Seiko Releases Simplest Astron GPS Solar Collection; Zenith And Hodinkee Team Up; Brew Is Back With A Lumed Dial; Fears Revisits Minimalism With Jumping Hour; ArtyA Places Central Tourbillon Into Sapphire Case

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. I’m catching up to regular production, finally, which means that I’m bringing back reviews. You should see all the stuff I have in store for you — I had some bangers in for review over the summer. If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen some of the watches that were in, and if you’re subscribed to the Patreon you already read the review for the Ace Jewelers x Elka D Series because you have early access to reviews. But more to come!

In this issue:

• Seiko Releases Simplest Astron GPS Solar Collection Yet, Keeping All The High-Tech Goodies

• Zenith And Hodinkee Team Up For The Third Time With A Very Subdued Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar

• Brew Is Back With An Update To Their Retrograph Line, Now With A Fully Lumed Dial

• Fears Revisits Minimalism With A Colorful Take On The Jumping Hour Movement

• ArtyA Combines Sensational Sapphire Cases With An Oversized Central Tourbillon And Great Colors

Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 41 seconds

👂What’s new

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Seiko Releases Simplest Astron GPS Solar Collection Yet, Keeping All The High-Tech Goodies

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar is fairly new for Seiko, just under three years old. And yet, they have exploded in scope. It’s pretty clear why, as they are a futuristic looking option for one of their most advanced movements. While starting out the collection with wild and sci-fi looking watches was a great move in terms of shock value, it was only a matter of time before they tamed down the look of the collection to appeal to a broader audience. And this is exactly what we’re getting now. The dark blue SSJ023 and the dark gray SSJ025 and SSJ026 keep the tonneau shaped case but ditch almost all superfluous details on the case and dial to deliver an almost minimalist — but not really — take on the Astron GPS Solar.

All three of the new watches come in the same case. Made out of titanium, with a scratch-resistant coating, it measures 42mm wide, 12mm thick and has a 47.9mm lug-to-lug measurement which makes it surprisingly wearable for such a chunky watch. And that chunkiness comes mostly for the harsh angles and facets of the case, integrated bracelet and a trick bezel that has a two-layered construction made of differently finished or colored materials, cutout and offset a quarter turn to let the bottom one show through. All three versions come with silver cases, dark bezels on the bottom, but one, the SSJ026, comes in a two-tone colorway with a black bezel and hints of gold colored metal underneath. Water resistance is 100 meters.

The dials are also simplified to the max. All you get are three central hands (skeletonized for the minutes and hours), a date window, and a sub-dial at 8 o’clock that shows GPS signal status and power reserve. There are three color options, the dark blue SSJ023 and the dark grey used by the SSJ025 and SSJ025. All three have a grained texture to them, with a brushed ring on the outside that holds the oversized applied indices that are lume filled.

The new Astron features Seiko’s latest GPS solar movement, cal. 3X62. Solar-powered with a running time of six months in regular operation (and up to two years in power-save mode). It performs automatic syncing with GPS satellites up to twice per day, ensuring it will almost always be spot on. The watches comes on a bracelet I haven’t tried out yet, but seems to be a bit better than what they usually offer. Made out of titanium it tapers towards the clasp which has Seiko Smart Adjuster, a three-position, tool-less micro-adjustment mechanism.

The three new Seiko Astron GPS Solar watches go on sale October 1st at a pretty steep price of €2,500. I wonder what’s next for the Astron GPS Solar. See more on the Seiko website.

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Zenith And Hodinkee Team Up For The Third Time With A Very Subdued Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar

Hodinkee, the OG online watch publication that created thousands of passionate collectors, has been on a rollercoaster ride lately. Most importantly, they shut down their retail operation which drug them down to the bottom of the ocean like an anchor, and promised to get back to what made them great — writing about watches. What they also aren’t giving up on are collaborations with world renowned brands. They had some misses with these collabs, but when they do them genuinely and as true enthusiasts, they usually create gold. They are now teaming up with Zenith, an important brand in Hodinkee collabs as it was the first large brand they partnered with — and second overall, after MB&F — for the third time and on what is perhaps my favorite modern Zenith. The collaboration is based on the Watches & Wonders-introduced Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar, with Hodinkee’s pretty subdued touch.

The Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Limited Edition for Hodinkee is a tribute to a rare El Primero prototype from 1970, the 3019 PHF, which was made in only 25 pieces as an experiment to see whether adding a triple calendar moonphase module on top of the Zenith A386 movement is a viable option. The modern watch is very much similar to the original, with slight modern updates. The stainless steel case measures 38mm wide and 14mm thick, which is actually a feat considering the fact that there are so many regular chronographs that measure thicker, and a lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm. On top is a domed sapphire crystal. Water resistance is 50 meters.

