THE CITIZEN
The symbol of CITIZEN is an eagle with its wings spread wide. With their extraordinarily powerful eyesight, eagles can spot their prey from as far as 1,000 metres away. The eagle is thus a symbol of foresight and action based on a clear vision of the future. Since ancient times, the eagle has also worked in close partnership with humans.
It is these attributes that led CITIZEN to adopt the eagle as the emblem of their twin commitments of “always looking ahead and pursuing the ideal” and “becoming an integral part of users’ lives.” The eagle mark is discreetly stamped on the dial, the crown and other parts of the watch. Since 1924, when CITIZEN released its first pocket watch, a single ideal has been handed down within the company: making watches that are an integral part of their customers’ lives. Officially established as a brand in 1995, CITIZEN was conceived as an embodiment of that ideal.
Their innovations
CITIZEN has spent years researching a wide range of translucent materials for dials. Their Eco-Drive model uses light as its power source and is equipped with a solar cell beneath the dial. In search of the perfect material for this, they were led to a new material that is actually rather ancient: washi, traditional Japanese paper that is used as a light diffuser in paper sliding doors and old-fashioned lanterns. While absorbing light via gaps between the fibres, the textured surface of the washi paper also catches the light, revealing a distinctive depth and character that varies depending on the viewing angle. This model is emblematic of the CITIZEN spirit of never standing still and of challenging the unknown in pursuit of the next ideal.
In pursuit of sustained accuracy and a striking aesthetic, they developed their first mechanical movement in 2010. CITIZEN’s design philosophy and mastery of component-processing fused with the decorative skills of Switzerland’s La Joux-Perret to create the Caliber 0200, which achieves an average daily accuracy of -3/+5 seconds, a level exceeding that of the chronometer standard (ISO3159). Models with this new movement breakthroughs in themselves and a promise of things to come. CITIZEN’s mechanical models will only continue to evolve in the future.
