Feature: The best Japanese watch brands
Many people associate quality luxury watches with Switzerland, although it certainly isn’t the only hotspot for fine timepieces. In recent years Japan has risen to become a watchmaking stronghold, proving time and again that it has the means to produce some of the finest timepieces around. From Grand Seiko to Casio, this watch-loving nation has left an indelible mark on modern watchmaking as we know it. Here are the stand-out brands from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Casio
Starting out as a creator of electrical goods from calculators to typewriters, Casio dipped its toe into the watchmaking pool in 1974 with the release of the Casiotron and its dived even deeper into that pool since. It has gone on to produce some of the most popular and accessible watches around, including the ultra-durable G-Shock, the vintage F-91W and gimmicky models such as the Calculator Watch—as worn by Marty McFly in classic 1980s film, Back to the Future. These models have all gone on to gain icon status, thanks to their nostalgic feel and retro digital LED display.
An all-black edition of the resilient G-Shock
With some of its watches like the F-91W and MQ-24 going for around £20, it offers some of the most affordable watches from a reputable brand. This combination of iconic designs and affordable prices has made Casio the go-to for those searching for a decent wallet-friendly timepiece, as well as anyone after a digital watch, with which the brand is synonymous—although, it does offer analogue models, too.
One thing’s for sure, any self-proclaimed watch collector has—or had—a Casio in their collection.
Grand Seiko
Originally part of the Seiko group, Grand Seiko dates to the 1960s when it unveiled its first watch. However, in 2017 it became independent, splitting from its parent company, Seiko. This helped it to develop its own luxury persona by differentiating itself from Seiko’s quality but relatively cheap watches. You’ll notice that models made in 2017 onwards only feature the Grand Seiko logo on the dial at 12 o’clock, instead of the former Seiko logo.
Grand Seiko has garnered a reputation for creating beautiful timepieces of the highest quality. A great example of this is its Inspired by Nature series, which showcases watches with textured dials that resemble the landscapes surrounding Grand Seiko’s two manufactures in Iwate and Shinshu. For example, the Heritage Collection 62GS Mechanical Hi-Beat 36000 SBGH341 resembles snowy cherry blossoms in spring with its pretty pink textured dial.
The exquisite dial of the Heritage Collection 62GS SBGH341, inspired by snow-coated cherry blossoms
The Masterpiece Collection is home to some of the watchmaker’s more technical pieces such as the Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon. This watch combined a tourbillon and a constant-force mechanism as one unit on a single axis for the first time, making it a revolutionary release.
The remarkable Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon
On a technical note, its movements including the hybrid electronic and mechanical Spring Drive, mechanical Hi-Beat and its quartz movements have all gained impressive reputations.
Seiko
Founded by Kintaro Hattori in the 1880s, Seiko started life as a retail store and then a clock manufacturer before moving on to making pocket watches and alarm clocks. At the dawn of the First World War, Hattori decided that his company should begin creating wristwatches, and the rest is history.
To begin with, Seiko copied Swiss movements for its mechanical wristwatches. This didn’t last long, though, as Seiko’s watchmakers began to innovate, creating an efficient winding system named the Magic Lever, as well as one of the world’s first automatic chronographs in the 1960s. Of course, Seiko’s position in the realm of quartz wristwatches is well documented. In 1969, Seiko unveiled the Astron in its native Japan. It was the first mass-produced quartz wristwatch, making it a landmark piece using technology that almost brought Swiss watchmaking to its knees in the 1970s—a tumultuous period known as the quartz crisis.
The Seiko Astron was the first mass-produced quartz wristwatch
Considering Seiko takes its name from the Japanese word for precision (seikosha), it isn’t surprising that it has several technical feats under its belt. One more recent accomplishment is its hybrid mechanical Spring Drive movement with a quartz regulator featuring a constantly rotating flywheel. This creates a seconds hand with a sweeping, as opposed to ticking, motion—just like a mechanical watch.
Popular Seiko models include its 5 Sports range, Presage and Prospex series.
Citizen
Citizen is renowned for creating affordable yet reliable timepieces, making its watches an extremely popular choice across the world. One contributor to Citizen’s success is its subsidiary brand, Miyota—a watch movement manufacturer that supplies Citizen and several other brands with its affordable yet trustworthy movements. Miyota produces a variety of movements in huge numbers, exporting them around the world, as well as Japan.
