8 Best Japanese Luxury Watch Brands 2022

A watch has the power to make or break an outfit. It is perhaps one of the most important accessories in your wardrobe. So finding the perfect timepiece is an important task.

The Japanese seem to have taken over every field. From cars to electronics to liquor, the Japanese have excelled in every area. So why must they stay behind when it comes to watches?

Japanese watches are known for their brilliant functionality and affordability. Some of the best watch brands in the world are Japanese brands. The Japanese may have made a late entry into the world of horology, but they took it by storm. 

The Japanese watchmaking industry uses robotic assembly lines and modern technologies. This makes the watches less prone to human error and very affordable. 

Japanese watches are sought after because of their affordability and high quality. Even an average Japanese watch guarantees excellent quartz functionality. 

With so many Japanese brands on the market, it can be difficult to make a choice. We have put together a list of the best Japanese watch brands to make your selection process easier. 

Top Japanese Watch Brands

Read on to find the best Japanese watch brands!

Best Japanese Watch Brands: Quick Summary

Best Japanese Watch Brands	Price range for watches	Link to official website
Seiko	$100 – $50,000 and up	Check out their latest designs
Casio	$25 – $1,000	Check out their latest designs
Orient	$40 – $2,600	Check out their latest designs
Citizen	$130 – $2,500	Check out their latest designs
Hajime Asaoka	$40,000 and up	Check out their latest designs
Minase	–	Check out their latest designs
Masahiro Kikuno	&45,000 and up	Check out their latest designs
Knot	–	Check out their latest designs

How did we choose the best Japanese watch brands?

Our team of in house experts reviewed over 25 Japanese watch brands and rated them on quality, functionality, affordability, and customer reviews. After much consideration, we have shortlisted 8 Japanese watch brands.

Through our research, we found that Seiko is the best Japanese watch brand. Seiko was founded in 1881 by a young Kintaro Hattori. Seiko is a world renowned brand that is trusted to produced watches of the finest quality.

Seiko also has a number of other well known watch brands that fall under its wide umbrella. These include Credor, Grand Seiko, and Orient. 

Check out also: Japanese Quartz Watches

Seiko

Founded in: 1881

Place of origin: Tokyo

First on our list is Seiko. Since it was founded in 1881, Seiko has become one of the most popular watch brands around the world. Kintaro Hattori started Seiko as a shop to sell and repair watches and clocks. 

11 years later, he set up the Seikosha factory. He went on to produce Japan’s first wristwatch, the Laurel in 1913. The brand has many important milestones like this in its past that has led it to become a sought after brand across the globe.

Seiko is known to offer its customers watches of the finest quality. Whether you’re looking for affordable watches or luxurious watches, Seiko has something for everyone. 

If there is any watch brand that can compete with Swiss watch brands, it is Seiko. Fun fact, when Seiko started using quartz movements in their watches, it was a game changes. This led to Swiss watchmakers going out of business from 1970 to 1983. 

Watch enthusiast or not, owning a Seiko watch is something everyone should do.

Casio

Founded in: 1946

Place of origin: Tokyo

Casio is a well known name in the world of electronics. From calculators to phones to musical instruments, Casio has made an impact on every area in electronics. 

It was around the late 1900s that Casio came out with the world’s first mass produced digital watches. 

G- shock is probably the most famous watch by Casio. It is durable and tough and has evolved over the years to keep up with changing times. 

In 2014, Casio introduced a unique time keeping system that uses the GPS as well as Casio’s Multi Band 6 technolog to enable a G- shock to receive radio signals. This helps with precise time keeping. 

Orient

Founded in: 1950

Place of origin: Tokyo

Orient is Japan’s biggest producer of mechanical watches. They manufacture all their parts in house. Now you may think that this makes the watches incredibly expensive, but Orient produces very affordable watches.

Orient watches come in a wide budget range. From dress watches to diver watches to watches for everyday use, Orient makes watches for everyone and every occasion. 

For affordable watches, that have excellent functionality and a classy style, definitely check out Orient. 

Citizen

Founded in: 1918

Place of origin: Tokyo

For a long time now, Citizen has been producing high tech Japanese watches. Citizen was founded in 1918 by Kamekichi Yakamazi who was a jeweler. 

Citizen is very environmentally conscious and has won many Eco Mark awards. They produce environmentally sustainable watches. On example of this is the eco Drive light power technology that enables watches to run for a long time without having to change the battery. 

Citizen is one of the ‘Big Four’ watch brands in Japan. Top end watches include their superquartz watches. Citizen brings to its customers watches across a broad price range. 

Minase

Founded in: 2005

Place of origin: Minase, Akita Prefecture

Minase is a lot more new to the watchmaking industry, but it has quickly become a very popular choice among watch enthusiasts. 

Minase initially produced watches only for the Japanese market. But they slowly started branching out internationally with their Horizon, Divido, and Windows. 

What makes Minase so unique is that the brand produces only around 500 watches every year. The casing design of the watches made by Minase are inspired by traditional Japanese puzzles and each piece fits together perfectly. 

Hajime Asaoka

Hajime Asaoka is an independent watchmaker from Japan. He began learning the art of watchmaking in his free time since he couldn’t find an experienced watchmaker to train him. He used george Daniel’s book called ‘Watchmaking’.

He is a fulltime member of the AHCI, an international association for independent watch makers. 

Do not expect watches by Hajime to be affordable. He works out of Tokyo and a lot of the work done on the watches are done by Hajime himself. 

His first collection was the Tourbillion watch collection. This showed off his exquisite technique and were priced quite high.

The brand later released a more affordable line called the Kuromo. But these watches weren’t made by Hajime and featured third party movements. 

Hajime’s watches may be heavy on the pocket, but watch enthusiasts say that they are worth every penny. 

Masahiro Kikuno

Masahiro Kikuno is a master horologist who crafts each of his timepieces mostly by hand.  Like Hajime Asaoka, he is part of the AHCI. He is an independent watch maker who is sought after for his skill in producing complex and incredibly finished timepieces. 

Masahiro gained popularity when he made his debut with the wristwatch that was inspired by Hisashige Tanaka’s myriad year clock. 

All of this brilliant watchmaker’s pieces are made to order. They have a touch of Japanese tradition to them and are created in a unique way. 

Knot

Founded in: 2014

Place of origin: Kichijoji

If you are looking for customized watches, Knot is here for you. Customers can head over to the official Knot website, choose a watch and customize it according to their preferences. 

There are about 8,000 different combinations for customers to choose from. Knot may not be high up in the world of watch making, but it offers affordable and classy timepieces for people who don’t care much for brand names. 

Watches by Knot are made with quality materials like stainless steel and high precision movements. 

Watches by Knot are made with quality materials like stainless steel and high precision movements. 

Best Japanese Watch Brands: FAQs