Mr. Takahashi's Opening Address at Baselworld, 2019

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much for coming here today and sharing this time with us. In the next 45 minutes, my team will show you some outstanding watches. I'm sure these products will be of great interest to your leaders, but before we do that, I want to take a few minutes to talk about our company. I'm always delighted to be here at Baselworld, but especially so this year. 2019 is an important year for us. Exactly 50 years ago, in 1969, we introduced some amazing products, including our first automatic chronograph and also a new caliber that achieved a remarkable level of accuracy, which we call V.F.A. These outstanding creations made important contributions to the art of mechanical watchmaking. Specifically, in 1999, we created a radical new movement, Spring Drive. It was a totally new approach to accuracy, and both watch fans and experts were impressed. Today, Spring Drive is at the heart of many of our finest watches. For example, our masterpiece complication watches, such as the Credor and minute repeater, make use of Spring Drive's silent operation. Another special feature of this movement is its second hand. Instead of counting seconds, the Spring Drive's second hand moves in a smooth, sweeping motion, together with the natural flow of time. Some writers have pointed out that this motion suggests the Japanese sense of time. As one of the world's oldest watchmakers, I am interested in how different cultures have different concepts of time. For example, in the West, people say time waits for no one, you cannot stop time, and sometimes it seems as if people want to stop the river of time. In Japan, we see time as a fundamental part of nature. We want to harmonize our lives with the flow of time, not try to stop it or slow it down. In fact, the appreciation of time and constant change are at the heart of the Japanese sense of beauty. If these cherry blossoms bloomed all the time, we wouldn't find them so beautiful. Why am I talking about the Japanese sense of beauty? First, as I noted, because Spring Drive expresses this concept in the smooth motion of its second hand. Second, because people around the world are becoming more interested in Japanese culture—not just food, film, and fashion. People want to understand the spirit and tradition of Japan. I believe this growing interest in Japanese culture presents a great opportunity for our company because our watchmaking is very much rooted in traditional craftsmanship. Seiko has been making excellent mechanical watches for over 100 years, but the tradition of craftsmanship that gave birth to our company goes back over 1,000 years. I want our watches to embody the same traditions that made Japanese craftsmen among the best in the world for centuries. We are always proud of our technical achievements; we still want to show off our technology, but now we want to combine it with the essence of Japanese art and culture. I want our products to embody this concept of beauty. We will continue to use traditional Japanese design and materials and combine them with the best technology on the planet. In a few moments, you will see how Grand Seiko as well as Seiko Presage collections achieve that goal. I am very proud of the collections you are about to see. They show the true spirit of our culture and our company. By combining the best of both art and technology, we are redefining who we are and what we do. 2019 will be an exciting year for us in many ways. I hope you will join us on this journey. Thank you.