MATERIALS
Choices that we can make now for a sustainable future
Our lives now are comfortable and convenient.
But if that prosperity comes at someone else's cost, we cannot expect our happiness to last.
As people become increasingly aware of this fact,
CITIZEN L undertakes to use sustainable materials and ensure fair working conditions.
DRC Conflict Free Materials
Watchmaking requires a lot of minerals such as tin, tantalum, gold, and tungsten. Mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), these metals are known as "conflict minerals" because the proceeds from their sale are used to fund armed forces. We only use materials that are certified as DRC Conflict Free and have no association with conflict.
COMMITMENT
Lab-grown Diamonds
Although they are 100% laboratory grown, these diamonds possess the same hardness and brilliance as natural diamonds. The lab-grown diamondss used in CITIZEN L watches are Swarovski Created Diamonds. These are made by Swarovski with the proper care not just for the environment, but also for human rights issues such as safety and labour conditions. They are beautiful and can be worn in confidence that no one suffered at any point of their manufacture.
Sapphire Glass
An artifical glass as hard as natural sapphire with 0% impurities. It is widely used for watch crystals because of its high level of transparency and hardness. We choose this material not just because it makes the dial more legible, but because it looks good for the long term, contributing to a watch that can be cherished forever.
Mother of Pearl
Pearl oysters are cultivated for over 1,800 days in the calm, warm waters of the southern hemisphere. Their shells, which are discarded after the pearls are harvested, are used for the dials of watches. The shells' natural lustre, which resembles that of a pearl, imparts a refined, translucent and subtly flamboyant elegance to a watch.
Piñatex®
Piñatex® is a natural material made from the pineapple leaf fibres that pineapple farmers throw away in large quantities. Once the fibres have been removed, the leaves can be used as a nutrient-rich natural fertiliser and biofuel, so there is no waste whatsoever in the production process. Piñatex® is an innovative material with the softness and texture of leather. We use Piñatex®, a brand from Ananas Anam Ltd, for the bands of our watches.
Natural Piñatex® fibre has passed the ISO fibre testing standard.
RELEVANT MODELS
AMBILUNA inspired by EARTH
ECOPET®
Used plastic bottles are collected and melted down to create recycled polyester fibre. We use ECOPET®, a brand from Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., for the bands of our watches. This enables us to cut down on CO2 emissions in comparison with plastic products made from petroleum.
UpDRIFT™
The strap was created under the auspices of UpDRIFT™. A joint initiative of JEPLAN, INC. and Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., UpDRIFT™ aims to tackle the problem of marine plastic by turning recycled plastic bottles from beach and river clean ups into raw materials and sustainable products. Soft and comfortable on the skin, the strap is as durable as any normal synthetic leather strap.
RELEVANT MODELS
AMBILUNA inspired by WATER