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Following the announcement of the mechanical Caliber 0200 watch at the beginning of 2021, Citizen adds to the offerings in The CITIZEN collection, with another seven models featuring high precision Eco-Drive powered movements that are accurate to ±5 seconds a year all scheduled for launch this autumn.

Since the release of the first pocket watch in 1924, Citizen has been dedicated to the development and refinement of timekeeping technologies, all with the goal of producing watches with superior levels of quality and accuracy, as well as being supremely practical for the purposes of everyday users as well as professionals.

In 1995, after decades of expertise in watchmaking, it was decided that a new collection be created to reconnect with the original “loved by citizens, working for citizens” ideal, and truly express the essence of a watch. It would do so by going further to the limits of what was possible from a quality and accuracy perspective, truly embodying the highest ideals of timekeeping excellence, practicality and functionality. By incorporating and refining technologies that delight the wearer, The CITIZEN has gone on to take a leading role in our unending pursuit of the essence of the watch. The challenge of crafting the next ideal continues.

Over the years, the watches from The CITIZEN collection have continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of watchmaking. The first models under The CITIZEN collection in 1995 established a high benchmark for accuracy for quartz watches, offering an accuracy of ± 5 seconds per year.

Other innovations came after that, including additional complications in the high precision quartz models in the form of perpetual calendar and world time functions. Super Titanium™ came next in 2005, offering watches that were not only light and strong but also hypoallergenic. In 2010, the family of The CITIZEN watches was bolstered by the introduction of its first mechanical movement, the caliber 0910, and then thereafter, two high precision Eco-Drive movements, the caliber A010 in 2011 and the caliber A060 in 2015.

Following this, in 2019, the accuracy of Eco-Drive powered movements took another great leap forward with the introduction of the world’s most accurate watch in the form of the caliber 0100. This model came with a new movement that improved from the previous accuracy benchmark of ± 5 seconds a year, to an astounding ±1 second a year. Finally at the beginning of 2021, the family of The CITIZEN watches welcomed its latest member, the caliber 0200, a watch with a brand new mechanical movement that now came with even higher levels of aesthetic finish and accuracy.

Eco-Drive has been a proprietary technology of Citizen and many years of development were undertaken before its first launch in 1976. The concept was simple - instead of powering a watch with a battery, it would instead be powered by light energy captured by a layer of thin film amorphous silicon solar cells mounted just under a translucent dial. This energy would then be transferred to rechargeable batteries for storage, and thus be used by the watch as needed.

The advantages of Eco-Drive were easy to appreciate as it provided freedom from regular battery replacement, making a very convenient ownership experience.

When the Eco-Drive caliber A010 came out in 2011, it came with the combination of Citizen's prior mastery of quartz technology, with previous models offering ±5 seconds a year of accuracy, with the convenience of Eco-drive. Watches with this movement allow dials that could display the date, as well as a power reserve indicator which is located at the 10 o’clock position.

The next Eco-Drive caliber A060 that came in 2015, dispensed with the power reserve indicator on the dial, while retaining the date window, a change offered a comparatively simpler dial for a more classic aesthetic. It is still possible to know the power reserve however - the user could engage it with a small button at 2 o’clock causing the seconds hand to act as a power reserve indicator, with the up position at the 3 o’clock index and the down position at the 1 o’clock index.

Both calibers, the A010 and A060 additional came with a perpetual calendar as a standard feature. Also, being part of The CITIZEN collection, every single movement is assembled by a single watchmaker, also known as a Watchmaking Meister, in Iida, Nagano.

Caliber 0200 set a new high aesthetic benchmark for The CITIZEN collection when it was announced in the early part of 2021, and it came with the introduction of a newly redesigned eagle mark.

The eagle mark is a pictorial representation of an eagle with its wings spread wide, and has been a symbol of The CITIZEN collection since the very beginning. Eagles have powerful eyesight and can spot prey from as far as 1,000 metres away. It is thus a symbol of foresight and action based on a clear vision of the future, and as such is an ideal emblem of The CITIZEN’s twin commitments of “always looking ahead and pursuing the ideal” and “becoming an integral part of users’ lives.”

