AP House Singapore is staging its first exhibition, making full use of the expansive space inside Singapore’s iconic colonial-era Raffles Hotel. 150 Years of Refined Elegance is a showcase of miniaturisation, covering Audemars Piguet’s smallest and thinnest movements, including an 18 mm-wide minute repeating calibre from the late 19th century.
Taking place in the basement of the “house”, the exhibition starts with watches from the 1920s and ends in the current day that includes the Royal Oak Mini and the recently launched 38 mm perpetual calendar models.
The Royal Oak Mini in “Frosted” gold
Although not described as such, the exhibition naturally focuses a great deal on ladies’ watches, one of the recent themes of AP’s marketing. Unsurprisingly, one of the prominent figures in the exhibition is Jacqueline Dimier, chief designer at AP from 1975 to 1999 who conceived of the 29 mm Royal Oak for ladies shortly after the launch of the original “Jumbo” ref. 5402ST in 1972.
Exhibition details
The exhibition is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm and takes place at AP House Singapore located in the Raffles Hotel Singapore.
Entry is free but registration is required; visits can be scheduled at Audemarspiguet.com.
In the run-up to the holidays, Seiko has introduced the Astron GPS Solar refs. SSJ039 and SSH187 — two new limited editions of its satellite-linked quartz models. While not available in stores until January, the new references make their public debut almost exactly 56 years to the day from the launch of the original Astron, the world’s first quartz wristwatch, on December 25, 1969.
Initial thoughts
Despite pioneering efforts to develop quartz watches in Switzerland, and the commercialisation of category-defining products like the Swatch, the alpine nation has tended to lag a step behind its rivals from the land of the rising sun when it comes to quartz technology. As quartz watches matured and the underlying technology became commoditised, much of the Swiss watch industry redoubled its focus on mechanical watches, seemingly content to cede quartz leadership to brands like Seiko and Citizen.
For their part, the dominant Japanese brands have continued to develop quartz watches with conscientious enthusiasm, bringing solar charging, radio frequency and satellite-based connectivity, and ultra-precise oscillators to maturity.
In that context, the Seiko Astron is the embodiment of more than half a century of quartz leadership, and combines several of the brand’s strengths in two distinct limited edition models.
Though the four-figure prices may come as a shock to buyers more familiar with offerings from brands like Apple, Garmin, and Casio, the Astron’s proprietary technology and titanium case with its super-hard coating make it suited for years or even decades of use.
Looking up
Compared to the Astron’s 2025 limited editions, the new SSH187 and SSJ039 are characterised by their jet-black titanium cases and glittering, embossed dials.
The darker case colour shrinks the visual size of both models, which are on the larger end of the spectrum at 42 mm for the SSJ039 and 43.3 mm for the SSH187. But unlike many other large watches, the case size doesn’t conceal a cavernous empty space within, and is instead packed with the brand’s latest satellite-linked movements.
In this sense, there’s a pleasing coherence between the aesthetic and technical aspects of both watches. The dials are embossed with a glitter-infused swirling pattern meant to evoke a star-filled sky. The movement within also looks upward toward the cosmos to connect with the global network of GPS satellites.
Once connected, the watches update themselves to the current time, in much the same way that a radio-controlled watch would. But by tapping into the GPS satellites, the Astron is capable of detecting its own location and correcting itself to the local time zone, a capability missing from ordinary radio-controlled watches.
Thanks to this capability, the movements don’t need to be especially accurate on their own, and are rated to a fairly typical +/- 15 seconds per month if kept in airplane mode, which is necessary when flying.
Star-powered
Like the GPS satellites up in orbit, the Astron watches are solar powered, gathering ambient light through their semi-opaque dials. The watches are capable of storing enough energy for up to six months of operation in the dark, but with regular usage the battery will likely remain charged in perpetuity.
Along with the timeless analog dials, solar charging is a big differentiator compared with the landscape of smartwatches like the Apple Watch that require regular charging. In other words, the technology is well-hidden, a factor that makes the Astron feel more like a mechanical luxury watch than a smartwatch, despite its electronic heart. It also means one less charging cable to pack when traveling.
Key facts and price
Seiko Astron GPS Solar 2026 Limited Edition Ref. SSH187
Diameter: 43.3 mm Height: 13.4 mm Material: Titanium Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 100 m
Movement: Cal. 5X83 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, chronograph, perpetual calendar, and world-time. Winding: GPS Solar Power reserve: 6 months
Strap: Matching titanium bracelet
Limited edition: 1,500 pieces Availability: Available at Seiko boutiques and retailers starting January 2026. Price: US$2,900 excluding taxes
Seiko Astron GPS Solar 2026 Limited Edition Ref. SSJ039
Diameter: 42 mm Height: 12 mm Material: Titanium Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 100 m
Movement: Cal. 3X62 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, and perpetual calendar. Winding: GPS Solar Power reserve: 6 months
Strap: Matching titanium bracelet
Limited edition: 1,500 pieces Availability: Available at Seiko boutiques and retailers starting January 2026. Price: US$2,400 excluding taxes
