What Is a Miyota Movement? Japanese Quartz and Automatic Calibres

Short answer: A Miyota movement is a quartz or automatic watch movement sold to other watch brands under the Miyota name by the Japanese watchmaker Citizen. The name comes from the town of Miyota in Nagano, Japan, where Citizen built a factory in 1959. Miyota is not a watch brand but a supplier of the engine inside the watch.

Searches for “Miyota movement” often come with calibre codes such as NH35 and 7S26, yet those two calibres are not Miyota at all; they belong to the Seiko group. This guide explains who owns Miyota, its best-known quartz and automatic calibres, how it differs from Seiko calibres and how to find out which movement a watch uses.

What is a Miyota movement?

Short answer: The answer to “what is a Miyota movement” is this: Miyota is the brand name the Citizen group uses when it supplies watch movements to other brands. The movements are made by Citizen Watch Manufacturing and sold on a non-exclusive basis to watch brands worldwide, including brands that compete with Citizen.

Most watch brands do not make their own movements; they buy them from a specialist. In that supply chain, Miyota is often described as Japan’s counterpart to ETA, the Swiss movement maker owned by the Swatch Group. According to Wikipedia, Europa Star estimated in 2023 that Miyota produces around 100 million movements a year, more than 90 per cent of them quartz.

The general differences between movement types (battery, mainspring, rotor) are not the subject of this article; for how a quartz watch works, see our guide to what a quartz watch is, and for a comparison of movement types, see our types of watches guide.

Which country is Miyota from, and who owns it?

Short answer: Miyota is a Japanese movement maker owned by the Citizen Watch group. Miyota states that almost all of its movements are made in Japan, and that movements made in Japan are always stamped “JAPAN”. The brand’s origins go back to the movement factory Citizen built in the town of Miyota in 1959.

• 1959: Citizen builds a movement factory in the town of Miyota, Nagano.
• 1980: the MIYOTA brand starts being used for external sales.
• 1981: the analog quartz Cal. 2035 and the Cal. 20 series are launched.
• 1986: the mechanical Cal. 82 series arrives; the slim premium mechanical Cal. 90 series follows in the 2000s.

The legal meaning of “Japanese movement” is also worth knowing: according to Miyota, Japan defines a product’s country of origin as the place where final assembly is carried out. Switzerland, by contrast, requires a certain proportion of parts to be made domestically before a product can be labelled “Swiss made”. Japan has no such rule, but Miyota says it still makes nearly all its components in Japan.

What are Miyota’s quartz and automatic calibres?

Short answer: Miyota’s best-known quartz calibre is the Cal. 2035, made since 1981; on the automatic side, the entry-level Cal. 8215 and the slim premium Cal. 9015 stand out. Miyota also makes chronograph, multi-function, slim and small quartz calibres. The values below are the technical data published by the manufacturer.

The Cal. 2035 is Miyota’s entry-level standard analog quartz calibre. Miyota says its production figures earned it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. It drives the hour, minute and seconds hands and has no date display. According to Miyota, watches leave the factory with the crown pulled out, which cuts battery consumption to around 10–30 per cent of normal, so little battery life is used while the watch sits in stock. For battery life and when to change it, see how long a watch battery lasts.

The Cal. 8215 has been a workhorse in affordable automatic watches for many years. The Cal. 9015, slimmer and higher in frequency, makes thinner automatic watches possible.

Are the NH35 and 7S26 Miyota? Miyota vs Seiko

Short answer: No. The NH35 and 7S26 are automatic calibres from the Seiko group, not Miyota. The NH35 is sold to other brands by Time Module (TMI), a Seiko group subsidiary, and appears as the 4R35 in Seiko’s own watches. The 7S26 is an entry-level Seiko calibre used for many years in the Seiko 5 line.

The confusion arises because all three are Japanese calibres found in many affordable automatic watches. The Seiko group developed the 4R family to replace the 7S26, making hand winding and hacking seconds standard; the NH35 is the external-sales version of that family. TMI lists the country of origin of the NH series as “Japan or Malaysia”.

The difference between Miyota and Seiko is not a quality ranking; they are separate product families from two separate Japanese groups. Calibres of a similar grade (for example, the Miyota 8215 and the NH35) are close in purpose, and brands usually choose between them based on design needs such as movement height, date position or hacking seconds.

Are Miyota movements good quality?

Short answer: Miyota is a long-established Japanese supplier whose quartz and automatic movements are widely used and whose spare parts and servicing are easy to find. But “it uses Miyota” does not on its own prove a watch is good quality: the same maker has calibres in standard and premium grades, and the case, crystal, gaskets and assembly also decide a watch’s overall quality.

Three points Miyota highlights are useful for an assessment:

• Metal main plate: Miyota says its movements use many metal parts. A movement with a metal main plate can be taken apart and repaired, which makes it longer-lasting than movements built from many plastic parts that cannot be repaired.
• Parts availability: Miyota says its calibres are easy to source and repair anywhere in the world, which extends a watch’s service life.
• Long battery life: according to Miyota, most of its quartz movements have a battery life of three years or more.

