What we like and admire in watches is so incredibly tied to the ?stuff? we?re exposed to. If your dad had a Datejust when you were a kid, maybe you feel waves of nostalgia whenever you see a vintage piece listed for sale on your favorite forum. If your first watch was an Ironman Triathlon or a similar multi-function digital timekeeper, it would make sense that as a grown up watch-head you have a fondness for G-Shocks and the like. And if you grew up watching action movies, specifically the action films of the ’80s (still the greatest decade for the genre), you?re going to be interested in the watch we?re here to tell you all about today.
The ?Arnie,? or the Seiko H558-5009 as you?d see in Seiko’s back catalog, became iconic as the favored wristwatch of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wore it on screen in Predator and Commando. The H558-5009 is recognized as the first dive watch to feature a digital alarm chronograph with combination analog display. In addition to somehow being the perfect action hero watch of the decade, it was hugely influential in popularizing the ana-digi style watch, which would go on to become massively important for brands like Casio, Breitling, Tissot, and others, as it strikes a seemingly perfect balance between traditional at-a-glance timekeeping with multifunction quartz capability.
Arnie rocking the “Arnie” in Commando; Image courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

Today, Seiko unveils the long awaited update to the cult classic Arn...