Fratello’s Top 5 Video Game Watches — Featuring Hamilton, Seiko, TAG Heuer, And More

Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at some of the most memorable watches created in collaboration with video game franchises. As most of you will know, gaming has grown into a massively successful global industry. As a result, there is a massive audience for watches connected to the many video games out there. We have seen an enormous increase in brands working with game franchises to create some fabulous, creative timepieces. In this week’s list, we’ll put the spotlight on five of them.

The connection between watches and cinema has long fascinated watch enthusiasts. Many love spotting watches in films, and some watch brands have even worked with movie franchises to develop specific watches for them. We also know that watches have appeared in animated series and inspired watch brands to work with the people behind them. A great example is the popular Zenith Lupin the Third series, which resulted in four amazing watches modeled after watches in the Japanese Lupin the Third anime. However, in the past five years or so, there has been a significant uptick in the number of watch releases tied to video games. In this article, we’ll share five highlights, but the actual number of collaborative efforts is much larger than that. Considering the video game industry’s popularity, we only expect to see many more projects like this in the future. For now, here are our favorites.

Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” Limited Edition

We’ll kick the list off with a recent favorite of ours. As most of you will know, Hamilton has quite a reputation for teaming up with large movie and game franchises. It has created a lot of buzz around the brand and its releases. A recent one was this week’s duo of well-received Resident Evil Requiem models. Another one that we loved was last year’s Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” Limited Edition. The watch’s release coincided with Black Ops 7. In the game, this Hamilton graces the wrist of operator Axel Vermaak.

As Lex explained, even though Vermaak is completely kitted out, the 38mm Khaki Field doesn’t seem too small. It doesn’t in real life either. The Khaki Field Automatic has a 38mm stainless steel case with an 11.5mm thickness and a 47mm lug-to-lug length. It features the familiar Khaki Field Automatic dial in black, with large Arabic numerals for the first 12 hours and smaller numerals for 13–24 hours. Additionally, there is a date window at 3 o’clock, and the lume-filled hands ensure you can read the time. A hint of color comes from the red tip of the central seconds hand.

Is this a normal Khaki Field Automatic?

When you first see this watch, you might think it’s a normal Khaki Field Automatic. Turn it around, though, and you will see the special case back. It features the Call of Duty logo and hints at the watch’s special-edition status. Hiding behind the case is the Hamilton H-10 automatic caliber with a 3Hz frequency and an 80-hour power reserve.

Finishing the look is the green NATO strap, which sets it apart from the regular Khaki Field Automatic. Overall, this is a Call of Duty-themed watch for true fans of the game franchise. If you are not one of them, the regular version will do just fine. But I’m sure all 5,000 of these €925 watches will find their way to fans quickly.

Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter series

Our next pick is not just one watch but a series of six. Back in 2020, Seiko celebrated the brilliance of the legendary Street Fighter games with six watches modeled after the popular characters Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken, Guile, Blanka, and Zangief. In terms of design, the different versions take after the actual characters, using the colors of their outfits and details that fit their skills and personalities. As a result, the watches are wild, and all of them look unique.

The canvas for all of these watches is the 42.5mm SKX-style Seiko 5 case with a 13.4mm profile and a 46mm lug-to-lug. The case is water resistant to 100 meters, and inside it ticks the Seiko 4R36 caliber, offering 41 hours of power reserve. However, as you will understand, these watches were not about their specs but also the extravagant colors and details.

I won’t go over all of them, but I suggest you read the article we wrote about the watches in 2020 to learn more. All of the watches were limited to 9,999 pieces, making them not so limited to begin with. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for one if you are a fan of the Street Fighter games. Finding one will not be that difficult, and it will get you one of the best collabs that Seiko has done for its 5 Sports series.

Cyberpunk T-2077

One of our best-read articles of 2021 and early 2022 was Gerard’s review of the Cyberpunk T-2077 digital watch. It took us by surprise, but then again, the Cyberpunk game that came out in 2020 was one of the most anticipated game releases ever. After ironing out many of the game’s initial issues, it was time to celebrate its success with a brilliant watch collab. The Polish developer of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red, contacted Poland’s major watchmaker, Błonie Sp., to help develop this watch. And Błonie did not disappoint at all.

At first glance, it reminds me of the classic Girard-Perregaux Casquette, but it takes it into the modern gaming world. As Gerard said, wearing the watch is like owning a piece of Night City. Błonie created the Cyberpunk T-2077 from pure Grade 2 titanium, making it a lightweight, futuristic-looking timepiece that fits the game perfectly.

