Interview with Akio Naito, the President of Grand Seiko

“It is the harmonious blend and the balance of design, technology, heritage, movement accuracy, brand equity and prices that make our products desirable to our classy buyers” Akio Naito reveals the Grand Seiko brand mantra.

Excerpts from the interview with the president of Grand Seiko during the visit of AWJ magazine to Japan.

Grand Seiko was separated from the Seiko in 2017. How significant was this step for international markets and in terms of communication, brands positioning and identification?

It was indeed a historically significant step, especially for markets outside Japan, where customers have generally perceived Seiko as a very reliable not necessarily a high-profile luxury brand.

Our brand philosophy ‘The Nature of Time’ was effectively communicated to establish Grand Seiko’s unique identity as a luxury brand from Japan all over. Our participation in such prestigious shows as Watches & Wonders Geneva from 2022 helped further to consolidate our brand position.

We have been consecutively winning GHPC awards as well. The Chronometry prize for Kodo in 2022; White Birch Hi-Beat 36000 80 hrs/Men’s award in 2021and the Hi-Beat 36000 GMT/“Petite Aiguille” award in 2014. All these have reiterated our redoubtable place in premium watches.

Design, technology, heritage, movement accuracy, brand equity or prices. What would attract and intrigue the Grand Seiko buyers?

Customers have individual preferences and I believe all these are important elements in creating a good brand equity. It is the harmonious blend and the balance of each of these factors that make our products desirable to our classy buyers.

How does Grand Seiko as a brand position its DNA in today’s global market?

Grand Seiko is deeply rooted in its Japanese heritage and it is explicitly expressed in our timepieces. A connoisseur can immediately identify a Grand Seiko watch by the way its surface creates delicate nuances of light and shadow like so many Japanese art forms. It is common in Japanese culture to draw inspiration from nature and to reflect it in ceremonies, art, designs or products. Many Grand Seiko watch dials are inspired by the landscapes around our manufacturing studio.

Its uniqueness has been successfully communicated to our customers and we will continue to put efforts to distinguish ourselves and deliver products that attract our customers.

In 2014 Grand Seiko won the Hi-Beat award and followed in 2021 with the Grand Seiko ‘evolution’, and the Kodo Tourbillion in 2022 at the GPHG Geneva. While last year at the Middle East Watch of the Year Awards, you won the best sports diving watch category in Dubai. What do the above international recognitions mean to Grand Seiko as a player among the big Swiss watchmakers?

Winning laurels at the industry’s highly recognized award ceremonies has increased brand recognition and awareness worldwide. We are greatly honored to receive such awards and to be recognized among the international watchmaking community. Thanks to these achievements and the grass-root movement from watch fans and watch media praising our creations we have been able to carve out a niche in the upmarket segment. This combined with our efforts in strategic marketing and communication has increased the image of Grand Seiko as a luxury watch brand and enabled us to expand on a global scale.

Not only the awards but the participation in major watch events like the Watches & Wonders Geneva and Dubai Watch week have also done the brand’s recognition a lot of good and we are truly proud to be participants in such distinguished events.

Very few watch brands claim to have a dedicated watch “club” and Grand Seiko has its own “Club GS Fans”. Also, the brand has expanded in its own boutiques around the world. How do you support this Grand Seiko club and how do you communicate about it?

GS9 Club is a private organization of Grand Seiko owners, first established in Japan, followed by China and the United States. We support the club as a contact hub for loyal customers who have purchased Grand Seiko and aim to strengthen our engagement with the watch owners in there. The club also helps build brand loyalty by providing exclusive content and conducting various fan events where they can get together on a common platform and share their passion.

How do we communicate about it? It spreads through word of mouth and creating a deeper understanding of the brand among customers helps as well. We will consider opening GS9 clubs in the Middle East in order to attract more GS fans in the region.

That brings us to the Middle East. What are your expansion plans in the Middle East and in terms of Grand Seiko boutiques?

There is a high demand for luxury watches in the Middle East as compared to other regions. Buyers there are very knowledgeable about high priced range of watches and seek value for money. I believe Grand Seiko has great potential in this market and we have been working with luxury retail chains to expand the marketing channels in several countries now. We would like to open the first Grand Seiko boutique in Dubai, which we feel is the largest market ready for us in the Middle East.