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- The King Seiko VANAC “Cosmic Tokyo” HKF005J features a black glitter dial inspired by Tokyo’s city lights.
- It uses the same Calibre 8L45 automatic movement and 72-hour power reserve as the recent titanium VANAC models.
- Priced at AUD$5,200, it’s AUD$800 cheaper than the titanium trio, but its stainless-steel construction brings the weight up to 192 grams.
We love a good wristwatch check around the Man of Many office. I’m guilty of turning my wrist as slowly as possible from time to time. But when you turn over the new King Seiko VANAC (ref. HKF005J), you might be wondering why it’s missing the purple titanium or grey-on-grey finish – just a stainless-steel case wrapped around a black dial with darkened hands and an equally dark index ring.
But look a little longer, and the dial starts to light up. No, it’s not more LumiBrite. It’s Seiko covering this particular VANAC in glitter-like particles to resemble the city lights of Tokyo. You’ve seen the photos of the seemingly endless stretch of skyscrapers, with lights stretching across the horizon after dark. Now, Seiko has given the same spectacle to this brand-new “Cosmic Tokyo” HKF005J, giving it a much more theatrical side than its otherwise monochromatic appearance suggests.
Priced at AUD$5,200, the model returns to stainless steel instead of lighter titanium, making it a touch more approachable than the trio of AUD$6,000 VANAC watches we covered earlier this year. Underneath the steel, though, the formula is otherwise familiar. You still get the same angular 41mm VANAC architecture, the same Calibre 8L45 automatic movement, and the same 72-hour power reserve. All for AUD$800 less.
1/5King Seiko VANAC ‘Cosmic Tokyo’ HKF005J – Key Specifications
- Reference: HKF005J
- Case: Stainless steel
- Diameter: 41mm
- Thickness: 14.3mm
- Weight: 192g
- Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Movement: Calibre 8L45 automatic
- Power reserve: Approx. 72 hours
- Accuracy: +10 to -5 seconds per day
- Water resistance: 100m
- Price: AUD$5,200
1/2Tokyo After Dark, Without All That Purple
If you love a bit of extra sparkle in your life, then the “Cosmic Tokyo” dial on the King Seiko VANAC HKF005J is exactly why it stands out.
The clever part is how little the rest of the watch needs to compete. Where the titanium VANAC trio went all in on colour and titanium to draw attention to that angular case, the HKF005J sticks with silver steel, a black dial and darkened hands and indices. From a distance, it’s the quiet one of the bunch. Get a little closer, and all those tiny points of light come alive.
That also gives the VANAC’s heavily faceted case a different role. Rather than fighting the dial for attention, the polished and brushed surfaces catch the light, letting you enjoy the glittery finish. For a watch inspired by the capital city of Japan after dark, the creativity here is far more appealing than printing the Tokyo skyline across the dial.
The titanium-to-stainless-steel trade-off, however, is how heavy it is. At 192 grams, the HKF005J is no lightweight. The recent VANAC titanium models were pitched partly around the material being roughly 40 per cent lighter than stainless steel. So that AUD$800 saving isn’t free: it’s a heftier option, but it still keeps the same Calibre 8L45 and 72-hour power reserve found in the pricier titanium releases. But those don’t come with a light show on the dial, so you decide. Which one are you getting?
The King Seiko VANAC “Cosmic Tokyo” HKF005J is priced at AUD$5,200 and is now available to pre-order exclusively through Seiko Boutiques and Seiko Online in Australia.
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