Made in Japan - Part 2: Microbrands

Japanese watchmaking has its big boys: Seiko, Citizen and Casio.

- Zen Love

And in their shadow is a burgeoning scene of independents contributing to the country's horological character. We highlighted some inspiring artisans and brands in Part 1 of this series published in the April-June 2025 issue of WatchTime India. But there's still more to explore among watches 'Made in Japan.

In recent years, Seiko has triumphantly clawed its way out of its budget-brand image. Citizen and Casio have followed. All of these major Japanese brands have increasingly leaned into upmarket product families with craftsmanship, impressive engineering, and luxury pricing. Just as each of them shows that the country is more than capable of high refinement and prices on par with their prestigious Swiss counterparts, so do many of Japan's independent watchmakers.

But Seiko, Citizen, and Casio's modern empires are largely built on value. And no matter what kind of watch fan or collector you are, you've still got to love fun, down-to-earth, good-old affordable watches sometimes. What collector of Kodo tourbillons, Credor, or Campanola doesn't also hold a place in their heart for a humble Seiko SKX or G-Shock? So what about the kind of small companies that have emerged in other markets to serve the budget end of the enthusiast spectrum? Where are the microbrands making watches on that level?

Japan indeed has a small microbrand scene of its own. We're talking about the kind of watch startups that have proliferated in, say, the United States, France, the UK, and other countries—the kind that'll often work with suppliers and sell directly to customers to offer highly competitive value propositions. One big advantage for Japanese brands in this (loosely defined) category: Readily available Japanese movements allow for a more credibly holistic 'Made-in-Japan' product.