Seiko Brings Gray Ceramic To The Astron GPS Solar Dual Time Chronograph

Seiko's Astron line exists for people who want the most accurate, least fussy watch possible and don't care whether a mainspring is involved. The newest pair, the HAB007 and HAB008, don't change how that works. But they do introduce some new materials. Namely, gray ceramic, a first for the collection.

The case is made out of titanium, 43.24mm wide and 13.4mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 50mm. That is a lot of watch, and titanium helps a bit with being wearable. The ceramic appears on the bezel, the crown cap and the center links of the bracelet. The bezel's outer edge is grooved in line with the hour markers. The HAB007 uses standard gray titanium for a fully monochrome look. The HAB008 gets a near-black super-hard coating on the titanium, which makes the ceramic stand out more. There's a sapphire crystal on top, a titanium caseback, and 100 meters of water resistance.

Both dials have a vertical texture that keeps the muted colors from going flat. Sub-dials sit at 6, 9 and 12 o'clock. It is busy, as Astron dials tend to be, since it has to deal with a chronograph, dual time, day, date, power reserve and GPS indications. The HAB008 adds blue accents against its dark case. Hands and markers use Lumibrite.

Inside is Seiko calibre 5X83, the GPS Solar movement introduced in 2024. It syncs with satellites up to twice a day, covers 38 time zones, and lets you swap between local and home time with one function. Without a signal it is accurate to ±15 seconds per month, and the perpetual calendar runs correctly until 2100. The chronograph measures to 1/5 of a second, up to 12 hours, and a full charge gives a 6-month power reserve. The bracelet is integrated titanium with those ceramic center links and a folding clasp.

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual Time Chronograph is available now, priced at €3,000 for the HAB007 and €3,200 for the HAB008. See more on the Seiko website.