Seiko

Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori as a watch repair and sales shop in Ginza, Tokyo, the company began manufacturing clocks under the Seikosha name in 1892. Seiko produced Japan's first wristwatch (the Laurel) in 1913 and adopted the Seiko brand name in 1924. The company revolutionized timekeeping by releasing the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, on December 25, 1969—triggering the 'Quartz Crisis' that reshaped the Swiss watch industry. Seiko served as official timekeeper for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and has continued innovating with technologies like Spring Drive (combining mechanical and quartz elements) and the luxury Grand Seiko line established in 1960.