The story of Seiko begins in 1881, when 22-year-old Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewellery shop called K. Hattori in the bustling Ginza area of Tokyo. 14 years later, Hattori built his first pocketwatch and in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the name Seikosha (which translates roughly to “House of Exquisite Workmanship”). The first watches produced under the brand debuted in 1924, but it wasn’t until later in the century that Seiko really made its mark.
In 1969, Seiko introduced the Astron, the world’s first production quartz watch (fun fact: at the time it cost the same as a medium-sized car). The company’s firsts continued, including the world’s first multi-function digital watch, the world’s first diver’s watch with a titanium case, and the world’s first watch with computer functions. Seiko served as official timer for multiple major sporting events, including several Olympic Games. In more recent years, Seiko has introduced the world’s first GPS solar watch and the first watch to use active matrix EPD e-Ink. On screen, Seiko watches have been worn by James Bond, Jason Bourne and one Ellen Louise Ripley in Alien. Not a bad list of achievements to have accomplished by your 100th birthday.
