Seiko’s latest offering is the Astron GPS Solar 202 Limited Edition – a good-looking travel watch that is versatile and functional
Last week we reported on the Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual Time Chronograph, and this week, we’re taking a look at its little brother (or sister) – the Seiko Astron GPS Solar 2024 Limited Edition. And like the Dual Time Chronograph, this one is just as versatile, slightly smaller and comes with the Stary Night iridescent blue dial that comes alive in the light.
This new Astron is a little more subtle than the Dual Time Chronograph, and comes with a cleaner dial being a 3-hand with date and subdial at 9 o’clock that has the power reserve indicator, flight mode, leap second and time zone adjustment indicators. At a glance, you can see how much power reserve you have, or put the watch into flight mode when on a flight, not to mention making sure the time zone is correct wherever you are in the world.
The dial shares the same Starry Night pattern, and brings the watch to life when out in the sun, giving it a nice bright appearance on the wrist. Given the case and bracelet are made from Titanium, it contrasts the rest of the piece nicely, and if like me, you may find yourself looking at it and the pattern that jumps the light around under the dual curved super clear sapphire crystal, which cuts back the reflections well.
The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Limted Edition is cased in a 41.2mm case, which is very respectable and with a 12mm thickness, and lightness of the titanium – a mere 110gms, the watch wears true to size. As the lug-to-lug is 48.6mm and with an integrated bracelet, it would normally wear a little larger, however in this case, this is balanced out by the case with, thickness and weight, so you’re not feeling like it’s large or too in your face.
The pushers on the side help you adjust the functionality of the watch (no, they’re not chronograph pushers!) The top pusher puts the watch into manual time setting mode with a longer press, a short press will check to see if the reception of the GPS signal was successful or not. The bottom pusher will activate the watch’s GPS reception when in a new time zone. However, if you want to do it the old-fashioned way, then the pullout crown will allow you to do this when there is no signal for the watch to pick up automatically – handy if you’re in transit for example.
Inside the hands and indices, Seiko has given the Astron GPS Solar plenty of lume in the form of LumiBrite, Seiko’s patented luminous paint that is 10x longer lasting than conventional luminous paint. This means at night, you’re not left wondering what the time is, or if you’re on those night flights, then a quick glance can tell you how many more movies you’re able to watch before you land. Yes, I’m not a great sleeper on long-haul international flights, so this is a must for me!
Closing Thoughts
Having played around with the Seiko Astron GPS Solar for a few days alongside its big brother, I can safely say that these are a great option for those people who want a no-fuss, durable, and highly accurate sports watch. They are light on the wrist, perfect for people who don’t want to feel like they have a brick on their wrist, or those who want to get out and about when traveling and not needing to worry about a more expensive sports steel piece which is now highly coveted by certain nefarious groups in society.
All up, it is a good all-round piece, and this is designed for accurate time adjustment wherever you are in the world – so you’re not needing to worry about time zones and manual adjustment, not to mention the auto updates the watch receives to keep the watch accurate to within +/- 1 second every 100,000 years. At A$3,500 you’re getting new tech in a classic-looking watch mixed with the modernity of the starry night dial, which adds to the overall appeal of the Seiko Astron GPS Solar.
Seiko Astron GPS Solar 2024 Limited Edition
Reference: SSJ027J – Limited to 1,500 pieces worldwide
Specification:
- Size: 41.2mm, 12mm thick and 48.6mm lug-to-lug
- Case: Brushed and polished titanium case with ceramic fixed bezel
- Movement: Solar-powered calibre 3X62
- Power reserve: 6 months on full charge, 2 years on power save
- Water resistance: 10 bar (100 meters)
- Crystal: Dual Curved Sapphire Glass with Super Clear Coating
- Case back: Titanium caseback
- Bracelet: Brushed titanium bracelet with folding push button clasp
Functions:
- Overcharge prevention function
- Power save function
- Perpetual calendar to the February 28, 2100
- Power reserve indicator
- GPS signal reception function (Time zone adjustment, automatic time adjustment, manual time adjustment)
- Satellite acquisition status display function
- Reception result display function
- Function to prevent the GPS signal reception (in-flight mode)
- Automatic hand position alignment function
- Date display
