Seiko

Seiko watches was founded in 1881 as Seikosha (which roughly translates to House of Exquisite Workmanship) by Kintaro Hittori. Remarkably Seiko is still owned by the same family. Shinji Hattori is the great grandson of Kintaro and the current President. Seiko are unique in the watch industry in that they create absolutely everything required to make a high end timepiece in-house, including cases, sapphire glass, luminosity material and everything required to create the movements. So quality assurance is guaranteed throughout the range. Seiko are also incredibly innovative, having created the first quartz movement, the first automatic Chronograph, the Kinetic movement and the proprietary Spring Drive movement, to name a few. This Japanese brand can compete with any of the Swiss brands at any given price point. Also, see Grand Seiko.