Seiko

Seiko began in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo's Ginza district. He founded the Seikosha factory in 1892 and in 1913 produced the Laurel, the first wristwatch made in Japan. The Seiko name appeared on dials from 1924. In 1960 the company introduced Grand Seiko as a demonstration of what Japanese precision watchmaking could achieve, and on 25 December 1969 it released the Astron, the first quartz wristwatch offered for sale, a launch that reshaped the entire industry.

Seiko remains one of the few fully integrated manufacturers, producing its own movements, cases, dials, hairsprings and even lubricants. Its technical portfolio spans mechanical, quartz, Kinetic and Spring Drive, a 1999 development that regulates a mainspring-driven train with a quartz reference. Current lines include Prospex for professional diving and field watches, Presage for dress mechanicals and Seiko 5 Sports for entry-level automatics; Grand Seiko has operated as a separate brand since 2017. The Hattori family still leads Seiko Group Corporation.