ECO-DRIVE
Uses any kind of light to power a watch
Converts sunlight and artificial light into energy.
Stores any surplus energy in a storage cell.
Long running time. No need for battery replacement.
No discarded batteries means no environmental impact.
A watch powered directly by nature. You and your watch.
A long and beautiful relationship.
Eco-Drive is a CITIZEN proprietary technology.
Eco-Drive - Say goodbye to discarded batteries. Powered by any kind of light
CITIZEN invented Eco-Drive in 1976. This world-first technology converts sunlight and artificial lighting into energy to power a watch. It stores any surplus energy on a storage cell and keeps working for 6 months or more even in complete darkness when fully charged. That means you can go about your daily life confident that your watch will never stop. Since Eco-Drive does away with the need for regular battery replacement, it produces no waste batteries to burden the environment. (On an annual basis, that’s the equivalent of a pile of dead batteries as high as Mt. Everest!) Eco-Drive has been helping cut the number of discarded batteries for nearly half a century now. That is true eco-friendliness at work.
1970s
Grappling with a major energy challenge.
Developing a next-generation power source
The oil crisis in 1973 elevated the quest for new energy sources into an issue of global importance. CITIZEN played its part by launching R&D into sunlight as a new energy source for so-called light-powered watches. The project was full of promise for the wristwatch of the future.
1976
Overcoming numerous challenges
Creating the world's first light-powered analogue quartz watch.
In the 1970s, solar-cell technology was still in its infancy and embedding a solar cell into something as small as a wristwatch was a major challenge. After years of experimentation, CITIZEN finally completed its prototype in 1974. Two years later, we launched Crystron Solar Cell, the world's first light-powered analogue quartz watch.
1986
Sticking with our R&D efforts
Developing a light-powered watch for everyday use
The Crystron Solar Cell garnered plenty of attention as the world's first light-powered watch, but its technology at that time was not yet robust enough for normal everyday use. Technological advancements in the 1980s, however, led to the development of batteries that were suitable for watches. Using this new technology, CITIZEN renewed its efforts at making a light-powered watch for practical, everyday use. In 1986, we released a model that could run for up to 200 hours per charge. In 1995, we developed a model that could run for six months on a full charge thanks to the use of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This was the origins of the Eco-Drive technology we use today.
First watch to get Eco Mark certification
Because Eco-Drive does away with the need to replace watch batteries at regular intervals, it helps reduce the huge number of batteries that are thrown away every year. In 1996, in a first for the watch business, Eco-Drive products obtained Eco Mark certification in recognition of their contribution to sustainability. In 2014, in another watch business first, Eco Drive was honoured with an Eco Mark Award. Eco-Drive’s role in helping to keep our planet beautiful has been officially recognised.
AO Oil: Making watches last longer
Lubricating oil is indispensable for keeping watches running. Watches stop working when the oil inside them degrades. Deteriorating oil quality can also exhaust the battery and wear out components, leading to a reduction in product lifetime. We started researching lubricating oil as part of our ongoing quest to craft the ideal watch. The upshot was AO Oil, an innovative lubricant that prevents component deterioration, cuts the maintenance-related environmental burden and lengthens product lifespan. Rather than keep this amazing technology secret, we opted to share it with the rest of the world’s watchmakers. It was simply too good for us to hang onto. The sharing mindset is deeply rooted in CITIZEN’s DNA.
Super Titanium™ – The ideal material for a watch
What is the best material for a watch?
One answer to that question has to be Super Titanium™. Super Titanium™ is five times harder than stainless steel, scratch resistant, rust resistant, lightweight and gentle on the skin. We only use carefully selected, custom-made materials to make Super Titanium™, and have solved many of the challenges of processing the metal through decades of research. Our proprietary processing technologies have enabled us to create watches that are stronger, more beautiful and more comfortable than ever. CITIZEN has continuously refined its titanium technology for half a century and remains committed to exploring the possibilities of the material in the years ahead.
1960s
Finding the ideal materials for a watch
...in outer space
In the 1960s, the whole world was excited about the Apollo Program and its goal of sending a man to the moon. Titanium was in the spotlight as a material for space exploration thanks to its lightness, strength and rust resistance. That made us wonder if titanium's properties might not also make it the ideal material for watch exteriors. That was the springboard for CITIZEN's research into titanium technology.
1970
Infinite possibilities
The promise of the world's first titanium watch
In 1970, CITIZEN finally overcame the initial technical hurdles and released the world's first wristwatch with a titanium case: the X-8 Chronometer. The name, which combines X (expressing the unknown) and the number 8 (the symbol for infinity), communicated the infinite promise and possibilities of the then little-known material, titanium.
1987
Strong. Beautiful. Comfortable.
People-friendly watches.
Our research showed that titanium had a number of advantages as a material for making watches. Overcoming the problems of metal allergy was one of them.
In 1987, 17 R&D-filled years after the launch of the X-8 Chronometer, we released ATTESA, the fruit of our quest for a watch that was truly gentle on the skin.
* Some models are not hypoallergenic for nickel and metals.
Strong and gentle
Super Titanium™
Half a century after we launched the world's first titanium watch, CITIZEN L's proprietary Super Titanium™ is now used in many of our models. Our research into processing titanium (a notoriously difficult metal to process) means that Super Titanium™ manages to be both gentle on the skin, scratch resistant, and good-looking. We want Super Titanium™ to be a material simultaneously gentle and tough enough to provide comfort to the watch-wearing public.