The eagle mark is discreetly stamped on the dial, the crown and other parts of the watch, and now comes on all the watches from The CITIZEN collection, including the new Eco-Drive models of 2021, underlying their unique position at the apex of the brand watchmaking.

Both the new AQ1050-50F and AQ1054-59L come with a redesigned case that has a broader, more masculine stance on the wrist that is still immensely wearable given its 39mm width and 11.8mm thickness. This new case is very much in line with the sporty nature of the Caliber A010, given the power reserve indicator that is part of the dial. This and the other main indications, including the hour, minute, seconds hands as well as the indices are coated with luminescent material in order to ensure reliable visibility in the dark.

Additionally, their dials are decorated with a metal plate with slits to allow light to pass through to the transparent plate underneath, and on to the solar cells below that power the Eco-Drive system.

In terms of the finishing of these two models, there is radial brushing on the bezel, as well as hairline brushing on the case and bracelet. This is contrasted by mirror polished surfaces on the inside of the lugs as well as the edge of the bezel.

The standard model comes with a black dial and is in stainless steel with Duratect, while the limited edition model comes with a blue dial and is in black ion-plated stainless steel with Duratect DLC.

The limited edition model was created to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Caliber A010 and the caseback reflects this with the words “Caliber A010 10th Anniversary Limited” on the Duratect DLC surface. This model will be limited to 250 pieces worldwide.

The new AQ4091 series with Caliber A060 features a unique dial made out of washi paper, the result of a traditional Japanese craft with a history of over 1000 years since the Heian period.

Also known as Tosa paper, it is created by the water flow of the Niyodo River, and only made in the town of Ino from Kochi Prefecture. The long fibers of the paper are characterized by being extremely thin yet strong enough to resist tearing. Additionally, it is also unique in being the thinnest handmade paper in the world with a thickness of only 0.02mm.

The Tosa Washi Paper used in the dial of The CITIZEN watches is even thinner than usual and it is mounted below a transparent top plate containing the applied logo, index and date frame in a double structure configuration.

This gives a special touch to the three new models of the AQ4091 series, with each piece being in its own way, a special piece of art.

Three dial variations are available, blue (AQ4091-56L), white (AQ4091-56A) and black (AQ4091-56E)

For the blue and black dial models, the final dial color is achieved by dyeing the washi paper and as well as printing it on the upper transparent plate. Additionally these dials have a sun-ray pattern etched on the transparent plate to give a dynamic presentation. By contrast, the white dial version uses a slightly matte pattern on the upper transparent plate for a soft atmosphere.

Being fitted with the Caliber A060, the AQ4091 collection has a more classical and elegant aesthetic which is reflected in the choice of its finishing.


There is a mixture of high polish and hairline finish executed on the case and bracelet, rendered in Super Titanium™. The case has a crown guard to give a solid feel to the watch, as well as a tough yet elegant five-row bracelet that includes two thinner rows of polished links.

The first CITIZEN Chronomaster, was a well-regarded model for high precision mechanical watches in Japan when it was launched in 1967. Aside from the industry leading accuracy that the watch was known for, there were several design attributes that the watch introduced that became recognised by its fans.

These were elements such as the surface composition of the lugs, which had hard sloping edges of the lugs as well as the minimal bar indexes on the dial, with one bar denoting every index except the date window at 3 o’clock, and the 12 o’clock index, which has two bars.

THE CITIZEN collection with the new high-precision Eco-Drive Caliber A060 offers an annual accuracy of ±5 seconds. Known by the same name as its predecessor, “Chronomaster” which was printed on the dial, it featured a Super Titanium™ case and a 7-link bracelet with high polish and matte finishing.

The new AQ4100 series for 2021 continues the legacy of the original Chronomaster, by building upon the foundation of the 2015 Chronomaster. The two models, one with a white dial (AQ4100-57A) and another with a blue dial (AQ4100-57L) feature the same iconic case and 7-link bracelet, but now with the new eagle mark on the dial.

*Eco-Drive, Duratect are trademarks or registered trademarks of Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
*The final design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
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