Seiko 140th Anniversary
Limited Edition

Seiko's founder Kintaro Hattori was born in central Tokyo in 1860 at a time in Japanese history characterized by rapid modernization and westernization. The young entrepreneur saw the sudden and momentous changes in Japanese life as a moment of opportunity. In 1881, at the age of just 21, he set up his own company, "K. Hattori", to wholesale and retail imported timepieces and, just twelve years later, he established a factory which he called Seikosha, 'The house of precision', to produce his own clocks and, later, watches. His aim was for Seikosha to be able to manufacture and assemble all the components for its timepiece in-house by mastering every aspect of the horological art. Step by careful step under Kintaro's leadership, the company achieved his aim. Its long list of watchmaking innovations down the decades bears testament to his remarkable vision and continues to inspire it to this day.

REVOLUTION

Always one step ahead of the rest.

"Every merchant needs to be one step ahead of the rest, but only one step. If you go too many steps ahead, you will become distant from the public and closer to a prophet. A merchant should never become a prophet."

EVOLUTION

Without haste, but without rest

"It is better to have ambitions and work step by step without haste but without rest."
"If you hurry, you have to rest. If you want to move forward without rest, then you must not hurry."

QUALITY

Good products always get the patronage of customers

From the very beginning of Seikosha, Kintaro Hattori was determined to achieve success by making timepieces of the highest quality and his extraordinary determination is revealed in the name he gave to his factory, "The house of precision". He was firmly convinced that only products of high quality would earn the trust of his customers.