Seiko unveils a Space Invaders themed watch – but good luck getting one

The Seiko Space Invaders chronograph marks the 45th anniversary of the title – but it's a very limited run

The Seiko Space Invaders chronograph on a blue and purple background
(Image credit: Premico)

While many of the best watches on the market are big names in their own right, every now and again we get a great collaboration. This happens in pretty much every segment of the market, from cheap and cheerful watches to luxury timepieces.

We've seen TAG Heuer and Porsche link up on limited edition watches. They even released a collaboration with the Super Mario franchise, too. And at the other end of the spectrum, we saw the G-Shock x Mario watch released late last year.

Now, Seiko is getting in on the action. It has opted to produce a limited edition timepiece celebrating 45 years of the iconic Space Invaders franchise. The watch is a chronograph, with subdials surrounded by 8-bit circles, inspired by the design of the game.

The characters from the game also subtly adorn the dial, while each subdial has a a character at the bottom. On the rear of the case, the 45th anniversary logo is engraved, too.

The watch itself uses a quartz movement, That's accurate to +/-15 seconds per month, for exceptional timekeeping. There's also a date window, which sits between the 4 and 5 o'clock indices. 

The subdial at 6 o'clock shows the running seconds, while the central seconds hand is utilised by the chronograph. The subdial at 9 o'clock runs the minutes, while a 24-hour indicator sits at 3 o'clock. It's also water resistant to 100 metres.

Currently, it only appears to be available in the Japanese market. It's priced at just shy of 55,000 yen, which translates to around £300, or $373. Good luck getting your hands on one, though.

See, this watch is limited to 1,978 units worldwide – a nod to the year the game was first unveiled. That's cool, but could make it tricky to get hold of – particularly for fans in Western markets.

If you can get hold of one though, it's definitely worthwhile. It's an unquestionably cool watch, and a neat collectors piece to boot. Whether you're a watch fan, or simply a lover of old school games, this is one to check out.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.