Watchlords

The Japanese firm ‘K. Hattori’ was founded in 1881. Over the years, the company’s products would bear the names, ‘Seikosha’ (1892) and ‘Laurel’ (1913). Incidentally, this latter product was the first Japanese wristwatch. In 1924, a new brand name was born, Seiko. It would go on to become one of the world’s best-known watch brands.

An innovative brand

Throughout its history, Seiko has been an innovative brand. For example, in 1956 the company unveiled its Diashock device, similar in concept to the western system, Incabloc. This device mitigates the risk of damage to the balance staff pivots when a watch is subjected to shock. Just a few years later, Seiko used its ‘magic lever’ system for the first time (1959). This system harnessed the energy from the wearer’s wrist motion, irrespective of whether the oscillating mass was rotating clockwise or anticlockwise. It was the efficiency of the magic lever that distinguished it as special.

The first Grand Seiko

In 1960, no doubt buoyed by its numerous successes, Seiko launched a premium watch, the aptly named Grand Seiko. Initially, Grand Seiko watches were primarily sold in the Japanese domestic market, however, in 2010, Seiko chose to offer its esteemed sub-brand to an international audience. For many years, the dials of these watches would carry both Seiko and Grand Seiko branding.

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