Seiko Holdings & Epson: Corporate Overview

cazalea · 2014-10-19T10:35:24Z

Explore Seiko's vast industrial empire beyond watches. This overview details Seiko Holdings and Epson's diverse divisions, from watches to precision components.

cazalea

WPS member · Seiko forum

12 replies11042 views16 photos

Cazalea's 'VISIT TO SEIKO PART 1: The Overview' provides a foundational understanding of Seiko not just as a watch brand, but as a vast industrial conglomerate. This article is crucial for new collectors to grasp the scale and diverse operations of Seiko Holdings and Seiko Epson, offering context that enriches appreciation for their horological output. It sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the company's manufacturing capabilities and strategic divisions.

SEIKO - What is it?

The word SEIKO is well known to watch collectors as a brand. It's not so well known as a huge industrial corporation. Please take a moment to look at the overall picture, for it will help us to understand the watches.

Seiko is not a person's name; it is the current name of a company created by clock and watchmaker Mr. K.Hattori in 1881. I will not go into the history in this article. But on a rainy day, you may enjoy looking it up for yourself.

Seiko means precision, accurate, exquisite.

Now as far as watch companies go, SEIKO HOLDINGS is a large, global, public company, with 2103 sales of 3 billion US dollars. Seiko's overall goal as a corporation is stated as:

Offering products and services that exceed customers' expectations

through "emotional technology" that moves people's hearts.

After 100 years, Seiko Holdings remains focused on watches as their core business, while also maximizing profitability in various business segments and remaining trusted by society and by people around the world.

Here are some of the corporate divisions of SEIKO HOLDINGS CORPORATION:

SEIKO WATCH - planning and brand management and sales for the watch business

SEIKO INSTRUMENTS - development and production of watches, machine tools, printers, components and other tools

SEIKO CLOCK - manufacturing and sales of desk, wall and alarm clocks

SEIKO TIME SYSTEMS - master clocks, displays, sports timing equipment, etc.

SEIKO PRECISION - manufacturing and sales of precision components, camera shutters, production equipment

SEIKO NPC - integrated circuit chips

SEIKO SOLUTIONS - manufacturing, sales, service and consulting for information and network systems

SEIKO OPTICAL - eyeglasses and other optical products

WAKO - retail sales of watches, jewelry, art, etc through Tokyo Wako store

Not included in SEIKO HOLDING's structure is another public company known as SEIKO EPSON . It also has many divisions and generated over $1 billion in sales in 2013.

Epson produces printers, optical imaging products (such as my home cinema projector), semi-conductors, quartz crystals, printheads, plating, powdered metals, industrial robots, and of course, manufactures watches, including Grand Seiko 9F quartz, Spring Drive, Actron GPS Solar, and other movements.

EPSON's core goals are to advance constantly in three areas: COMPACT, ENERGY-SAVINGS and HIGH PRECISION.

As an example, Seiko's Astron watch relies on the resources of EPSON chip makers, antenna designers, industrial robots, etc. This year the company was able to shrink the watch by 30% and increase its efficiency. Notice new version of antenna and circuit and battery on the left, versus previous on the right. Thus COMPACT, ENERGY-SAVINGS and HIGH PRECISION were achieved.

So we have SEIKO WATCH controlling and promoting the brands known as SEIKO, GRAND SEIKO, CREDOR, etc while various companies under corporate ownership or control are manufacturing the products and while taking advantage of the resources of their related subsidiaries.

THE BACKGROUND

Because I have collected Seiko products (without understanding this structure, by the way), I was interested in visiting Seiko. So when the chance came to take a vacation to Japan with a group of clock and music box collectors, last April we began to plan on visiting the company.

Despite having to evade 2 world-class typhoons, we were able to see many other sites that helped us understand Japanese culture and its timekeeping heritage. And everywhere we went in Japan, we saw SEIKO. Airport, bus station, train station, emperor's villa - you name it, we saw Seiko on walls, desks, wrists.

Moderator KIH and others in the PuristSPro organization made introductions, and lobbied on behalf of PuristS everywhere, so Mrs C and I were able to visit two of the watch factories that produce Seiko watches.

As I begin I would like to thank the folks who went out of their way to share with us:

Seiko brand PR managers Noboru Miyadera and Keiko Naruse who between them have 50 years with Seiko. Before our visit they calmed my increasingly-frantic mood as the typhoon blew our cruise ship into the China Sea. Once we returned to dry land, they guided us through subway stations, across the country in trains, and hosted some memorable meals in lovely restaurants.

