Chun-Li - Blue Jade

Chun-Li has entered the tournament to avenge the death of her father, and track the mysterious Shadoloo criminal organization. She’s fast and deceptively strong, with a trademark lightning kick that’s capable of stunning opponents many times her size. 

Her watch, unsurprisingly, is the most feminine of the group. The combination of blue and gold brings to life Chun-Li’s China dress. The 12:00 marker is taken from the collar of her dress, and her spike bracelet inspires the indexes at six and nine o’clock. The alligator embossed strap is backed with the pattern from her waist belt, and her special move, the “Spinning Bird Kick,” is printed on the case back. 

Zangief - Iron Cyclone

Zangief hails from the Soviet Union, and his backstory indicates that he wrestles bears for fun and has an antipathy for Americans in particular. He’s all about brute strength, and has entered the tournament to honor his homeland, and because he’s a natural born fighter and simply knows no other way. 

Zangief’s watch is appropriately opulent. With a gold case and colors that conjure the Soviet flag, this is the definition of “wrist presence,” and it’s easy to imagine on the wrist of a 250 pound, chest tattooed, sambo fighter. The dial design reflects the power of Zangief’s muscular body - the circular pressed pattern is reminiscent of his special move “Cyclone Lariat.” The nylon strap is a perfect expression of Zangief’s wrist band, and the large, bold Arabic figures and indexes, as well as the calendar display with a magnifying lens adds impact to the watch.

Guile - Indestructible Fortress

If Zangief represents the type of antagonist to American interests left over from a decades long cold war, Guile is just the opposite: all American, clean cut, with training as part of a special forces unit that he’ll leverage for the Street Fighter tournament. His iconic move, the “Sonic Boom,” (the command for which is printed on the case back) is a burst of energy created by whipping his hands and arms through the air at great speed, temporarily stunning any opponent that gets in its way.

Guile’s uniform as Major of the US Air Force inspires the military camouflage-patterned dial and patch at the 6 o’clock position. At 9:00 is the “dog tag” of Charlie Nash, Guile’s best friend, that he keeps with him to cheer him up and keep him sharp for fights. The countdown timer on the bezel (labeled as such in a high contrast red) lends credibility to this watch as a tactical tool. 

Ryu - Unshakable Fist

Ryu, from Japan, is the winner of the previous Street Fighter tournament, and has entered it once again as a type of personal challenge to himself. As a fighter, he’s a perfectionist, and his existence consists of wandering the globe, honing his skills. Fans of the game no doubt have the sound effect from his iconic “Fireball” attack permanently stuck in their heads: “HA-DO-KEN” might be the most often heard sound coming from many an adolescent’s basement in the mid-90s. 

The Ryu watch is loaded with details, both large and small. The watch’s design is inspired by his classic “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 9:00 is a simplified version of the iconic “Furinkazan” kanji characters found on his gloves, which signify “as swift as the wind, as gentle as forest, as fierce as fire and as unshakable as the mountain.” The dial has a canvas-like texture to match the strap and evoke Ryu’s uniform, and we also like to think that it connects the dots between two important Japanese traditions: the handcraft often seen in traditional watchmaking, and the ancient martial arts practices that a character like Ryu would have been involved in.

Ken - Rush 'n' Blaze

Ken can best be described as Ryu’s American counterpart and chief rival. In terms of gameplay, the two are nearly identical, sharing fighting styles and special moves. But if Ryu is disciplined and exacting, Ken is, well, Ken’s the American. He’s brash and ego driven, and has let his technique deteriorate due to a lack of practice as the Street Fighter tournament nears. Ryu has challenged him, however, and Ken is now seeking to impress the world fighting community with his considerable skill. 

Ken’s costume and blond hair are captured in the watch’s red and yellow color scheme, and his costume design is also reflected in the dial. The intricate dial pattern is complex, revealing itself in changing light, but winds up being eminently readable. At the reverse side of the strap end is the logo of his company, the Masters Foundation, showing another side to his identity. The command for one of the most known moves of the game, “Shoryuken” is printed on the case back.

Blanka - Call of the Wild

Blanka, in many ways, transcends Street Fighter. He’s simply one of the greatest video game creations of the era - a half man, half beast fighter from Brazil. Completely green save for a shock of orange hair, Blanka is a mysterious creature who has entered the Street Fighter tournament with the hope of learning more about this past. While other fighters in Street Fighter II, though fanciful, are (mostly) based in reality, Blanka is pure fantasy, and is thus set apart in a unique way from the other characters. 

His watch has a gun metal plated case, with a bright green dial featuring a pressed spinning design based on Blanka’s iconic rolling attacks. The triangular indexes are in the image of Blanka’s sharp and powerful teeth, and orange accents recall his neon hair. The bezel’s electric discharge pattern captures one of Blanka’s special moves, “Electric Thunder”.