The Business of Watches Podcast: Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito

This week on The Business of Watches, we sit down with Akio Naito, the President of Seiko Watch Corporation. Credor, the ultra-premium offering showcasing artisanal creations, unique craftsmanship, and design, made its Watches and Wonders debut this year. We discuss Credor's positioning and its expansion into international markets.

Photo courtesy Credor.

The biggest challenge for Credor, Naito says, will be increasing production for more markets, as the skills required to produce the timepieces are highly specialized and take years to master.

We also get an update on Grand Seiko. Naito says the brand has increased its international sales by more than 15x over the past decade, driven largely by success in the U.S. market. Grand Seiko is continuing to update and improve its offerings, including a new ultra-accurate and ultra-luxurious dive watch in a more compact size that clients have been asking for.

We also hear about the growing interest and awareness of Grand Seiko's class-leading 9F quartz movement technology, which is increasingly popular with some clients.

But first, Hodinkee Senior Editor Mark Kauzlarich drops in for a fresh analysis on some of the record watch auction results from the spring sessions in Geneva. Pocket watches were hot, Journe was surging, and Patek showed continued strength with a record result for a rare Patek 2523. So what isn't hot right now? Tune in to find out.

There's plenty of watch business and strategy to discuss, and we hope you enjoy the conversations. Be sure to leave any thoughts or questions in the comments section, and we'll do our best to respond. Want to subscribe so you never miss an episode? This new show is being published to the original Hodinkee Podcasts feed, so you can subscribe wherever you find your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or TuneIn.

Show Notes

1:18 Auctions: The Five Results That Actually Mattered, From The Spring 2026 Auction Season (Hodinkee)
1:34 Derek Pratt for Urban Jürgensen "The Oval" (Phillips)
3:20 Akrivia AK-06 (Phillips)
3:41 Louis Richard "Triple Detent Constant Force One Minute Tourbillon Chronometer"
5:04 Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 "Polychrome Two-crown World-time", "Doppia Corona Policromo" (Phillips)
6:10 Records Shatter at Sotheby's Hong Kong: Important Watches Auction Soars to HK$414.2 Million / US$52.9 Million
7:25 Audemars Piguet Coussin Tortue (Christie's)
8:22 Audemars Piguet Ref. 5503 (Phillips)
13:33 Credor (company website)
14:22 Interview: Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito On Grand Seiko's Future (Hodinkee)
19:38 Introducing: Credor Makes Its First Watches And Wonders Appearance With Three Novelties (Live Pics) (Hodinkee)
20:00 In-DepthA Tour Of Grand Seiko, Part 1 (Hodinkee)
21:10 Introducing: Credor's Revival Of The Locomotive, A Long-Overlooked Gerald Genta Design (In-Depth, Live Pics) (Hodinkee)
22:53 Credor Studios (Credor)
24:36 Watches And Wonders Attendance Climbs Despite Geo-Politics And Economic Challenges As Brands Make Case For Value (Hodinkee)
25:00 Credor History
28:07 Introducing: Grand Seiko Shrinks Ultra-Accurate U.F.A. Ushio 300 Divers To Less Than 41mm Wide (Live Pics) (Hodinkee)
30:26 Grand Seiko 9F Quartz