by Tyler Frederick
Seiko won’t answer my calls
Alright, we’re back here again. My soapbox is out, I have a clean page in front of me, and I’m ready to go on another tangent about a collaboration that Seiko has missed out on. Instead of doing a vast series of these, this article is going to be quite extensive regarding Capcom, some of their illustrious titles that would make such cool watches, and a brief history of each franchise. This list will also include a franchise that’s technically already with Citizen, but due to the crossover with Capcom, we’re going to throw that in there for some spice. So grab a coffee, sit down, and let me tell you why Seiko is missing out. Welcome to Dear Seiko: Where are the other ones?
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I know I’ve done a couple of these already, but this topic crosses my mind so often. I’ve gone on this rant to so many people and included so many other franchises that aren’t Mega Man or Street Fighter, and when I say so many, I mean a handful. I know how difficult it can be to make a watch based on a game or specific theme, but each of these has such a deep level of lore and following from their fans that Seiko literally just needs to do a bit of research, and they’ll find everything they need to create these collaborations. Again, I know manufacturing takes time, and they need to choose which niche to target that will actually sell watches; these are just watches I’d love to see, so let’s get into it.
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Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry is one of the first “dark-fantasy” games I fell in love with, and it started the wave of “hack and slash” games (action-focused video games centered on intense, real-time melee combat, often featuring stylish combos, large groups of enemies, and a focus on “hacking” [slashing with swords/weapons] and “slashing” through hordes). My parents bought me a copy of the Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) when I was six or seven, and there was an article about Devil May Cry. Now, being that young, the visuals of the game were scary as hell, but as I got older and finally had the chutzpah to play the game, I fell head over heels. The franchise bloomed from the creative mind of the legendary Hideki Kamiya, the man who directed such classics as Resident Evil 2, Viewtiful Joe, and of course Devil May Cry. Ironically, Devil May Cry only came into existence after a failed attempt to develop a Resident Evil game; that failed game was the precursor to Resident Evil 4.
Why should Seiko make a watch inspired by Devil May Cry? Because, like Mega Man and Street Fighter, Devil May Cry was at the forefront of a new gaming genre and brought mechanics to its gameplay that would be seen in later classics such as God of War and the ever-popular Dynasty Warriors. There is such a dark elegance that cascades across every level and every world in Devil May Cry that would call for the implementation of a PVD case and bracelet or something along those lines with a unique twist on the dial. Maybe a custom finish or design reminiscent of “Devil Bringer,” one of the powers Dante (the main character) learns to use in Devil May Cry 3, which carries into Devil May Cry 4; blue, white, and red, abstract, or something that represents the hilt of his sword in a dark charcoal grey to contrast the PVD case and bracelet—just a couple of ideas.
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Resident Evil
The return of Hideki Kamiya. I don’t think I need to get too descriptive about the Resident Evil series, but I will anyway; I love it so much. Resident Evil, also known as Biohazard in Japan, is one of the top franchises for survival horror games and is loved by many across the globe, with over 30 games (including remakes). I mentioned Mr. Kamiya once again due to his work on the most popular game from the franchise, Resident Evil 2. To break it down, Resident Evil is based around the Umbrella Corporation—a pharmaceutical company creating mutagenic viruses for the creation of more powerful destructive bio-weapons. The virus, known as the T-Virus (Tyrant Virus), will turn humans into mindless zombies, animals into savage creatures, and plants into monsters. The storylines for each game are beautifully horrifying, the gameplay is fantastic (RE5 is questionable), and it’s a series I’ve always loved to sit down and play in a brightly lit room in the middle of the day. Just kidding, it’s always in the dark with headphones on, sitting as close to the screen as possible.
I chose Resident Evil 2 for a Seiko collaboration due to its popularity, but also because the game debuted the most popular characters from the franchise: Officer Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, the two playable protagonists. I won’t get into the theme and the why and how of Resident Evil 2; I could be here all day. However, an RE x Seiko collab could be a significant success, especially with the rise in popularity of horror games and the love for both Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield. Not to mention, the main villain, Umbrella, has such an iconic logo that it’s already a dial in itself. Leon, in uniform, wears a bulletproof vest with R.P.D. (Raccoon City Police Department) across the chest—a “kevlar” textured dial with a white and tattered R.P.D. logo and some red drops for “effect” would be really cool. Claire is known for her iconic red leather jacket with her angel “Made in Heaven” logo on the back, so incorporating a watch with a red leather dial and that same logo at 6 o’clock would be perfect.
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Viewtiful Joe
Another fantastic game from the mind of Hideki Kamiya. I think Seiko should just release the Kamiya Collection and call it a day. My first memory of Viewtiful Joe was walking through the games section at Walmart and approaching the GameCube demo kiosk, where I saw this beautiful, vibrant, and inviting 2D side-scrolling “beat ’em up” game. Remember when stores had those demo kiosks where you could walk up and try the game for yourself for about five minutes? For some reason, the ones at Walmart were so high that my neck would hurt after trying a game, but I never learned my lesson; it was so much fun. While I didn’t get to play the game much, it followed me throughout my childhood and was a game that intrigued me based on artwork alone. As I got older, I had the chance to play it, and younger me would have loved it. For those who’ve never played this game, think of it like Streets of Rage, but more saturated, friendly, and funny. Plus, it has 3D-designed characters and levels, but you play from a 2D side-scrolling position.
I will say this is an extremely niche choice, as Viewtiful Joe didn’t have the greatest success in the North American market, with only 321,000 copies sold across the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. However, it was critically acclaimed for its unique art style and gameplay, and it was named a minor commercial success. This would be a fantastic nod to Capcom, and while it’s not exactly an icon, it’s a game that should be played by everyone and experienced at least once. In terms of a collaboration with Seiko, you could do anything with Viewtiful Joe based on characters, level design, vibrancy, colours, or the possibility of a comic book-styled dial.
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Marvel Vs. Capcom
Here’s where the aforementioned spice comes into play. While Citizen has the rights to Marvel and has produced some very cool watches, Capcom “technically” had the rights to Marvel as well due to their partnership when creating the original Marvel fighting series, Marvel Super Heroes, which was a game I had for the original PlayStation, along with the Street Fighter Collection featuring my favorite of all time, Street Fighter Alpha 2. From this stemmed the creation of one of the greatest fighting franchises in the genre of 2D fighting games, Marvel vs. Capcom. This would feature a clash between Marvel and characters from Street Fighter and Mega Man; we’ve come full circle.
Marvel Super Heroes was one of the best fighting games to be released by Capcom, and I think Seiko could absolutely nail the collaborations. Hear me out for a second: Mega Man vs. Iron Man, Ken vs. Wolverine, Vega vs. Spider-Man, Zangief vs. Juggernaut; the collaborations are endless, and the idea of having a split design and incorporating both characters as they “fight” for dominance on the dial would be such a badass nod to a fantastic series, and a bit of a “kill two birds with one stone” collaboration, because I’d finally get Mega Man somehow. I won’t stop talking about it until I see it.
Thank you so much for sticking through another video game rant! I love doing this series, and if anyone from Seiko ever reads this, please consider these collaborations, or at least Mega Man, PLEASE. Until next time, as always, thanks for reading!
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About the author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
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