Seiko

Who are Seiko?

Seiko is a Japanese watchmaker based in Tokyo. The business began in 1881 as a watch and clock shop, and the first watch sold under the Seiko name followed in 1924 (Seiko Group). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a second-hand Seiko in the UK.

Seiko makes mechanical, quartz, solar and GPS watches, and has also made clocks, sports timing systems and batteries (Seiko Group). Its higher-end sister brand, Grand Seiko, has been presented separately since 2017; it has its own page. The watches on this page are those sold under the Seiko name.

The history of Seiko

Seiko’s history runs from a Tokyo shop in 1881 to a listed group that has made watches for more than a century. The key dates are Japan’s first wristwatch (1913), the first Seiko watch (1924), the first Seiko diver (1965), the Quartz Astron (1969) and the separation of Grand Seiko (2017).

A shop, then a factory. Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock retail and repair shop in Tokyo in 1881. In 1892 he set up Seikosha, which began by making wall clocks, and its first pocket watch, the Timekeeper, followed in 1895 (Seiko Group).

The first wristwatches. In 1913, expecting a move away from pocket watches, the company launched the Laurel, which the group calls Japan’s first wristwatch (Seiko Group). The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 destroyed its facilities. Seiko says it resumed operations and replaced, free of charge, customers’ watches that had been held for repair and were damaged (Seiko Group). The first Seiko-brand watch was launched in 1924 (Seiko Group).

Two factories. Seiko made watches through two companies: Daini Seikosha, founded in 1937 and now Seiko Instruments, and the Suwa factory, which became Suwa Seikosha in 1959 and is now Seiko Epson (Seiko Group). The two competed: Suwa made the first Grand Seiko in 1960, and Daini released the first King Seiko in 1961 (Wikipedia).

The 1960s. The Seiko 5 line traces back to the Seiko Sportsmatic 5 of 1963 (Wikipedia). Seiko was official timer at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (Seiko Group). In 1965 it introduced its first diver’s watch, also the first made in Japan: an automatic, water resistant to 150 metres, used by members of the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969 (Seiko).

1969. Seiko launched the Quartz Astron, which the group calls “the world’s first quartz watch” (Seiko Group); Wikipedia’s wording is “the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch”. In the same year Seiko released the 5 Sports Speed Timer, which Wikipedia describes as the world’s first commercially available automatic chronograph. That claim is disputed: Zenith’s El Primero and the Calibre 11 developed by Heuer and partners also appeared in 1969, and Monochrome Watches dates the El Primero’s unveiling to January of that year. See our pages on Zenith and TAG Heuer.

Quartz, Kinetic and Spring Drive. A six-digit LCD watch followed in 1973 (Seiko Group). Time+Tide dates the release of the Automatic Generating System, a quartz watch charged by the wearer’s movement, to 1988, and its renaming as Kinetic to 1993; Wikipedia says Kinetic watches were introduced at the Basel fair in 1986, a date Time+Tide gives for an earlier hand-wound quartz model. Seiko launched the first Spring Drive watch in 1999 (Seiko Group).

Recent years. The Astron name returned in 2012 on a solar watch that sets itself by GPS (Seiko Group). Grand Seiko became a separate brand in 2017 (Seiko Watch Corporation). In 2022 the parent company took the name Seiko Group Corporation and King Seiko was fully revived as a brand (Wikipedia).

What is Seiko known for?

Seiko is known for quartz, for dive watches, and for making most of what goes into its watches itself. Its range runs from automatic Seiko 5 watches to GPS solar Astrons. The details below are each sourced.

Quartz. The 1969 Quartz Astron put a quartz movement in a watch that could be bought (Seiko Group; Wikipedia). Quartz watches keep time with a vibrating crystal and a battery or cell rather than a balance wheel and mainspring; our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

Dive watches. The 1965 diver began a line that Seiko still makes under Prospex. In 2023 Seiko re-created it as a limited edition of 1,965 pieces (Seiko). Water resistance ratings are explained in our guide to what water resistance ratings mean.

Kinetic and solar. Kinetic watches use the motion of the wearer’s wrist to charge their battery (Wikipedia). The Astron GPS Solar of 2012 combines a solar panel with GPS time-setting (Seiko Group). Time+Tide wrote in 2021 that the Kinetic line appeared to be being phased out.

Making its own parts. Seiko opened the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in 2004, which the group describes as a fully integrated manufacturing facility for mechanical watches (Seiko Group).

Modified watches. Seiko automatics are popular bases for “mods”: watches rebuilt with aftermarket cases, dials, hands and bezels, often around Seiko’s NH35 or NH36 movement (Mantle Magazine). This matters when you buy second-hand, as the section below explains.

Which Seiko collections are there?

Seiko’s UK site lists King Seiko, Prospex, Presage, Astron and 5 Sports as its main collections, along with Coutura, Seiko Premier and a core range (Seiko UK). The collections table gives a one-line description of the five main ones.

