100 Years, 100 Watches: Zach visits private Citizen exhibition in NYC
Zach BlassI knew the Citizen exhibition I visited was celebrating the Japanese watchmaker’s 100th anniversary, but I had no idea that 100 watches that express the various eras and achievements of the brand would be on display. Obviously, 100 different models are too much to tackle in one sitting, but in the video below I discover some historic Citizen references, with my real-time reactions, and a few industry colleagues share their personal favourites on exhibition as well.
A century separates Citizen’s first watch, a pocket watch from 1924, and the brand’s most recent novelty – a recreation of this first-ever Citizen-branded watch.
It’s not a one-to-one recreation, but its modern refresh with a (dare I say) snowflake dial is stunning to look at. It also has a finely finished manually wound calibre that is visible via a sapphire caseback on the reverse side.
What has ultimately built the brand over its 100 years are the countless innovations Citizen has realised, with technologies such as GPS, Eco-Drive solar power, multi-band radio, and pursuits of precision in high-accuracy quartz have cemented the Japanese manufacture as a major player in the world of watches – reinforcing alongside its regional peers how much Japan is ahead of the curve when it comes to quartz and other digital technologies in watchmaking.
I would infer the masses largely associate Citizen with attractive and affordable Eco-Drive watches, its name for its solar-powered tech. Citizen’s breadth of product extends into the higher end as well. For example, the Attesa Layers of Time 100th Anniversary Limited Edition we went hands-on with above has a zaratsu-finished case with a bezel and dial that has an iridescent aurora-like effect thanks to a partnership with Fujifilm. The dial is made of 100% recycled polycarbonate that is then printed with a structural colour ink developed by Fujifilm.
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