Time for Nature: How Seiko is Taking Bold Steps to Create a Better Future

Time for Nature: How Seiko is Taking Bold Steps to Create a Better Future

As consumers become increasingly concerned about the impact of their choices on the environment, more and more companies are prioritizing sustainability in their operations. One such company is Seiko, a Japanese watch manufacturer that has been committed to sustainable practices for years.

From reducing marine debris to supporting local community initiatives, Seiko is taking bold steps to ensure a better future for both people and the planet.

The story of Seiko began in 1881, when entrepreneur Kintaro Hattori opened a shop selling and repairing watches and clocks in central Tokyo. Today, after more than 130 years of innovation, Seiko upholds the same dedication and care to every watch that made Seiko a leading name.

Known for its long line of milestone watches, Seiko is a leader in taking on innovation challenges, from pocketwatches to self-winding watches. In 1975, upon receiving a letter from a professional diver, Seiko engineers were shocked to hear how much strain was put on a watch by the athletes, diving to depths of 350 metres. Seiko took on the challenge, crafting the world’s first diver’s watch that would be resistant to helium and legible at great depths.

Since then, Seiko has taken on countless other challenges, from crafting trailblazing timepieces to championing sustainability.

A GLOBAL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY

Seiko's commitment to sustainability extends beyond reducing its carbon footprint and adopting eco-friendly practices within its manufacturing processes. The company's efforts extend to social contributions across the globe. Seiko's worldwide bases are involved in a range of community-based support activities, from tree-planting activities in India to beach clean-ups in the USA, Netherlands, Italy, and Germany. In Australia, the company runs programs focused on biodiversity, while in Thailand, Seiko is working to conserve the ocean and mangrove forests.

Seiko is also making a continuous effort to protect the environment, participating in various campaigns that focus on raising awareness for environmental research and protecting underwater resources. One of their most impactful initiatives is their partnership with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest diving network and a leader in diving education, with a global network of more than 6,600 dive centres and resorts and over 128,000 professional members worldwide.

Each year, PADI issues more than one million diver certifications, and with over 29 million certificates to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel. PADI takes its impact further through the PADI Aware Foundation, addressing and acting against critical threats affecting the oceans.

Since 2016, Seiko and PADI have collaborated on Save the Ocean activities, raising awareness about ocean conservation efforts and teaching valuable lessons about marine health. At the heart of this partnership is the PADI Aware Dive Against Debris program, the world's largest underwater citizen science movement and clean-up initiative. Divers can take direct action for the ocean, collecting critical survey data from every dive that can be used by marine researchers and policymakers for conservation efforts.

To promote and celebrate this vital work, Seiko released Prospex, a line of diver’s watches that feature the PADI logo on their dials and showcase the red and blue PADI colours on the case. The Prospex mission is to help protect the world’s oceans now and for future generations, and to secure this legacy for divers everywhere.

In partnership with PADI, Seiko has been able to reduce marine debris with the help of divers worldwide. Over 70,000 divers participated in the Dive Against Debris program, contributing to building the most comprehensive underwater database on seafloor debris on the planet.

THE PROSPEX LEGACY

The Seiko Prospex legacy extends far beyond saving the oceans. In fact, the brand's commitment to supporting environmental research and protecting natural resources has taken them to the ends of the Earth—quite literally.

In the 1960s, the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition chose to use Seiko's diver's watches and timing equipment. In 2021, Seiko proudly renewed this tradition by donating Prospex diver's watches to be used by the 63rd Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition members as they explored environmental change in Antarctica.

The National Institute of Polar Research of Japan leads this research effort, studying natural phenomena in the Arctic and Antarctic regions to predict the impact of global warming on the environment.

In keeping with the Prospex mission to protect the world’s oceans for future generations, Seiko's commitment to safeguarding underwater resources is not limited to environmental conservation. Seiko has supported the Fournoi Underwater Survey and Excavation Project in Greece since 2015.

The project aims to preserve cultural heritage by surveying and excavating the ships that sank in the 4th century off the Greek island of Fournoi. Through this initiative, the project team hopes to gain insights into the marine trading system of the Mediterranean at that time. The discovery of 58 historically significant shipwrecks around the Aegean island since the start of the program has been a remarkable achievement, and Seiko is proud to be a part of this effort to protect and preserve our underwater cultural heritage. Seiko's journey to protect the environment and support social contributions across the globe is a testament to the company's commitment to sustainability. By working to conserve the ocean and mangrove forests, supporting local activities, and sponsoring marathon events, Seiko is taking a holistic approach to building a diverse world where people and the environment can thrive together.

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