Seiko

Seiko exists since 1881 and initially Seiko was a small watch store in Tokyo. In 1892 the first Seikosha clocks were produced, laying the foundation for the official name Seiko, which appeared for the first time in 1924. The Seiko Astron hit the market in the 1960s as the world’s first production quartz watch, followed by a quartz chronograph.

Today the Seiko Astron is a very popular watch with variations such as the Seiko Astron GPS. All Seiko watches are made in-house in Japan where Seiko even makes the oil and luminous items in large-scale factories. All Seiko luxury watches are produced in Japan (Grand Seiko models) while other watches are assembled throughout Asia.

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WATCH REVIEW

Silent Accord: Reviewing the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver SBGA229

Grand Seiko’s SBGA229 divers’ watch combines traditional mechanical watchmaking and the precision of electronic timekeeping. This is made possible by Spring Drive technology, developed by Seiko, and the result is an authentic divers’ watch with a unique inner life. In this feature from our October 2019 issue, with original photos by Olaf Köster, we give it a thorough once-over.

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Apr 20, 2021 by Martina Richter

FEATURE

Chronomania: The 50+-Year History of the Automatic Chronograph

Fifty years ago, the consortium of Heuer-Leonidas, Breitling, Buren-Hamilton and Dubois Dépraz vied with lone wolves Zenith and Seiko in the race to launch the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. How did these brands keep their developments secret? And how did the watch world change? We searched the past for clues.

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Apr 16, 2021 by WatchTime

Lift-Off: 6 Watches (Other Than the Omega Speedmaster) That Went to Space

In 1957, the first artificial satellite named Sputnik 1 was launched into space by the Soviet Union, triggering a race among nations. For security reasons, astronauts always carried a wristwatch with them. These six timepieces played a unique role in this conquest of space.

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Apr 13, 2021 by Jens Koch

FEATURE

Seiko: A Chronograph Chronology

We survey Seiko’s half-century-plus of mechanical chronographs in this comprehensive historical feature from the WatchTime archives. Discover the Japanese brand's contributions to the world of chronograph wristwatches.

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Mar 12, 2021 by Gisbert Brunner

Seiko Pays Tribute to Naomi Uemura’s Life of Adventure with Two 1970 Diver Re-interpretation Watches

With its new duo of Prospex 1970 Diver’s Modern Re-interpretation watches, Japan’s Seiko revisits one of its earliest commercially available dive watches and re-interprets and upgrades its popular vintage design for a modern audience. The pair includes a new gray-dial model (Ref. SLA051) and a limited-edition blue-dial model (Ref. SLA049). The latter model celebrates the...

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Mar 6, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

Mountain Time: Seiko Heads for the Hills with New Prospex 1959 Alpinist Series

Japanese watchmaker Seiko has commanded serious attention in recent years for its growing roster of vintage-inspired watches. From the GPHG-Winning Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-Creation SLA025J1, to the Re-Creation of King Seiko KSK, to the Prospex SRQ029 Limited Edition — to name just a few among many — the brand has demonstrated admirable expertise in creating...

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Mar 1, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

WatchTime Live Returns March 4 with a Virtual Event Co-Hosted by Grand Seiko

Following up on its successful WatchTime Live virtual panel series last fall, and its ongoing TimeOut discussions of 2021, WatchTime Magazine next week returns with its latest digital event, partnering with Grand Seiko for the first WatchTime Live event of 2021. The event takes place next Thursday, March 4, at 5 pm EST, with pre-registration...

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Feb 25, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

FEATURE

Touching the Past: Six Modern “Retro” Watches and the Historical Pieces That Inspired Them

When retro-inspired watches are modeled after specific predecessors, fans of mechanical timekeeping can “grasp” design history. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we take a look at six watches that awaken a longing for the past.

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Feb 22, 2021 by Alexander Krupp

REVIEW:

Borrowed Time: The GPHG-Winning Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Re-Creation SLA025J1

In 1968, three years after the brand’s first dive watch was released (the 62MAS or Reference 6217-800x with 150-meter water resistance), Seiko’s engineers managed to raise the bar with a Hi-Beat divers’ watch with 300-meter water resistance (Reference 6159-700x). This model was not only the first Japanese dive watch to be equipped with a 10-beat...

