Seiko celebrates 145 years with a Sydney evening bringing together iconic watches, Japanese artistry, and the people behind its ongoing story!
A Look Back at 145 Years of Seiko
Celebrating 145 years of watchmaking is not a feat that most brands can boast about, but for Seiko, it is a historic milestone, with a story that stretches across many different areas of watchmaking. From the brand’s beginnings in 1881, the Japanese watchmaker has built a history that gives it plenty to look back on.
The brand’s story began when Kintaro Hattori opened a shop selling and repairing watches and clocks in Tokyo. From those humble beginnings came some incredible milestones, not only for the brand, but for watchmaking as a whole. In 1913, the company introduced its first wristwatch, the Laurel, which was also Japan’s first wristwatch! Then, in 1965, watchmaker introduced Japan’s first diver’s watch, the 62MAS (references 6217-8000/8001).
Continuing these historic feats, this next achievement was arguably one of the biggest in the watchmaking industry. In 1969, Seiko introduced the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch, the Quartz Astron. As you can probably already guess, this was a watch that revolutionised watchmaking, helping usher in the era that became known as the quartz crisis. The model’s arrival paved the way for quartz watches to become a mainstream alternative to traditional mechanical timepieces.
But this is also the beauty of Seiko. The brand helped usher in the quartz era, and while many watchmakers were struggling with the shift, the brand continued to make both mechanical and quartz watches. Rather than turning its entire focus towards quartz, even as the technology spread like wildfire, the brand continued pursuing both approaches to watchmaking.
This drive to explore both sides of watchmaking led to Seiko commercially introducing Spring Drive in 1999, combining a mainspring’s mechanical power with quartz regulation! The brand’s journey in watchmaking is like no other, giving the brand plenty to celebrate for its 145th anniversary.
Bringing the Celebration to Sydney!
To celebrate this special journey in Australia, Seiko Australia brought together more than 150 guests for an exclusive evening in Sydney. The event took place at Watersedge at Campbell’s Stores, a stunning location overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Guests from many different fields were present, from retailers and media partners to friends of the brand and VIP customers. The brand showcased a piece of its history within the venue, alongside its current collections and a look towards the future.
The chosen venue certainly set the tone for the evening ahead. Inside Watersedge, exposed brick walls, timber floors and overhead beams gave the setting a warm feeling. Several watch displays were scattered throughout the space, encouraging guests to move around the venue to see Seiko’s watchmaking expertise.
There was also a large historical timeline, giving guests the chance to follow the brand’s incredible 145-year history and learn about milestones like the ones mentioned above! It was a great piece to showcase, as it gave guests context, especially those who may not have been fully familiar with the brand’s mark on the watchmaking industry.
Nearby, three anniversary display cases introduced Seiko’s 145th anniversary theme. For those who have been following along, Seiko has been releasing anniversary editions throughout the year, marked by different colours representing a moment in time. Gold, which featured in releases at the start of the year, represented the brand’s heritage. This was followed by blue, reflecting its present-day spirit of innovation. Lastly, the current releases feature Edo purple, a colour used to symbolise the future and the possibilities ahead.
These displays showcased just how many different aspects and identities there were to Seiko’s watchmaking. The Prospex area brought together watches associated with exploration and adventure, with the timepieces on show including Alpinist and Marinemaster models.
Then, in another section of the venue, there was a dedicated display for the Presage collection. This showcased a different and more elegant side to the brand through dressier designs and more detailed and decorative lines such as Cocktail Time.
The King Seiko collection had its own time in the limelight too, with information covering the collection’s background alongside the more contemporary pieces on display.
An Evening of Art, Entertainment and Celebration
There was also interactive entertainment on the night, keeping guests occupied and competitive! The racing simulators were one of the playful additions, giving guests the chance to get behind the wheel and set some competitive lap times. Some of the past Seiko events I’ve attended featured these simulators, and they were certainly a massive hit. But beyond the competition between guests, the simulators also connected back to Seiko’s Prospex collection and its adventurous spirit.
Kentaro Yoshida was also present during the celebrations, showcasing his unique artwork for the event. Yoshida worked with Seiko Australia once again to create an original artwork titled “Time Flows On”. This artwork reflected Seiko’s journey through time as the brand celebrated its 145th anniversary. Displayed on a large scale, it gave guests another way of interpreting Seiko’s incredible milestone!
The formal proceedings of the 145th anniversary celebration were led by Dan Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager at Seiko Australia, who took to the stage to welcome guests. Seiko Australia’s Managing Director, Christopher Duke, then took to the stage to reflect on Seiko’s history. His address covered what made the brand’s history so distinctive, as well as the path ahead!
The formalities of the evening concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony carried out by Christopher Duke and Brett Neill. Several other high-profile guests in attendance were also Seiko ambassadors, including Zac Stubblety-Cook and Ben Tudhope, whose respective backgrounds in Olympic swimming and Paralympic snowboarding added another sporting connection to the event.
The evening’s soundtrack came courtesy of live Japanese jazz and city pop performances by Nana Koizumi and End Note. Guests enjoyed canapés and drinks as they continued looking through the different displays showcasing Seiko’s watchmaking expertise across different fields. The room was full of conversation and, more importantly, people enjoying such a momentous occasion for one of the most respected names in watchmaking!
After 145 years, Seiko certainly had plenty to celebrate. This Sydney event brought together the people who will help carry that story into the future!