Seiko Wall Clocks Have a Long History

Seiko wall clocks have a long history, dating back as far as 1881, when the Seikosha brand was first introduced by a clock shop in Tokyo's fabled Ginza District, laying the foundation for modern clock and watch making in Japan. This store, established under the name of K. Hattori & Co. Ltd, is the direct ancestor of today's Seiko Corporation.

Eleven years later, in 1892, Kintaro Hattori establishes a clock factory at Ishiwara-cho, Tokyo, with ten workers under his employment. Two months later, the first dozen clocks are produced, the predecessors of today's Seiko wall clocks. In 1895 the production of pocket watches begins.

In 1913, after two decades of clock technology, production began on the first Japanese wristwatch - Laurel - which was made under the Seikosha name. Mass production techniques were adopted to supply Europe and America and a year later - in 1924 - the Seiko brand is born, and the first wristwatch bearing the Seiko name is made.

By 1938, Seiko had produced 1,179,639 watches, and many more Seiko alarm clocks, Seiko table clocks, Seiko wall clocks and Seiko musical clocks. The company was listed on the Tokyo stock exchange eleven years later, in 1949.

Although the first quartz-based clock became popular for wide use in 1958, and transistorized table clocks had existed as early as 1959, the first quartz-based Seiko wall clocks weren't introduced until 1968. A year later Seiko pioneered true mass production and automation. This change allowed for a quick adaptation to market demands, Seiko starting to substantiate its culture of firsts.

In 1969 the first quartz wristwatch made by Seiko is brought to market - the Seiko Astron 35SQ encased in 18K gold and with a time tolerance of plus or minus only three seconds per month. The first models were sold in Tiffany & Co. - a great leap from the first Seiko wall clocks made in Hattori's shop.

By 1973 the world's first LCD quartz watch, boasting a six-digit digital display was pioneered by Seiko, followed by the world's first multi-function digital watch only two years later. In 1982 the first TV watch is introduced, offering at last a television within hand's reach.

During the following years, Seiko continues to innovate, introducing watches based on such daring concepts as the Kinetic watch – powered solely by the movement of the human body, or the Seiko Thermic - driven by body heat - moving beyond the great leap made between the early Seiko wall clocks and the extravagant wristwatches that established Seiko as a leading clockmaker.