The dial takes on a completely monochrome colorway which reveals a lot of interesting details when you look at it up close. The black dial has a tri-compax setup with sub-dials made out of Gibeon meteorite. There’s a day indicator next to the 10 o’clock marker and a month indicator at 2 o’clock. Zenith’s effort to include a triple calendar, as well as a moonphase which is integrated into the chronograph’s 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock, works like a charm here, especially with an all-black custom moon wheel. Around the perimeter of the dial is a dark silver track that counts up to 100. You also get rhodium plated hands and applied hour markers.

Inside all three versions is Zenith’s new in-house-produced El Primero 3610 caliber. It beats at 36,000vph, has a 60-hour power reserve and seeing how it’s an evolution of the El Primero caliber 3600 that powers the regular Chronomaster Original, it’s precise down to 1/10th of a second. The watch comes on a stainless steel bracelet.

The Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Limited Edition for Hodinkee will be made in only 200 pieces, with the first 75 being made available through the Hodinkee Shop and Zenith’s e-commerce platform. Price is set at $13,500, which seems to be the exact same price as the unlimited edition, a very commendable move. See more on the Hodinkee website.

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Brew Is Back With An Update To Their Retrograph Line, Now With A Fully Lumed Dial

I actually had to look into the newsletter archive to see when the last time was that Brew released a watch. I was certain that it was last year. I was, also, dead wrong. As it turns out, they put out a collaboration with chef Alton Brown in May and a titanium version of the Metric in April. So, either my memory is failing me, or Brew, the absolute darling of the watch community a year or two ago, is losing a bit of its charm, making me forget them. Whichever is right (I’m betting my memory is failing), it’s good to see them with a new watch. It’s an update to the Brew Retrograph, but now with a fully lumed dial.

This is a familiar form factor for Brew. The case is made out of steel and measures 38mm wide, 10.4mm thick with a 41.5mm length. It’s very much inspired by the 1970s, with fully rounded corners and a square pebble shape. The top of the case is brushed, while the sides and thin bezel are polished, as you might get in a vintage 1970s watch. Water resistance is decent at 50 meters.

As for the dial, it, too, looks very much like the familiar Retrograph dial. It has a cream base, with a black minute track on the outside that has a finer gradation for the first 35 seconds, about as long it takes to make a good espresso shot. The two sub-dials show you a 24-hour register at 3 o’clock and a 60 minute register at 9. There’s a date aperture at 9 o’clock. Once it goes dark, however, things get groovy, as the entire dial is lumed. And a lumed dial is a cool dial.

Inside is the Seiko VK64 Meca-Quartz Hybrid chronograph movement which we all know to be a great solution when you want the precision of quartz to tell the time and the smoothness of a mechanical movement when you start the chronograph. The watch comes on a black rubber strap with 22mm wide lugs.

The new Brew Retrograph Lumint is part of the regular collection and it’s priced at $375. See more on the Brew website.

4/

Fears Revisits Minimalism With A Colorful Take On The Jumping Hour Movement

For a while I flip-flopped on the English watch brand Fears. I just wasn’t sure I like them. The issue was, as I found out with time, I didn’t exactly understand who they were. I was wondering whether they make serious dress watches or funky sports ones. Turns out, the answer is “yes”. Yes to all of that. It all clicked for me last year when they released their collaboration with the California-based retailer Topper. Those watches showed off their entire range of capabilities, from very elegant to super sporty. Their latest release is just a continuation of a really successful streak of watches. It’s the very unique Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour.

The Jump Hour takes the regular case of the Brunswick and gives it a completely new look. The case remains more or less the same, cushion shaped, stainless steel and measuring 40.5mm wide and 12.8mm thick. On top is a sapphire crystal that has an AR coating on both sides, while the case gets a brushed finish with a highly polished bezel. Water resistance is a very decent 100 meters.

The dial has a completely different look to what you might be used to, thanks to the jump-hour display. At 12 o’clock is a framed opening for the jumping hours, underneath which is a beveled chapter ring that has the minute scale, indicated with a small hand. There are no seconds indication at all. The dial plate comes in three colors, one better than the other. The black, while most conservative, is meticulously detailed with a sunray finish on the outside, an azurage inner dial, and a circular-brushed minute chapter ring with crisp white numerals. More interesting is the beautiful Mallard Green, which will be a boutique-exclusive model and which has its minute markers on a brushed steel chapter ring. But best of all is the pretty intense Coral, which has black hardware to contrast the bright color.

