The history of Citizen Watch Company begins in 1924. The Shokosha Watch Research Institute introduced its first pocket watch called the Citizen. The watch was named by the mayor of Tokyo, Shimpei Goto. In 1930, the Citizen Watch Company, Ltd. was founded.
The early 1950s marked an innovative time for the watch manufacturer. The watch company finished its first 6 beat caliber, which included 17 jewels. The Cal. C was Japan’s first wristwatch that included a fitted date display known as the Citizen Calendar. In 1956, the Parashock was introduced, which was the first shock resistant watch manufactured by a Japanese company. The same year the watch manufacturer launched the Citizen Deluxe, which was fitted with caliber 920. There were over one million of this model sold. In 1959, the Citizen Parawater was released. The Citizen Parawater was the first water resistant watch from Japan. By the beginning of the 1960s, the Citizen Parawater passed 2 trans-Pacific tests.
In the 1960s the watch manufacturer signed an import/export agreement with the Bulova Watch Company in the United States. In 1962, Citizen released the Diamond Flake. The Diamond Flake was the world’s thinnest wristwatch and included a certified chronometer. Citizen released Japans first electronically regulated balance wristwatch, which was known as the Cosmotron or X-8. In 1967, Citizen launched the world’s first quartz transistor clock.
The 1970s were an exciting era in the watch manufacturer’s history. In 1970, the first titanium cased watch was introduced. The X-8 Chronometer was a huge success for the watch company, and a year later a turning fork caliber was added to the X-8 Chronometer. The Easter Rabbit, or Bullhead, was released in 1972. This watch included a caliber 8110 and a zero-position reset mechanism, which featured a shock absorber. The company’s first quartz wristwatch was released for sale in 1973, and included caliber 8810.
By the middle of the 1970s, the watch company was to create innovative designs. In 1975, Citizen released the Crystron Mega Quartz. This model was fitted with caliber 8650, which could generate a frequency of 4,194,304Hz. The Crystron Mega Quartz is still considered one of the world’s most accurate watches and it was one of the most expensive wristwatches that was marketed for public sale by Citizen. The watch company released the Citizen Quartz Digi-Ana model in 1978. The Quartz Digi-Ana was fitted with caliber 8900, and it included a LCD and analogous time indication.
In 1980, Citizen launched a ladies wristwatch with the world’s smallest volume movement, which was called the Exceed Gold. The company released a 1300m Professional Diver’s watch in 1981, and it was the world’s best water resistant watch at the time of production. By 1985, Citizen launched the Sport Depth Meter the world’s first fitted watch with a depth gauge. The Voice Master, also known as the Voice Memo, was released in 1987, and it was the first watch in the world to include voice recognition.
Citizen released the first quartz wristwatch with an analog depth gauge in the early 1990s known as the Analog-Aqualand. In 1996, Citizen was awarded with the Eco-Mark, a certified Japanese award for environmental protection. Citizen launched the Exceed Eco-Drive in 1997. This model featured accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year. Closely after, Citizen created Eco-Drive Signature Technology, which adjusts the time when users travel into different time zones.
In 2000, the Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive AP0440-14F Divers watch was introduced. This watch featured a caliber Eco-Drive movement that could function for up to 180 days on a secondary power cell. The Eco-Drive System displays innovative technology. In 2007, the watch manufacturer estimated the Eco-Drive System eliminated the disposal of millions of batteries in the United States because the Eco-Drive System eliminates the need for battery replacement.