Knowledge
Astron_A
GPS Solar

Redefining the standard of watch accuracy

 

For centuries, the goal of watchmaker has been to offer ever higher standards of precision and convenience, but only rarely does a real advance in these areas take place. Thanks to Seiko’s relentless drive for innovation, new possibilities in watch technology continue to open up as the new Seiko Astron, the world’s first GPS solar watch, so dramatically demonstrates. With Seiko’s GPS Solar watch, new standards of precision, ease of use and global convenience have been set. Seiko’s GPS Solar watch is the most significant advance in watchmaking in a generation.

 

Adjusts to your time zone

 

Unlike radio control watches, which work only in a small part of the world‘s land mass, GPS solar watch identifies the recognized time zones on earth. Whether you are on a mountain top, in the middle of the ocean, or even in the center of a desert, the watch displays the exact local time.

  • For the time zone information of your caliber, please click here to read more. If there are changes in the region/time zone, manual time zone selection may be required.

 

Automatic Time adjustment

 

Whenever the dial is exposed to bright light, the watch automatically receives GPS signals. When the watch is concealed under a sleeve and the dial cannot receive enough light, the watch stores the time of the previous successful manual time adjustment or time zone adjustment, and automatically starts time adjustment at the same time.

 

High reception performance of 
an exclusive Seiko ring antenna

 

An exclusive Seiko ring antenna placed under the dial ring is suitable for automatic reception as it can easily receive signals regardless of posture.

 

In-flight mode

 

In order to avoid any interference with the operation of electronic devices in an airplane, in-flight mode is available when boarding a plane. In the in-flight mode, the GPS signal reception function will not work.

 

 

      

 

Click here for GPS solar watches

 

 

 

 

Mechanical
Mechanical

Seiko automatic movement 6R20. This high grade caliber is designed to place the Seiko firmly in the high quality mechanical market. The 6R20 movement is made of parts, all of which except rubies, are produced and assembled by Seiko Instruments Inc. The movement is exquisitely finished with an engraved rotor, polished edges to the bridges and hairline shading on the main surfaces. The high beat (28,800) movement delivers accuracy of -15~+25 seconds a day and the Spron 510* mainspring generates a power reserve of more than 45 hours.

 

* Spron 510 is a high-elastic material developed by Seiko Instruments Inc., and its registered trademark.

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Quartz

With Seiko's passion, the Seiko Quartz has brought innovation to the history of watches.

 

The quartz watch, developed in 1969, revolutionized the conventional concept of watches. This is a watch that has a crystal oscillator at its core for accuracy. The crystalline body of a crystal cut to a fixed /assets/eng/world/images has a characteristic to generate steady vibration if voltage is applied to it. Through the ages, the idea has existed that this crystal-specific electrical property is used for a crystal oscillator to be the standard of timekeeping accuracy of watches. However, to take advantage of quartz crystal, whose excellence had been demonstrated in terms of accuracy, in a small world "watch," there were many barriers that had to be overcome.

 

In 1969, Seiko succeeded in resolving all these issues and made available to the world for the first time a commercially viable quartz watch. It was a long ten years since the start of development plan of crystal oscillation watch at Suwa Seikosha. To develop a quartz watch for practical use, unique technologies only available by Seiko were created. For example, adoption of a crystal oscillator cut in the shape of a tuning-fork and development of an IC and step motor to properly operate signals from a crystal oscillator had to be created. Additionally, with a passion to change the future of watches, Seiko did not pursue monopolization on patent rights of those unique technologies and opened them to the world. Later on, many technologies provided by Seiko became world standards and have contributed to development of present day quartz watches.


‧The world's first quartz watch on the market [Seiko Quartz ASTRON]


Released on December 25, 1969, this watch revolutionized the world of time. It was the "Seiko Quartz ASTRON." The quartz frequency at that time was 8192 Hz, one-fourth the frequency today. One of the major features of the watch was its step motion second by mounting an open step motor, which became the symbol of quartz watches later on.

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Kinetic

Kinetic. A powerhouse of technological innovation

 

Like mechanical and quartz, Kinetic is a platform. Over the past 20 years, Seiko has created on this platform a suite of Kinetic movements, each bringing unique features to the consumer.

 

It was at the 1986 Basel Fair that Seiko unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. Introduced under the trial name of 'AGM', it was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. It was the first step in a development that, 20 years later, has made Kinetic synonymous with environmental friendliness, high performance and long-lasting convenience to a generation of users worldwide. From the launch in 1988 of the first commercially available watch (then under the new name AGS) until today, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold (as of 2007).

 

In 1998, Kinetic Auto Relay was released, extending the 'at-rest' operating period of the watch to a remarkable 4 years. 1999 saw the launch of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, a masterpiece which fused the very best of Seiko's mechanical and electronic watchmaking skills, and in 2003 another Kinetic Chronograph was launched. At Baselworld 2005, the Kinetic Perpetual made its first appearance, combining Kinetic convenience and longevity with a perpetual calendar, correct to the year 2100. In 2007, Seiko's emotional technology Kinetic Direct Drive is introduced.

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Kinectic Direct Drive

Seiko Kinetic Direct Drive is the embodiment of the Seiko's ‘emotional technology’. It offers valuable additions to the ecological and convenience advantages of every Seiko Kinetic watch.

 

Two winding functions

As in all existing Kinetic calibers, the wearer automatically generates electrical energy by her/his wrist movement. With Kinetic Direct Drive, however, the wearer can also generate energy by winding the crown.

 

Two indicator functions

Kinetic Direct Drive shows not only the power held in reserve but also the level of power generation when the wearer hand-winds the crown. The wearer can see and feel, in real time, the direct transfer of power from his or her winding of the crown to the power reserve.

Kinetic Direct Drive creates a direct interaction between wearer and watch!

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Kinectic Perpetual

Kinetic Perpetual combines the beauty of a classic mechanical perpetual calendar, correct until February 28, 2100, with the advantages of Kinetic – powered by the movement of your body – perpetual quartz accuracy, and up to 4 years autonomy when not worn.

 

This caliber is a triumph of classical watch-making and modern microelectronics. With 232 parts, which is almost the same number as other high-class mechanical chronograph watches, and the world's smallest ultra-sonic motor, just 0.4 mm thick, the Kinetic Perpetual caliber sets a new standard in Perpetual Calendar watches.

This 0.4 mm thick ultra-sonic motor is the only motive energy for the 101 parts in the mechanical gear trains of the Perpetual Calendar which correctly displays not only date and day, but also months, including February of leap years.

This remarkable calendar is also governed by a photo sensor, which recognizes a certain mark on each gear and judges, and corrects the date, day, month and year, including February of leap years.

 

The caliber also incorporates Seiko's unique Kinetic Auto-Relay technology. It is powered by the movement of your body with Kinetic Perpetual quartz accuracy and reliability. With Auto-Relay, the watch will, when not worn, operate normally for 6 months on a full charge, after which it goes into "sleep" mode for up to four years. The accuracy remains and the calendar continues to show the correct date, month and year, but the hands stop, conserving energy, until, once the watch is put on again, the hands automatically reset to the correct time. 

 

Kinetic GMT
Kinetic GMT

The marriage of Kinetic with a GMT function makes this the perfect travelers' watch. The hour hand can be set without disturbing the accuracy of Seiko's unique Kinetic movement, and as Kinetic is powered by the movement of your body, this streamlined and refined new timepiece offers the international traveler a unique combination of elegance, powerful design and ‘set & forget’ convenience.