What Makes Seiko Watches Timeless and Iconic

For more than half a century, Seiko has been one of America’s best-known watch brands. While luxury brands like Rolex offer timeless elegance and style but an insanely high price point, Seiko watch parts and timepieces have always thrived in the mid-range market with more affordable watches. But what made it iconic and well-known among watch enthusiasts and the average American consumer? Read on to find out what made Seiko so great.

How Seiko Started

The story of Seiko began in 1881, almost 140 years ago. A young entrepreneur named Kintaro Hattori opened a shop in central Tokyo where he sells and repairs watches. Business seems to be doing well, which eventually led to the creation of the ‘Seikosha’ factory in 1892. It eventually evolved into the brand we know today as Seiko. They’ve since developed very iconic watches that have come to define the brand and revolutionize the industry.

Seiko vs. Swiss Brands

When people talk about Seiko, the first thing that comes to mind is the brand’s line of quartz watches. They are Seiko’s bread and butter and are arguably their most iconic line of timepieces. However, that doesn’t mean they are defined by quartz watches alone. Seiko also has an astounding collection of high-quality mechanical watches that could compete with most Swiss watch brands.

Seiko has been making watches for more than a hundred years and has set itself apart from the Swiss watch industry by focusing on innovation. While most Swiss brands exclusively offer an expensive luxury product by producing timepieces based on their perfected method, Seiko offers quality mechanical watches that continue to evolve over the years. They even made a separate brand focusing on luxury watches called the Grand Seiko, which are mainly composed of men’s mechanical watches.

What Makes Seiko Watches Special?

If you ask most watch enthusiasts and horologists, Seiko has always been known to display a level of artistry that was unprecedented during the time it first made waves in the industry. Up until today, the brand has been known for its top-notch finishing, impressive beat rates, and superior power reserves. In the watch modding community, it has also earned quite a reputation as one of the most mod-friendly watch brands that allow a lot of flexibility and room for personalization. Many watch enthusiasts have used Seiko watches as their stepping stone into the world of watch modding, which opened up a lot of possibilities for them.

Beyond Seiko’s outstanding craftsmanship, the brand has swept the industry by storm thanks to its inventive timepieces. From the introduction of the world’s first quartz watch, the Seiko Quartz Astron, in 1969 to their more recent creations, Seiko innovations have always pushed the watch industry to greater heights. They even introduced the world’s first watch with computer functions and the first spring-driven luxury mechanical watch with quartz accuracy.

Conclusion

There’s certainly more to a Seiko watch than meets the eye. Its unique edge and artistry combined with timeless design and innovation make each of its timepieces a worthwhile investment.

SeikoMods is the go-to specialist when it comes to modding parts for Seiko timepieces. We are the UK’s number one choice for Seiko mod parts, serving the UK and worldwide. If you want to personalize your Seiko timepieces, visit our store page to look for the parts you need.