Reply With QuoteSlightly less flat retail picture...
Other bits...
Calibre ref 8B63
Perpetual calendar
World time with dual-time transfer
Lug width is 22mm
Screw down crown (100m WR)
The bracelet model weighs only 81g, the strapped versions just 57g
Not sure if these are Japan only but they are available now.
Seem to be solar, radio wave, titanium, diashield, dual-curved sapphire and all MIJ.
No GPS so case sizes/thickness are reasonable (41mm, lug to lug 45mm, 11mm thick)
I always felt my (GPS) Astron was almost as well made and finished as my Grand Seikos, certainly far above their usual midrange pieces. So at around £600 (retail) depending on bracelet or strap, these might be worth a look.
Usual Seiko corporate flat images...
SBXY005
SBXY007
Limited SBXY001
There are others but you get the idea.
Slightly less flat retail picture...
Other bits...
Calibre ref 8B63
Perpetual calendar
World time with dual-time transfer
Lug width is 22mm
Screw down crown (100m WR)
The bracelet model weighs only 81g, the strapped versions just 57g
Clearly with not enough to do, and a desire to talk to myself while TZ sleeps, I went to see these in person.
I was interested because my old Astron was so fantastically built and finished, it seemed almost like a secret GS. The case, dial and hands were that well finished. And it is never possible to gauge much from Seiko's marketing photos, which make all models look the same.
I tried two of the above models, and a third which has a different case, simpler dial and a flat crystal (a bit cheaper too, around £500 on full titanium bracelet). It looked like this...
SBXY009
The short answer to "are these a cheap GS?" is.... no.
For example, the "aged" lume on some of the models was a little ragged at the edge. I think entirely fine for the price but they are not as well finished as the more expensive GPS Astrons, let alone the GS.
What they do offer is a MIJ watch with diashielded titanium case, bracelet, and the sapphire has Seiko's super clear anti reflective treatment, just like the more expensive Astrons.
The dials on the more retro models have a subtle sunburst, and applied indices. I think a pretty good job all round, just not at the level of the (admittedly twice as expensive) GPS Astrons.
The Limited version hasn't been released yet, it should be available towards the end of this month. It seems to have the normal lume (which was applied perfectly on the non-limited example I saw) and a quick adjustment on the titanium bracelet.
I may look at this one. Distinguished forum members may anticipate with growing excitement the continuation of this riveting monologue if I do.
Thanks for posting - I really like the look of the 009. I wonder when/whether they’ll be offered over here.
Keep posting - I'm interested!
I looked up the instructions for the movement here - https://storage.seikowatches.com/pro.../8B63_QM_E.pdf
And it seems the buttons are for advancing and retarding the local time, and then for setting the day and date. As a fan of quirky Seikos, and traveller's watches, I like them a lot. Feels like a lot of watch for £600. That dark-blue one you posted in the second post is lovely.
Interesting. That "press button B for 3 seconds and then use A and B to point to the time zone" thing is as per the GPS Astrons.
I really liked the one on the strap, and the strap was good quality too. Seiko haven't always provided great leather straps with anything south of a GS, but this one was very nice. As was the deployant, which was steel rather than titanium.
More importantly, and unlike the deployant on my GPS Astron, it was actually comfortable. They seem pretty good to me, getting closer to my beloved titanium Landmaster in size and materials. No bad thing.
The titanium bracelet was available separately (I liked the dial colour of the one on the strap, and the bracelet of the other one, predictably) but cost ¥39,950, around £250. Not terrible by insane watch standards (the rubber strap for my GPS Astron was ¥30,000) but starts to hurt.
The simpler-dialed 009 might be the one.
Keep on posting, Tokyo Tokei!
The only watch I wear on leather, and even then, not very often, is my Panerai - apart from that, it's nylon all the way for me these days. The lightness of those watches would be exaggerated, I think, buy a nice NATO, and push them even closer to the perfect traveller's watch territory!
Nice aesthetically, but as ever in this hobby, I have to ask myself, do I really need one? Especially as a Ti travel watch, as my my workhouse Landmaster pretty much covers that angle, rather well too!
I like them - especially the 005 for some reason. The cushion case and blend of almost 70’s looks with modern technology is really appealing. It’s clearly possible to pack a lot of useful technology into a watch now, unfortunately Casio seem way ahead of the curve, able to pack amazing stuff into a watch at a cheap price - but I’m tiring of the flashy huge cases and too much info on the dial that most of their decent analogue g shock watches display. These look much more grown up
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Nice but I still prefer the clean aesthetics and quality of my Oceanus S100...
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