Wikipedia

Orient Watch

Orient Watch Co., Ltd.
Native name
オリエント時計株式会社
Oriento Tokei Kabushiki-gaisha
Company typeDivision
IndustryWatch Manufacturing
Electronics Manufacturing
FoundedJuly 13, 1950; 75 years ago (1950-07-13) Hino, Tokyo, Japan
FounderShogoro Yoshida
DefunctFebruary 1, 2026; 30 days ago (2026-02-01)[1]
Headquarters29th Floor JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower, 4-1-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8801, Japan[2]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jiro Miyagawa (president)
Masahiro Yoshimura (Director)
Takahiro Naito (Director)
ProductsWristwatches, Pocketwatches, Clocks, Moving Parts, Electronic Components
ServicesElectronic Devices Assembly
Increase ¥2.2 million (2021)[3]
Total assetsIncrease ¥2.1 billion (2021)[3]
Number of employees
747 (530 consolidated and 217 non-consolidated) (2016)[2]
ParentSeiko Epson
Websitewww.orient-watch.com

Orient and Orient Star are Japanese mechanical watch brands owned and operated by Seiko Epson.

Established in 1950 as an independent watchmaker, Orient Watch Co., Ltd. (オリエント時計株式会社, Oriento Tokei Kabushiki-gaisha) primarily manufactured mechanical watches (self-winding & hand-winding),[4][5] but also produced quartz, light-powered (solar) and radio-controlled models.[6][7][8][9] Wristwatches produced by the company had been marketed under the Orient brand (Orient, Orient Star, Orient Star Royal, Royal Orient). Outside of the main business, in the 1990s, the company diversified its business by manufacturing electronic components for Epson printers.[10] To strengthen production of piezoelectric inkjet printheads for Epson, Orient Watch and Epson deepened their capital alliance, and Orient Watch became a functional subsidiary of Epson in 2009. Its watch business operation was fully integrated into Epson in 2017.[11]

Orient Watch products are primarily manufactured in Japan, with movements produced in-house by Akita Epson Corporation (formerly Akita Orient Precision Instruments Co., Ltd.) in Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture.[12][13][14] Some of its low- and mid-range models are manufactured at Epson's subsidiaries in Thailand and China.

Epson is one of the major manufacturers of Seiko timepieces. It develops and manufactures high-end quartz and Spring Drive watches for Seiko (also it produces quartz watch movements for third-party brands), but Orient is an independent brand owned by Epson and is not marketed by Seiko Watch Corporation. The Orient and Orient Star watches are marketed by Epson Sales Japan Corporation.

History

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The origin of Orient Watch Company dates back to 1901 when Shogoro Yoshida opened a wholesale shop called "Yoshida Watch Shop" in Ueno, Taito, Tokyo. Yoshida Watch Shop was successful, selling imported pocketwatches. In 1913, Yoshida commenced production of wristwatch cases,[15] and in 1920, established Toyo Tokei Manufacturing Co., Ltd.[16] Initially producing only table clocks and gauges, in 1934 Toyo Tokei Manufacturing started manufacturing wristwatches. In 1936, the Hino factory was built in Hino, Tokyo, Japan. For several years, Toyo Tokei Manufacturing boomed at the Hino factory. However, the company shut down in 1949 in the Japanese economic devastation following World War II.[17]

After Toyo Tokei Manufacturing was shut down, Yoshida's wristwatch manufacturing company was reborn in 1950, founded under the name Tama Keiki Company. Tama Keiki Co. continued manufacturing watches at the Hino factory. In 1951, Tama Keiki Co. changed its name to Orient Watch Company, Limited (オリエント時計株式会社, Oriento Tokei Kabushikigaisha), and in the same year the first Orient Star went on sale. Orient Watch was able to expand their visibility overseas after a memorandum trade agreement with China in 1955. The Royal Orient went on sale in 1960. Other important watches in the company's history include the "Dynamic" in 1956, "Grand Prix 100" in 1964, "Fineness" (the world's thinnest automatic wristwatch with day and date calendar function for its time) in 1967, and the "Tenbeat" in 1970.[18]

