As many of you history buffs out there are well aware, 2019 is a big year for important anniversaries. On June 6, the world will look back at D-Day, which turned the tide of World War II 75 years ago this year. Baby boomers across America will be flooded with nostalgia all summer long, as we celebrate 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing AND the Woodstock festival, two of the most massive cultural touchstones of a generation, occurring within months of each other. And then, of course, there?s Mobile Suit Gundam, celebrating 40 years since it?s premiere on Japanese television in 1979.
That?s right folks, if you thought the moon landing was the only big historic event to get a special edition watch this year, well, Seiko has other plans. The Mobile Suit Gundam 40th anniversary series consists of three fairly niche Seiko references that all represent interpretations of characters from the cult favorite anime series. These are dramatic new takes on some well known Seiko designs, including a colorway update for a still brand new GMT in the Prospex LX line introduced at Basel this year.
First, for the uninitiated, a quick primer on Mobile Suit Gundam. Premiering in 1979, Mobile Suit Gundam aired on Japanese television for only a few years, but had a long lasting impact on anime and science fiction more broadly. The series follows Amuro Ray, a teenage mechanic, who pilots a giant mechanical, human powered battle robot in a war against the Principality of Zeon. If you...