The Japanese watchmaker makes a statement with the opening of its flagship UK location, located in the heart of luxury shopping at Knightsbridge.

Seiko is open for business. Business in London, that is. The Japanese watchmaker has opened a new chapter in its 136 years of history with the opening of a flagship location at 57, Brompton Road in Knightsbridge in the heart of luxury shopping in London.

At the inauguration ceremony on August 10, the President and COO of Seiko Watch Corporation, Shuji Takahashi, along with the Japanese Ambassador to Britain and British television presenter Jonathan Ross were on site to commemorate the opening.

Many years in the works, the opening of the London flagship boutique is major step towards greater exposure in Western markets for the Japanese brand. That’s especially the case for the brand’s higher-end models.

Until recently, for example, it was difficult for UK fans so see some of the brand’s pinnacle models, like the Grand Seiko, without going to Baselworld. And while we’re on the topic of the Grand Seiko, the watchmaker has released a special edition of its Spring Drive model boasting 8 days of autonomy - no doubt with the opening of this boutique in mind.

The boutique promises to showcase the largest selection of Grand Seiko models anywhere in Europe. On top of that, fans will also be able to get up close and personal with other selected masterpieces, like those form the company’s luxury Credor line, including the celebrated Fugaku Tourbillon.

The boutique will also showcase some of the brand’s other leading models, including Astron GPS Solar, Presage, Prospex and Premier collections. And that’s what I really like about Seiko, that it offers something for everybody, and usually at the most competitive prices to be found.

Because Seiko is a vertically integrated company – meaning that it is in full control of its supply chain – it ensures that all of its watch components are manufactured efficiently and entirely in-house. This even includes the quartz crystals that are grown in special autoclaves. So from the lower range 5-models to the Grand-models, each is guaranteed to be a quality timepiece.

If you happen to be in the Knightsbridge area and have the opportunity, check out these and many other aspects of the brand’s rich watchmaking story first hand.