Despite its high-volume output of watches, Citizen has accomplished several impressive technical feats over the years. This includes the world’s smallest quartz movement, as well as radio-controlled movements that sync up to atomic clocks, and the solar-powered Eco-Drive movements—now one of its best-known products. In fact, in 2017, Citizen unveiled the Eco-Drive One, the world’s thinnest light-powered watch at only 2.98mm thick.
The ultra-thin Eco-Drive One is only 2.98mm thick
On top of this it also boasts the most accurate non-radio-controlled wristwatch in the world, The Citizen. This remarkable model is a quartz-powered perpetual calendar, guaranteed accurate to plus or minus five seconds per year. However, this impressive release is only available in Japan.
Citizen has gone on to acquire a few other brands too, including Bulova from the US, and Alpina and Frederique Constant from Switzerland, forming the Citizen Group.
Credor
We’ve mentioned Seiko and Grand Seiko already, but the Seiko group doesn’t end there. Credor is yet another arm of this mighty group, one that is home to its most exquisite and exclusive models. Born in 1974, Credor was initially a high-end Seiko brand that used rare materials. The name Credor derives from the French word “Crete d’Or”, meaning “pinnacle of gold” and this is reflected in the quality of its watches which are constructed from only the finest materials including precious metals such as gold and platinum.
Credor’s first string of releases were dressy, jewellery-based pieces made from precious metals and set with diamonds, including the superb Jewelry Watch range. Then, in 1993, it unveiled the Pacifique collection, the watchmaker’s first line of fully waterproof luxury sports watches.
The stunning Eichi II was first unveiled in 2014
In 2008 Credor introduced the Node Eichi, which featured the world’s first Torque Return System and the new Calibre 7R08, a movement crafted entirely by hand. In 2014, the Eichi II was released. It boasts a hand-painted porcelain dial crafted in-house. The deep blue “Ruri Edition” with its lapis lazuli dial was added to the collection in 2021. Credor continues to make exceptional watches that can rival any Swiss brand and showcase the best of what Seiko can offer.
Orient
Starting out in the 1950s, Orient—including its sister brand, Orient Star—describes itself as being “at the forefront of mechanical watch production in Japan”. Considering many Japanese watchmakers have strong links to quartz technology, this gives Orient a key USP, especially given its movements are in-house. Interestingly, Orient was acquired by—you guessed it—the Seiko group in 2017, a brand whose connection to quartz runs deep.
In 1967, Orient unveiled the Fineness, an automatic day-date that was one of the thinnest automatic Japanese-made watches created between 1967 to 1974, a period in which thin dress timepieces gained popularity.
This Multi Year Calendar model was released in the 1980s. Image courtesy of Bonhams
One of Orient’s most popular and interesting models is the Multi Year Calendar. Made in 1976, the unique calendar function shows days 1 to 31 on the dial, with only one crown adjustment needed each month.
Orient is testament to the quality that Japanese watches can offer outside of quartz timepieces.
Kurono Tokyo
Kurono Tokyo has received high praise in recent years as one of Japan’s most exciting independent watchmakers. All its watches are designed by Hajime Asaoka, a prominent Japanese independent watchmaker who produces very high-end pieces. However, Asaoka’s mission with Kurono is to create beautiful, high-quality timepieces at affordable prices. This means typically expensive dial art such as Urushi—which uses a special lacquer made from tree sap— is more accessible without compromising the craftmanship behind it.
Kurono Tokyo doesn’t produce its movements in-house, instead, it uses movements from fellow Japanese brand, Miyota, which is renowned for being relatively affordable and reliable. Almost all Kurono watches use the Miyota 90S5—one of its more premium offerings.
All Kurono models are made of 316L steel, with the same elegant proportions of watches from the 1960s, an era Asaoka believes is “the golden age of mechanical watches”.
The Anniversary Green Mori sold out in just a few minutes in 2020
To celebrate its first anniversary, Kurono unveiled the Anniversary Green Mori in 2020. With its striking metallic green dial, this model sold out remarkably quickly, with only 288 pieces ever made. The Anniversary Green Mori kickstarted the fanfare around Kurono within watch circles, an excitement that isn’t likely to subside anytime soon.
