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Japanese horology is a lot older than you would guess. The first clocks developed by the nation are thought to have been invented in the 670s. Albeit these were relatively simple water clocks by today’s standards, they were no doubt a massive technological breakthrough at the time.
However, modern watchmaking came to Japan in the 16th century when Christian missionaries taught the people how to make mechanical clocks using western methods. In the 1800s independent watchmakers and small start-up companies began to emerge. These really began to ramp up investment and production during the early 1900s which led to the formation of industry giants such as Seiko and Citizen.
Japan really got its breakthrough by developing quartz watches. This event caused the Swiss market to self-destruct overnight. Whilst Switzerland has made a recovery since, even developing quartz movements of its own, there are a myriad of companies that went bankrupt and have never returned.
It should also be noted that Japan is not just a quartz powerhouse. Granted, the country is best known for Epson and Miyota movements being mass-produced for their own companies and various fashion brands. But the country also makes mechanical watches at both entry and luxury level. The Seiko 5 for example, is one of the most robust and entry-level automatic watches in the world. In terms of value for money, Japan is really at the top of the pile.
This is also true for luxury watchmaking. Various independents, as well as Grand Seiko produce truly top level movements with outstanding innovation. The value for money on these watches is great when they are compared to Swiss opposition.
Table of Contents
10 Best Japanese Watch Brands
Casio
Casio is an extremely well-established brand that was founded shortly after the second world war in 1946. Although the brand did not initially make watches, due to their technology, research, and development in electronics, the transition was relatively seamless. Understandably then, Casio has never actually produced a mechanical watch and does not intend to in the near future.
Today Casio offers a huge variety of watches and models to suit all customers. As Casio does not produce luxury watches, you will never find their watches to be hugely expensive and in general, they operate in the $20-$500 region.
Popular models within the brands range are the Pro-Trek, Edifice, G-Shock, Databank, Sheen, and Wave-ceptor. All of these watches are vastly different from one another which is likely what makes the brand so popular. No matter your budget or style, there is very likely a Casio watch that suits your taste.
Orient
Orient are an ever-growing company. Initially, an independent watchmaker that was founded in 1950, the company caught the eye of Seiko and was subsequently acquired in 2009.
Overall, the Orient brand is nowhere near as popular as the big 3 players in Japan (Casio, Seiko, Citizen), although does have its seat at the table. There are not too many budget watch companies known for their in-house movements and quality of automatic watches – usually, you either get one or the other.
Typically selling the region of under $200 brand new, Orient are viewed as extremely good value for money. You may be able to find watches of a similar quality, but in general these models cost twice the price of an Orient.
Seiko
There are not any watch brands in the world quite like Seiko. In all honesty, Seiko offer something for everyone. This brand literally has hundreds of different watch styles (thousands if you count retired models) at all different price points.
Starting off with the Seiko 5, the brand pioneered an entry level automatic watch. These watches cost under $100 and you will simply not be able to find a cheaper watch for the quality proven. The brand also offers luxury watches with the Grand Seiko branch of its company. Grand Seiko are luxury watches given that they cost between $5000-$20000, but are every bit good value as a Seiko 5. Compared with their competitors, Grand Seiko are very reasonbly priced given the technology of their movements.
You will also find everything in between with this brand with other popular models including the Presage, Kinetic, Astron as well as solar-powered watches. If you cannot find a watch within the Seiko brand that you like, it’s unlikely that you will find it anywhere else.
Citizen
Citizen are the last of the 3 gigantic Japanese brands and often find themselves playing second fiddle to Seiko. This is somewhat unfair since Citizen are of course not the same across the board as Seiko, but they are their own company with very specific models and designs.
Perhaps best known for their Eco-Drive watches, this technology helped revolutionize quartz watchmaking as you now no longer need to change the battery every 3 years. You can instead just charge your watch through natural light and not worry about it. The same way in which you would just keep an automatic on your wrist and not think about it.
Citizen also has quite a broad range of watches going from entry-level up to mid-range mechanical and ana-digi quartz. Popular models from the Citizen brand include various Eco-Drive watches, Navihawk, Promaster, CZ smartwatches, Skyhawk as well as other proprietary quartz technologies such as perpetual calendars. The brand is not the absolute cheapest but is still excellent value for money.
Vagary
Vagary are a largely unknown brand which are owned by Citizen. The brand makes entry-level dive style watches using both quartz or automatic movements. Whilst Vagary are not too popular in America, they are fairly well known in continental Europe where the brand sells most of its watches.
If you were to sum up the style of Vagary, it would be like Citizen but louder. On the whole, the dials of the watch are not subtle and classic like Citizen, but are instead loud and original. If you like the Citizen brand style but want something a bit more daring, then there are quite a few good options from Vagary. The watches are made from very similar components and are slightly cheaper than a Citizen watch of the same standard.
Pulsar
Believe it or not, but at one point in the 1970s, Pulsar watches were selling for more than a Rolex. This was because digital technology had just been released and even James Bond was wearing one! The stainless steel case with red iconic numbers was groundbreaking at the time.
Fast forward to today and the brand is owned by Seiko. Not quite a lab experiment, Pulsar is used to test out various designs and technologies before they are used by Seiko. Typically you will find various analog-digital movements, as well as various sports style designs.
You can always pick up a bargain if you find a Pulsar watch in a similar style to a Seiko. The Pulsar will always be significantly cheaper and made from the same materials.
Lorus
Lorus is the last of the brands owned by Seiko and is a lot more sensible and boring when compared with Pulsar. It is common to see very plain colors and dials used by Lorus, which are not really innovative or groundbreaking – but are very safe.
The brand is marketed towards older people, rather than young men in their 20s. Lorus do offer a fairly wide variety of both analogue and digital watches within their niche and are usually very fairly priced. Whilst nobody is going to stop you in the street and compliment you on a Lorus, they are quite a bargain and can be picked up for under $50.
Wired
Wired are a fairly small quartz-based brand that is owned by (you guessed it) Seiko. Their watches are fairly unimaginative in terms of design, although their color schemes are very original. There are not too many other brands that are able to make a watch look like it came out of a science fiction movie such as Tron or Blade Runner, but Wired manages it.
In terms of value for money, these watches are very average. You can get better deals from other Japanese brands, so overall unless you are a fan of a very specific color scheme. Your money is better spent on something else such as Seiko or Citizen.
Frank Miura
Frank Miura is the closest thing you will find to a Japanese version of Franck Muller. If you didn’t think that Japan was weird, you will now.
Started as a parody brand to replicate Franck Muller watches, Frank Miura have successfully defended their right to use these designs in the supreme court of Japan. The judge for this case realized that the two brands with similar names couldn’t be confused, since a Miura costs in the region of $150. If you love Franck Muller watches but can’t afford them, or simply want to annoy them, perhaps a Frank Miura watch is for you.
Issey Miyake
The designer Issey Miyake is well known for his minimalist designs which are also able to catch the eye without being loud. Best known for clothes, such as producing the iconic turtleneck for Steve Jobs, Miyake also produces watches which really are decent quality, using both quartz and automatic movements. Which is really pretty good for a fashion brand.
Obviously, due to the designer, these watches are going to be a little on the expensive side for what they are. Although they’re tremendous value when compared to other fashion watch brands such as Hugo Boss or Emporio Armani.
