Wako

Wako was founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori as a watch and jewelry shop called K. Hattori (now Seiko Group Corporation) in Ginza. In 1947, the retail division split off as Wako Co., Ltd.

From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the Great Kantō earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock.

The 1932 building was designed by Jin Watanabe in art deco influenced neoclassical style. Its curved granite façade and clock tower form the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing after World War II. The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.

In addition to Seiko and luxury overseas brand watches, Wako also offers private label watches as regular products, using Seiko-made movements. The dials of these watches bear the name "WAKO" instead of "SEIKO." Since the 60th anniversary commemorative model of the clock tower in 1992, Wako has released limited-edition Wako-branded models every ten years. In 2022, a dress watch equipped with the Caliber 6898, an ultra-thin movement used in Credor, was released.