Seiko Honors Bruce Lee with a New Limited Edition

Since its relaunch a few years ago, the Seiko 5 Sports line has proven to be a solid blank canvas for a number of limited and special edition watches, covering a range of diverse subjects. We’ve seen everything from classic comic strips to niche Japanese pop culture represented on the dials of Seiko 5 Sports watches, and earlier this month Seiko added another pop culture titan to the growing line. The new Seiko 5 Sports Bruce Lee Limited Edition honors the actor, martial artist, and teacher with a watch that pays tribute in several subtle (and not so subtle ways). 

The most prominent design feature here is certainly the dragon image on the dial, which Seiko confirms is based on an image drawn by Lee himself. Dragon imagery plays a large role in Lee’s aesthetic, so it certainly makes sense in the context of this watch. If you were told that a new limited edition Seiko 5 would prominently feature a dragon on the dial, you’d probably expect it to be over the top in nature, but the black on black nature of the motif tones it down considerably and makes everything a lot more subtle. 

The other notable feature of the Bruce Lee Limited Edition is the bezel, which features characters that represent the principles of Jeet Kune Do, the hybrid martial art that Lee developed. Roughly translated, the characters read “Using no way as way; having no limitation as limitation.” Seiko has chosen a black leather strap for the watch that is meant to conjure clothing associated with kung fu, and it features the same dragon motif on the reverse side as seen on the dial. The 42.5mm case is black coated, giving the whole package a stealthy effect, and it comes in a limited edition box that has gold accents that match what’s seen on the dial. 

The Seiko 5 Sports Bruce Lee Limited Edition will be available in October at Seiko boutiques and selected retailers worldwide. The retail price is set at €520. Seiko is producing 15,000 units, which seems like a large number for a “limited” edition watch, but Bruce Lee is a revered figure worldwide among cinephiles and martial artists, so it’s likely there will be significant interest in a watch paying tribute to his life. Seiko