Seiko’s Super Watch Goes Glam with Its Latest Incarnation

Seiko is turning 145 years old this year, and the Japanese watchmaker has wasted no time in getting the party started.

We’re just one week into 2026 and Seiko has already released five new watches. One marks the return of a tonneau case shape to the brand’s catalog after a lengthy absence, while the other four make up an official 145th Anniversary collection.

We’ve already covered three of those four — a King Seiko, Speedtimer and an enamel-dialed Presage — and now it’s time for the fourth member of the quartet to get its moment in the sun.

The fourth 145th Anniversary Seiko is a special edition of the Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph, which ranks as the brand’s most technologically advanced timepiece.

Black and gold

The Astron line traces back to 1969, when Seiko launched the world’s first quartz watch — the Astron — and changed horology forever. The current model goes far beyond basic quartz technology and incorporates solar charging and satellite-synchronized timekeeping that automatically adjusts to the correct time throughout the day, plus complications that include a chronograph, worldtimer and perpetual calendar.

What sets this new iteration apart from other examples of the same model is its colorway. Like the other three members of the 145th Anniversary collection, the Astron SSH186 is filled with gold-colored accents in a glitzy celebration of the milestone.

The super-hard-coated black titanium case features gold-colored trim on the crown, as well as a gold sapphire bezel insert. The three-row integrated bracelet is also in super-hard-coated black titanium, with brushed outer links and polished center links flanked by gold-toned trim, which is also polished.

The dial, similarly, is an elegant mix of black and gold. Its black surface has a granular texture, with gold-tone hands and applied indices. Two of the three subdial surrounds and handsets are also gold (the others are gray), while the subdials themselves are black but with a sunburst finish to make them more legible against the grain-textured dial.

What’s more, the dual-time UTC scale on the chapter ring contains an Easter egg nodding to Seiko’s 145th anniversary, with all numerals printed in white except for 1, 4 and 5, which are in gold.

As always, the case is beefy, measuring 44.1mm across, 50mm lug-to-lug and a chonky 14.4mm thick. The domed crystal is super-clear-coated sapphire, and the closed caseback displays the watch’s limited edition number out of 1,450.

Pricing and availability

I know there’s a boatload of technology in these top-of-the-line Astron models, but I’m still always shocked at just how pricey they are. The SSH186 clocks in at $3,300, which is $400 more than the galaxy-themed SSH187 that launched just last month. Both have the same features, and I personally find the latter more aesthetically appealing, but you may think differently.

Of course, a big part of the draw of the new SSH186 is its tie to Seiko’s 145th anniversary and its limited status, with just 1,450 examples being made. If you’re interested in getting one, Seiko will begin offering the watch next month.

Seiko

Seiko Astron SSH186

Specs

Case Size	43.3mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 5X83 GPS Solar quartz chronograph worldtimer perpetual calendar
Water Resistance	100m

• $3,300 at Seiko

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