Seiko History and developments
Seiko
Holdings Corporation, more commonly known simply as Seiko,
is a Japanese watch company. The company started in 1881, when Kintaro
Hattori opened a watch and jewellery shop called "K. Hattori"
in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later in 1892, he
began to produce clocks under the name Seikosha. According to Seiko's
official company history, titled "A Journey In Time: The Remarkable
Story of Seiko" (2003), Seiko is a Japanese word
meaning "exquisite", "minute", or "success".
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Seiko
Men's Chronograph Watch
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The first
watches produced under the Seiko brand appeared in 1924. In
1969, Seiko introduced the Seiko 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
1985, Orient Watches and Seiko established a joint factory. Recognized
as a leader in timekeeping accuracy, Seiko products are often used
as the official timekeepers of the major sporting events including
the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup editions in Argentina 1978,
Spain 1982, Mexico 1986 and Italy 1990.
The company was incorporated (K. Hattori & Co., Ltd.) in 1917,
renamed Hattori Seiko Co., Ltd. in 1983 and Seiko Corporation
in 1990. After reconstructing and creating its operating subsidiaries
(such as Seiko Watch Corporation, Seiko Clock Inc.), it became
a holding company in 2001 and renamed Seiko Holdings Corporation as
of July 1, 2007.
Seiko
Holdings is one of the three core companies of the Seiko Group. The
Seiko Group consists of Seiko Holdings Corporation (SEIKO), Seiko
Instruments Inc. (SII) and Seiko Epson Corporation (EPSON) which is
known for its printers in Europe and North America and its diverse
line of electronics and computer equipment within Japan. Although
they have some common shareholders including the key members of the
Hattori family (posterity of Kintaro Hattori), the three companies
in the Seiko Group are not affiliated. They are managed and operated
completely independently. Seiko Watch Corporation, an operating subsidiary
of Seiko Holdings Corporation, markets Seiko watches while
Seiko Instruments and Seiko Epson manufacture their movements.
Seiko
is perhaps known best, though, for its Seiko wristwatches.
Seiko is known for their advanced technology and is one of the few
wristwatch manufacturers that produce all of their watches and movements
entirely in-house. Even minor items such as the oils used in lubricating
the watches and the luminous compounds used on the hands and the dials
are produced by the Seiko factories.
Seiko
produces both quartz and mechanical watches of varying prices.
The cheapest are around US$50; the most expensive (the Credor Spring
Drive Sonnerie) costs over $US100,000. Seiko's mechanical watches
are the most prized by collectors—from the Seiko "5"
series (the 5 is proposed to reflect 5 essential features of the
watch namely shockproof, waterproof, automatic, with day and date
display), which is the most common, the Seiko automatic Chronometer
series, the "Bell-Matic" with a mechanical alarm to the
highly prized luxury "Credor", "King Seiko" and
"Grand Seiko" lines. Seiko Kinetic watches account for a
large proportion of sales nowadays and combine the self-energizing
attributes of an automatic watch with quartz accuracy. There is no
battery to change; the watch is entirely powered by its movement in
everyday wear.
Frustratingly
for collectors, Seiko does not release all of its watch lines
in every region. Some are exclusively available in Asia, for instance.
Many online retailers will ship watches overseas, though.
Seiko
Corporation of America is responsible for distribution of Seiko
watches and clocks, as well as Pulsar brand watches, in
the United States. The models available in the United States are normally
a smaller subset of the full line produced in Japan. Seiko Corporation
of America has its headquarters and Coserv repair center in Mahwah,
New Jersey. In the United States, Seiko watches are sold primarily
by fine jewelers and department stores, as well as 19 company stores
located in various cities.
A recent
Seiko marketing campaign emphasized that a watch, as opposed to other
traits (such as what car they drive, for example) tells most about
a person.
Various
Seiko watches were worn by the cinematic James Bond 007 in
four films, starring Roger Moore, from 1977-1985. Also, a Seiko watch
was worn by Sean Connery in the 1983 Bond film, Never Say Never Again.
Seiko
Watches
Reviews,
Profiles & Articles
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Seiko Spring Drive
On 7
October 2005, Seiko announced the world launch of the Seiko
Spring Drive, a new calibre which delivers more power, more smoothly
and for longer. Three days (72 hours) of power are provided, as opposed
to the average of 40 hours in automatic mechanicals. To achieve this
feat, Seiko has developed a special alloy called "Spron510".
This new movement has eliminated the traditional balance wheel/escapement
regulating system in favor of a so-called Tri-synchro Regulator. The
power from the spring is used to turn the wheels but also is used
to generate electrical power for a tiny, ultra-low consumption (~25
nanoWatts) crystal oscillator which in turn is used to regulate -with
quartz accuracy- the speed of the wheels to exactly 8 beats per second.