Inside is a mix of interesting movements. The base is the trusty and well known Sellita SW200, beating at 4Hz and with a 38 hour power reserve. Onto that, they attach the JJ01 jumping-hour module from Christopher Ward. The watches come on leather straps or a five-row stainless steel bracelet.

The new Fears Brunswick 40.5 Jump Hour is part of the regular collection and has the same issue other Fears watches have — the price. They always seem just a bit too expensive. I hope that I’m wrong on this, as I really do like these watches. The price for the leather strap is set at £4,250, while the stainless steel bracelet version will run you £4,450. See more on the Fears website.

5/

ArtyA Combines Sensational Sapphire Cases With An Oversized Central Tourbillon And Great Colors

Just when you think that there is nothing else to do with sapphire cases, because Yvan Arpa’s ArtyA has done everything — including color changing sapphire cases — Arty actually proves you right. That’s because they retain a relatively regular case, if something like that can even be made about a sapphire case, and focus on what’s inside the crystal. And what’s inside is pretty wild, with a spectacular central tourbillon, great time indication and fantastic colors.

Starting with the case, it measures 43mm wide, 18mm thick and made fully out of sapphire crystal. This is an incredible feat because synthetic sapphire is an incredibly hard material that needs diamond tipped tools to shape. Now imagine how hard it is to shape into a watch case. And despite all that, they manage to pull out 30 meters of water resistance.

Things get much more interesting inside. The time is shown on a coloured disc on the periphery of the dial, with hands shaped like tiny fountain pen nibs floating over the disc. The colors available are blue, red and green. But as interesting as that was, the cool part is certainly the huge 20mm cage of the flying tourbillon that moves at 4Hz. Central tourbillons are not a new thing, but they also aren’t ancient. Omega pioneered them in 1994 and since then they have appeared on very few watches. But this one is special with its high beat rate made possible by the two parallel-mounted barrels, which deliver a consistent and ample driving force. On the back you can see an openworked tungsten rotor that wind the barrels for 60 hours of power reserve. The watches come on black nubuck straps.

These ArtyA Purity Central Tourbillon won’t go into production, and will be piece uniques. You will, however, be able to buy them. If you have CHF 130,000. See more on the ArtyA website.

🫳On hand

Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon

1/

A review of the white-dial Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm

2/

Hands-On with the Chronomat NFL Collection

3/

A review of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Automatic 36

⚙️Watch Worthy

A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually like

Improving upon history with the Cimier 711 Heritage Chronograph

Jumping straight into the 711 Heritage Chronograph’s most eye-catching features, its dial is packed with unique touches without being alienating. The 711 in the name refers to having two chronograph subdials positioned at 7 o’clock and 11 o’clock, recording up to 12 hours and 30 minutes, respectively. A spiralled tachymeter runs along the inside of a recessed wheel around the dial’s centre, giving it great emphasis and accentuating the dial’s depth. When the subdials interrupt the tachymeter, themselves engraved with concentric rings, it then runs over them in a bright orange colour that matches the seconds hand.

Read the whole review on Time + Tide

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• “The Summer When the New York Post Chased Son of Sam”. This is an incredible oral history of the tabloid race to cover a serial killer

• Look at the cover image of this article. It’s a dude in a wetsuit, floating in the ocean in what seems to be a nasty storm, holding a freaking fishing rod. Yes. He’s fishing. While floating in the ocean in a storm. This is the world of extreme fishing.

• A road trip out west with Drew Magary, as he excoriates us (“us” as in all of us) for being truly idiotic when tasked with behaving appropriately in nature? That sounds like a pretty awesome read.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

I certainly didn’t expect the Daily Mail to release such a great video on Roland Murphy and Cameron Weiss just making watches. But here we are.

💵Pre-loved precision

Buy and sell your watches. Think of this section like old school classifieds - i don’t guarantee anything except that a bunch of people will see your ad and I’ll put the buyer and seller in touch. Want to advertise your watch? Contact us

• LOOKING TO BUY: Here’s a crazy request. One of you is looking to buy the Lotēc No. 7.5. Sure, it’s a big ask, but if any of you have one and want to sell, reach out to and I’ll put you in touch

• SOLD: Well, not really new. It’s a great looking mid-90s Tudor Submariner 75090, offered for sale by a member of the It’s About Time reader crew. I love the way it looks and seems to be in great condition. Check it out over on Chrono24.

• LOOKING TO BUY: One of our readers is looking to purchase three very specific watches: an Islander ISL-133 Mother of Pearl, a Sinn 556 Mother of Pearl or a Zelos 300m GMT Mosaic Mother of Pearl. If you’re selling any of these, reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch

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-Vuk