50 Years of Light-Powered Innovation — and a Trade-In Program Built to Drive Your Sales

This Earth Month, Citizen celebrates a half-century of Eco-Drive technology and gives your customers a compelling reason to upgrade.

When Citizen introduced its light-powered watch technology in 1976, it changed the way the world keeps time. No more battery swaps. No more waste. Just clean, continuous energy drawn from any light source — natural or artificial, bright or dim. Fifty years later, that same pioneering spirit is still ticking, and 2026 marks a milestone worth celebrating — anchored in the brand’s global campaign theme “Powered by Any Light.”

April — recognized globally as Earth Month — is the perfect moment to spotlight Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology, now entering its 50th year of innovation. As an independent jeweler, this convergence of anniversary and environmental awareness gives you a timely, story-driven reason to engage customers and move inventory.

What Makes Eco-Drive Different

Eco-Drive watches are powered by any light source, converting it into energy stored in a built-in power reserve. When fully powered, a watch can run for up to six months in complete darkness — and select models with Power Save Mode can last up to seven years without light exposure. That means no dead batteries, no interruptions and no hassle for your customers.

“For 50 years, Eco-Drive has led the world in light-powered watchmaking technology,” said Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watch America. “We are the first, the market leader, and the ‘market maker’ of this entire category of watches. We continue to evolve Eco-Drive to unlock new possibilities in design, performance and sustainability for all Citizens of the World.”

The environmental impact is just as impressive. Since Citizen launched the technology, Eco-Drive has prevented more than 100 million batteries from ending up in landfills. Each watch sold is a small but meaningful act of sustainability — a story that resonates with today’s increasingly eco-conscious consumer.

Citizen’s commitment extends beyond the product itself. The company has partnered with 1% for the Planet and Unite to Light, donating solar lights to U.S. communities in need — with a contribution made in connection with every Eco-Drive purchase.* Citizen’s proprietary technology has also been named a Travel + Leisure Global Vision Award winner in 2025.

The Great Timepiece Trade-In: A Program That Works for You and Your Customers

Running April 1 through June 30, 2026, The Great Timepiece Trade-In is a promotional program designed specifically for independent jewelers — and it’s one of the most accessible trade-in offers in the business. Customers can bring in any watch — old, new or non-working — and receive a credit toward the purchase of a Citizen Eco-Drive watch.

Here’s how the credits break down:

• $50 credit toward any Citizen Eco-Drive watch with an MSRP of $495 or less
• $100 credit toward any Citizen Eco-Drive watch with an MSRP over $495

The program is designed to lower the barrier to purchase while reinforcing Citizen’s sustainability message: by trading in an old watch and stepping up to an Eco-Drive timepiece, customers are directly contributing to the effort to keep batteries out of landfills.

For jewelers, the program includes a built-in reimbursement incentive. At the close of the promotion, you’ll receive reimbursement for half the total credits issued for trade-ins. The deadline to claim reimbursement and complete a reorder for sold product is July 31, 2026. Contact your Citizen representative for details and to sign up.

Citizen’s consumer-facing ad for The Great Timepiece Trade-In says it all: bring in a previously owned watch or watch battery and receive up to $100 off a new Citizen Eco-Drive timepiece. The promotion runs April 1–June 30, 2026.

A Half-Century of Staying Ahead

Citizen has been a pioneer in watchmaking and innovation since 1918. While the light-powered technology dates to 1976, the Eco-Drive brand officially launched in 1996, with a significant upgrade in 2000 that enabled the technology to harness any light — not just sunlight — as an energy source. Today, Eco-Drive powers approximately 80% of Citizen’s global collection, with advancements including the ultra-thin Eco-Drive One, models capable of running more than a year on a single power reserve and features such as Satellite Wave GPS and Atomic Timekeeping.

To commemorate the anniversary, Citizen is introducing two Limited Edition Eco-Drive PHOTON timepieces and has launched a new Earth Month microsite dedicated to its Legacy of Light. Visit citizenwatch.com to explore the anniversary collection and learn more.

As Citizen marks 50 years of Eco-Drive this Earth Month, the message for your showroom floor is clear: this is a brand with a story that sells itself — and a trade-in program that gives your customers a reason to act now.

For more information on The Great Timepiece Trade-In, contact your Citizen Watch representative.

*This Earth Month, Citizen is proud to support 1% for the Planet and Unite to Light. The light you see on Citizen’s dedicated Earth Month microsite (earthmonth.citizenwatch.com) reflects ongoing donations, in real-time. Join us to add your light to the legacy.

During Earth Month 2026, Citizen will support 1% for the Planet and Unite to Light through four separate charitable contributions made in connection with key brand activations and promotional programs. Each contribution will be processed as a separate donation.

1) The first donation will be made by Citizen on behalf of attendees at the Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Global Launch Event on March 19, 2026, with the total contribution amount ($15,000 USD) correlating to the number of lights (1,500) illuminated on the Citizen Earth Month microsite [https://earthmonth.citizenwatch.com]. Purchases do not affect this donation.

2) Citizen Eco-Drive purchases this Earth Month on Citizenwatch.com, from April 15–30, 2026, will support Unite to Light to provide the equivalent of 10 solar lights for U.S. disaster relief. Details: Citizen will donate 25% of the list price from each eligible Citizen Eco-Drive-branded watch sold (see exclusions below) to Unite to Light, www.unitetolight.org. On average, this donation is equivalent to the cost of 10 solar lights. Maximum total donation of One Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars ($100,000). Exclusions: New Arrivals, Limited Editions, ATTESA Collection, Eco-Drive One Collection, Series8 Collection, The Citizen Collection, Disney 100 Boxed Sets, Citizen x Analog Shift Collection, preorder, and products not in stock. Valid on Citizenwatch.com only, April 15, 2026 through April 30, 2026 | 11:59:59 pm ET. Not valid at department, specialty, or company-owned stores, where products and promotions may vary/differ. Offer valid in Illinois and Mississippi.

3) Citizen Eco-Drive purchases this Earth Month at the Citizen Flagship Store New York, from April 15–30, 2026, will support Unite to Light to provide the equivalent of 10 solar lights for U.S. disaster relief. Details: Citizen will donate 25% of the MSRP from each eligible Citizen Eco-Drive-branded watch sold (see exclusions below) to Unite to Light, www.unitetolight.org. On average, this donation is equivalent to the cost of 10 solar lights. Maximum total donation of Fifteen Thousand U.S. Dollars ($15,000). Exclusions: New Arrivals, Limited Editions, ATTESA Collection, Eco-Drive One Collection, Series8 Collection, The Citizen Collection, Disney 100 Boxed Sets, Citizen x Analog Shift Collection, preorder, and products not in stock. Valid at Citizen Flagship Store New York only, April 15, 2026 through April 30, 2026 11:59:59 pm ET. Not valid online.

4) This Earth Month, for every eligible Citizen Eco-Drive watch purchased at kay.com from March 26 – April 22, 2026, Citizen will give 10% of the sale to Unite to Light, a partner of 1% for the Planet. Maximum donation $25,000. Learn more at https://unitetolight.org. Offer void in IL & MS. Ends 11:59:59 p.m. 4/22/2026. Valid on Citizen KAY.COM only, March 26, 2026 through April 22, 2026 11:59:59 pm PT.