Grand Seiko was born on December 18, 1960, just before the liberalization of wristwatch imports in Japan in 1961. It was the first wristwatch made in Japan that was also developed to global standards. Here, you’ll learn the story behind the birth of the Grand Seiko mark and the lion mark, which are still in use today.
The design of the Grand Seiko mark was made after the overall design of the watch itself had almost been decided. A flowing cursive font and, in contrast, a mark in German Gothic letters were designed. Opinions were divided even at Seiko’s head office, with the Osaka and Nagoya branches supporting the mark in German letters, and the final decision was made by consensus between the head office and the Japanese branches. And so the Grand Seiko mark was born, and it has remained through the present day.
The original specification sheet included instructions that the mark should be printed in black. However, it was changed to an engraved mark during the process, and several finishing details were changed after the product was released. We can see this process of trial and error being done in the pursuit of luxury.
When Grand Seiko was born, the decision was made to put a mark on the case back. Today, that lion mark, which represents the will of the king of watches, is synonymous with Grand Seiko, but in the beginning, there were other little-known candidates other than the lion: the bell, which symbolizes the accuracy of time; the sun, which controls the solar system; as well as the key.
The lion, the king of beasts, became the face of the king of watches. Today, Grand Seiko still keeps some prototype dials featuring other marks that were not selected as a symbol.
