Citizen’s relentless march upmarket (while never neglecting its volume business) has taken another step today with the unveiling of a limited edition titanium Eco-Drive with a paper dial handcrafted by Japanese artisans and decorated with glittering platinum leaf.
The dial is created using a traditional Japanese decorative technique called Sunago-maki.
Each unique paper dial is handcrafted by Sunago-maki artists to create a look of freshly fallen snow.
The 38.3mm watch’s case and bracelet are made from Citizen’s trademarked Super Titanium with a scratch resistant treatment that can be polished to a mirrored finish.
For this piece, Citizen has used a combination of brushed and polished finishing to create interest and contrast.
It is powered by a ultra-accurate quartz Eco-Drive movement, which will gain or lose only 5 seconds per year and has a perpetual calendar date that automatically adjusts at the end of each month, including in leap years, until the end of the century.
Citizen marks these high end timepieces with its eagle mark on the crown and case back.
Only 500 of the watches, ref. AQ4100-65W, are being made.
They go on sale in November for £3,595.
This seems like a swipe at SEIKO and it’s Grand SEIKO offering, interesting enough to push the competition to the edge. Just like Toyota is more reliable than a Benz, close in comparison are these Japanese understated ‘wristruments’©, in hot pursuit and are probably more reliable than a whole lot of suisse marques, for good measure! What CITIZEN, and to some degree, Seiko need to do is concentrate more on a nuanced aesthetic. Some of the hands and applique on many of their models is similar in being visually rather distasteful. Especially a lot of their diving models… A lot of visual attention is required. Take it from a designer!