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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAkio Naito sees Grand Seiko’s next challenge as turning growth among watch enthusiasts into wider recognition—without losing sight of what makes the watches distinctive. In interviews published in October and November 2024, the Seiko Watch Corporation president discussed the brand’s Japanese identity, its Melbourne boutique, the value of seeing watches in person, and the work of creating lasting icons.
Who is Akio Naito?
Naito’s career has taken him from legal and intellectual-property work into overseas management and leadership of Grand Seiko in North America. Time+Tide says he was Managing Director of Seiko Australia from 2002 to 2006, a period he recalled as the beginning of his overseas watch-business experience. In 2024, he was President of Seiko Watch Corporation and CEO of Grand Seiko. (Time+Tide, 2 November 2024)
Seiko Group’s 2025 annual-meeting filing records Naito’s appointment as President of SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION in April 2021 and lists him in that role at the time of the filing. It also records prior positions including Managing Director of Seiko Australia, work in the Legal & Intellectual Property Department, and Chairman & CEO of Grand Seiko Corporation of America. The filing confirms his role as of its publication; it does not establish whether it has changed since. (Seiko Group, 29 May 2025)
What does Naito think about Grand Seiko’s future?
His stated aim is to take Grand Seiko’s recognition beyond watch enthusiasts and into a larger community. In an October 2024 interview with Hodinkee, he connected that broader awareness to explaining the brand’s Japanese identity and the stories behind its creations. The challenge is not simply to reach more people, but to help them understand why the watches look and feel the way they do. (Hodinkee, 8 October 2024)
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- Three-fold clasp with push button release
- Dual-curved sapphire crystal
- Power reserve display on the back
- Power resrve Approx. 72 hours(3 days)
That ambition sits alongside a harder creative question: how a growing brand makes watches that become recognizable, enduring icons. The interviews frame growth and community engagement as part of the work, not proof that the work is finished. They do not supply a market-growth percentage or a forecast, so the case for Grand Seiko’s growth here is Naito’s perspective rather than a quantified market measure.
Why did Grand Seiko open a boutique in Melbourne?
For Naito, the Melbourne boutique addressed a practical gap for local customers. Sydney had been the priority for a boutique, he told Time+Tide, but he had wanted Melbourne customers to be able to discover Grand Seiko in person without travelling to Sydney. He described his 2024 visit as a homecoming: “Australia was where it all started for me.” (Time+Tide, 2 November 2024)
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- See-through case back
- Date display
- Screw-down crown
- 40mm Diameter
- Weight 178.0 g
The boutique also reflects how Naito thinks the watches should be encountered. He said the way Grand Seiko dials and cases play with light and reflections is best appreciated in person; even a beautifully made photograph cannot fully convey that effect. The point is specific to the visual experience he described—not a claim that photographs are useless, but that they cannot reproduce every quality of the watch on the wrist or under changing light.
What product challenges did Naito discuss?
Making the collection easier to navigate
In the October 2024 Hodinkee interview, Naito acknowledged pressure from a crowded range of limited editions. His comments sit alongside the broader goal of explaining the stories and identity behind Grand Seiko creations: a larger audience needs a clear way to understand not only individual watches, but also how they fit within the brand.
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- 24-hour hand (dual time display function)
- Power Reserve Approx. 55 hours
- See-through case back
Improving bracelets and micro-adjustment
Naito said he had been aware of concerns about bracelets for years and was pushing internally for improvement. On micro-adjustment, however, he said it had not yet been fully executed and that there was no timeline. Those remarks describe the position he reported in October 2024; they are not a current product announcement or a confirmed launch date. (Hodinkee, 8 October 2024)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Naito’s interviews say about Grand Seiko
Taken together, Naito’s comments describe a brand trying to broaden its audience while preserving the qualities that collectors value: a distinct Japanese identity, meaningful creation stories, and watches whose design rewards close, in-person attention. The Melbourne boutique makes that approach tangible, while his comments on limited editions and bracelets show that broadening appeal also involves practical decisions about the collection and the wearing experience.
Quick Recap
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- AUTOMATIC: these self-winding, automatic men's watches are powered by your movement, with a power reserve of 41 hours
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