(PRESS RELEASE) While it has become fashionable in some quarters of the watch industry to extol limited production figures, years-long wait lists and stratosphere-scraping prices, Japanese brand Citizen has taken another, more egalitarian tack for a century. According to Chief Operating Officer Yoshihisa Yajima, the brand’s name says it all. Founded under the name Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918, the mayor of Tokyo suggested the switch to Citizen in 1924, said the executive. “He wanted to express that the watches would be loved by the people. Ever since, we’ve continuously made watches that all people will love and that will help them with everyday life.” And to celebrate the century-long life of the brand, Citizen has launched a traveling exhibition tracing its history through 100 watches. Logically, the first stop was Tokyo, and it landed in New York City this week before heading for Europe.
The first Citizen watch, a hand-wound caliber 16 pocket watch, appears in the exhibition and models representing some of its famous breakthroughs, like the Eco-Drive One from 2016, the thinnest light-powered watch ever. Lesser known and visually arresting references are present, too, like the bright red and yellow Kinder Time from 1968, which was made for children. Organized according to some 12 categories, including “Simple Sophistication,” “Stellar Design,” and “Pioneering,” it is an overview of the company’s manufacturing chops across a range of styles and functions. “We have a fully integrated system starting with the production of each component—we do assembly, we do everything,” said Yajima. “We’re always trying to improve according to our motto, ‘Better starts now.'”
1924 Pocket Watch
As much as the current exhibition celebrates the brand’s past, Citizen remains focused on what’s ahead, according to Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watches America. “Today we start looking forward,” said Cohen at the exhibition’s opening. “We listen to consumers but also our own point of view. That means using extraordinary materials—Super Titanium, Duratect—special technologically advanced movements like atomic timekeeping, Satelite Wave, and special mechanical watches.” A forward-looking perspective is especially important for a brand that has new clients entering the fold. “The customer is aging down now,” according to Cohen. “We have a lot of younger watch enthusiasts coming into Citizen, and we need to give them what they want.”
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Jeffrey Cohen, Jack Forster, Yoshihisa Yajima
For visitors to the exhibition who want a glossy souvenir (or those who can’t make it to New York), king of coffee table books Assouline has published a volume to mark the anniversary. Watch expert Jack Forster authored the glossy, 239-page Citizen: The Essence of Time, which traces the brand’s history and achievements.
