It’sSwitzerland which receives the most kudos in watchmaking. At Baselworld, it’s the traditional marques which, with every big reveal, secures the most rapturous applause and from there, space on the wrists of the rich and richer. But horology is far from a one-party state, and Switzerland – much as it might like to – can’t monopolise the market entirely. Not while brands like Seiko exist, at least.

The Japanese manufacturer started out in 1881, when founder Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock store in central Tokyo. The name Seikosha (roughly translated, ‘House of Exquisite Workmanship’), though, came 11 years later before eventually being abbreviated to Seiko in 1924. And things ticked along nicely until 1969, when Hattori developed the world’s first quartz movement – the Astron – triggering the so-called Quartz Crisis (crisis for Switzerland that is, not so much Japan). As a more accurate, much less expensive alternative to traditional mechanisms, Seiko skyrocketed to leading watch manufacturer status almost overnight.

And it didn’t stop there – the brand went on to clock up many more world firsts, including the quartz chronograph, the GPS solar watch, and the kinetic watch.

Despite a 135-year history, Seiko’s innovative streak refuses to wane. Take, for example, the Premier collection. Just when we’d acclimatized to Seiko’s signature, the brand released something else extraordinary: a dress watch. Which hardly sounds groundbreaking on paper, but the Premier collection is a clever move from a brand renowned for every day, sports-inspired watches. And a good-looking one at that.

Comprised of several models, ranging from classic dials to complex perpetual calendar movements (the proper name for watches that track day, date, and year), the Premier collection ties together all three of Seiko’s strengths: versatility, engineering, and a clear design thread.