Precision Japanese Timepieces

When it comes to timepieces, the Swiss mostly come to mind. But in the last few decades, the Japanese have gained distinction of their own in creating some of the world’s finest watches. Japanese watches are known for their high functionality, efficient designs, and affordable price tag.

The watchmaking industry today recognizes the Swiss and the Japanese as the two renowned watchmaking powers. Recently, the Swiss have been keen on mergers and acquisitions, contributing to the further growth of some of the watchmaking powerhouses. On the other hand, Japanese watch companies remain confident in their place in the market structure.  According to Katsuaki Noji, president of Citizen Trading Co.:

“The strength of the Swiss industry is in their mechanical movements, not in quartz, though they provide those too. Our power for developing new technology for quartz movements is bigger and much stronger than theirs. So we don’t feel any concern in that area.”

Japan’s 3 big watch companies:

Seiko – the oldest and probably the most popular among Japanese watch brands. The company was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori when he opened a watch and jewelry shop in the Ginza area of Tokyo called “K. Hattori.”  Seiko in Japanese means “exquisite” or “success.” Seiko first produced watches in 1924, and in 1969 the brand came out with the Astron, the world’s first quartz watch (uses an electronic oscillator or circuit regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time). By the 1970s, Seiko had risen in popularity to rival Swiss made watches.

Seiko’s niche in the market is the use of kinetic movements, or automatic quartz movements. It was first introduced in 1986, eliminating the need for the use of watch batteries.

Citizen – originally founded as Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918. The trade name originated from a pocket watch called Citizen in 1924 and is today one of the world’s largest producers of watches.

Citizen’s niche in the market is its Eco-Drive technology (watches use a battery recharged by a solar panel hidden under the watch face), or solar-powered timepieces. This was first introduced in 1995.

Orient – the company dates back to 1901 when Shogoro Yoshida first opened his Yoshida Watch Shop, selling imported pocket watches in Ueno, Taito, Tokyo. In 1912, Yoshida expanded his business and began making his own wristwatch cases. Today, Orient is a subsidiary of Seiko Epson Corporation. Orient is known for manufacturing luxury mechanical watches as well as producing exceptional quartz, solar, and radio-controlled watches.