Sony PlayStation marked its 30th anniversary not with new hardware or games, but with an unexpected foray into mechanical watchmaking that leaned heavily on nostalgia.

The project took shape through a collaboration with Hong Kong–based creative studio and watchmaker Anicorn, resulting in a tightly limited wristwatch designed to echo the look and feel of the original 1994 console.

Limited to 300 pieces worldwide and priced at about US$780, the Anicorn x PlayStation 30th-Anniversary Mechanical Watch became the first officially licensed PlayStation mechanical timepiece. Preorders opened on December 18, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. EST and sold directly through Anicorn, with deliveries scheduled for June 2026.

Unlike previous gaming collaborations that leaned toward quartz, digital, or smartwatch formats, the release marked Sony’s first move to place the PlayStation name on a traditional mechanical wristwatch.

The design leaned decisively into console-era nostalgia. The angular 316L stainless steel case, finished in the same soft gray as the original PS1, measured roughly 43mm by 48mm and sat just under 12mm thick, giving it a chunky, hardware-like presence on the wrist. At the center of the dial was a raised PlayStation logo, while the familiar △◯×□ symbols appeared as applied, three-dimensional hour markers at the cardinal points. The hour and minute hands were tipped with subtle references to the Start and Select buttons, details aimed squarely at players who grew up with the original controller.

Powering the watch was a Miyota 9039 automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve, visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback engraved with each watch’s individual edition number. Practical features such as sapphire crystal, 50-meter (5ATM) water resistance, and a gray FKM rubber strap printed with PlayStation symbols reinforced its positioning as a wearable rather than a display piece.

The package extended beyond the watch itself. Each unit came with a “Memory Capsule” styled after a classic PS1 memory card, housing an NFC chip that linked to a digital space for storing personal notes or memories. Both the watch and capsule were presented in a metal case inspired by vintage PlayStation hardware, further blurring the line between gaming artifact and lifestyle object.

The collaboration landed at a time when PlayStation nostalgia remains commercially potent, including in the Philippines, one of Southeast Asia’s most active gaming markets. According to industry analytics firm Newzoo, the Philippines had 43 million gamers who spent US$572 million on games in 2019, ranking it as the world’s 25th-largest games market by revenue and a key contributor to Southeast Asia’s overall growth. While mobile dominated overall play, engagement across platforms remained broad: 74% of the Philippines’ online population played games on mobile devices, 65% played PC games, and 45% played console games, underscoring the continued relevance of console culture despite mobile’s scale.

That console presence continued to favor Sony. As of May 2025, Sony held 46% of the console market in the Philippines, ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox at 32% and Nintendo at 22%, according to business intelligence platform Statista, reflecting sustained brand loyalty among local players.

Gaming-themed watches are not new, but mechanical executions are rare and often struggle to balance novelty with wearability. Anicorn’s approach leaned unapologetically into the visual language of the original PlayStation, which debuted in Japan in 1994 before rolling out globally in 1995, a staggered release that partly explains why the anniversary was marked this year rather than last.

Anicorn framed the watch as both tribute and time capsule in a social media post, writing: “A tribute to the original PlayStation that revolutionized the gaming industry in 1994… The dial and strap are adorned with the four iconic △◯×□, while the hands are decorated with the Start & Select from the PlayStation controller, serving as a visual homage to the controller that has become synonymous with gaming excellence.” The post positioned the piece as being “Built for creators, collectors, and gamers who grew up pressing ‘Power.’”

For Sony PlayStation, the watch marked a rare lifestyle collaboration that recast a piece of gaming history as a limited mechanical collectible, extending the brand beyond screens and consoles into the world of traditional watchmaking.

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