n the collective imagination, Epson is chiefly associated with precision technologies, including printing solutions, projectors, industrial robots and microdevices. After all, the Japanese group’s name derives from “Electronic Printer’s Son”. Yet its roots lie firmly in watchmaking.

Today, this activity represents only a small share of overall sales (the entire Wearables division accounts for around 3% of revenue), but it is immense in volume, as Epson specialises in quartz movements supplied to a large number of watch brands worldwide.

Epson is also one of Seiko’s key industrial partners for watch and movement production – including the famous Spring Drive, as well as high-end pieces for Grand Seiko and Credor through the Micro Artist Studio at Seiko Epson’s facility in Nagano, Epson’s home region, where the group still maintains its global headquarters.

Why are the two groups so closely linked? As often, the answer lies in history. The Hattori family, which founded K. Hattori & Co. (later Seiko) in 1881, was also among the investors in Daiwa Kogyo Ltd., founded by Hisao Yamazaki and eventually transformed into Seiko Epson Corporation. In 1969 the company then known as Suwa Seikosha Co., Ltd. developed, manufactured and supplied K. Hattori & Co. with the world’s first commercial watch with a quartz movement. Today, with more than 74,000 employees worldwide and revenue exceeding $8.8 billion in FY2025, the group has become a global industrial giant.

The company’s mastery of precision electronics, driven by intensive R&D, continues to create natural bridges between watchmaking, printing and projection technologies, as well as semiconductors and quartz devices. In watchmaking, Seiko Epson Corporation produces finished products for Seiko Watch Corporation alongside its own brands, Orient and Orient Star, whose origins date back to 1950 and which Epson has fully owned since 2017.

The company’s unique position is rooted in an industrial culture focused on volume production, with factories in Japan (Akita Epson Corporation) and Southeast Asia, combined with strong expertise in components and technological crossovers between divisions. Epson leverages know-how from its semiconductor, printing and timing device (quartz) businesses throughout its watchmaking activities. Visiting the offices of Seiko Epson Corporation, we met Masashi Hayashi, Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Wearable Products Operations Division, to discuss the Japanese group’s watchmaking ambitions.

Europa Star: What are Epson’s current activities in watchmaking?

Masashi Hayashi: Epson has more than 80 years of experience in watch manufacturing. Over the decades, we have continuously pursued technological innovation and the development of our expertise, building strong know-how and genuine innovative capacity. We believe the global watch market will continue to grow, and we want to further expand our presence in this field.

Our strength lies in being a true manufacture, capable of handling everything in-house – from development and design to the production of components and finished products, right through to final quality control. We possess a broad range of watchmaking capabilities, including the mass production of quartz movements supplied to numerous watch brands around the world. Some of our technologies and movements are not necessarily visible to the public, but they are indeed used by several companies. The movements we share most widely with other firms are primarily quartz calibres.

What are your current relations with Seiko Watch Corporation?

We maintain a long-standing relationship with Seiko. We are responsible for the development, technological enhancement and production of movements and watches, while Seiko Watch Corporation handles product planning, marketing and sales.

Your Orient brand was launched in 1950. How do you position it today?

We actually operate two distinct brands: Orient and Orient Star. Orient targets a broad audience, offering accessible and affordable yet authentic watches closely aligned with people’s lifestyles and hobbies. Orient Star, meanwhile, is aimed more at enthusiasts and individuals seeking lasting value and products they genuinely love. That is the positioning logic we follow.

In terms of pricing, Orient generally ranges between $300 and $500, while Orient Star sits more in the $1,000 to $3,000 segment. The two brands have clearly differentiated identities and cater to a wide diversity of lifestyles.

What are the respective strategies of Orient and Orient Star?

Last year, Orient celebrated its 75th anniversary. The brand is already distributed across many regions worldwide and relies on stable collections suited to a broad variety of lifestyles. We are not targeting one specific region: Orient is intended to be a global brand.

For Orient Star, the situation is different. Demand is growing in Japan, and the brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Our ambition is to make it far more recognisable internationally. Ultimately, we want it to achieve a level of recognition comparable to Orient, but this will happen step by step.

What are your most emblematic models and collections today?

On the Orient Star side, the M34 F8 Skeleton Hand Winding collection is particularly representative. Its theme is the universe: we wanted to create a modern, stylish watch evoking cosmic vastness. The skeleton architecture reflects this idea, notably through a small blue silicon escape wheel. We were the first company in Japan to introduce a silicon escape wheel.

The technology behind this blue escape wheel comes from our MEMS expertise, derived from technologies also used in printheads. It notably enables a 70-hour power reserve. The blue colour is not only technical but was also conceived as a strong aesthetic element. Finally, at 39mm, the watch is extremely comfortable on the wrist.

