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Inside Seiko’s new Knightsbridge boutique
By Tempus | 1 September 2017 | Style
The luxury Japanese watchmakers have opened their doors to London
* Seiko opens the doors of its new boutique store in London Knightsbridge
Brompton Road’s newest storefront is bringing one of Japan’s coolest exports to London for the first time. Seiko’s new Knightsbridge boutique is nestled in the heart of the city’s most luxurious shopping destination, and houses the widest collection of the brand’s watches in Europe as it aims to be a celebration of their 136-year history.
At its launch last month, TV presenter Jonathan Ross and Japan’s ambassador to the UK His Excellency Koji Tsuruoka were on hand to learn about the watchmaker’s vertically integrated timepieces and open the store with a tradition Japanese ceremony that included opening a sake barrel.
* Jonathan Ross and Japan’s ambassador to the UK His Excellency Koji Tsuruoka join Seiko president and directors in opening the ceremonial sake barrel.
Shuii Takahashi, president and COO of Seiko and Grand Seiko, also visited London for the opening of the store. He said: “We have long wanted to open a Seiko Boutique in London and I am delighted that we have now found the perfect location. I can promise every visitor a uniquely enjoyable and informative experience of our watches and of what makes them special.”
Among the handcrafted Grand Seiko watches, which combine mechanical, Spring Drive and quartz calibres, is the Credor Fugaku. Retailing at £375,000, the tourbillon limited edition watch features a calibre 6830 tourbillon movement – a first for the company – 21,600 vibrations per hour, and a power reserve of 37 hours. Comprised on 153 parts, the watch takes inspiration from artwork from Japanese Edo period, featuring an18karat yellow and white gold hand-engraved wave design on both the dial and the case back, inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s ‘Great Wave of Kanagawa’.
* The Credor Fugaku tourbillon limited edition watch retails at £375,000
“To have a Seiko London Boutique has been a key focus for us for some time, and we are delighted to have found the ideal location situated in the heart of Knightsbridge,” said UK managing director Kinya Iwami. “We are proud to open our doors to the UK public and to our many loyal Seiko fans. Our highly skilled staff will offer them a first class retail experience in an environment which celebrates the nest timepieces the brand has to offer.”