Deals

Watch Out, Rolex: Japan Takes On Swiss in Bid for Wealthy Wrists

  • Grand Seiko plans more boutiques to follow Rodeo Drive shop
  • Citizen considers acquisitions to add $18,000-and-up watches
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

In a factory surrounded by snow-covered peaks, technicians in lab coats use tweezers to assemble tiny metal parts into self-winding watches.

Once they’ve been checked through microscopes for precision and packed in satin-lined boxes, the timepieces are shipped off to Rodeo Drive or Knightsbridge boutiques, where they’ll sell for thousands of dollars.