A Message from the CEO

February 25, 2021

Dear Friend of Grand Seiko and Seiko,

This year, we celebrate the 140th anniversary of the founding of Seiko by my great-grandfather, Kintaro Hattori. I see this as an opportunity to reflect on our long history, to take stock of what he and my predecessors have achieved and to look ahead to the future.

Kintaro directed the company until his death in 1934. He became known as the “King of Watches in the East”. He created a company that could produce timepieces of high quality and remarkable precision, and he guided Seiko through good times and bad to become the leading watch company in Japan. I know he would be proud of our vertically integrated production system, which covers everything from initial design to parts manufacturing and even materials development.
Yet his greatest legacy was something longer lasting and more valuable than our manufacturing methods or our business model. It was his vision of the kind of company he wanted Seiko to be - one that cherishes its customers and all its stakeholders and is truly trusted by society.

Kintaro’s spirit is clear in his words that Seiko should be “Always one step ahead of the rest” and in the lesson he repeated to his colleagues as they went about their duties: “Don’t run but always keep going”. His words still resonate and continue to inspire all of us as we face the challenges of these demanding times and aim for a brighter future.

I like to think that Kintaro would be proud of what we have achieved in recent times and of our ambitious program for 2021, which we have developed in line with his vision and spirit.

I am confident that the collections we are going to show you will live up to Kintaro’s ideals, and that the coming year will mark the start of an exciting new era for both Grand Seiko and Seiko.

Yours sincerely,