The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Our Correspondent / EMIRATES BUSINESS
Seiko was founded in 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop called ‘Hattori Tokeiten’ in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. 11 years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the name Seikosha, meaning roughly ‘The house of precision’.
Seiko in Japanese means ‘precision’. The first wrist watch produced named ‘Laurel’ appeared in 1913. In 1969, Seiko introduced ‘Quartz Astron’, the world’s first production quartz watch; which when first introduced, cost as much as a medium-sized car. Seiko later went on to introduce the first quartz chronograph. In 1988, Seiko produced the world’s first kinetic watch that combined the self-energising attributes of an automatic watch with quartz accuracy. The watch is entirely powered by its movement in everyday wear.
The company was renamed Hattori Seiko Co. Ltd. in 1983 and Seiko Corporation in 1990. After reconstructing and creating its operating subsidiaries (such as Seiko Watch Corporation and Seiko Clock Inc.), it became a holding company in 2001 and was renamed Seiko Holdings Corporation as of July 1, 2007. Presently the company has a strong foothold in the Middle East market, especially in the UAE.
Noboru Miyadera, General Manager of Public Relations and Advertising Department, Seiko, said, “We have always tried and produced sustainable products. Even our recent venture with PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) helped in raising awareness of the need to protect our ocean’s environment. Seiko has been pioneering in innovative technologies that power many of our watches and are honoured to be able to participate in this novel venture to protect our seas.â€
Seiko’s ‘Project Aware’ is a global movement of scuba divers coming together to protect oceans — one dive at a time. Project Aware empowers thousands of divers in more than 180 countries to work together for
clean, healthy and abundant oceans.
Since the launch of its first diver’s watch in 1965, Seiko has brought to professional divers a stream of innovative new technologies and designs that have made diving safer and easier for the professional and recreational diver alike.
These innovations include the world’s first titanium diver’s watch in 1975, the first diver’s watch with a ceramic outer case in 1986 and the first Nitrox Dive Computer watch in 2000. Thanks to these advances and to the supreme quality of our diver’s watches, Seiko has earned a high reputation of trust in the diving community.
Seiko believes that the wristwatch is an intimate accessory. The best watches live in harmony and interact with the wearer, and their functions offer a reassuring and emotionally satisfying bond. Seiko’s technological development is also focussed on the
creation of ’emotional technologies. Emotional technology creates an innovative interaction between the wearer and the product.
