Citizen

About Citizen

Citizen began as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918 and took its name from a pocket watch meant to be affordable to every citizen. Its defining technology is Eco-Drive: a solar cell under the dial charges a capacitor, so the watch never needs a battery change. Citizen is also one of the few makers that produces its own movements at scale, supplying much of the industry through Miyota.

Signature models

The references that define the house — and the ones you are most likely to meet.

• Promaster Diver 'Fugu'
• Eco-Drive Tsuyosa
• The Citizen
• Series 8
• Attesa
• Bullhead Chronograph

What to look for

Details worth checking before you trust a dial. None of them certify authenticity on their own.

• An 'Eco-Drive' or 'E' caliber marking — the second hand ticking in two-second jumps means the charge is low, not that it is broken
• A translucent or slightly textured dial where the solar cell sits beneath
• Caliber code on the caseback (e.g. E365, 8730) rather than just a model number
• Titanium models feel notably lighter than their size suggests — Citizen's Super Titanium is a genuine signature

Facts

• Citizen's Caliber 0100 is accurate to ±1 second per year — the most accurate light-powered watch made.
• Miyota, Citizen's movement arm, is one of the largest movement suppliers in the world and powers watches from dozens of other brands.