Seiko updates their neo-futuristic King Seiko VANAC with a new iteration featuring a glittering black dial.
There are many takes on the urban watch aesthetic. Many of them carry the same genealogy: geometric cases, maybe an integrated bracelet, and a sportier demeanour. Other than that, it’s fairly open-ended how urbanesque a watch can really get. But metropolitan design, especially within this rule set, can very quickly feel samey. So how do you continue to innovate or surprise in a concept that’s been effectively set in stone?
Of course, you can look around and look back in the general sense, but if you’re the Japanese powerhouse Seiko, you can do a whole lot more than that. In 2025, the brand already surprised us with the return of the King Seiko VANAC, a uniquely architectural watch from the brand’s retro period.
While it came back to us as a heritage revival, over time it’s become more recognisable for its unique silhouette and neo-futuristic attitude. The brand has done well to elevate that reputation, with releases that mix up the dial colours and even case materials, such as titanium. This time around, though, they lean more into the watch’s contemporary urbanism, taking cues from one of the most famous urban sprawls of all: a city that, serendipitously, they call home.
Neo Tokyo
This is the King Seiko VANAC, Ref. HKF005. From the outset, the silhouette sits exactly the same as its peers. Standing 41mm wide, 45.1mm long, and 14.3mm thick, the new stainless steel reference maintains the new-old frame that made the original so beloved in its heyday.
Characterised by its sharp, angular shape, mixed with a series of brushed and polished finishes, it provides a unique level of light play that makes its presence unmistakable. The notion of a bezel is blended into the geometry of the case, as a sapphire glassbox crystal stands above, preserving the retro look.
For all its hard corners, though, the watch is surprisingly rounded and angled towards the contours of the wrist. This makes the faceted case wear a lot better than you’d really expect it to.
The new King Seiko VANAC HKF005 comes complete on that same steel integrated bracelet, terminating at a butterfly clasp for a flush fit. Again, the watch remains full of surprises, as the bracelet articulates a lot better than what can be told in photographs.
But if the bracelet’s not your thing, Seiko has included interchangeable features to make strap swapping easy. Keep in mind, though, that not many alternative straps exist for the King Seiko VANAC… at least, not yet. The urban-sport package is complete with 100m of water resistance, making the watch as robust as Seiko’s reputation has always implied.
ミスタースパーコル
For those familiar with the look and feel of the collection, it’s not the case and bracelet that will surprise you. But what’s new on the dial design is certain to please everyone. For this new iteration, Seiko has been inspired by their home city of Tokyo, Japan, where their headquarters reside in the city’s premier Ginza district.
The dial is a deep, inky black-blue, a reality that is exceptionally difficult to define from press shots alone. I highly advise that, if you get the chance, please get a hold of it yourself and tell us what you think the colour really is. I’m leaning more towards blue, but other photos really bring out the black tones in it.
Blue or black besides, what makes this dial special is the inclusion of a glittered surface, inspired by the panoramic views of Tokyo late at night. While it’s not aventurine as one may have guessed from first glance, the effect is similar, making the dial twinkle differently depending on the angle.
Other than that, the layout is more or less the same as what the VANAC line is known for, in that it’s entirely unique within the industry. The chapter ring is both rounded and geometric, with grooved surfaces that mark each passing minute without interrupting other design elements. Each applied index is generously lumed, with a more significant appliqué visible at the 12 o’clock mark. But the final touch I really appreciate are the dark-toned hands, paring back the contrasting lume to allow the dial to shine. Or, more accurately, sparkle.
Stepping Up
Turning the watch around, the open caseback tells a familiar story. Inside is the watch’s beating heart: the Cal. 8L45, the same movement that powers the rest of the King Seiko VANAC collection. Beating at the luxury standard of 4Hz (28,800VpH), a rarity for Seiko movements, the Cal. 8L45 does so atop a modern 72-hour power reserve.
In terms of mechanical accuracy and performance, I was thinking of giving you my full thoughts. But I realised my opinion is very much the same as Matt’s when he reviewed a pair not too long ago. I’ll let you hear it from him:
Accuracy is rated at +10 / –5 seconds per day, which is an acceptable performance range for a mechanical movement in this segment, given many of the Swiss-made counterparts have pushed up prices over recent years. However, there are still many watches at this price that sit within ISO chronometer or COSC certified when it comes to Swiss movements. Saying this, my experience with Seiko is that the movements in general perform much better in real life than the base level specs.
Matt Clymo, Watch Advice Editor-in-Chief
I can very much corroborate that last statement, too, as many Seikos I’ve handled outside fresh review pieces have held up their accuracy remarkably well. In all, it’s a major upgrade from the more accessible 4- and 6-Series movements, though I do wish they gave it a little more finishing.
Initial Thoughts
Having grown up appreciating the art styles of media like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Blade Runner, and Cyberpunk 2077, the VANAC line has always felt like that flavour of sci-fi. Yet, the city of Tokyo and its glittering lights reflected on the HKF005’s dial keep the watch surprisingly grounded in the 21st century.
In a somewhat ironic turn of events, a watch conceived in a far less urbanised past has become emblematic of such modern cityscapes. The King Seiko VANAC achieves this to an incredible effect, all while remaining uncompromising in the Japanese powerhouse’s pursuit of horological precision and reliability.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | HKF005 |
| Dimensions | 41mm case diameter x 45.1mm lug-to-lug x 14.3mm thickness |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Sunray-brushed black-blue with three-dimensional outer ring & glittered finish |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. 8L45 with date complication |
| Power Reserve | 72h |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 100m / 10bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Interchangeable integrated steel bracelet with butterfly clasp |