On top of that, driver-style digital watches have never gone out of style. The nicely sculpted case features an orange LED display that was specifically developed for the Cyberpunk T-2077. It displays the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, and the date separately with the push of a button. A smart little nod to the game is that the date ends in 2077.

All 700 pieces of the Cyberpunk T-2077 sold out in no time at the stunningly affordable price of €440. On top of that, the packaging was spectacular, and the watch features Blockchain encryption technology. Powered by Arianee, it will certify your watch to you and nobody else. It makes this Cyberpunk T-2077 one of the best gaming-related watches ever.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 × Mario Kart

We have not only seen entry-level watch brands collaborating with game franchises. In 2021 and 2022, TAG Heuer teamed up with Nintendo for a series of Mario Kart-inspired watches. I am not much of a gamer, but I do like playing Mario Kart once in a while. I used to play it with my ex’s son sometimes, and we always had a ton of fun.

So I was intrigued by TAG Heuer choosing to create these watches. The first effort was a logical step with the TAG Heuer Connected × Super Mario Limited Edition in 2021 that Brandon reported on. But the 2022 Formula 1 Chronograph models were more interesting because they combined mechanical watchmaking with the world of Mario Kart.

The first is a Formula 1 Chronograph, and the other is a Formula 1 Chronograph with a tourbillon. TAG Heuer produced the regular chronograph model in a limited run of 3,000 pieces. It has a 44mm stainless steel case with a specially engraved case back featuring the Mario Kart logo. The dial, mimicking carbon fiber or a checkered flag, has a racing-appropriate look and features the famous 7750 chronograph layout. This is courtesy of TAG Heuer’s caliber 16, which is based on the classic 7750 movement. The sub-seconds register at 9 o’clock depicts Mario and his kart, while the date aperture at 3 o’clock shows famous characters and items from the game instead of the date. Another nice detail is the small “M” on the crown, reminding you of the little plumber. All 3,000 pieces sold out quickly for just over €4,000.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph Tourbillon

The second model was the Formula 1 Chronograph Tourbillon, which has a 45mm Grade 5 titanium case and a sapphire-equipped display case back showing the Heuer 02T movement. On top of that, the sapphire crystal on the back features a laser-engraved Mario Kart logo. The skeletonized dial of the watch is much more modern and futuristic, featuring a fun tourbillon at 6 o’clock with Mario in his kart, a Spiny Shell, and Bullet Bill. The 02T movement, a COSC-certified chronometer, powered this 250-piece limited edition, which cost just under €25k in 2022.

G-Shock League of Legends Limited Editions

We could not leave G-Shock off this list. The brand collaborated with the massively popular League of Legends franchise in 2023. It resulted in two watches celebrating the world-dominating, esports-friendly multiplayer game. The first of the two is the G-Shock GM-B2100LL-1A, which is based on the popular “CasiOak” models.

The watch, adorned with hints to the game, celebrates League of Legends in style. It features a 44.4 × 49.8 × 12.8mm stainless steel case in black. The stainless steel bezel receives a bronze-tone IP coating to look worn and scuffed, matching the strap’s “end link,” which features the game’s logo and the Piltover weapon on either side. The scuffed look contrasts nicely with the blue LCD, giving this €1,099 G-Shock a distinct look.

The second of the two models is the much funkier G-Shock GA-110LL-1A. The 51.2 × 55 × 16.9mm watch is a colorful version of the standard GA-110. It pays homage to Jinx, one of the game’s leading characters. As you can see, the colors match Jinx’s outfit. Additionally, a shark-shaped indicator at 9 o’clock reminds you of this special collaboration.

On top of that, the lower display is pink for a nice twist. If you look closely, you will see that the pushers are also pink and turquoise. Lastly, the strap is full of artwork related to Jinx, finishing the €199 watch in style.

Final thoughts on the top five video-game-related watches

There you have it — a list of five collaborative releases tied to the world of gaming. Pieces like these have become increasingly popular with the watch-buying crowd, and we see no reason that this trend won’t continue. But before we sign off, we have one last honorable mention of a watch that was seen in the trailer of a game but not released…yet. If you are an Omega fan, you probably know what I am talking about.

Last year, we were treated to the trailer of the upcoming James Bond game 007: First Light. In the trailer, a younger-looking Bond gets handed a box full of Omega watches from Q. The watch that ends up on a young 007’s wrist is clearly an Omega Seamaster Chronograph, but it’s not a model we have seen in real life. With the game’s release date pushed back to May 27th, 2026, we may see the watch’s actual release. If so, it will undoubtedly be a massive hit. Let us know in the comments what your favorite video-game-related watch is, and we will see you next week for another list!