1881: Kintaro Hattori opens a clock shop in Tokyo's fabled Ginza district. This store is the direct ancestor of today's Seiko Corporation, Tokyo. Established under the name K. Hattori & Co. Ltd. the history of Seiko begins.
1892: With ten workers in his employment, Kintaro Hattori establishes a clock factory at ishiwara-cho, Tokyo. The first dozen clocks are produced two months later.
1913: After two decades of mastering clock technology, the company begins production of the first wristwatch made in Japan ("Laurel"). By the end of 1913, the company even opens its first overseas export office in Shanghai, China.
1924: The Seiko brand is born. Forty-three years after the company was founded, the first wristwatch under the name Seiko is made.
1937: A new watch factory is established. A year later in 1938, it produces 1,179,639 watches.
1955: Seiko, already known for its accuracy and craftsmanship, produces the first self-winding wristwatch made in Japan.
1964: The official timer of the 18th Olympic Summer games in Tokyo, Seiko provides a total of 1,278 stopwatches as well as the worlds first quartz chronometer-an impoartant forerunner of the coming age of quartz soon to be inaugurated by Seiko (web of Seiko)