Japan's watchmaking pioneer. From creating the country's first wristwatch to revolutionizing the industry with quartz technology, Seiko has shaped horological history for over 140 years.
The Founding Vision
Kintaro Hattori founded his watch and jewelry shop in Tokyo's Ginza district in 1881, at just 21 years old. His vision was ambitious: to make Japan a leader in precision timekeeping. In 1892, he established Seikosha (meaning "House of Exquisite Workmanship"), beginning domestic watch production.
The company produced Japan's first wristwatch in 1913, called the Laurel. This marked the beginning of Seiko's journey as a true watchmaker rather than just an importer of foreign timepieces.
The Quartz Revolution
On December 25, 1969, Seiko changed the watch industry forever. The Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ became the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to within five seconds per month—a hundred times more precise than the best mechanical watches of the era.
This innovation triggered the "Quartz Crisis" that devastated the Swiss watch industry. Seiko had proven that a Japanese company could not only compete with but surpass traditional Swiss watchmaking in precision.
The Spring Drive Innovation
Not content with quartz dominance, Seiko spent 28 years developing the Spring Drive movement—a revolutionary hybrid that combines mechanical watchmaking with electronic precision. Introduced in 1999, it uses a mainspring for power but regulates time electronically, achieving accuracy of one second per day with the smooth sweeping hand of a mechanical watch.
Key Collections
- Presage: Japanese craftsmanship and elegant dials
- Prospex: Professional sports watches for land, sea, and sky
- Astron: GPS solar technology
- Seiko 5 Sports: Affordable automatic excellence
- King Seiko: Revived heritage dress watches
Vertical Integration
Unlike most watch companies, Seiko manufactures nearly everything in-house—from hairsprings and escapements to cases, dials, and even the tools used to make watches. This vertical integration allows for exceptional quality control and innovation that few brands can match.
A Legacy of Firsts
Seiko's history is marked by groundbreaking innovations: the first TV watch (1982), the first computerized watch (1984), the first GPS solar watch (2012), and countless patents in movement technology. Today, Seiko continues to innovate while honoring its heritage, offering exceptional value across all price points.
From affordable Seiko 5 automatics to the highest-end Grand Seiko timepieces, the brand proves that Japanese watchmaking stands equal to—and in many ways surpasses—its Swiss counterparts.