This was the vision of Seikoβs founder, Kintaro Hattori, and it has inspired the company through over a century of watchmaking. An unflagging quest to increase both the precision, utility and beauty of Seiko watches has resulted in many world-firsts. In 1969 Seiko revolutionized the watchmaking industry with the Seiko Quartz Astron, the worldβs first quartz watch. And in 2012, when Seiko launched the Astron, the worldβs first GPS solar watch, it was immediately recognized as the new global standard by markets worldwide.