If you haven?t been paying attention, it might come as a surprise to hear that Grand Seiko is one of the hottest brands in the watch world these days. Ever since the Japanese watchmaking firm announced its separation from the larger Seiko brand to form its own autonomous entity at Baselworld 2017, the company has been knocking it out of the park with a string of limited-edition releases that have the brand digging deeper into the minds ? and wallets ? of American consumers. Last fall, Grand Seiko announced the formation of the new Grand Seiko Corporation of America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko Watch Corporation based on the East Coast. The company is the first truly independent Grand Seiko company in the world and it provides an anchor for the brand?s retail operations across the country, including the Grand Seiko boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and the Seiko flagship operations in Miami and New York. While Grand Seiko has been making major moves, Seiko has been positioning itself in a different way with a focus on its upmarket collections in the sporty Prospex and dressy Presage ranges. These releases have been so successful that Seiko was even awarded the title of Best Sports Watch of 2018 at last fall?s Grand Prix d?Horlogerie de Genève. Recently, we had the chance to sit down with Shuji Takahashi, the president, COO and CMO of the global Seiko Watch Corporation to see what the brand?s plans are for the rest of the year, how Grand Seiko and Seiko are per...