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Post by earthphase on Apr 16, 2015 20:13:09 GMT -8
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Adrian-VTA
Global Moderator
Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 5,327 
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Post by Adrian-VTA on Apr 16, 2015 20:42:24 GMT -8
Nice Article.
This was pretty common before the rise of the MBA, to promote internal competition, competing product teams.
On another note, and this is the extremely short version, Suwa restructured and eventually morphed into EPSON, Daini evolved into SEIKO Watch Co.
On another note again, the technology developed for LCD and quartz watches was also used on bubble jet printers. EPSON used a system of pulses to open and close a LCD shuttered ink nozzle on the print head. (Don't ask me much more about it, this is about as far as my knowledge goes)
CANON used a micro mechanical nozzle on their print heads.
EPSON was always the better system because it lasted forever and could be cleaned. I once refurbed an ancient A3 EPSON Stylus printer that had been idle for about 8 years. A few head cleans and some "metho" on the head and it was working fine again. The only thing that eventually killed it was the rubber on the paper pickup system perished.
In my opinion, the DAINI movements are better, lower part count and higher average amplitudes, but the SUWA case and dial designs were better. The 7 series chronos are a work of minimalist art.
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cobrajet25
Needs a Life!
"Underweared curmudgeon!"
Posts: 3,357
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Post by cobrajet25 on Apr 16, 2015 22:22:16 GMT -8
Great article. I get a kick whenever I hear somebody call the black-and-gold 6138-803x the "John Player Special".I coined that nickname back in about 2005. I guess once you put something on the internet, it STAYS THERE!  Funnier thing about it is, being American, I only knew about the 1970s John Player race team and it's black/gold livery. I didn't know it was a tobacco brand until much later...Player's tobacco isn't sold here! |
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Thomas
WIS
Nun Gut
Posts: 1,480
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Post by Thomas on Apr 17, 2015 3:41:56 GMT -8
My favorite related story is how Seiko made the first prototype inkjet printer and called it the EP-1 (Electronic Printer 1). It performed so well they decided to start making them for sale. They revised the design for production, set up a group to make and sell them, and since the printer was the "son" of the EP-1, they called the division "Epson".  - Thomas |
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Post by brew108 on Apr 17, 2015 10:49:49 GMT -8
Great article. I get a kick whenever I hear somebody call the black-and-gold 6138-803x the "John Player Special".I coined that nickname back in about 2005. I guess once you put something on the internet, it STAYS THERE! Funnier thing about it is, being American, I only knew about the 1970s John Player race team and it's black/gold livery. I didn't know it was a tobacco brand until much later...Player's tobacco isn't sold here!  |
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Post by thianwong on Apr 17, 2015 13:46:32 GMT -8
This is extracted from a Seiya page:
Daini Seikosha Co., Ltd and Suwa Seikosha Co
Seiko brand watches were originally produced by two different Seiko Corp. subsidiaries. One was Daini Seikosha Co, Ltd (Kameido,Koto-ku, Tokyo) and the other was Suwa Seikosha Co (Suwa-shi, Nagano). Two different companies produced one brand in order to improve technology through severe competition and to hedge the risk. Splendid watches were produced at both companies because of this tough competitionand this system proved efficient at hedging the risk.. If either company experienced production problems the other company could compensate by increasing production. Eventually Daini Seikosha Co, Ltd. changed it its company name to Seiko Instruments Inc. and Suwa Seikosha Co, to Seiko Epson Corporation.
When I did so searching on Daini some years ago, I read that during WW2, the Tokyo factory of Daini was hit and so the employees moved to the Suwa factory in Nagano prefecture south of Tokyo. Then the Daini factory was rebuilt, I think. Later, the Suwa factory dominated and morphed into another named company. Japanese are quite secretive about such info...hahah!
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Post by estrickland on Apr 18, 2015 0:45:54 GMT -8
This is extracted from a Seiya page: Daini Seikosha Co., Ltd and Suwa Seikosha Co Seiko brand watches were originally produced by two different Seiko Corp. subsidiaries. One was Daini Seikosha Co, Ltd (Kameido,Koto-ku, Tokyo) and the other was Suwa Seikosha Co (Suwa-shi, Nagano). Two different companies produced one brand in order to improve technology through severe competition and to hedge the risk. Splendid watches were produced at both companies because of this tough competitionand this system proved efficient at hedging the risk.. If either company experienced production problems the other company could compensate by increasing production. Eventually Daini Seikosha Co, Ltd. changed it its company name to Seiko Instruments Inc. and Suwa Seikosha Co, to Seiko Epson Corporation. When I did so searching on Daini some years ago, I read that during WW2, the Tokyo factory of Daini was hit and so the employees moved to the Suwa factory in Nagano prefecture south of Tokyo. Then the Daini factory was rebuilt, I think. Later, the Suwa factory dominated and morphed into another named company. Japanese are quite secretive about such info...hahah! I just picked up "Manufacturing Time" - Global Competition in the Watch Industry, 1795-2000, which said something similar - that the manufacturing capacity was moved to avoid bombing raids (they didn't say whether this was reactive) - and they selected Nagano (northwest of Tokyo) for 2 reasons - Hattori Seiko knew a guy up there, and there was a tradition of precise machining there, developed for weaving silk. After the war, the silk trade died, and watchmaking provided a new economic base. |
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Post by lordflagpolecrabtree on Apr 18, 2015 7:47:56 GMT -8
A question for those more knowledgeable than me if I may. According to the Seiko branding dictionary on WUS, Sportsmatics were developed by Suwa in the early 60s I have several, some 6xxx and others 7xxx. 6xxx lines such as the 6309/66 etc all seem to be Suwa and 7xxx such as 7009/7005 seem to be Daini. None of my 6xxx Sportsmatics have markings on the dials but several of 7625s say Daini. Actually, I don't really know what the question is.  Answers on a postcard please  |
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Post by russtmurray on Apr 18, 2015 9:38:28 GMT -8
Fascinating read, thanks for posting that.
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