It has been a year since I traveled to Japan with Grand Seiko, and I am still processing the experience. This has been one of the hardest articles I have ever written. Not because I lack material, but because the trip was so meaningful that putting it into words has felt almost impossible. It combined everything I love about watches, history, design, technical mastery, and culture, with moments that touched me personally in ways I hadn’t expected. I was so moved by the trip that I am already planning my return, this time for pleasure, in just a few weeks.
Even before I set foot in a watchmaking studio, the journey carried a sense of occasion. I flew to Japan on my birthday. Because of the time change when crossing the International Date Line, that birthday was effectively cut short. At the time it felt like a sacrifice, but I couldn’t have asked for a better reason. When I finally arrived in Tokyo in the late afternoon, tired but buzzing with anticipation, I checked into my hotel room to find that the Grand Seiko team had arranged a cake to celebrate my birthday. It was a small gesture, but it meant everything. It set the tone for the days to come: this trip was not just about watches, but about people and hospitality. Later in the week, during one of our group dinners, they presented me with a pair of chopsticks, simple, refined, and deeply Japanese, that remain one of my most cherished souvenirs.
First Days in Tokyo: Ginza, Wako, and a Sense of Place
Our group stayed in Ginza, Tokyo’s luxury district and one of the great centers of watch culture. The wide boulevards were lined with flagship stores and department stores, each one polished and carefully curated. It felt orderly and calm, even with the flow of people. The district had the air of an open-air gallery, with architecture that balanced modernity and tradition. Our hotel was just a short walk from some of the most important locations in Seiko’s history.
On the very first night, I joined a dinner where I met some familiar faces from the American press. It was a comforting way to start the week, a chance to shake off jet lag over drinks and swap stories about our flights before the formal program began. That dinner was the last moment that felt informal. From the next morning on, I was fully immersed in Grand Seiko’s world.
AloJapan.com