The evolution of Seiko Astron, a watch that paves the way to the future

"Quartz Astron" was the world's first practical quartz wristwatch, offering precision far surpassing that of mechanical watches, allowing users to know the exact time anytime, anywhere. In 2012, more than 40 years after its release in 1969, Seiko announced "Seiko Astron," the world's first GPS solar watch, which instantly displays the correct local time anywhere in the world, continuing its pursuit of unprecedented accuracy.

Seiko Astron, synonymous with innovative wristwatches, is entering a new phase in 2022. In addition to its excellent practicality, it also enhances its contemporary look, continuing to pave the way for the future of wristwatches.

Seiko Astron brings accurate timekeeping to all users

　Seiko Astron is one of Seiko's flagship watch brands, and since its release in 2012, it has continued to garner support for its outstanding practicality. As the name "Astron" suggests, and as this watch has been touted as the "second revolution," the Seiko Astron has a model that serves as its origin. This model is the Quartz Astron 35SQ, which was released on December 25, 1969.

　In the 1960s, Seiko aimed to develop wristwatches with higher accuracy than conventional mechanical watches, and in the process, they focused on regulating the time using a quartz oscillator. By using this quartz oscillator as the heart of the watch, they were able to achieve accuracy approximately 100 times greater than that of a typical mechanical movement, but at the time, the quartz clocks that Seiko manufactured for broadcasting stations were as large as a large locker and were far from portable.

　However, Seiko saw this as the technology of the future, and launched a quartz wristwatch development project at Suwa Seikosha (now Seiko Epson). Seiko developed a marine chronometer for the Swiss Observatory Chronometer Competition, and in 1964 incorporated this technology into timekeeping at an international sporting event, before commercializing a tabletop quartz clock. After these changes, the Quartz Astron 35SQ was finally completed, becoming the world's first quartz wristwatch.

　The project began about 10 years ago in 1959. Reducing the size of a large quartz clock for a wristwatch was a major challenge. However, the fact that it was successfully accomplished was due to the continued adherence to the philosophy of Seiko's founder, Kintaro Hattori, of "always being one step ahead of the times."

1969: Release of the world's first practical quartz wristwatch

Quartz Astron 35SQ
Released on December 25, 1969, it was the world's first mass-produced quartz wristwatch. Equipped with an open step motor, it incorporated the step hand movement that moved once per second, a feature that would become a feature of subsequent quartz wristwatches. The price at the time was 450,000 yen. Quartz movement (Cal. 35SQ). 18KYG case (diameter 36mm, thickness 11mm).

The January 5, 1970 edition of the American newspaper The New York Times introduced the Quartz Astron under the headline "A Crystal Device Emphasizing Precision Appears in a Japanese-Made Wristwatch." In an interview with the newspaper, Reijiro Hattori, president of Hattori Watch Company at the time, said, "We plan to sell the Quartz Astron in America as well."

2012 The world's first GPS solar watch is born

　Quartz watches were revolutionary wristwatches that allowed anyone to easily tell the accurate time, but Seiko's pursuit of precision was not over. In the 2000s, 30 years after the birth of the Quartz Astron, one solution that emerged was the radio-controlled watch, which corrects the time by receiving the time code from a standard radio wave. While radio-controlled watches are highly accurate because they use radio waves from atomic clocks, there are only five countries in the world that have base stations that emit standard radio waves. This means that accurate time information cannot be obtained in areas where the radio waves do not reach. Seiko therefore turned its attention to a method of receiving radio waves from GPS satellites.

　Seiko Epson was responsible for manufacturing the GPS receiving antenna and circuitry. Not only did miniaturization become necessary to fit these components into a wristwatch, but power saving was also a requirement, as catching GPS signals requires 100 to 300 times the power of standard radio waves. Having overcome the same high hurdles as the Quartz Astron, the Seiko Astron was released in 2012.

　The first-generation 7X series had massive proportions, measuring 47mm in diameter, but the 8X series, released in 2014, saw the case size reduced by approximately 30%. The 5X series, released in 2018, featured a smaller caliber, reducing the size to the same level as a regular wristwatch, and shortening the satellite reception speed required for time correction to as little as three seconds. The 3X series, released in 2019, took this even further, further miniaturizing the antenna to make the case as compact as a "regular" wristwatch, and there are no elements of a GPS solar watch in terms of appearance or proportions.

　Following the Quartz Astron, which made accurate timekeeping accessible to everyone, the Seiko Astron is truly a second revolution, making high precision accessible. Moreover, this wristwatch, "one step ahead of its time," was completed after overcoming difficult challenges, and is worthy of bearing the name "Astron."

2018/2019: Improved performance, smaller size, and improved looks

セイコー アストロン SBXC003
The third-generation model not only achieves compactness by adopting Cal. 5X53, but also features a newly designed module, lowering power consumption and speeding up time acquisition, allowing time information to be acquired in as little as three seconds. It also features a super smart sensor that automatically corrects the time up to twice a day and a time transfer function that allows instant switching between the time zones of two different countries, further improving convenience. GPS solar (Cal. 5X53). Ceramic and Ti (diameter 42.9mm, thickness 12.2mm). 10 bar water resistance. Price: 253,000 yen (tax included).

