|
Seiko watches
are sold under several brand names; Lorus, Seikosha, Credor,
Pulsar, Alba and Lassale are a few. Different name, same Seiko
quality.
Seiko began
in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan; Seiko is now produced in
countries all over the world.
The Seiko
Corporation was started in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori. It was
called Hattori & Co., LTD. At that time. They began production
of wall clocks, then fob watches. In 1913, they produced the
first wrist watch made in Japan. 1917 was the year that K.
Hattori & Co., Ltd. became a public company. It wasn’t until
1924 that the Seiko brand was used on watches. The company
split in 1937, as watch production came under Daini Seikosha
Co., now called Seiko Instruments Inc. In 1942, another
company spun off as Daiwa Kogyo Ltd., now know as Seiko Epson
Corp.
Production of
the first self-winding watch in Japan began in 1955. A Replica
is now exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum.
The Seiko
Company began its international fame with a subsidiary in Hong
Kong, 1986. Seiko Time Corporation began in the USA in 1970,
and one year later in Canada as Seiko Time (U.K.) Ltd. In
1972, Seiko Time GmbH opened in Germany, and Brazil opened in
1974. The international production continues, and the Seiko
Company now operates from Australia, Panama, Switzerland,
Sweden, Dubai, Thailand, Finland, Taiwan, Beijing.
Seiko
introduced the “intelligent analogue watch. The alarm,
chronograph and timer functions were controlled by a computer
chip. Now most watches are controlled this way.
K. Hattori &
Co., Ltd. was renamed as Hattori Seiko Co., Ltd. In 1983, and
renamed again in 1990 as the Seiko Corporation. The
corporation continues to divide into Seiko Optical Products,
Seiko Clock Inc., Seiko Precision Inc., Seiko Jewelry Co.
Seiko Watch SalesInc. Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha is the new name
of the Japanese company.
The Perpetual
Calendar series automatically resets the date for the next 100
years. You can pass this one down to your great-grandchild,
and know it will display the correct time.
Kinetic
design – self-setting, electrically charged by movement. This
is not the old style
counter
weight that required briskly shaking your wrist. Normal
movement causes the mechanism to create a small electric
charge.
Thermic –
driven by body heat. At last, something that feeds off that
extra energy.
The Seiko
Company has a reputation for aggressively pursuing
counterfeits. They are a part of “The task force on industrial
competition and international property policy,” a large group
of varied corporations that are working together to fight
piracy. Seiko does sell watches online, so be careful check
that you are dealing with a registered dealer.
Other
interesting bits
While mainly
known for their affordable watches, Seiko’s wide array of
companies produce almost everything for their watches, even
the lubricating oils and the luminous ink for the dial and
hands. This makes for a consistent quality, as all parts are
manufactured for and by Seiko.
Six tips for spotting a counterfeit watch
There are brand-specific ways to spot a
counterfeit watch, but these are a few generic tips to
identify the real vs. fake watch or chronograph.
1. First, know what you are looking at.
Have you seen examples of this before? It is tough to spot a
fake if you have not researched the real thing.
2. Using a jewelers loupe, or some form of
magnification, check the dial and any printing. Is it fuzzy or
broken? Is the ink light or faded? Is there ink where there
should be engraving?
3. Ask about the band – is it original? Is
the band a cheap synthetic or real, padded leather? Is the
metal band thin or low quality metal?
4. Look at the general quality of the
piece. Are there sharp edges, or ill-fitting screws? Are there
pins where there should be screws? Is anything not quite the
right color? If it has a jewel, is it dull or glassy?
5. Keep in mind that many high-end watch
makers do not sell their product online. Any thing you find
online has a high possibility of being either used, or fake.
Most manufacturers’ warranties will not cover secondary market
purchases.
6. Last, but most important – your father
was right. If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.
A watch that normally retails at four figures is not going to
be sold on the street corner for two hundred bucks. Your best
bet is to purchase the watch from a registered dealer of that
brand. You may pay more, but you have the security of knowing
you have the real thing. |