Seiko museum manager Hiroaki Kobari took the time to give us close attention during a visit to the Seiko Museum.

Ryoji Takahashi shepherded us through the Seiko Instruments' Morioka Shizukuishi Watch Studio, which produces Grand Seiko mechanical watches.

Hirokazu Imai led us through the maze of Seiko Epson's Shiojiri plant which contains the Shinshu Watch Studio and produces Grand Seiko Quartz and Spring Drive watches, Credor Masterpieces, jewelry watches and the Astron GPS.

And special thanks to all the other managers and craftsmen and women who shared their talents with us so that we can help get their story to the world. We trust that no Seiko watches were harmed while we poked, prodded and inspected the work they do!

Nice nails, eh? What would you expect from someone who assembles fine watch movements?

And we appreciate all the folks behind the scenes who sent us home with plenty of information to digest.

PuristS, stand by for Part 2

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-10-19 20:22:05 This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-10-21 09:05:34

About the Seiko Astron Ref. SSJ027J1

The Seiko Astron SSJ027J1 is part of the Astron GPS Solar collection, known for its ability to adjust to local time anywhere in the world using GPS signals and solar power. This model integrates advanced technology with a refined aesthetic, positioning it as a sophisticated travel companion within Seiko's diverse offerings. It represents the brand's commitment to combining high-tech functionality with user-friendly features.

Equipped with a GPS Solar caliber, the SSJ027J1 features a titanium case and bracelet, offering both durability and lightweight comfort. The watch incorporates a dual-time display, a perpetual calendar, and a power reserve indicator, all powered by light. Its construction ensures precision timekeeping across different time zones without manual adjustment.

For collectors, the SSJ027J1 highlights Seiko's prowess in quartz technology and its continuous innovation in solar-powered GPS timekeeping. It appeals to those who value accuracy, global functionality, and a robust yet elegant design. The model underscores Seiko's ability to produce high-performance watches that cater to the demands of modern international travel.

Specifications

Caliber: 5X53

Case: Titanium

Diameter: 42.7mm

Dial: Black

Water Resist.: 100m

Crystal: Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

The trip to Seiko involved significant time commitment, including 5 hours of train travel and 4 hours at the factory, in addition to visits to Wako and the museum, highlighting the extensive research undertaken for the series.
Seiko is widely respected as a full-fledged manufacture, with many personal anecdotes attesting to the reliability and value of their watches, often lasting decades.
The author's detailed overview of Seiko's corporate structure and divisions is highly appreciated by the community for its depth and clarity, especially given Seiko's reputation for not extensively documenting its history.
The discussion emphasizes the dual goal of sharing passion for brands and watches while attracting a broad audience, benefiting both the community and the brand.

The Discussion

Ares501 - Mr Green

Oct 19, 2014

not only for part 2 and part 3 and 4 and.. as well as which of Spring drive definitions was considered best Yours D

SALMANPK

Oct 19, 2014

Great Part 1, what an awesome trip, look forward to the next part. Big Thank You for Posting this. S

KIH

Oct 19, 2014

... You have summarized very well the overall picture of "SEIKO" and "JAPAN". I am glad you enjoyed it. Seeing is believing, huh? Great writing! Ken

ED209

Oct 19, 2014

Great series of posts cazalea. I'm enjoying your pics on your visit to Seiko, it looks like a wonderful tour and some fascinating things to see. Regards, ED-209

jrwong23 (aka watchthebin)

Oct 20, 2014

I have always respected Seiko as a full fledged manufacture and your report makes me want to visit them one day too! I know little about the brand but I always hear others around me compliment Seiko as great value and very reliable watches. Many of my uncles and aunties have had their Seiko watches for 20 to 30+ years and they swear by their reliability! Great report and photos, thanks for preparing the report and sharing cazalea! I enjoyed this post alot cheers robin

cazalea

Oct 20, 2014

Hi Ron, We left our hotel around 8:30, rode the train and arrived in time for lunch. Tours from say 1:30-5:30 or about 4 hours. Train home 5:30-8:30 or 9:00. That's about 5 hours on the train plus 4 hours at the factory. Plus visits to Wako twice and 2 hours at the museum (plus the bus to/from hotel). Add emails, texts and phone calls, plus reading all the materials and watching videos. It was real work, but hopefully useful to everyone. Cheers, Cazalea

Continue the conversation

This thread is active on the Seiko forum with 12 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.

Join the Discussion →

About the Seiko Astron Ref. SSJ027J1

Specifications

Key Points from the Discussion

Continue the conversation

More from this Forum