Seiko Quartz Astron

For your information, I do not repair this type of watch

The world's first quartz wristwatch was introduced on December 25, 1969 by Seiko. Called "Astron", it was powered by Seiko's 35a quartz movement which had been developed over a period of 10 years and which truly revolutionised wristwatch manufacturing.

The frequency of the 35a movement was 8192 Hz, a quarter of the frequency of today's quartz oscillators, although the accuracy was still impressive: ±0.2 seconds per day or ±5 seconds per month. One of its main features was its hybrid integrated circuit innovation, which consumed much less power than the transistors of the time. Another breakthrough was the stepper-movement seconds hand, made possible by the development of a miniature open stepper motor; this innovation was later adopted by other quartz watch manufacturers. This was only possible because Seiko did not seek to monopolise the patent rights to these unique technologies and opened them up to the world. At the time of its release, the Astron cost ¥450,000 ($1,250), which at the time was equivalent to the price of a mid-sized car. Even at this high price, after the first week Seiko had sold 100 units. The case was made of 18k gold and had a distinctive textured finish, the dial also had a textured finish and the hands were of the simple baton type.

Texte extrait du site : thewatchbloke.co