Collaborations between car and watch manufacturers are nothing new – it not unusual to see that their core demographic very often overlaps, and they go very well together. For reasons such as these, Seiko, arguably the most famous Japanese watchmaker, has a long standing partnership with Honda where they have released many watches to celebrate new models or important milestones. The last addition to the lineup is inspired on the upcoming Civic Type R, and being a big fan of both the car and the watch model, I want one (of each) badly!
Not unlike the Type R line for Honda, the Astron watches are a sporty offering from Seiko with a bit of a cult following. This new edition has two models, both sporting 41mm titanium cases in either Diamond Shield (for the SBXY045) or black (for the SBXY047) colours. Features common to both include red accents, a carbon-fiber-look black dial, Type R branding on the caseback and crown. The chronograph pushers have a new texture and are a nice touch.
Pop the hood (is that even a thing?) of these Astrons and you will find the Caliber 8B92 movement, which does not require winding nor battery changes due to its solar nature but, more impressively, also does away with time setting and time/date synchronisation through the use of radio time signals. This should lead to impressive precision and dependable performance – am I talking about the watch or the car?
Alongside the watch itself, buyers get bespoke packaging that sports the Honda and Type R logos and contains a strap crafted from Ultra Suede that is inspired by the hatchback’s upholstery. The design as a whole is said to evoke Honda’s racing spirit, even including the use of the legendary Championship White colour. The bezel features a tachymeter that can measure the time traveled over short distances, a feature long associated with sports watches and helpful to quickly calculate those lap metrics.
Each colour option is limited to 300 units and is only offered in Japan for around 231,000 Yen (at time of release). With the new Civic Type R just around the corner, it might be just the right time for you to secure yours!
