The Citizen Century

A sunny downtown gallery space was the scene of the recent US launch of Citizen’s historical exhibition celebrating the brand’s first time-telling product, a pocket watch released in 1924.
 

The exhibit, which has since moved to European locales, is a testament to the Japanese brand’s enduring history and an ode to Citizen’s commitment to enhancing the lives of “citizens” all over the globe.

The Citizen team sorted through a product archive of 6,000 watches to curate 100 pieces across a dozen overall design categories, from early evening watches with timeless elegance from the early part of the 20th Century to the very first iconic Eco-Drive model from 1976, the Quartz Crystron Solar Cell.
 

Many of the attendees undoubtedly had “memory moments” reviewing the curation. I, personally, came across a great looking 1990s-era Citizen Promaster 200 M dive watch with the crown at the 8 o’clock position that had me looking through shoeboxes in my closet to see if I still had it (alas, while I swear I had that watch, I no longer have that watch).
 

In addition to the traveling exhibition, Citizen is marking the 100th birthday of that 1924 pocket watch with a new, limited edition pocket watch more aimed at expressing the brand’s future.
 

Featuring a free-sprung balance wheel and delivering modern accuracy of -3/+5 seconds a day, the external presentation of the 2024 model is straightforward, retaining the echoes of the original’s classicism.
 

Meanwhile, the 2024 model’s hand-wound movement, with its gentle curves and diamond-cut bridge edges, is elegant visually. In a big nod to modernity, however, the case is created of lightweight titanium.
 

Expect to pay $7,500 for one of the 100 examples that will be produced. You can submit your request for the watch, which will become available during the late-fall/holiday timeframe, via Citizen’s website.

In addition, our esteemed watch colleague Jack Forster has penned a wonderful retrospective published by Assouline, called Citizen: The Essence of Time.

At the Manhattan event were Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watch Co. of America, and Mr. Yoshihisa Yajima, Executive Officer/Senior General Manager of Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.

Watchonista had a lively discussion with them amid the glorious historic watches on display.
 

In the modern era, the one-two punch of the brand name of Citizen and your signature technology, the Eco-Drive movement, has strongly resonated with consumers. But since we are celebrating the brand’s 100th birthday, I must ask: Why do you think the founders chose to name their brand “Citizen”?

Yoshihisa Yajima: I think the word “citizen” is used very similarly today as back then, with one of its meanings being “people.” People share many things all across the globe, but we are all “citizens” in one form or another. It is about creating useful, superb timepieces that appeal to everyone on a daily basis.
 

Because of the nature of the product, many watch consumers are very aware of the various groups that produce different watch brands. In addition to the Citizen brand, the Citizen Watch Group encompasses multiple brands, including Alpina, Frederique Constant, Bulova, and others. How does the Citizen “brand” define itself apart from the Citizen “group”?

Jeffrey Cohen: I think Citizen brand customers are definitely adventurous, looking for something special, and not only looking for a range of timepieces that address their individuality, but they also want a range that offers them products to grow into. We look forward to the next 100 years!

To learn more about Citizen, check out the brand’s website.