Japanese Watches

In the past, Japanese watch brands may not have been associated with the luxury market – but the industry landscape is undergoing a tectonic shift. Our perception of luxury timepieces is changing, and so is where we buy them from. Nowadays over half the parts in Swiss watches are made in Asia.

As Switzerland battles to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market, key Japanese players have incrementally upped their game. Watchmaking titan Seiko has been at the forefront of this trend. In 1960 it launched a luxury line, Grand Seiko, with beautifully finished mechanical marvels that rivalled Swiss-made timepieces.

Over the years, Japan’s watch brands have continuously improved both their products and their service – and now they’re taking on the Swiss head-on. With an unswerving focus on advanced technology and production processes, Japan’s watch brands are attaining new heights and this is where you’ll find some of the finest – not to mention most affordable – luxury watches around.

History of Japanese Watches

Water clocks existed in Japan as far back as the 600s and a millennium later, in the 1600s, they began producing Western-style timepieces. 1881 saw the birth of clock-maker Seiko, which introduced the first Japanese wristwatch in 1913.

A strong watch industry grew up, harnessing US mass-production methods and borrowing technology from the Swiss investors who set up Citizen in 1918.

WWII disrupted watchmaking in Japan, but demand surged over the next decades as the economy recovered. Technological innovation and production quality drove the industry forward, and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics showcased Japan’s advanced timekeeping tech.

Then came the quartz revolution – the first digital watch launched in 1973, decimating the mechanical watch industry. Japanese brands like Casio flourished with the shift towards electronics in the ’70s and ’80s.

Around 2000, popular taste began turning back to mechanical watches, so many Japanese watch brands now focus more on high-end products and smaller, more exclusive hand-crafted lines.

Talking points

The Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 0100 is the most accurate watch ever made, by anyone, anywhere, with a stated maximum deviation of ±1 second per year – so if precision’s your jam, this is the watch for you!

Tired of replacing batteries in your watch? Japanese solar-powered watches have dials that absorb light and turn it into electrical power to drive the watch – some can run for 2 years on a single full charge!

From household megabrands to tiny boutique marques, you’ll find Japanese watches offer outstanding value. Many of their finest mechanical models now match Swiss quality – and at much more accessible prices.

With almost 100% of their components made in-house – even lubricating oils and luminescent coatings – Japan’s watchmakers enjoy unrivalled control over the consistency and quality of their timepieces.

Looking for a watch that never breaks? Try Casio’s G-Shock. “You can boil it, freeze it, drop it off a building and run it over with a truck and it will last you,” says a post on its dedicated forum.