finer details and obsesses over becoming a true fighter.
The Seiko 5 SRPF19K Automatic Street Fighter Series RYU timepiece embodies the belief of continuously pushing forward with an uncompromising, humble attitude.
In terms of specifications, all of the watches feature:
- Automatic with manual winding
- 41-hour duration
- Stainless steel case
- Thickness: 13.4mm
- Diameter: 42.5mm
- Length: 46mm
- Hardlex crystal face
- Lumibrite on hands and index
- 00-metre water resistance
But what’s really cool about this watch is its design.
Its design features scratch-like marks across the bezel to reflect the tough training regime that Ryu has experience throughout his journey.
If we take a closer look at the dial, the 9 o’clock position features the furinkazan symbol which means wind, forest, fire, and mountain. Ryu also has this symbol on his gloves, and it allows him to identify with the eliminates to channel his inner strength.
And this symbol again features on the strap which is made from a canvas material reminiscent of Ryu’s uniform.
The case back has the controller command for his special move hadoken, as well as a serial number to identify proof of its limited-edition release.
Ken Model SRPF20K1
When it comes to Ryu, you can’t talk about him without talking about his best friend Ken. The pair trained under the same master and became friends ever since.
Ken was also named one of the best fighters in the game because of his improved shoryuken ki techniques. The Seiko 5 SRPF20K Automatic Street Fighter Series KEN timepiece collaboration portrays the passion and commitment of Ken as he strives to be the best fighter he can be. His costume and hair feature heavily on the watch face.
The gold trim around the outside of the dial represents his yellow hair and his costume design is also reflected on the dial. Once again, the back of the watch features the command for Ken’s special move, as well as the title logo of Street Fighter and the serial number for authenticity.
The underside of the strap also features the logo of Ken’s Masters Foundation company which shows another side to his identity. The foundation is a charity enterprise that sponsors various tournaments throughout the game.
Chun-Li Model SRPF17K1
Chun-Li was introduced in 1991 as the franchise’s first playable female character. She is an Interpol officer who uses elegant kicking moves to take down her opponents.
She wears a uniform that is based on a traditional Chinese dress and you can see that highlighted throughout this timepiece collaboration.
The same design that features on her dress colour is embedded at 12 o’clock and her spike bracelet has clearly inspired the indexes at 6 and 9 o’clock. These spikes act as a balancing mechanism when she performs her famous kicking moves.
Much like the Ryu and Ken’s models, Chun-Li’s watch features the controller command for her special move on the back and the limited-edition serial number.
On the back of the strap, there is also a beautiful dragon pattern that is taken from her waist belt, and of course, the specifications are the same.
Guile Model SRPF21K1
Guile is a major in the United States Air Force and he debuted as one of the games original eight characters back in 1991. Throughout the franchise, he has been a well-received character despite only having two signature moves.
When you look at the Seiko 5 SRPF21K Automatic Street Fighter Series GUILE timepiece, you can clearly see that its design has been military-inspired to match his persona. It certainly captures the atmosphere of a hard-boiled fighter who fights for the peace of his country as a major in the United States Air Force.
The dial features patterns from his uniform and his patch at the 6 o’clock position whilst at the 9 o’clock position, there is the dog tag of his best friend Charlie Nash.
Charlie Nash was killed at the hands of the villainous dictator M. Bison and since then, it has been Guile’s mission to avenge him.
The case back also features the controller command for Guile’s sonic boom special move, the games logo and proof of it being a limited-edition timepiece.
Blanka Model SRPF23K1
Blanka is also one of the original eight playable characters in the 1991 Street Fighter II game. He was once a human, but after a plane crash in Brazil, he mutated into a green monster who can generate electricity.
He has a self-taught animalistic style which is summed up by the special moves that allow him to roll into a ball and launch himself at opponents. His distinctive style is characterised in his Seiko 5 SRPF23K Automatic Street Fighter Series 'BLANKA- Call Of The Wild' model and you can instantly see the correlation between the two.
The bezel features an electric discharge pattern that captures his electric thunder special move and the dial is based on his iconic rolling attack move. The index also showcases images of his sharp and powerful teeth.
To keep the trend with the rest of the models, the back of the Blank watch features the controller command for his special move, the Street Fighter logo and the serial number.
The specifications are the same as the other watches and the strap includes the Blanka Chan image printed on the back.
Zangief Model SRPF24K1
The last piece in the collection is the ZANGIEF model. Zangief is a national Russian hero who is always seen fighting for the glory of his country.
Like his counterparts, he first appeared in 1991 and was the first character to be centred around grappling. The timepiece represents the power of Zangief’s muscular body with a circular pressed pattern reminiscent of his special cyclone move imprinted on the face of the watch.
The large Arabic figures and indexes also add to the impact of the watch and represent his large wrestler body. The case back also features the controller command for his special move, the game logo, and the serial number to provide authenticity for the piece.
Zangief’s watch also has a nylon strap that represents his wrist band, and of course, the specifications are the same as the other models.
Keep an eye out for other Seiko watch collaborations dropping soon!