In 2003, the Orient Technical Center (OTC) was established and the assembly of luxury watches began in Ugo, Ogachi, Akita, Japan.[12] In 2004, the high-precision caliber 88700 movement went on sale via the Royal Orient watch line. In 2005, Orient Star Retro-Future collection was launched. In 2010, Orient Watch Co. celebrated its 60th anniversary with a limited edition model.[18] The Royal Orient line was discontinued around 2016, likely to prevent cannibalism between it and fellow Seiko group brands Grand Seiko, and Credor. To celebrate 70 years of the Orient Star line, the Orient Star skeleton watch was introduced with a silicon escapement made using Epson's MEMS technology, which has been used in high end Seiko watches since 2009.[19][20]

In 2001 Seiko Epson (one of three core companies of the former Seiko Group) became the majority shareholder (52%) of the company. Orient Watch became a wholly owned subsidiary of Epson in 2009.[17] After transferring its business operations to Epson in 2017, Orient Watch Co., Ltd. had remained dormant until it was dissolved in February 2026.[1] Epson Sales Japan Corporation markets the Orient watches, while Akita Epson Corporation manufactures them.　

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  • Orient (CEY04002B)
    Orient (CEY04002B)
  • Orient (CFHAA004W)
    Orient (CFHAA004W)
  • Orient
    Orient
  • Orient x STI Collaboration 2010 (FD0H001B)
    Orient x STI Collaboration 2010 (FD0H001B)
  • Orient Capital (FUG1R003W9)
    Orient Capital (FUG1R003W9)
  • Orient Star - Classic (SEL05004W0)
    Orient Star - Classic (SEL05004W0)
  • Orient Three Stars
    Orient Three Stars

References

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  1. ^ a b "Notice of Absorption-Type Merger of a Wholly Owned Subsidiary". Seiko Epson Corporation. 2025-11-05. Retrieved 2026-02-14.
  2. ^ a b "Epson Begins Discussions on the Restructuring of Orient Watch". global.epson.com. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "オリエント時計株式会社 第96期決算公告". catr.jp. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  4. ^ Message From the President of Orient Watch Company Archived 2017-02-28 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 28 September 2014
  5. ^ Explanations of Mechanical Movement by Orient Watch, Accessed 30 September 2014
  6. ^ List of Orient Watch Product (Global Market), Accessed 28 September 2014
  7. ^ List of Orient Watch Manual & Movement (Global Market), Accessed 28 September 2014
  8. ^ List of Orient Watch Product (Japan Domestic Market), Accessed 28 September 2014
  9. ^ List of Orient Watch Manual & Movement (Japan Domestic Market), Accessed 28 September 2014
  10. ^ Orient Watch Factory History Archived 2016-11-07 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 28 September 2014
  11. ^ Staff writer (September 2016). "Seiko Epson: Epson Begins Discussions on the Restructuring of Orient Watch". MarketScreener. Surperformance.
  12. ^ a b Orient Watch Factory Profile Archived 2014-10-08 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 28 September 2014
  13. ^ Orient Watch Production Process (Video), Accessed 29 September 2014
  14. ^ Orient In-house Automatic Movement Assembly (Video), Accessed 30 September 2014
  15. ^ "ORIENT Watch Global Site". orient-watch.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  16. ^ "History | Corporate Information | Orient Watch (archived)". Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  17. ^ a b Company history Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, Orient Watch. (in Japanese). Accessed 20 December 2009
  18. ^ a b Orient Watch Museum Archived 2014-09-11 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed 20 December 2009
  19. ^ "The ORIENT STAR Skeleton | ORIENT Watch Global Site". orient-watch.com. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  20. ^ "グランドセイコーは"９Sキャリバー"で時計王国スイスに挑む！ | トケイ通信 by KOMEHYO". 高級時計・ブランド時計にまつわる情報マガジン｜トケイ通信 by KOMEHYO. 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
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