The History of Seiko
Seiko's history began in 1881, when a young 21-year-old entrepreneur, Kintaro Hattori, opened a watch and clock sales and repair shop in Ginza, Tokyo. Today, after over 130 years of innovation, Kintaro Hattori's company remains dedicated to the perfection its founder always strived for. In the following pages, you can explore Seiko's long history and see many of our most iconic watches.
1881-1959
Kintaro Hattori opens a watch and clock sales and repair shop in Ginza, Tokyo. Seiko's history begins in 1881, when a young 21-year-old entrepreneur, Kintaro Hattori, opened a watch and clock sales and repair shop in central Tokyo. Just eleven years later, in 1892, he founded the Seikosha factory.
1881
Seikosha founded; clock production begins. In 1892, Kintaro Hattori purchased a disused factory in Tokyo and founded Seikosha (in Japanese, "Seiko" means "exquisite," "minute," or "success," and "sha" means home). It was here that Kintaro Hattori produced his first watches, marking the beginning of a company that would become one of the world's leading chronometer manufacturers.
1892
Seikosha builds the first pocket watch. During the 1890s, the success of Seikosha's wall clock business increased, and Kintaro decided to expand his business. In 1895, he created a pocket watch, the Timekeeper. It was a pivotal step, without which Seiko's future would have been very different, as it paved the way for the first wristwatch ever made in Japan.
1895
The Laurel, the first wristwatch made in Japan, makes its debut. At the beginning of the Taisho era, pocket watches were still very popular, and there were only a few imported wristwatches in Japan. However, Kintaro was determined to be "one step ahead" and took on the arduous task of creating the first wristwatch ever made in Japan. In 1913, he succeeded, and the Laurel was born. In the early days, the company could only produce 30-50 watches a day, but for the first time, Kintaro found himself ahead of the others.
1913
The first Seiko branded watch is produced.
1924
A Seiko pocket watch is named the official "railway watch" of Japan National Railways. In 1929, with the expansion of its rail network, Japan National Railways named Seiko its official supplier. Train drivers often made wooden notches on their consoles where the approved pocket watch would be displayed while they operated their trains.
1929
Construction of the Wako Clock Tower, the familiar face of Ginza. The current clock tower was built in 1932. The building adopts a style known as Neo-Renaissance.
1932
Beginning of use of "Diashock", a shock-resistant device.
1956
Gyro Marvel
1960-1979
Seiko's signature piece, the Grand Seiko, was launched for the first time. In 1960, the first Grand Seiko model was produced. High in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, a small team of Seiko's most experienced and skilled watchmakers was tasked with creating the finest watch they could muster. The Grand Seiko was intended to represent the pinnacle of Seiko's excellence in mechanical watchmaking and offer greater precision, legibility, and durability than any other watch.
1960
Seiko serves as the Official Timer of the 18th Olympiad, Tokyo, and supplies 1,278 timing devices.
1964
Introducing the first Japanese wristwatch with a chronometer. The first Japanese wristwatch with a chronometer was introduced in 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympic Games. Its smooth operation and durability were ensured by a column wheel system.
1964
Japan's first diving watch produced. Japan's first diving watch, water resistant to a depth of 150 meters. The winding crown is designed with a double gasket construction to withstand water pressure. Designed for use in the 8th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition.
1965
Neuchatel Observatory Competition and Geneva Observatory Competition
1967
Introduction of the caliber 6139, the world's first automatic chronograph watch with both a vertical clutch and a column wheel. As the world's first automatic chronograph with a "magic lever," a column wheel, and a vertical clutch, it may have been the world's first stopwatch. It was a pivotal moment in Seiko's journey to leading the way in chronograph technology.
1969
Introduction of the world's first quartz watch, the "Seiko Quartz Astron." The world's first quartz watch, the Seiko Quartz Astron, was introduced in Tokyo on December 25, 1969. It offered unbeatable performance. It was accurate to within 5 seconds a month, 100 times more accurate than any other watch, and could run continuously for a year, or 250 times longer than most mechanical watches. The quartz revolution had begun.
