Seiko

For over a century, Seiko has been synonymous with function, creativity and meticulous craftsmanship. On countless occasions, the brand has been behind innovations that have fundamentally changed the art of watchmaking, such as the introduction of the world’s first quartz watch in 1969 and the rather distinctive “TV watch” featured in the 1982 Bond film Octopussy.

The Seiko story begins in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a small shop selling and repairing watches in downtown Tokyo, where his expertise quickly earned him a flawless reputation. The next step came in 1892, when Hattori established his first clockmaking business under the name Seikosha, later being shorted to simply “Seiko”. Upon its founding, the company exclusively made wall clocks, but soon branched out into the production of wristwatches and pocket watches.