Seiko Footsteps
Stage 1 :
Chase the World
The dawn of Seiko, when the company dived into a bold project to modernize Japan’s clock industry
and catch up with the West as early as possible.
1881
Kintaro Hattori establishes his shop, "K. Hattori & Co., Ltd." in Uneme-cho, Kyobashi, Tokyo.
1892
Founding of the Seikosha factory. The production of wall clocks begins.
1895
Production of Laurel, Japan's first wristwatch, begins.
1895
In the newly constructed office with clock tower in Ginza 4-chome, begins business activities.
1913
Production of Laurel, Japan's first wristwatch, begins.
1923
The Great Kanto Earthquake causes tremendous damage. Restoration begins.
1924
The SEIKO brand makes its debut.
1929
The Seikosha pocket watch is designated as Japan's first railway watch.
1932
The Wako Clock Tower, the familiar face of Ginza, is completed.
Stage 2 :
Reach the World
The period of growth, when Seiko caught up with the West and expanded globally,
first by restoring the industry in the chaotic postwar years and then by developing proprietary products,
serving as the Official Timer of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and dominating accuracy competitions all over the world.
1953
Japan's first TV commercial was a Seiko commercial.(Japan's first radio commercial was also Seiko and broadcast in 1951.)
1956
Seiko launches Marvel, an originally designed wristwatch.
1960
Seiko launches the first Grand Seiko.
1963
Seiko launches the Seiko Sportsmatic 5.
1964
Tokyo Olympic Games
Seiko serves as the Official Timer for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
(In 1992 Seiko serves as the Official Timer for the Barcelona Olympic Games.)
1967
1968
Seiko won top prizes in Swiss observatory competitions.
1968
Seiko introduces the world’s first quartz wall clocks.
Stage 3 :
The World Selects the Seiko Method
The period of innovation, when Seiko introduced the world’s first quartz wristwatch
and standardized the Seiko method throughout the world.
1969
Seiko introduces Seiko Quartz Astron, the world's first quartz watch.Mechanical Engineering Heritage
1970
Seiko constructs the world's first radio wave clock equipped with a wireless control system at the 1970 Osaka Expo.
1972
Seiko serves as the Official Timer for the Sapporo Winter Olympic Games.
The company will go on to serve as the Official Time for the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer (1994), Nagano (1998), and Salt Lake City (2002).
1973
Seiko introduces the world’s first six-digit (hour/minute/second) LCD watch.
1974
Seiko introduces Credor, a luxury watch brand.
1981
The Seiko Institute of Horology opens (later to became The Seiko Museum) in commemoration of Seiko's 100th anniversary.
1982
Seiko introduces the world’s first LCD TV watch.
1984
Seiko introduces Pyramid Talk, a talking clock (Japanese version).
1984
Japan’s first large-sized marionette clock is constructed in Yurakucho, Tokyo.
1987
Seiko serves as the Official Timer for the IAAF World Championships in Rome.
The company will go on to serve as the Official Timer for the IAAF World Championships in Tokyo (1991), Stuttgart (1993), Gothenburg (1995), Athens (1997), Seville (1999), Edmonton (2001), Paris (2003), Helsinki (2005), Osaka (2007), Berlin (2009), Daegu (2011), Moscow (2013), Beijing (2015), London(2017), Doha(2019).
1988
Seiko introduces A.G.S., the world’s first quartz watch with autimatic generation system (later renamed the Kinetic).
Stage 4 :
Toward a New Era
The current period of advancement, when Seiko seeks more accurate,
more convenient watches by further evolving the quartz technology and taking advantage of today’s multi-functionalization(digital),
power-generating, and communication technologies.
1999
Seiko introduces the world’s first Spring Drive watch.
1999
Seiko introduces a radio wave clock synced to Japan Standard Time by radio.
2004
Seiko introduces Ignition, a solar radio wave watch.
2006
Seiko introduces Spectrum, the world's first electronic paper watch.
2007
Seiko serves as the Official Timer for the Tokyo Marathon. The company continues to support all subsequent Tokyo Marathons.
2012
The Seiko Museum is renovated and reopened.
2012
Seiko launches Seiko Astron, the world's first GPS solar watch.
2014
Seiko introduces Seiko Space Link, the world's first Satellite Radio Wave Clock.
2020
The Seiko Museum opens in the Ginza district, the birthplace of Seiko.