1969
Introduction of the world's first six-digit LCD quartz watch cal. 0614.
1973
Introduction of the world's first multifunctional digital watch, cal. 0634. In 1975, Seiko launched the first quartz digital chronograph watch, the 0634. It could record time to 1/10th of a second and had a lap timer function. It also incorporated an internal light, making it easy to see in the dark. It was a huge success and created the market for high-functionality digital watches.
1975
Introducing the world's first titanium-cased diver's watch: the Professional Diver's 600m.
In 1968, Seiko engineers received a letter from a professional diver from Hiroshima Prefecture. The letter deeply impressed them with its vivid description of the stresses a watch is subjected to while diving to a depth of 350 meters. Seiko accepted the challenge. After seven years of research, the Professional Diver's 600m was born, the first diver's watch with a titanium case. Featuring a helium-resistant seal, perfect visibility at great depths, and an innovative titanium case, it set a new standard for dive watches.
1980-1989
Introduction of the world's first TV watch.
The first watch with a tuner and a headphone jack for watching TV anywhere, anytime. It also featured an FM radio, in addition to standard watch functions like an alarm, stopwatch, and calendar.
1982
The world's first watch with voice recording: "Voice Note".
1983
Introduction of the first analog quartz chronograph watch.
Mastering quartz technology and mechanical watchmaking, Seiko created the world's first analog quartz chronograph. It measured elapsed time to 5/100ths of a second, offered a split-time function, and featured a tachymeter. The design was by renowned Italian automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.
1983
Introduction of the first watch with computer functions: UC-2000.
After introducing the world's first TV watch, Seiko developed a wrist computer capable of storing data. It was the first of its kind, with a memory of up to 2,000 characters, allowing it to store phone numbers, addresses, and a month's worth of diary entries. This marked the beginning of the era of portable information devices.
1984
The first 1000m diver's watch with a ceramic outer case.
The Diver's 1000m was the first watch to use ceramic as the outer case material. Its lightweight, corrosion-resistant monobloc titanium construction allowed it to withstand dives to 1,000 meters.
1986
Seiko was the official timekeeper of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy.
1987
Introduction of the world's first watch with "AGS" technology, caliber 7M22 (later renamed "Kinetic").
1990-1999
Introduction of the first diving watch with computer functions: the "Scubamaster" cal. M726 with dive table and depth gauge.
Thanks to Seiko's experience in producing electronic and diving watches, the Scubamaster was created, equipped with a water and depth sensor. It displayed dive time and depth, essential information for divers.
1990
Seiko was the official timekeeper of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
1991
Seiko was the official timekeeper at the Games of the XXV Olympiad in Barcelona, Spain.
Seiko was chosen for the first time to time the Olympic Games in Europe. A team of over 300 engineers and timekeeping specialists served the event.
1992
Seiko was the official timekeeper of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
1998
A new generation of Grand Seiko mechanical watches.
After twenty years, Seiko introduced a new mechanical caliber for Grand Seiko, setting new standards through cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.
1999
Introducing the Spring Drive, a luxury mechanical watch with quartz precision.
Spring Drive is a unique Seiko technology. It replaces the traditional escapement with an innovative regulator that allows the hands to move smoothly and continuously, ensuring accuracy of one second per day.
1999
Introduction of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph cal. 9T82.
Seiko improved its Kinetic watch by adding a chronograph function with an innovative design. It featured a heart-shaped cam reset function and a special construction that prevented dust accumulation.
2000-2009
Introduction of the first Grand Seiko Spring Drive automatic movement with extended 72-hour power reserve.
After its debut in 1998, the Spring Drive movement was further refined and adopted in the Grand Seiko. The caliber 9R65 offered a 72-hour power reserve and automatic winding.
2005
Introduction of the first analog solar-powered watch with three-band radio control (Japan, Germany, USA).
Seiko marketed the first radio-controlled solar watch capable of receiving standard time signals from three countries (Japan, USA and Germany), a pioneering device of its kind.