A few points help when you are reading listings:

• Prospex series. Prospex is split into Sea for divers, Land, and Speedtimer, a chronograph series that Seiko says is inspired by the 1969 Speedtimer (Seiko UK).
• Seiko 5 and 5 Sports. The “5” refers to five traits a Seiko 5 would usually have, including an automatic movement, a day-and-date display and a recessed crown at 4 o’clock (Wikipedia). Older Seiko 5 watches and today’s 5 Sports models are different generations; check which one a listing describes.
• Astron, old and new. “Astron” can mean the 1969 quartz watch or the GPS solar watches made since 2012 (Seiko Group).
• Reference and calibre. Look up the reference and calibre from the caseback on Seiko’s site to confirm the movement type before you buy: two similar-looking Seikos may have quite different movements.

Who owns Seiko?

Seiko watches are made and sold by Seiko Watch Corporation, part of Seiko Group Corporation, a Tokyo company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (securities code 8050) since 1949 (Seiko Group).

Seiko Watch Corporation was set up in 2001, when the parent became a holding company; the parent was renamed Seiko Holdings in 2007 and Seiko Group Corporation in 2022, and Seiko Instruments’ watch business moved into Seiko Watch Corporation in 2020 (Wikipedia). Seiko Group’s shareholder breakdown at 30 September 2026 shows individuals holding about a third of its shares, with the rest spread across financial institutions, other Japanese companies and overseas investors (Seiko Group). Wikipedia’s summary names the Hattori family as owner; the group’s own figures do not list individual shareholders, so we could not confirm the family’s stake.

Seiko Epson grew out of Suwa Seikosha but is a separate listed company, managed independently of the Seiko Group (Wikipedia).

In the UK, Seiko U.K. Limited was incorporated on 29 November 1971, and Companies House records Seiko Group Corporation as holding 75% or more of its shares (Companies House).

Buying a Seiko watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check that the watch is all original, that the movement matches the model, and that any papers belong to it. Then check its condition, when it was last serviced or had its battery changed, and who you are buying from.

1. Is it original or modified? Because Seiko automatics are popular bases for mods (Mantle Magazine), a second-hand Seiko may have an aftermarket dial, hands, bezel or crystal, or a different movement from the one it left the factory with. That is not wrong in itself, but it should be described as such. Ask the seller in writing whether every part is original, and compare the dial and hands with photos of the reference on Seiko’s site.

2. Authenticity. Ask the seller to put in writing that the watch is genuine and to accept returns if it is not, and have it checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

3. Condition. Ask for close-up photos of the crystal, bezel, case edges and bracelet, and how the seller grades the watch. Our guide to watch condition grades explains what the usual terms mean.

4. Vintage Seikos. For older watches, such as 1960s divers or early quartz models, originality of the dial and hands matters more than a fresh look. Ask whether parts have been replaced, and expect that some original parts may no longer be available.

5. Servicing, batteries and charging. For an automatic, ask when it was last serviced and by whom; our guide to caring for a mechanical watch explains what servicing involves. For quartz, ask when the battery was changed and whether the water resistance was tested afterwards. Kinetic and solar watches use a rechargeable cell rather than a standard battery (Wikipedia), so a watch that will not hold a charge may need its cell replaced by someone who knows these calibres.

6. Papers. Many Seikos are sold second-hand without a box or warranty card. Papers help, but for most Seikos the movement and parts tell you more. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

7. Who you buy from. A dealer must meet the Consumer Rights Act; a private seller has fewer obligations. Our guide to private sellers versus dealers sets out the differences.

8. Where it fits. Many buyers start with a Seiko before trading up. A Seiko automatic is a way to learn what you like in size, dial and bracelet before spending more, and our watch sizing guide helps with fit. If you later want a Japanese watch made to a higher finish, look at Grand Seiko.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Is Seiko the same company as Grand Seiko?

Grand Seiko is a separate brand but not a separate company. Both are part of Seiko Group Corporation (Seiko Watch Corporation; Wikipedia).

When was Seiko founded?

The business began in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo. The first Seiko-brand watch followed in 1924 (Seiko Group).

Who owns Seiko?

Seiko Group Corporation, a Tokyo company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under code 8050 (Seiko Group).

Did Seiko make the first quartz watch?

Seiko launched the Quartz Astron in 1969 and calls it the world’s first quartz watch (Seiko Group). Wikipedia describes it as the first commercially available quartz wristwatch.

What does the 5 in Seiko 5 mean?

Five traits a Seiko 5 would usually have, including an automatic movement, a day-and-date display and a recessed crown at 4 o’clock (Wikipedia).

When did Seiko make its first dive watch?

In 1965. Seiko says it was Japan’s first diver’s watch, an automatic water resistant to 150 metres (Seiko).

What is a Seiko Kinetic?

A quartz watch whose cell is charged by the motion of the wearer’s wrist (Wikipedia). It was first released as the Automatic Generating System in 1988 (Time+Tide).

What is a Seiko mod?

A Seiko, or a watch built around a Seiko movement, that has been fitted with aftermarket parts such as a new dial, hands or bezel (Mantle Magazine). When buying second-hand, ask whether a watch has been modified.

Can I buy a second-hand Seiko without papers?

Yes, and many are sold that way. Without papers, rely on the seller’s written description, photos of the movement and caseback, and a check by a watchmaker you choose.

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Seiko.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.