Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001

It’s been a long wait since their official debut at the Basel Fair back in March, but the day is here and the very 1st shipment of Seiko Astron GPS Solar’s have arrived! If you are not up to speed, AZ Fine Time is dedicating a whole week of our blog to the Seiko Astron GPS and it’s official national launch date, which is today! The UPS delivered our 1st shipment, which included 1 of each style, and we are very excited to have them here. Please keep in mind that if you have one on order, our full shipment is coming very soon, and you will be contacted when they arrive. In the meantime, here is our 1st look into the Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001…

The Seiko Astron GPS is a brand new technology that unites time and space in a very special way. These high-tech timepieces are the 1st in the world to sync to 4 or more GPS satellites, over 12,000 miles away, actually pin point your location, and then set the watch to that current timezone. All at the push of one button! As I’m sure you can imagine, to do such an astounding feat, it requires an abundance of energy. In fact, if you took the energy it takes to move a standard watches hand 1,000 times, multiplied that by 10,000, you would have the equivalent of what it takes to receive GPS signal. In order to eliminate this kind of energy consumption, Seiko has developed a new type of GPS receiver, one that is capable of only 1/5th of power consumption compared to other GPS devices. This alone is amazing! The fact the watch has an ultra-low GPS receiver, is solar powered and recognizes all 39 timezones, is unheard of. Seiko has been working the last ten years and established over 100 patents to make this piece possible.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001 is a gorgeous piece following in Seiko’s pattern of black and rose gold LE’s. The watch is large in diameter at 47mm and very thick at 16.5mm thick. Due to the technology, the watch has to be this large. Luckily, it is lightweight at 135g’s and wears very comfortably for a larger watch. To keep the piece lightweight and great for everyday wear, Seiko utilized their proprietary High-intensity Titanium, which is 40% lighter than stainless steel. The case sides on the Limited Edition are recessed into the case to also help eliminate weight. You may recall this technique from the Seiko Spacewalk Limited Edition from a couple years back. It’s overall build is top of the line and very impressive. I’m sure Seiko would want such an impressive technology to have an equally impressive build and finish.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001

The titanium case and bracelet are coated in Seiko’s own black hard coating. There is little information on the process used to apply the coating, but I do know that near the strength of PVD if not stronger. It actually looks closer to a DLC finish, somewhat shiny, and not completely matte. I can tell you from personal experience,this coating is very durable. I own a watch with the same or similar process and it still looks immaculate. The bezel on this watch is ceramic (for numerous reasons that I will go into detail on in tomorrows post). The dial’s indexes and hands are in rose gold, which has been a popular color combo for Seiko the last couple of years. The subtlety of the rose gold is a very nice compliment to the stealth black of the rest of the watch.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001 will have a production count of only 2,500 pieces in the world. Judging by the number we have pre-sold, without the watches even being released yet, I am certain they will not be around for very long. Each piece will be engraved with the serial number out of 2,500 and will also have a certificate of authenticity stating the matching serial number. As an added bonus, the watch will be accompanied by a complimentary extra-strength silicone strap with black and rose gold 3 fold deployment clasp. Retail is $3850.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001

See the watch in action in the video below…

For those of you interested in ordering a Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limited Edition SAST001, please feel free to contact AZ Fine Time 1-800-486-3996. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this amazing timepiece.