This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first Seiko-branded wristwatch. To commemorate the achievement, the Japanese watchmaker is releasing a variety of special timepieces, including the recently unveiled Seiko Astron GPS Solar Kintaro Hattori Limited Edition. This latest addition to the Astron series celebrates its founder, Kintaro Hattori, while combining Dual-Time technology with a chronograph function.
First released in 2012, the Seiko Astron GPS Solar is known for connecting to GPS and adjusting to any time zone with the push of a button, while also generating all of its energy from light alone. The latest addition uses a new movement, Caliber 5X83, which automatically connects to the GPS network twice a day, and manually with the push of a button.
Courtesy Image
The new watch features a sub-dial at the 12 o'clock position that measures elapsed time in 1/20-second increments, making it the first Seiko Astron to feature a sub-dial in this position. A sub-dial at the six o'clock position shows the time in a second time zone and becomes a 12-hour counter when the stopwatch function is used. Meanwhile, a sub-dial at the nine o'clock position shows the charging status, day of the week, and flight mode.
The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Kintaro Hattori Limited Edition features a black case and bracelet with yellow gold-colored accents. It is water-resistant to 100 meters.
The two-piece bezel consists of a ceramic top and a yellow gold-tone titanium bezel. Ceramic is also used for the bracelet’s middle links and the tip of the winding crown. The case back bears the name of company founder Kintaro Hattori and the “S” trademark, which he registered as the symbol of the Seikosha factory in 1900. Just above the trademark is the phrase that reflects the company’s philosophy: “One step ahead of the rest.”
Seiko will only produce 2,500 units of this special watch, which will be sold with a price tag of $3,900.