Seiko Laurel (Laurel)
The Laurel is commonly called the Laurel.
The Laurel is the watch Seiko names as Japan's first domestically made wristwatch, completed by Seikosha in 1913 under founder Kintaro Hattori. It used a 12-ligne movement, about 26.65mm across, in a case of roughly 30mm, which was small for a factory then making mostly pocket watches, and output reportedly peaked at 30 to 50 a day. The dial is fired enamel, made in-house from 1913, with Arabic numerals in two known designs: all black, or with the 12 picked out in red, as on the example shown here. Cases were made in gold, silver, nickel and shakudo, with fixed wire lugs. In 2014 the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers listed it as Mechanical Engineering Heritage. Some collector research dates the wrist version to 1915 rather than 1913, so treat the date as Seiko's own.
| Caliber | 12-ligne |
|---|---|
| Years | 1913 to present |
| Line | Laurel |
What makes the 1913 Seiko Laurel historically significant?
The Laurel is Japan's first domestically produced wristwatch, introduced by Seikosha in 1913. It marked the beginning of Seiko's transition from pocket watches to wristwatches.
What are the key distinguishing features of an original 1913 Laurel?
A fired enamel dial with Arabic numerals in one of two designs, all black or with the 12 in red, a small seconds subdial at six and fixed wire lugs. Cases were made in gold, silver, nickel and shakudo, so the case metal alone does not identify an original, and enamel dials from this period are often cracked.
Was the Seiko Laurel really Japan's first wristwatch?
Seiko says so. It dates the Laurel to 1913 and calls it the first wristwatch made in Japan, and the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers recognised it as Mechanical Engineering Heritage in 2014. Some researchers argue the wrist version did not appear until about 1915, and that Seikosha's larger 16-ligne Empire was worn on the wrist earlier. The 1913 date is best read as the official one rather than settled fact.
