One hundred. That’s the number of years that have passed since 1924, when a watch featuring the Citizen brand first hit the market. A significant milestone for a Japanese company whose innovations have significantly shaped the watchmaking industry.
First PocketWatch Citizen
An important chapter in a journey that began in 1918, the year the company was founded, and continued six years later with the launch of the first watch, specifically a pocket model, displaying the Citizen brand on its dial. The company’s fate is encapsulated in its very name: Citizen.
Special Edition first Pocket Watch Citizen
This is where one must begin to understand the intentions of the watchmaker who aimed to design and produce timepieces for the citizens of the world. One hundred years later, that goal has been realized. This is also the reason why Citizen opted to present a pocket watch inspired by the model launched a century ago to celebrate this important milestone.
An old image of Citizen factory.
Alongside the original, it was showcased in the Essence of Time travelling exhibition that started in Tokyo and visited New York and Paris. The exhibition featured 100 examples selected from a pool of 6,000 that chronicled the history of the Japanese manufacturer, a narrative characterized by innovation and the motto, ‘Better Starts Now.’ ‘We are extremely honored to have celebrated a century of watchmaking expertise in Tokyo and New York, and now we are thrilled to do so in Paris as well.
The Citizen Factory today
Our greatest hope is that our guests not only enjoy the exhibition but also grasp why we identify ourselves as ‘Citizen,’ or Citizens, and understand the ‘Better Starts Now’ philosophy that underlies all our products, allowing them to rediscover our brand,” said Yoshihihsa Yajima, Brand Manager of Citizen Watch, adding:
1959 Citzen ParaWater
‘We are proud to celebrate a century of watchmaking excellence with this exclusive exhibition and a selection of special watches. In the realm of special watches, the Aqualand undoubtedly holds a prestigious place, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. A remarkable history has unfolded in the underwater timepiece segment.
1959 para water buoy challenge
The ocean has been, and continues to be, an extraordinary source of inspiration and a remarkable research laboratory for developing innovative solutions for Citizen. One example is the Aqualand, the first professional dive watch equipped with a digital depth indicator. The connection between the manufacturer and the sea dates back to 1959, the year Citizen introduced Japan’s first diver’s watch, paving the way for the Aqualand 1 and the Promaster Diver Professional, which have become essential references for diving enthusiasts. A salty success indeed.
1982-First Citizen Professional Diver 1300
Before going into production, the Parawater, as it was called, underwent extremely rigorous tests for its time. The first test in 1959 involved hooking the watch to a buoy and launching it into the sea off Japan’s coast, then dragging it ashore. Once retrieved, it was confirmed that the watch was still functioning perfectly. Subsequently, the same model faced an even tougher trial known as the Trans-Pacific Test. In 1963, 130 Parawater watches were tied to buoys and left to drift with the Pacific currents. They were recovered the next year, still fully operational on the US West Coast. Stories like this, among many others, shed light on the crucial role Citizen plays in the storied history of underwater watchmaking.
1985 Citizen Aqualand 1 JP2000
Speaking of anniversaries, there is another significant one: the 70th anniversary of Godzilla. But what does the half-dinosaur, half-lizard creature from the mind of Japanese director Ishirō Honda have to do with Citizen? The connection lies in the Promaster Professional Diver 1000m. This is not just any watch; its sizeable titanium case, measuring 55mm in diameter, earned it the nickname AutoZilla among the brand’s devoted enthusiasts, who saw the watch as a horological sibling to the famous lizard due to its size and aquatic origins.
Essence of time Exhibition
Then came the Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000 BN7020-09E, which changed the game as it was the first professional diver capable of reaching a depth of 1,000 meters while utilizing the innovative Eco-Drive movement. This groundbreaking technology developed by the Japanese watchmaker relies on natural light as a power source without the need for batteries. This significant advancement didn’t go unnoticed by the brand’s enthusiasts, who humorously dubbed it Ecozilla.
Promaster Eco-dive
Today, the family has expanded to include the Diver’s Eco Drive 300 mt line, a collection of diver’s watches, which, buoyed by its success, welcomed two new versions this year. Available in black and green dial colors, they are characterized by their 48mm steel case. Water-resistant up to 300 meters, they feature the Eco-Drive movement, which regulates the hours, minutes, and seconds functions. As with all professional diver’s watches, the presence of a unidirectional rotating bezel makes this timepiece a reliable tool for diving. Moreover, Citizen has introduced a limited edition watch to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the film that marked Godzilla’s debut on the big screen.
GodzillaBJ8056-01E_BJ8059-03Z_Combo
Available in two variants, the ‘Godzilla collaboration model’ comes with a black dial featuring the classic black and white image of Godzilla, while the second option sports a dark red dial depicting Godzilla roaring in rage. Both the dial, the 48mm case, and the bezel display a camouflage pattern inspired by the texture of Godzilla’s scales, with small Godzilla figures cleverly hidden within the case and dial design.