Seiko's New Rare Watch Is a Solar-Powered Wonder

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first Seiko-branded wristwatch. To commemorate the achievement, the Japanese watchmaker is rolling out all sorts of special timepieces, including the recently unveiled Seiko Astron GPS Solar Kintaro Hattori Limited Edition. For the first time, this latest addition to the Astron line combines Dual-Time technology with a chronograph function, all while celebrating its founder, Kintaro Hattori.

Originally launched in 2012, the Seiko Astron GPS Solar is known for connecting to GPS and adjusting to every time zone at the touch of a button, while also generating all necessary energy from light alone. The latest addition finds the watch using a new movement, Caliber 5X83, which automatically connects up to twice a day to the GPS network, as well as manually with the push of a button.

The new watch features a sub-dial at 12 o’clock that measures elapsed time in increments of 1/20th of a second, and is the first Seiko Astron to have a sub-dial at that position. A sub-dial at the six o’clock position displays the time in a second time zone and becomes a 12-hour counter when the stopwatch function is used. The sub-dial at the nine o’clock position, meanwhile, displays the charging status, day of the week, and in-flight mode.

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Kintaro Hattori Limited Edition features a black case and bracelet with yellow gold-colored accents. It’s water-resistant up to 100 meters.

The two-part bezel consists of a ceramic upper portion and a yellow gold-colored titanium frame. Ceramic is also used for the bracelet’s center links and the tip of the crown. The case back carries company founder Kintaro Hattori’s name and the trademark "S" that he registered in 1900 as a symbol of the Seikosha factory. Just above the trademark appears the phrase that captures the company’s philosophy: “One step ahead of the rest."

Seiko will only be releasing 2,500 of these special watches, which are priced at $3,900.