An honest limit: only the brand that makes a watch can confirm which calibre it uses. “Japan Movt” on a dial may show that the movement is Japanese, but it does not say which maker produced it.

Does a Miyota automatic movement need servicing?

Short answer: Yes. Like any mechanical movement, a Miyota automatic has moving parts whose oil dries and which wear over time, so it needs servicing at an authorised service centre at the intervals the brand recommends. The regular need of a Miyota quartz movement is a battery change, with the gasket checked at the same time.

Miyota does not sell movements to individual customers or repair them for individuals; for servicing, contact the shop where you bought the watch, the brand’s authorised service centre or a watch repairer. For Dice Kayek watches, battery changes and the service process are explained on the warranty and service page.

Are Japanese movements inferior to Swiss movements?

Short answer: No, not as a general rule. Both Japanese and Swiss makers have broad calibre families from entry level to high end, so the comparison should be made between two calibres of the same grade rather than between countries. The differences usually lie in price, finishing details, origin rules and brand perception.

In quartz watches, differences in accuracy come more from the calibre’s grade than from its country; for why quartz is accurate, see our guide to what a quartz watch is. In mechanical watches, the manufacturer’s published daily accuracy range, power reserve and features such as hacking seconds are more concrete points of comparison.

How do you find out which movement your watch has?

Short answer: The most reliable way to find out a watch’s movement is to check the product specifications and ask the seller for the calibre number. “Japan Movt” or “Swiss Movt” on the dial only shows the country. The calibre number on the movement itself is visible only when the case back is opened, which should be done only at an authorised service centre.

1. Read the product specifications. The movement type (quartz, automatic) and, where given, the calibre number appear in the specifications table.
2. Ask the seller. If the calibre number is not listed, the brand or seller can tell you; do not settle for guesswork.
3. Check the dial and case back. Markings such as “Japan Movt” show where the movement comes from, not who made it.
4. Do not open the case back yourself. Checking the gasket when the case back is opened and closed is necessary to keep the water resistance; this is a job for an authorised service centre.

Dice Kayek Timepieces makes only quartz women’s wristwatches; automatic and mechanical watches are not part of the collection. The movement type, water resistance and case measurements of every model are listed in the specifications table on its product page. If you would like to explore women’s watches, you can find every model on our women’s watches page.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Miyota movement?

A Miyota movement is a quartz or automatic watch movement that the Citizen group supplies to other watch brands under the Miyota name. The name comes from the town of Miyota in Japan, where Citizen built a factory in 1959; Miyota is a movement maker, not a watch brand.

Which country is Miyota from?

Miyota is a Japanese movement maker owned by the Citizen Watch group. According to Miyota, almost all of its movements are made in Japan, and those made in Japan are stamped “JAPAN”.

What is the difference between Miyota and Seiko movements?

Miyota movements come from the Citizen group, while calibres such as the NH and 4R families come from the Seiko group. They are separate product families from two Japanese groups; calibres of the same grade are close in purpose, and the difference is not a quality ranking.

Who makes the NH35 movement?

The NH35 is a Seiko group automatic calibre. It is sold to other watch brands by Time Module (TMI), a Seiko group subsidiary, and appears as the 4R35 in Seiko’s own watches; it is not a Miyota calibre.

Which brand makes the 7S26 movement?

The 7S26 is Seiko’s entry-level automatic calibre and was used for many years in the Seiko 5 line. It shows the day and date and runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour; it has nothing to do with Miyota.

Are Miyota quartz movements good quality?

Miyota quartz movements are widely used calibres with easy-to-find parts and servicing; the Cal. 2035, for example, is rated at ±20 seconds per month with a 3-year battery life. Even so, the case, crystal, gaskets and assembly also decide a watch’s overall quality.

What is the Miyota 2035?

The Miyota 2035 is Miyota’s standard analog quartz calibre, made since 1981. It drives the hour, minute and seconds hands; according to the manufacturer it is 3.15 mm high, accurate to ±20 seconds per month and has a 3-year battery life.

Does a Miyota automatic movement need servicing?

Yes. The moving parts of a Miyota automatic movement need oiling and regulation over time, so it should be cleaned, oiled and regulated at an authorised service centre at the intervals the brand recommends. If the watch is not worn, it stops when its power reserve runs out.

Which brands use Miyota movements?

Many watch brands besides Citizen use Miyota movements; Wikipedia gives some models from brands such as Timex, Casio, Bulova and Skagen as examples. Only the brand of a particular watch can confirm whether it uses a Miyota movement.

Are Japanese movements inferior to Swiss movements?

Not as a general rule. Japanese and Swiss makers both have broad calibre families from entry level to high end, so the comparison should be made between two calibres of the same grade, on accuracy, power reserve and features, rather than between countries.

What kind of movement is the Miyota 8215?

The Miyota 8215 is an entry-level automatic calibre. It can also be hand-wound and shows the date; it has 21 jewels, runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, has a power reserve of over 40 hours, and the manufacturer rates its accuracy at −20 to +40 seconds per day.