Seiko
About
Seiko was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Japan. First Hattori imported European clocks and started to produce its first pocket watch in 1895, first wristwatch in 1913.
After becoming a leader in the Japanese market, Seiko aimed to win international markets. At the time Switzerland was knows as the most prestigious watch manufacturer. Therefore Seiko entered several accuracy trials held in Switzerland during the 1960s. In 1968 in the Geneva Obsevatory competition, Seiko won 4th to 10th place with its mechanical movements. The first three places were given to a new Swiss quartz movement, the Beta 21. This meant that the World's most accurate mechanical timepieces were manufactured by Seiko. The Geneva Obsevatory trials were never held again.
In 1969 Seiko introduced one of the first automatic chronographs and also the first commercially available quartz movement, the Seiko Astron. In the 1970s Seiko mass produced affordable and accurate quartz watches which made the company the biggest manufacturer in the World.
Seiko watches and movements are completely in-house. That includes the manufacturing of the hairsprings and even the lab grown rubies or quartz and sapphire crystals.
