Since its foundation in 1930, CITIZEN has promoted a multi-cultural mindset that fosters excellence and creativity. The very name of the brand conveys a deep respect toward craftsmanship and considered as familiar by citizens the world-over. So as a “citizen” of the world, we bear the responsibility to help cultivate a culture of positive change and on-going evolution through our craft. We take that mission seriously and steadfastly welcome what the future may bring.
As a true manufacturer d’horlogerie, CITIZEN integrates a comprehensive manufacturing process from creating individual components to a watch’s final assembly. It’s an artisan’s approach to watch making based on pushing forward the boundaries of technology and leveraging our experience toward exploring new possibilities.
One pivotal technological breakthrough was the development of a light-driven watch. CITIZEN pioneered this engineering innovation well ahead of other watch manufacturers as early as 1976, which led to the launch of the highly acclaimed Eco-Drive in 1995. Utilizing electrical power converted from virtually any light source, this extraordinary innovation changed forever the way watches could be powered. Eco-Drive eliminated the need to ever replace batteries, which made it especially beneficial to areas where such specialist batteries were not obtainable. This leveled the field for citizens of virtually every country to be able to experience the unrestricted joy of wearing and using a CITIZEN watch.
The product development policy, “The Fusion of Technology and Beauty,” remains a constant motivation for us to merge cutting-edge technology with perfection of design beauty, which as a consequence inspires people to strive to be their best at any time.