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Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
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Author:  ricardo [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 1:44 am ]
Post subject:  Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
We recieved the new , hotly anticipated, Seiko Astron in the shop today.

The design is a lot nicer than the press pictures led me to believe.

However, the real interest in this £2995 electronic watch is the fact that it can locate the nearest satellite and take the time from it. This means that it will always display any of the 39 time zones and date accurate to within 1 second every 100,000 years.

Each of the satellites orbiting earth have an atomic clock on board.

This truly is the ideal travelling watch.

Here are a few quick and dirty images of the £2995, Titanium and Ceramic, Limited Edition (2500 pieces) version. There is also a £1750 steel version and a £2200 titanium version, which are not Limited Editions.

Better pictures and more information can be obtained here:

www.seiko-astron.com

What do you guys think? As horologists does this type of watch appeal?

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Author:  zak57 [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
The sad thing is that none of us will live long enough to hold Seiko to it's claim. Also Seiko can't have tested the materials to ensure it will even last that long. Maybe an archaeologist will find one in a few millennia and marvel at our ingenuity!! A very interesting piece nonetheless..........
Author:  Driver8 [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
It's an interesting design with some serious depth to the dial. It looks very Japanese : there's never any mistaking a Seiko for a Swiss timepiece! (Not that that is a bad thing of course, just an observation).

As a technical tour de force it's no doubt right at the top of it's game, taking the atomic/radio-wave updates used by Casio one step forward into the full GPS realm. (The "issue" - if you can call it that - with Casio's atomic clock download is that not every country on Earth can pick up a singal).

However I still can't help thinking that close on £3000 is a heck of a lot of money, for what is essentially the very niche market of MEGA accurate timepieces.

It's nice enough I guess, but personally, super-accuracy doesn't bother me that much and I can think of plenty of other watches I'd rather spend £3k on.

Thanks for posting it and bringing it to our attention. :thumbsup:
Author:  Roffensian [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
There's an article in IW this month about it as well. I find the use of the Astron name interesting as it's nothing like the original (unlike the anniversary piece a few years ago). I appreciate the technology but it still seems a little bit 'G-Shock with a suit' type of function to me. I know that's a little unfair, but just not worth the money for me. I would be more likely to buy a Grand Seiko (if the designs ever become a little less mainstream).
Author:  Alien [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Interesting watch. It reminds me of Junghans and their ceramic Mega Solar watches. We could not sell them in our stores, as the intensivation of lumination and radio disturbances made it impossible for the watch to synchronise with Frankfurt. And as the movement was a piece of sh...t, the so accurate watches where often minutes (within a week!) off the real time.

BG
Thomas
Author:  Driver8 [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Roffensian wrote:
...it still seems a little bit 'G-Shock with a suit' type of function to me. I know that's a little unfair, but just not worth the money for me.

That pretty succinctly sums up the main points of my post!
Author:  ricardo [ Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
I'm gutted.

We've only had the Astron four hours and I've just sold it. I didn't really get a chance to have a good play with it. :(

We all agreed it was very cool though so we're ordering a non-Limited Edition model.
Author:  bozman52 [ Fri Oct 26, 2012 4:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Wow, that was quick, Ricardo. It's an interesting piece, but I personally wouldn't pay the money for it.
Author:  SLRdude [ Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
I'm just not sure about their claim about "accurate to 1 second in 100000 years...

To me, that's not a correct statement, simply because it requires constant input from a satellite to achieve that rate.
It's a lot like saying "this car is guaranteed to always get you to your destination. (constant input from driver required)". :-)

The Seiko SpringDrive... the SQ in our Breitlings... that's accuracy. IMHO, accuracy, at least in my mind, should be autonomous.
Author:  Driver8 [ Fri Oct 26, 2012 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
SLRdude wrote:
I'm just not sure about their claim about "accurate to 1 second in 100000 years...

To me, that's not a correct statement, simply because it requires constant input from a satellite to achieve that rate.
It's a lot like saying "this car is guaranteed to always get you to your destination. (constant input from driver required)". :-)

The Seiko SpringDrive... the SQ in our Breitlings... that's accuracy. IMHO, accuracy, at least in my mind, should be autonomous.

I agree with you on that. I have a couple of atomic G-Shocks and they are only spot-on as long as they are able to pick up the signal. I've left one of them in a drawer where it can't pick up the signal and over the course of a month it was off by a second or two - i.e. just like a regular quartz.
Author:  SLRdude [ Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Driver8 wrote:
SLRdude wrote:
I'm just not sure about their claim about "accurate to 1 second in 100000 years...

To me, that's not a correct statement, simply because it requires constant input from a satellite to achieve that rate.
It's a lot like saying "this car is guaranteed to always get you to your destination. (constant input from driver required)". :-)

The Seiko SpringDrive... the SQ in our Breitlings... that's accuracy. IMHO, accuracy, at least in my mind, should be autonomous.

I agree with you on that. I have a couple of atomic G-Shocks and they are only spot-on as long as they are able to pick up the signal. I've left one of them in a drawer where it can't pick up the signal and over the course of a month it was off by a second or two - i.e. just like a regular quartz.



I think all self respecting WIS have at least one or two atomic G-Shocks in their collection. :lol: We need it to keep the expensive watches set properly LOL, :P

You're right, I think my G is good for about 10 seconds a month or so if not within range to get the signal.
To my wife's vocal and continuous dislike, I keep my G-Shock on the kitchen counter facing the window lol.
Author:  Tunnel Ling [ Sat Nov 03, 2012 4:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
SLRdude wrote:

You're right, I think my G is good for about 10 seconds a month or so if not within range to get the signal.
To my wife's vocal and continuous dislike, I keep my G-Shock on the kitchen counter facing the window lol.



:uplaugh: Funny, I keep my in the master bath facing the window. It gets moved once in a while, but I find it and return it to it's proper timekeeping location. :poke:
Author:  Otto [ Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
SLRdude wrote:
Driver8 wrote:
SLRdude wrote:
I think all self respecting WIS have at least one or two atomic G-Shocks in their collection. :lol: We need it to keep the expensive watches set properly LOL, :P

You're right, I think my G is good for about 10 seconds a month or so if not within range to get the signal.
To my wife's vocal and continuous dislike, I keep my G-Shock on the kitchen counter facing the window lol.

:lol:
No atomic G-Shocks here, they don't work where I live, but I have two solar models and they live on a table facing the window for similar reasons.
Author:  Otto [ Sat Nov 03, 2012 6:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Oh yeah, and as for the thread topic, I noticed that a shop near where I work has a whole window full of Astrons. They look interesting, distinctly Japanese design as aforementioned but the quality looks good. Might have to go in and try one on, for research purposes of course.
Author:  SLRdude [ Thu Nov 08, 2012 7:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Wrist watch accurate to 1 second in 100000 years
Otto wrote:
Might have to go in and try one on, for research purposes of course.


the famous last words, before pulling out the credit card. :uplaugh: :uplaugh:
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