We are launching a 75th anniversary edition featuring ion plating, new movement finishes and laser work evoking meteorite-like textures. The idea is to create the sensation of a space journey, as though the wearer were aboard a spacecraft observing the Milky Way through the dial. The bezel becomes a kind of window. This series is limited to 430 pieces and priced at around $3,250.

Still within Orient Star, the M45 F8 Mechanical Moon Phase illustrates another facet of our work. We wanted to express serenity by removing all superfluous elements. Functionally, only the hour and minute hands remain, creating a highly refined composition. The movement is manually wound, with a slimmer profile. The blue silicon escape wheel is also present, visible through a small opening on the caseback. Part of the opening is crescent-shaped, while the overall layout also evokes the stars.

We have also developed a M34 F8 Date model with blue and white dials, followed by a highly distinctive green dial. This green is not a conventional colour: we achieve it through optical multilayer film technology. At the nanometric scale, several layers create reflective effects that generate colour without traditional pigmentation. This is an aesthetic direction that greatly interests us for the future.

And at Orient?

At Orient, the approach is completely different. The Orient Bambino, in its new no-date version, was born from clear market demand for an Orient Bambino without a calendar. Its defining feature is a highly classic face combined with a sophisticated case; the absence of a date further reinforces this purity. It is available in several colours, allowing everyone to choose according to their taste, at around $350.

There is also the Orient Mako, now available in a new 39.9mm version that is more compact and aligned with current trends. It is a playful, colourful diver’s watch with 20-bar water resistance. A dolphin appears on the caseback; in Maui, Hawaii, enthusiasts interpreted it as a shark, contributing to the “Mako” nickname. It has become one of the brand’s iconic products, priced at around $430.

Finally, the Orient Stretto line offers a classic design enriched with a more contemporary spirit, notably through the work on the indexes and their circular outlines. It is priced at around $390. All Orient watches are manufactured in the company’s own factories, ensuring consistently high quality thanks to fully in-house movements, while maintaining competitive pricing.

Orient is also introducing new Orient Stretto models with vividly coloured dials within its Contemporary collection.

What is your philosophy?

The key point is that we want to preserve our value proposition. We are not specifically aiming to move into what is traditionally considered the luxury category. That said, we have consistently maintained a high level of quality and have experience producing watches for other brands across a wide range of price segments. Depending on the brand and market, similar specifications are sometimes positioned at significantly higher price points.

We prioritise the essential values of a watch – its functional and emotional value, including quality and the satisfaction it provides – while maintaining a balanced relationship with price, which is itself a key part of the product’s value.

How do you organise your R&D and what are your current areas of focus?

Our watchmaking R&D is based in Nagano Prefecture. But it is important to understand that, within the group, many technological divisions contribute to watchmaking. Our printing activities, for example, have significantly contributed to decorative dial treatments. We no longer simply print dials in the traditional sense: we use advanced decorative processes derived from our printing expertise.

The semiconductor division also plays a major role. All quartz crystals used in our quartz movements are developed and manufactured in-house. The blue escape wheel comes directly from capabilities originating in this activity. When we transfer these technologies into watchmaking, the results become extremely interesting. We also have a dedicated analysis and simulation structure supporting continuous development.

By mobilising all these fields of expertise, our goal is to create special value in everyday life. Simply put, we want to continue improving precision and durability while also enhancing the emotional experience of wearing a watch. Beyond the technical aspect, the story told by the product is becoming increasingly important. Lifestyles are evolving, and we must adapt to deliver genuine satisfaction.

What is the weight of the watch business among Epson’s different divisions?

Seiko Epson Corporation is organised into several major segments: printing solutions, projectors, watches, robotics, quartz timing devices and semiconductors. At group level, watchmaking represents a smaller activity compared with printing or projectors, which account for much larger shares of revenue.

What is unique at Epson, however, is the existence of a centralised technology development function, combined with value creation through cross-divisional collaboration. There is a major central hub overseeing all technologies, alongside developments specific to each activity. A technology initially designed for a functional optical application in projectors can later be reinterpreted in watchmaking to create aesthetic effects. This circulation of expertise is truly one of our distinguishing features.

What international developments do you envisage for Orient and Orient Star?

For both brands, we want to further enhance the perceived value of our products while maintaining accessible positioning. We want customers, both in Japan and internationally, to naturally think: “Yes, this is the right choice.”

Orient benefits from a long history – now 76 years – and an already established global presence. We need to simplify our communication, adapt it more effectively to diverse lifestyles and ensure that Orient is perceived as a natural part of everyday life.

For Orient Star, the challenge is slightly different. In Japan, the brand’s quality proposition is already well understood. We must now successfully transfer this image internationally. The 75th anniversary represents an excellent opportunity to strengthen communication, better express our value proposition, generate stronger expectations and connect with the next generation.