Passing down the spirit of our founder

Japan underwent sweeping modernization after the Meiji Restoration in 1868 by introducing Western-style systems. After Japan instigated the shift from a temporal hour system to a fixed hour system for measuring time in 1873, Kintaro Hattori opened the Hattori Watch Store in 1881. Ever since that day, Seiko has striven to enhance public benefit by communicating the concept of time more accurately and widely and, by extension, helping to construct social infrastructure and advance cultural development.

The first wristwatch we made in Japan was sold in 1913. In 1969, Seiko released the world’s first quartz wristwatch, Seiko Quartz Astron worldwide. However, the company did not want to monopolize the market with a technical patent so, instead, it shared the technology, which has now become the global standard for today’s quartz wristwatch.

Seiko Watch Corporation will draw on our solid technological capabilities to help determinedly solve social issues through our watch business, which offers timeless value.

• The story of the founder of Seiko, Kintaro Hattori
• Our heritage