2005
Introducing the Kinetic Perpetual.
Powered by the movement of the wrist, this watch was the first to generate and store its own electricity. When not worn, it would go into sleep mode, and when put back on the wrist, the hands would automatically reset to the correct time. The perpetual calendar remained accurate until February 28, 2100.
2005
Introduction of the world's first watch with E-Ink display.
For the first time in a watch, electronic ink technology was used to display the time and other information on a large display, ensuring perfect readability from any angle. The display also allowed for a choice of time graphics, including an innovatively designed "day and night" mode. This watch won the Grand Prix de Genève.
2006
Introducing the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie.
The Spring Drive, thanks to its smooth and silent mechanism, allowed time to be marked with the long and harmonious tolling of a Japanese Orin bell, without the typical "ticking" sound.
2006
Introduction of the Spring Drive chronograph.
Thanks to the fluid movement of its hands, the Spring Drive chronograph was the first to measure time precisely, without accuracy to the nearest tenth or hundredth of a second. It redefined the precision of mechanical chronographs, offering accuracy of one second per day.
2007
Introduction of the first new Grand Seiko hi-beat caliber in 41 years.
2010-
Introducing the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk Commemorative Edition.
This watch was designed specifically for spacewalks. Tested both inside and outside the International Space Station, it performed flawlessly in space. It won the award for best sports watch at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
2010
The world's first watch with EPD display and active matrix system.
This new display system retained all the legibility advantages of the first Seiko E-Ink watch, but allowed for images and data to be displayed in greater detail. With 80,000 pixels, each with four different shades, it offered a resolution of 300 dpi.
2010
Introducing the Creder Spring Drive Minute Repeater.
The crystalline sound of the chime was achieved thanks to the use of a special steel, forged by the renowned Japanese blacksmith Munemichi Myochin. The purity of the sound was guaranteed by the completely silent Spring Drive mechanism.
2011
Introducing the world's first GPS solar watch: Seiko Astron GPS Solar.
Finally, the quest for absolute precision in every corner of the globe came to an end. By developing a low-power GPS receiver, Seiko succeeded in creating a watch capable of receiving GPS signals and automatically identifying the time zone, time, and date based on the global satellite network. The Astron recognized all 39 time zones worldwide, marking a revolutionary era in watchmaking technology.
2012
100th anniversary of Seiko watch production.
In 1913, Seiko produced its first wristwatch, called the "Laurel." It was not only the first for Seiko, but also the first produced in Japan. This event marked the beginning of a long tradition of innovation, inspired by Kintaro Hattori's vision: always being "one step ahead of the rest."
2013
Seiko Astron GPS Solar 8X Series Chronograph launched.
2014
Seiko wins the “Petite Aiguille” award at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
2014
Seiko’s first tourbillon watch: the FUGAKU from the Credor line.
Caliber 6830 is the first tourbillon movement produced by Seiko. Created with extraordinary engineering mastery, its base was just 1.98 mm thick, while the entire movement measured just 3.98 mm deep and 25.6 mm in diameter, making it the world's smallest tourbillon by volume.
2016
Introduction of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 9R01 movement with extended 8-day power reserve.
The 9R01 caliber featured an extraordinary 192-hour (8-day) power reserve, achieved thanks to a linked series of three barrels, whereas conventional mechanical movements use only one. The three barrels were arranged vertically to optimize space, and the watch's design minimized friction, maximizing energy efficiency.
2016
REVOLUTIONARY MODELS
Grand Seiko "The Black Ceramic": expansion of the sports range.
Practicality and durability are essential qualities in the finest sports watches and have always been core values of Grand Seiko. In 2016, the brand expanded its design into the sports watch segment, introducing black ceramic models.
2016
Grand Seiko becomes an independent brand from Seiko.
Grand Seiko has always had a distinct design, character, and presentation compared to the rest of the Seiko line. To further strengthen its prestige and reach a wider audience, it was decided to transform it into a completely independent brand.
The SEIKO range on tikAworld
