The story of Seiko began in 1881, when a 22 year old entrepreneur, Kintaro Hattori, opened a shop selling and repairing watches and clocks in central Tokyo. Just eleven years later, in 1892, he established the 'Seikosha' factory.
In 1892 Kintaro Hattori bought a disused factory in Tokyo and Seikosha was formed (In Japanese, "Seiko" means "exquisite", "minute" or "success" and "sha" means house). It was here that Kintaro Hattori produced his first clocks and these marked the beginnings of a company that was to become one of the world's most important manufacturers of timepieces.
The first watches produced under the Seiko brand appeared in 1924. In 1969, Seiko introduced the Astron, the world's first production quartz watch; when it was introduced, it cost the same as a medium-sized car. Seiko later went on to introduce the first quartz chronograph. In the late 1980s, Seiko produced the first Kinetic watch that combined the self-energizing attributes of an automatic watch with quartz accuracy. The watch is entirely powered by its movement in everyday wear. In 1985, Orient and Seiko established a joint factory. The company was incorporated (K. Hattori & Co., Ltd.) in 1917 and was renamed Hattori Seiko Co., Ltd. in 1983 and Seiko Corporation in 1990. After reconstructing and creating its operating subsidiaries (such as Seiko Watch Corporation and Seiko Clock Inc.), it became a holding company in 2001 and was renamed Seiko Holdings Corporation as of July 1, 2007. Seiko produces watches with quartz, kinetic, solar, and mechanical watches.
The world’s first GPS solar watch. By connecting to the GPS network, the Astron adjusts at the touch of a button to your time zone and, by taking all the energy it needs from light alone, never needs a battery change.
Seiko Prospex challenges every limit, with a collection of timepieces for sports lovers and adventure seekers whether in the water, in the sky or on land. Since launching Japan’s first diver’s watch in 1965, Seiko’s innovative technology has changed global standards. We are constantly striving to bring ever greater reliability and safety to both professional and recreational divers.
Presage combines a Japanese aesthetic sense with traditional craftsmanship and Seiko’s mechanical watchmaking skills in an original collection that offers Japanese beauty, quality and long-lasting performance.
The Premier collection offers refined elegance in dress watches for both men and women. Classic and modern design themes combine in harmony with Seiko’s innovative technology to create a series of timepieces that are as stunning as they are subtle.