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Feb 11, 2021 by Roger Ruegger

PORTFOLIO

Time Tools: 8 Tool Watches From Luxury Brands

In this article from the WatchTime archives, we present eight "tool watches" that emphasize functionality and are robust, accurate, legible, and — importantly — not excessively expensive.

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Feb 4, 2021 by Jens Koch

Island Inspired: Seiko Introduces Trio of 140th Anniversary Prospex Divers

Amidst all the heavy coverage of last week’s LVMH Watch Week, Seiko quietly introduced a trio of anniversary timepieces in celebration of the Japanese brand’s founding in 1881. All three limited-edition 140th Anniversary Prospex Divers are based on Seiko’s classic 1968 Hi-Beat Diver: the Seiko Prospex SLA047, Seiko Prospex SPB207, and Seiko Prospex SSC807. Each...

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Feb 1, 2021 by Caleb Anderson

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

The History of Seiko Through 12 Milestone Seiko Watches

Discover the history of Seiko watchmaking, stretching all the way back to the late 19th century, which includes several watch-world firsts, from the Seiko Marvel (1956) to the watch-world game changer: the Seiko Astron GPS Solar.

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Jan 20, 2021 by Mark Bernardo

FEATURE

Essence of Emerald: 15 Green-Dial Watches On Sale Now

It doesn’t get any greener in today’s watch world. Or does it? There have never been as many green watches as there are today, and in this feature we explore the emergence of the trend and showcase 15 currently available emerald-hued timepieces. Although blue has been the most prominent trendy color for watches for the...

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Jan 18, 2021 by Ruediger Bucher

LIST:

Brown is the New Black: Five Noteworthy Watches with Chocolate Hues

There’s a reason why timepieces with brown dials haven’t developed as a universal offering from watch brands in the same way other colorways have. The popular blue and green looks that we’ve seen proliferate over the past few years are able to offer a lively interpretation of time with their attractive and vibrant hues. Black...

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Jan 15, 2021 by WatchTime

2020, The Watch Year in Review: 10 Dynamic Dive Watches

It goes without saying: 2020 was far from an ideal year for most of us. Looking back, however, it was also a year that brought many noteworthy watch launches despite the huge obstacles posed by the pandemic and its effects on the world economy. As we look ahead hopefully to 2021, it’s time for our...

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Dec 26, 2020 by Mark Bernardo

Return of the King: Seiko Unveils Re-Creation of King Seiko KSK for its 140th Anniversary

In 2021, Seiko will commemorate 140 years in the watch business since its first launch in 1881, and as a result, the next year is slated to be one of the biggest yet for the Japanese watchmaker. To kick off the celebrations, the brand this week unveiled possibly its least expected revival of a vintage...

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Dec 10, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

BANG FOR THE BUCK

Ticking Admission Tickets: 10 Entry-Level Mechanical Watches

Every watch collection has to start somewhere, and often that initial watch purchase is on a somewhat restricted budget. Here's an introduction to entry-level mechanical watches from 10 brands. To narrow the field down, we only considered men’s watches with a case diameter of 37 mm or greater.

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Nov 20, 2020 by Alexander Krupp

Grand Seiko Unveils the Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary & Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Editions

Grand Seiko knows how to celebrate an anniversary, and this past week the Japanese watchmaker celebrated two. First unveiling the Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition and shortly afterward the Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition, Grand Seiko celebrates both the birthday of Seiko’s founder and the founding of parent brand Seiko — then known as...

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Nov 13, 2020 by Caleb Anderson

Worn & Wound’s Windup Watch Fair Goes Virtual From November 14-25

The watch enthusiast website Worn & Wound, which has hosted its Windup Watch Fair in New York and San Francisco for the past several years, will be bringing the popular collectors’ event to an all-digital platform in 2020. Taking place over 12 days starting this Saturday, November 14, the Virtual Windup Watch Fair will take...

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Nov 12, 2020 by WatchTime

Showing at WatchTime Live 2020: Grand Seiko Soko U.S. Special Editions

Inspired by the end of Autumn, Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko has introduced two new special edition timepieces to its Heritage Collection.

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Oct 19, 2020 by Corey Vlahos

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