From pioneering the quartz watch industry to designing timelessly elegant watches, Seiko is a standout name in watchmaking. From its humble beginnings in a small Tokyo shop to becoming a global leader in horology, Seiko’s history is fascinating.
Seiko’s Beginnings
In 1881, Kintaro Hattori owned a small repair shop for clocks and pocket watches in Tokyo. Eleven years later, he opened the first Seikosha wall clock factory—” Seiko” in Japanese means “exquisite,” “success,” or “minute,” and “sha” means “house.”
In 1895, Kintaro created Seikosha’s first pocket watch and named it the Timekeeper. The Timekeeper’s instant success paved the way for the Laurel, Japan’s first wristwatch. Kintaro was determined to be one step ahead of the competition, and the creation of the Laurel marked the first step in Seiko’s remarkably innovative journey.
International Innovations
By 1929, Seiko (shortened from Seikosha) had become so famous for its incredibly precise watches that Japan National Railways appointed the brand as its official timekeeper. After supplying 1.2 million timepieces a year for Japanese troops during WWII, Seiko developed a shock-resistant device named Diashock to be placed in a watch’s movement. About the same width as a human hair, the Diashock device became a standard inclusion in every Seiko watch movement.
In 1959, Seiko released its first automatic watch, the Gyro Marvel, equipped with its “magic lever” system. The brand’s first luxury watch, the Grand Seiko, followed the next year.
Seiko reached an all-time high in honor and recognition when it developed Japan’s first chronograph-equipped wristwatch in 1964. Due to this impressive milestone, Seiko was named the official timer of the Tokyo Olympic Games and used the new, highly accurate chronograph to time Olympians’ events.
“World’s First” Milestones
As time passed, Seiko’s inventions continued to skyrocket and push the boundaries of watchmaking. By 1965, Japan saw the development of its first diver’s watch, while Seiko continued to work on chronograph-related innovations and released the world’s first automatic watch equipped with a chronograph, vertical clutch, and column wheel in 1969.
The Quartz Revolution
But that wasn’t all that happened in 1969. That was also the year that Seiko shook the watchmaking world with the very first quartz (or battery-powered) watch. The Astron was accurate to within five seconds a month—100 times more precise than any other watch on the market—and could run continuously for an entire year, which was completely unheard of at the time.
The quartz crystal triggered a movement commonly known among horologists as the Quartz Revolution. Watch wearers around the world went wild for quartz: its incredible accuracy and longevity compared to mechanical watches made the latter watch almost obsolete. (After all, the idea of scheduling a Seiko’s battery replacement every few years seemed much more appealing than winding a watch every day.) Eventually, staunch loyalists and gradual improvements helped mechanical watches make a comeback, but Seiko’s first quartz watch forever changed the world.
Perhaps one of the most amazing things about the Quartz Revolution is that Seiko released the quartz watch to the world without a patent. This meant that any watchmaker could use Seiko’s technology to create highly accurate, battery-powered watches. This decision bolstered Seiko’s reputation even more in the minds of watch enthusiasts, and the brand rose to ever higher levels of fame.
Even More Breakthroughs
One might think that Seiko could have stopped with the quartz watch and still left an indelible mark on watchmaking, but the brand’s innovations were far from over. Over the next several decades, Seiko developed the world’s first:
- Six-digit LCD quartz watch
- Multi-functional digital watch
- Diver’s watch with titanium case
- TV watch (also equipped with FM radio, alarm, calendar, and chronograph)
- Voice-recording watch
- Analog quartz watch with chronograph
- Solar-powered watch
- Three-band radio wave analog solar watch
- E-ink watch
- GPS solar watch
- And many more!
Much of the technology behind these watches was simply unimaginable before Seiko released them. For example, Seiko’s 1983 analog quartz watch, equipped with a chronograph, used hybrid technology. This watch combined components from both mechanical and electronic watches to provide all the sophistication of a mechanical watch and the accuracy of a quartz watch in one sleek design.
Through all its breakthroughs, Seiko has never compromised on beauty. While some designs—particularly the TV watch—represent the trends of a bygone era, all are works of art in their own right and are models any watch enthusiast would be proud to display on their wrist.
Sustainability
In recent years, Seiko has begun offering sustainable solutions in watchmaking. From partnering with several environmental organizations to reducing plastic waste and increasing energy efficiency, Seiko continues to lead the way in sustainable watchmaking. It has even introduced a “Bring Back” program, where wearers can send their watch to a Seiko watch repair specialist to have it refurbished or resold.
International Prestige and Continued Inventions
As of 2024, Seiko has served as the official timer of three World Athletic Championships and two Olympic Games. The extraordinary accuracy introduced by Seiko’s quartz watches has made it the brand of choice for sports events around the world.
The brand has not only stayed relevant through the years but has also turned the art of watchmaking on its head more than once. Horology today is a far cry from the pocket watches of the 1800s, and that’s thanks in large part to Seiko’s inventions.
Seiko’s cutting-edge advances, unrivaled timekeeping accuracy, and consistently beautiful designs make it one of the most well-known and well-respected watch brands in the world. With over a century of show-stopping innovation behind its name, Seiko will undoubtedly continue to rock the world of watchmaking for decades to come.