Seiko Astron SBXD003
This is the current model of the Seiko Astron, introduced in 2021. The Cal. 3X22 movement, which has been slimmed down to a smaller, thinner case with fewer features, has reduced the case size to 39mm in diameter, while achieving a significant improvement in performance, with power consumption reduced by approximately 25% compared to the 7X series and reception performance improved by 1.5 times. The combination of a simple dial and ceramic bezel makes this a watch that can be worn in a wide range of situations. GPS solar (Cal. 3X22). Ceramic and stainless steel (diameter 39mm, thickness 11mm). 10 bar water resistance. Price: 187,000 yen (tax included).

A new series for the next generation of leaders, combining strength and harmony

　In 2022, Seiko Astron will celebrate its 10th anniversary with the launch of a new series called "NEXTER." Until now, Seiko Astron watches have paid homage to the original quartz Astron, modernizing its design. However, to mark this milestone, NEXTER has been created to present a new design as a series that embodies the innovative spirit of Seiko Astron.

The meaning behind "Nexter"

　Previously, Seiko Astron watches targeted business people who traveled around the world. However, in response to the rapid lifestyle changes that have occurred over the past year or two, the company reconsidered its target audience when creating the new collection. It decided to focus on "next-generation leaders," a key theme in the business world in recent years, and create a design aimed at them.

　It is equipped with the Cal. 5X series. While maintaining the compact size and high performance characteristics of this movement, the look has been brushed up based on the 8X series, which has received a great response among previous series. As a result, the Nextar has been redesigned with a compact and modern appearance without losing the powerful and massive feel that is unique to the 8X series, which has a larger case compared to the 5X series. It perfectly combines a look suitable for the next generation of business people with the expression of the cutting-edge nature of the Seiko Astron.

Next-generation updates in detail

　While the 5X series and Nextar, both released in 2018, share the same movement, many exterior elements have been changed. The case design is particularly striking. Seiko has established the new keywords "Solidity" and "Harmonic" to represent the Nextar worldview. Despite its compact size, the watch underwent considerable trial and error in order to achieve a solid, powerful expression like the 8X series.

The case sides have a different design from the 8X series, giving the watch a powerful presence despite its compact size. The hairlined surface and slightly polished edges emphasize its solidity. The case also features sharp angles at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, making it comfortable to wear on the wrist.

In addition to the blue-gray dial, the Nextar also features a "panda dial," a color scheme that creates a contrast between the dial and inset dials, for the first time. The inset dials, indexes, and outer sapphire crystal ring are all black, giving the watch a more refined look and preventing the blue-gray from appearing dull.

"We repeatedly carried out detailed testing, finding that if we continued to use the finishes that looked effective on the 8X, it would not be able to express its strength, and that we could actually achieve a more powerful look by simply eliminating the techniques used on the 8X," explains Ito Ayato of the design department. The idea was to use a hairline finish extensively from the beginning to enhance the solid feel, but eliminating the polished surface would have resulted in the loss of the glamour required of a wristwatch. Therefore, we reduced the polished surface to emphasize the solid feel, and also adopted a design that creates a sense of unity between the case and bracelet to take advantage of the wide surface of the lugs.

　This is how the Nextar was born, a watch that is part of the 5X series but has a completely different look. As the name suggests, it has been completely redesigned to have a look befitting the next generation of Seiko Astron.

To make the most of the wide lug design, the case and bracelet are integrated into one structure. The bracelet uses H-shaped links with narrow pitch to enhance the fit, and the slopes of the links are polished to create a solid look that harmonizes with the shape of the case.

While many details have been changed, the three-dimensional indexes remain an important element in maintaining the Seiko Astron's distinctive look. When the brand was first created, they were designed with the image of time information from satellites being concentrated on the watch, and this is one element that Seiko Astron must continue to use.

The "New Normal" Era and the Seiko Astron

　The Nextar also incorporates a new approach not seen in previous Seiko Astron models, namely the eye-catching blue-gray dial.

"For the previous Seiko Astron, we chose a highly saturated blue, but in this 'new normal' era, grayish colors are becoming trendy. We chose this color with the aim of creating a Seiko Astron that is easy to wear in this modern age, yet gives off an elegant and intellectual impression," explains Shungo Hikuma of the Product Planning Division 2.

　However, achieving this exquisitely nuanced color took repeated trial and error, as blue-gray alone would have looked dull. Therefore, the colors of the dial, as well as the adjacent elements such as the inset dial, indexes, and outer sapphire ring, were repeatedly adjusted before the final tone was determined.

　Nextar perfectly balances the cutting-edge spirit of Seiko Astron with the trends of the times. Not only does it embody a design that matches modern lifestyles that seamlessly connect work and play, but its care-free solar charging function also matches the times when SDGs are being called for. With Nextar, Seiko Astron is paving the way for a prosperous future for those who wear it.