As the world got accustomed to Seiko's novel and revolutionary Astron technology dominating the market in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Seiko was hard at work on its next innovation to challenge Swiss watch industry dominance, developing the Superior, Grand Quartz, King Quartz and eventually the Type II lines – like this crisp gold 1984 Seiko 9531-603E "Hokkaido Railway" award dress watch here, on its original Seiko leather strap.
 
But why do we call this a "Hokkaido Railway" award dress watch? 
 
Engraved on the caseback of this gold Seiko watches in Kanji Japanese are the words, "Hokkaido Railway Company, Merit Medal Commemoration."
 
The Hokkaido Railway Company (北海道旅客鉄道株式会社, Hokkaidō Ryokaku Tetsudō kabushiki gaisha) is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to by its official abbreviation: JR Hokkaido (JR北海道, Jeiāru Hokkaidō).  The rail operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan, and introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, in late 2008.
 
Hokkaido's railway history began with the 1880 opening of the first line between Honai and Otaru to transport coal, becoming the oldest railway in the region.  The Japanese Government later took control of private railways through nationalization in 1906, and the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) was formed in 1987 after the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR).  Key developments include the opening of the first section of the Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train in 2016 and the discontinuation of historic overnight sleeper services like the Hokutosei.
 
From the 1860s to the first decade of the nineteenth century, migration to Hokkaido was actively promoted but did not take root because transportation in the newly settled region was inconvenient.  To solve this problem the Hokkaido Company planned the construction of the Colonial Railway, with a track gauge of 762 mm, narrower than the present JR gauge of 1,067 mm reducing the cost of both its construction and maintenance.
 
The national government constructed and maintained the tracks and other facilities.  In the beginning the trains were horse-drawn and operated by local operating associations.  This railway ensured more dependable transportation than that possible on the roads which at that time, were made by simply consolidating the ground.  In December 1924, the first line, a 48.8 km track from Atokko Station to Nakashibetsu on the Nemuro Main Line was completed. A large-scale opening ceremony was held at Atokko.
 
The full-scale construction of the Colonial Railway started in 1927.  It included a total of 805 kilometers of track on 47 lines throughout Hokkaido.  It was a successful mode of transportation indispensable for the colonists, particularly in Eastern and Northern Hokkaido, and it not only carried passengers, its trains transported charcoal and lumber and supported dairying which the sources of the incomes of the pioneering farm families.
 
After the war, the Colonial Railway was renamed the Agricultural Light Railway.  By the 1950s, many lines that could be converted to roads were abandoned, while lines carrying large volumes of cargo were motorized and reconstructed.  Diesel cars were introduced and staffed by uniformed female conductors.
 
Fast forward to the lines’ privatization in 1987, JR Hokkaido operated 21 railway lines totaling nearly 2k miles of narrow-gauge track, as well as a ferry service to Aomori.  Since then, that figure has dwindled to just below 1,600 mi, as unprofitable lines were shut down or spun off.  The ferry service has also been replaced by the 33-mile long dual-gauge Seikan Tunnel for railways.
 
On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to further rationalize its network by the withdrawal of services from up to 750 miles, or about 50% of the current network.  JR Hokkaido closed 25 stations from March 2021 to March 2022 due to a decrease in passengers.
 
Of a somewhat more positive note, JR Hokkaido launched its first Hokkaido Shinkansen bullet train service between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in early 2016.  Construction started in May 2005; the initial Shin-Aomori to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto section opened on 26 March 2016. The section of the line to Sapporo was originally scheduled to open by fiscal year 2030, but in December 2024 it was delayed until the end of FY2038, distressing local communities and causing concern over impact on regional development.
 
Upon commencement of services in 2016, the maximum speed on the approximately 50 miles of dual gauge section of the Hokkaido Shinkansen (including through the Seikan Tunnel) was 85 mph, increased to 99 mph in March 2019, with the fastest journey time between Tokyo and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto running approx. four hours.  However, the speed is raised to 130 mph during major holiday travel times.
 
And the Seiko quartz movement at the heart of this gold watch?  1969 was one of the most spectacular in Seiko’s storied history. That year, it released the world’s first automatic chronograph, the Calibre 6139 and the V.F.A. (Very Fine Adjusted) movement – which delivered Seiko’s highest yet level of precision for a mechanical movement.
 
Seiko would release another first upon the world, the first quartz wristwatch - the Seiko Quartz Astron, which went on to change the way the world told time, and severely tested the dominance of the Swiss, bringing high technology within the reach of all.
 
This gold Seiko dress watch comes on its original leather Seiko dress strap, and with rugged travel case, and springbar tool.