CITIZEN WATCH CO. LTD
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd. was established by Kamekichi Yamazaki in 1918 as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute and produced its first timepiece — a pocket watch — in 1924. The name Citizen was chosen in 1930 to reflect the brand’s goal of making reliable watches at affordable prices, a legacy it continues to uphold a century later. Citizen produced Japan's first shock-resistant watch, the Parashock, in 1956, and Japan's first water-resistant watch, the Parawater, in 1959. The company’s biggest breakthrough came in 1976 with the introduction of Eco-Drive, a technology that converts both natural and artificial light into energy to power watches, eliminating the need for battery replacement. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Citizen continued to innovate with the development of radio-controlled watches and titanium cases while refining their Eco-Drive technology. The company expanded globally through strategic acquisitions, purchasing American watch company Bulova in 2008, Swiss movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret in 2012, and Swiss watch manufacturer Frederique Constant in 2016. Today, Citizen remains one of the world's largest watch manufacturers, and is respected equally for mechanical watches like the Tsuyosa and a wide range of Eco-Drive models.
Brands summary:
Citizen
is known for its affordable, innovative timepieces along with their advances in Eco-Drive technology, Super Titanium, and satellite timekeeping. Its portfolio of brands, including
Frederique Constant
,
Bulova
,
Alpina
,
Arnold & Son
,
Campanola
and
Accutron
represents a wide variety of forms, functions, and historical legacies. At the high end is
Frederique Constant
, which was founded in 1988, and is known for offering Swiss timepieces with in-house movements — including, in recent years, a tourbillon — at relatively accessible prices.
Alpina
likewise brings Swiss-made credentials to the table with a line of professional outdoor timepieces characterized by their "4" antimagnetic, anti-shock, water-resistant, and stainless steel standards. The addition of American watchmaker
Bulova
, best known for its ties to NASA and its high-frequency movements, as well as its former sub-brand
Accutron
, which was relaunched independently in 2020, add depth and variety to the Citizen Group’s. With the acquisition of Manufacture La Joux-Perret, a respected Swiss movement-maker, Citizen Group also gained control of
Arnold & Son
, an historic English brand specializing in high-end complications.
