Seiko’s new Astron GPS Solar models represent light state-of-the-art technology

Seiko released four new watches for the Astron GPS Solar collection. The high-tech collection of GPS satellites that checks time is now even lighter and more spectacular. At the heart of the new design is a sleek titanium shell structure and an eye-catching sapphire crystal dial.

Satellite positioning with GPS satellites is commonplace today. Today, the transmitter can even fit in a keychain that can track the location of keys in the world. The basic principle of the technology is very simple. The GPS satellite monitors the distortion caused by the Doppler effect of the radio signal it receives from other GPS satellites and is able to calculate its position in orbit very accurately. In addition to the computer, the satellite only needs an atomic clock. For this reason, in addition to location, the GPS satellite also knows the time very accurately.
The impractically sized GPS receivers of the early days have shrunk to almost non-existent over the years. In 2012, Seiko Astron GPS solved the need to shift the time from one time zone to another by accommodating the GPS receiver in a wristwatch. The watch checks the time from the GPS satellite twice a day and updates the time to match the time of the atomic clock. In Seiko Astron GPS Solar watches, the energy needed for this comes from the solar cell, and in practice the watch always stays on time and running as long as it has the required amount of sunlight in use.
Today, the GPS receiver is even smaller and is featured in Seiko’s latest Astron models. Seiko’s latest GPS Solar 5X53 Dual-Time has been shrunk so thin that the new models are only 12.2 millimeters thick. Thanks to this, the look of the watches has been redesigned. The case of the watches is made of titanium, perhaps reflecting a bit of the spirit of Grand Seiko’s new Evolution 9 Spring Drive aaa replica watches.
A sleek feature of the new Astrons is the sapphire crystal dial. The UTC time digits below the insert are exceptionally fine through the sapphire gels. The font for UTC markings also resembles the font of the new GS Evolution 9 watches, which in itself is understandable with the common inheritance of watches.
In addition to atomic clock synchronized time, the 5X53 Dual-Time mechanism also allows the display of a second time zone. By pressing the button, the clock can be changed from the home time zone to the local one. The clock also synchronizes automatically to summer and winter time. The machine checks the time from the satellite twice a day, but also when, after a moment in the shadows, the panel with the solar panel of the clock gets a feel for the light. Thus, the watch actively maintains an accuracy of ± 15 seconds per month, even without GPS synchronization.
The watch is waterproof up to 100 meters and its magnetic protection is 4800 A / m, which is slightly sufficient for current conditions. Thanks to satellite synchronization, the calendar also stays up-to-date, and Seiko mentions that the clock calendar will be perpetual until February 2100. The story doesn’t tell what happens next.
Of the new models, three will remain in production and the fourth is a limited-availability model, which will be produced in only 1,500 units. The Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition (SSH113) has the same technology as the others, except that the striped appearance differs from the crowd in different shades of gray. The SSH113, which plays subtly with shades of gray, stands out because the shades are in line with the matt gloss of titanium.
Seiko Astron new products cost 2,750 euros. The Limited Edition model will be available in Seiko Boutique stores and select retailer stores in May. The remaining models will be available in July 2022.