Spring Drive was sold regularly in Japan since 1999 within Grand Seiko
and Credor lines. Seiko announced that no more than 300 units
will be produced in a monthly basis. The Spring Drive also marks the
first true luxury Seiko watches available outside Japan. They are
expected to retail around $3,200 to $3,500. In the Paris premiere,
Seiko auctioned the first Spring Drive, which was sold for
about 10.000 euros and the money was given to a Basel-based charity
that supports children suffering from cancer and leukemia.
Seiko as Official timekeeper
Seiko
is also the official timer of many major sporting events:
• Tokyo
Olympic Summer Games in Japan, 1964
• 1978 World Cup in Argentina,
• 1982 World Cup in Spain,
• 1986 World Cup in Mexico,
• IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Italy,
1987
• 1990 World Cup in Italy,
• IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo,
Japan, 1991
• Barcelona Olympic Summer Games in Spain, 1992
• Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games in Norway, 1994
• Nagano Olympic Winter Games in Japan, 1998
• Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in USA, 2002
Seiko
is also named as the official timekeeper of the Gran Turismo racing
game series, published by Sony.
Currently,
Seiko have agreed to sponsor Honda (previously known as BAR (British
American Racing) Honda). The Seiko name cannot currently be
found on the Honda racing cars because Seiko Japan refuse to be advertised
whilst the names of tobacco companies are still appearing on the cars.
They can, however, be found on the lollipop used in the pitlane.
Popular Seiko watch models:
•
Seiko Sportura
These
watches for men are advertised as "one part stainless steel,
two parts testosterone". Featuring Kinetic chronograph, alarm
chronograph, and analog-digital, these watches are powerful, yet stylish.
•
Seiko Arctura
These
watches for men are bold and revolutionary, and they feature the most
advanced Kinetic power.
•
Seiko Coutura
With
a selection of both men's and women's watches, Coutura is both contemporary
and elegant, combining the resilience of a sports watch with the style
of a fashion watch.
•
Seiko Tressia
An elegant,
evening watch with a woven bracelet.
•
Seiko Le Grande Sport
Available
in both men's and women's styles, this sports watch looks great on
the golf course and in the office.
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Seiko Technology Watches
These
include Kenetic Perpetual, Kinetic Auto Relay, and Kinetic Chronograph.
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1990
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• Hattori
Seiko Co., Ltd. renamed as Seiko Corporation.
• Seiko serves as Official Timer of World
Cup Soccer Championships in Italy.
• Introduction of Seiko "The Age of
Discovery" collection.
• Introduction of Seiko Scubamaster, world's
first computerised diver's watch to incorporate dive table.
• Introduction of Seiko Receptor Message Watch
incorporating miniaturised FM subcarrier.
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1991
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• Establishment
of subsidiary in Finland.
• Establishment of subsidiary in Taiwan.
• Seiko serves as Official Timer of 3rd IAAF
World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo, Japan.
• Introduction of the Seiko Perpetual Calendar
with the world's first "millennium-plus calendar". |
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1992
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• Seiko
serves as Official Timer of Barcelona Olympic Games in Spain. |
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1993
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• Introduction
of the "S-YARD" Golf Clubs. |
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1994
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• Establishment
of a representative office in Beijing.
• Seiko serves as Official Timer of Lillehammer
Olympic Winter Games in Norway.
• Introduction of Seiko Kinetic series. |
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1995
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• Introduction
of Alba "Spoon" series. |
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1996
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• Establishment
of Seiko Optical Products, Inc.
• Establishment of Seiko Clock Inc.
• Establishment of Seiko Precision Inc. |
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1997
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• Establishment
of Seiko Jewelry Co., Ltd.
• Changed Japanese company name to Seiko Kabushiki
Kaisha.
• Introduction of Seiko Kinetic Arctura. |
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1998
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• Seiko
serves as Official Timer of Nagano Olympic Winter Games in Japan.
• Introduction of Perpetual Calendar watch driven
by world's first ultrasonic micromotor.
• Introduction of the Seiko Thermic, the world's
first watch driven by body heat. |
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1999
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• Introduction
of Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay watch, which automatically
resumes correct indication of current time.
• Introduction of hand wound spring-drive watch with
quartz accuracy. |
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2000
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• Establishment
of Seiko S-Yard Co., Ltd. |
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2001
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• Establishment
of Seiko Watch Corporation |
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2002
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• Seiko
serves as Official Timer of Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games
in USA. |
