The story
The Seiko 5 Actus line of watches represents a blend of style, durability, and precision, embodying the spirit of Seiko's commitment to quality craftsmanship. Launched in the 1970s, this collection is celebrated for its robust automatic movements, distinctive designs, and reliable performance. They were a subset of the Seiko 5 line, intended to appeal to more design conscious buyers, so often featured hints of special finishing or features.
The idea for this design came from Seiko 5. 5 in Chinese is Wu; and this was a reminder of growing up listening to the Wu Tang Clan hip hop group. One of the main inspirations for those rappers was the old Chinese kung fu movies which often centred on the monks of the Shaolin temple; highly disciplined, skilled and dedicated fighters who are absolute masters of the kung fu martial art. The style is a graffiti style to reflect the gritty New York vibe that the Clan represent, but connecting with the traditional chinese discipline and spirituality.
Originally the watch was too metallic in appearance, with a silver dial and polished steel case. the metal was broken up slightly by small blue seconds markers. The bold orange contrasts the blue and adds some interest to the dial. Other than orange, only a small amount of blue is added to bring out the seconds detailing, and black and white to give the graffiti aesthetic.