The Seiko Astron GPS was first released in 2012 – and, in their words, “pushed back the boundaries of what a watch can deliver” by incorporating GPS satellite signals to give you the precise time wherever you are in the world.
A lot of people are asking “Should I buy a Seiko Astron?” Today we’ll try and answer that question and provide you with a bit of history about the Seiko Astron. The history of the Seiko Astron goes back further than the current release and has a huge impact on the way that watches are made today.
“Someday, all watches will be made this way!”
The first Seiko Astron was unvailed on the 25th December 1969, this watch was the world’s first ever quartz watch. Seiko proudly advertised the Astron as the watch of the future and answered the question “should I buy a Seiko Astron?” with an emphatic yes, stating “Someday, all watches will be made this way!”
The new technology was immediately a hit with watch enthusiasts. Within 1 week 100 gold watches were sold at a retail price of $1,250, which was about the price of a medium-sized car. I wonder just how many of those had saved up for a car, but decided to buy the watch at the last minute. I can’t imagine the reaction of the buyers wife will have been positive. I think the conversation will have gone something like:
Wife: “Where’s the new car?”
Husband: “Well, I got something much better than a car.”
*Shows wife Seiko Astron watch*
Wife: “How is that going to help us with transport?”
Husband: “Easy, it will make sure we’re always on time for the bus!”
The release of the first quartz watch is registered on the List of IEEE Milestones as a key advance in electrical engineering, proving that Seiko were right about the impact the release would have on the way watches are made. Quartz technology is now widely used in watches and is incredibly accurate. As mentioned in our list of Myths and Misconceptions about watches, the use of quartz in lower-priced timepieces means that they will usually keep time better than the most expensive mechanical watches.
GPS Solar: The Second Astron Revolution
Seiko’s website explains that they are aiming to pursue “the ultimate wristwatch” and the Seiko Astron GPS Solar is one step closer to that vision. This watch was another world’s first when it was released, becoming the world’s first GPS solar watch.
The aim of GPS solar technology is to give precise timekeeping wherever you are in the world. Currently, watches which attempt to do this are called “radio-controlled watches” and they receive a signal when they are near stations located in certain countries, so they do not work worldwide. GPS technology gives you worldwide coverage – so whether you’re simply on holiday in Spain, or on an expedition to the Antartic – you will have a precise time.
There is already another watch which works by receiving GPS signals, the Citizen Satellite Wave. The main difference between the Citizen Satellite Wave and the Seiko Astron is that the Citizen watch does not have a geo-location function, which means that it doesn’t change time zones automatically.
The watch charges up under any kind of light, although sunlight is the most effective (great excuse for a bit of sunbathing!!) An indicator between 9 and 10 o’clock tells you how full the battery is. 64 hours of sunlight is needed for full charge (promise me you won’t do it all in one sitting, I don’t want to be blamed for that level of sunburn), but 6 minutes is enough to last you one day.
The watch automatically syncs to GPS signals once each day, it needs to be able to “see” the sky to sync to satellites. It can take 30 seconds to 2 minutes to change time zones. You can also manually set time zones too. For example, is you are about to get on a plane and you want the correct time when you arrive then you can set the time zone automatically to the place you are travelling to.
The price of the Seiko Astron GPS range vary from £1650 to £2995 and you can buy one from our website here.
Should I Buy a Seiko Astron?
If you travel around the world regularly then the Seiko Astron GPS is perfect for you. Wearing the Seiko Astron GPS gives you the piece of mind that you will have accurate time wherever you are in the world. For those who love unique timepieces then the futuristic design make it a perfect addition to you collection. Finally, if you need a quality luminous watch with brilliant visibility wherever you are then you will be happy to know that the watch comes with a quality lumi-brite dial.
The answer to the question “Should I buy a Seiko Astron?” is quite clearly yes. Of course, the question of whether all watches will be made this way is a little less clear. But for now, we’re glad that there is at least one watch made this way!
Check out the Seiko Astron GPS range on First Class Watches today.
