Seiko’s Watch Corporation’s president and CEO, Shinji Hattori, has been awarded a Blue Ribbon Medal by the Japanese government.
The award is given to people who have made “an important contributions to the benefit of the public or have made remarkable efforts in service to the public in the domain of education, medicine, welfare and industry.”
Hattori, who is also chairman and group CEO of Seiko Holdings Corporation, has been recognised for his contribution to the increasingly prestigious reputation of Japanese watch making and his long service to the industry.
Hattori has always placed high value upon the importance of continuous technological innovation as the key strength of Japanese watch making and, under his leadership, Seiko has increased its global reputation as one of the world’s finest vertically integrated producer of watches, according to the Blue Ribbon Medal authorities.
Hattori credited the whole of the Seiko team for their part in the success of the company. “I would like to thank everybody who has supported me in my time so far as the president and group CEO of Seiko, thereby making possible this award, of which I am very proud. Since its foundation in 1881, Seiko has continuously launched innovative products including the Japan’s first wristwatch “Laurel”, the world’s first quartz watch, the automatic generating quartz watch. Like my predecessors, we have followed the credo of the founder Kintaro Hattori who decreed that Seiko should be “Always one step ahead of the rest.” I will continue to follow the lead set by Kintaro, my great grandfather, and to further strengthen the image of Japan’s fine watchmaking.”
