Japanese watch brands Casio, Citizen and Seiko won over Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, but what was the appeal?
Unlike many billionaires who enjoy flashing their Rolex or Patek Philippe, these business pioneers appreciated the precision of Japanese brands that challenged the supremacy of Swiss timepieces in the 1970s with affordable and reliable watches for a new era
Gates isn’t the only billionaire who appreciates the reliable precision of Japanese timepieces; Hong Kong billionaire tycoon Li Ka-shing is a devoted fan of Citizen watches while the late Steve Jobs loved the minimalist aesthetics of the Seiko Chariot watch.
The Swiss dominated the watchmaking for centuries, but when the rise of reliable quartz movement triggered what’s known as the quartz crisis in the 1970s, it delivered a devastating blow to an industry that built itself on intricate craftsmanship and historic know-how. The Japanese in particular, refined the use of battery-operated quartz movements, effectively establishing an entirely new segment of watches at an affordable price point that previously did not exist.
The Japanese watch industry, however, isn’t built entirely on quartz timepieces; some brands’ roots date back more than a century ago.
Citizen, Seiko and its high end extension Grand Seiko produce top notch mechanical timepieces that rival their Swiss counterparts in both craftsmanship and know-how.
The Japanese’s single-minded dedication to perfection has led these brands to create highly sought after and collectible timepieces.
Seiko and Grand Seiko in particular have garnered buzz among collectors in recent years; some of the pieces have done extremely well on the resale market and auction houses, such as Bonhams, which is launching its first sale dedicated to Seiko timepieces, are catching on.
Those hitting the auction blocks are not your typical quartz watches that can be found at standard retailers.