Tuesday, October 17, 2023

One of 800 in the world

 

You say: yes, whatever. And I do agree: limited production run is cool, but not a main reason to invest in a watch.

 The main reason to invest in this one: if you make and build things for living – anything from wood, metal, concrete, steel – then you should wear an Astron. This SEIKO is so well made that it will remain a constant inspiration on how things should be done: to perfection.

Actually, to be perfectly honest, comparing your own work – even if you are a watchmaker – with the perfection of an Astron is simply painful and extremely humbling. 

Perfection is almost impossible to obtain. Actually, even a ‘fairly close’ is painfully hard. Try to cut a brick, or a piece of steel to a millimetre. Or, try to drill 3 equally spaced holes in wood. Very quickly, you will realise that the final result is always related to the quality of machinery or tools used, as well as years of experience invested in doing the same thing over and over again. What the heck – even assembling an IKEA drawer would challenge most of us to the point of frustration.

Then look at the Seiko Astron. Crafted in Titanium. Perfectly. Absolutely perfect hour markers and hands, winding crown and seemingly invisible integrated pushers. All the edges polished (yes, to perfection!). All surfaces sealed. The look at the stainless fold over buckle. What a piece of engineering! How in the world could they do it? 
They can – because they’ve been doing it for 110 years. A million times over and over again, for generations, until perfection is attained. Made in Japan, only one of 800 in the world.

This time, I am not even going to talk about what makes Astron the most exciting horological timepiece of modern watchmaking. I am sure you know that already. Neither to try to convince you that the most striking design is the one ‘you’ve seen before, but can’t exactly remember where and when’. Nor to remind you that the taupe strap - a blend of grey and brown -  is a colour so rarely seen in watchmaking. Discover it for yourself!

Thanks to titanium, the total weight of 74 grams makes this Astron one of the lightest watches in the entire Seiko range. 41.2mm case size.

You’ll LOVE it.

Price: Boutique price $2,850.

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