Hands-on with the Seiko Astron GPS Solar 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

The new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch marks the 10th anniversary of the world’s first solar-powered GPS watch and comes with a striking horizontal striped dial pattern

Seiko’s Astron range of wristwatches combines perpetual calendar functions with GPS and solar power. Regardless of your location, A Seiko Astron watch will always show the correct time. It works by receiving GPS signals from various satellites, setting itself to the current location quickly and efficiently. For avid globe travellers that consider unparalleled accuracy to be an integral feature in a GPS watch, it will only ever be the performance and precision of a Seiko watch that will suffice. To the mark the 10th anniversary of both the world’s first and the Japanese manufacturer’s first GPS solar-powered watch, Seiko is releasing a new limited edition which joins three other Seiko Astron GPS Solar watches recently launched into the collection. The three standard models comprise a silver, blue-black and a black dial version, yet the limited edition boats a striking dial effect with an unusual horizontal striped pattern across its surface.

Seiko’s next generation of the precise, high-performance Seiko Astron

The new Seiko GPS Solar watches certainly mark the next generation in precision and high performance for the Astron line. Its high-efficiency GPS module connects effortlessly to a GPS network and automatically adjusts itself twice a day to ensure it is keeping utmost accuracy. This atomic clock accuracy will adjust every time zone with the simple touch of a button, all whilst using the energy from sunlight alone. This is all thanks to Seiko’s Caliber 5X53 Dual-Time technology. Equally matching the superiority of its technology is a lightweight, comfortable and strong titanium case, fitted on a matching titanium bracelet with ergonomically formed H-shaped links for ultimate comfort on the wrist. Its sleek and slim profile, with a low centre of gravity, sits comfortably and stably on the wrist for hours and hours of travelling in comfort.

What does the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch offer?

Well, quite a lot. The new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch has a time adjustment zone system that, at a push of a button, sends the hands moving faster than ever to exact the correct local correct time if needed. Thanks to a system that can move the hands independently, this also includes the Daylight Saving Time. What’s more, the wearer can change the main dial display from home to local time instantly and vice versa. When the dial detects sunlight, it will independently adjust itself twice a day. When struggling to find daylight, the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar watch still remember its last successful adjustment, which will, in turn, prompt the watch to search for a satellite.

Other features of the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch

As mentioned, the dial of the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch has a handsome striped dial surface. The baton-style indexes around the hour track stand proud, offering a crisp and sharp appearance against the display. Both the minute and hour hands have been treated with a layer of LumiBrite to assist with timekeeping in the dark or in low-light conditions. A clear days-of-the-week scale can be referenced at 3 o’clock on the new watch. This is balanced by a leap year scale at 9 o’clock as part of the model’s perpetual calendar functions. Other features of the new solar-powered Seiko Astron watch include; a DST - Daylight Saving Time function, a function to prevent the GPS signal reception/in-flight mode, a GPS signal reception function that gives the wearer the time zone adjustment and an automatic time adjustment function, an overcharge prevention function, and a power reserve indicator that can be seen at 9 o’clock. A dual time indicator is positioned off-centre in the 3 o’clock sub-dial. There’s also a power save function, a reception result display function, and a time transfer function that switches between the main dial and sub-dials, along with a satellite acquisition status display function. These features are all secured underneath a protective lens crafted from scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass, shielding the surface from denting, light, heat and moisture damage. The dial of the nee Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch is surrounded by an angular design that flows effortlessly into the lugs of the bracelet. Every surface of the case and its matching titanium bracelet has also received a hard coating to enhance its resistance to scratching.

The Seiko Calibre 5X35

A simple push of a single button on the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar watch is all it takes for the hands to move faster than ever to the exact local time, including Daylight Saving Time, thanks to a system that moves each hand independently. This high-speed time zone adjustment of the Calibre 5X Calibre is just one of its appealing features. It also enables the wearer to switch from home and destination times simply and quickly between the main dial and sub-counters by simultaneously pressing on the 2 and 4 o’clock push-pieces. If needed, it will also readjust the time automatically, promising a precision of one second every 100,000 years.

A new buckle design

As aforementioned, the titanium bracelet of the new Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition watch is equipped with a newly designed buckle with an adjustment system that enables the wearer to shorten and contract the length of the fastening. This can accommodate for a slight expansion and contraction of the wrist often caused by fluctuations in temperature. If you’d like more information on the new limited edition model from Seiko’s recent line of Astron GPS Solar watches, you can check out the watch in more detail here or call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453