Citizen Global Brand
Manager Norio Takeuchi
The idea this year is to recall that initial model, and more broadly to spot-
light Citizen’s technical focus as a watchmaker as it celebrates its 100th
anniversary. At Baselworld 2018, Citizen plans to offer additional examples
of new GPS watches, as well as watches that demonstrate technical break-
throughs within its Eco-Drive models, explains Citizen’s Global Brand Manager
Norio Takeuchi.
“Based on our company philosophy we will express our 100 years of history
by emphasizing that we are a technology-oriented company,” he says. “Of
particular importance is our Eco-Drive, which we invented more than forty
years ago and have been improving every year since.”
ECO-DRIVE
Takeuchi adds that Citizen will also debut an even more advanced version of
its ultra-thin Eco-Drive One (which debuted two years ago) at Baselworld.
“We believe that the Eco-Drive One expresses the best of our Eco-Drive tech-
nology. We will combine Eco-Drive with synchronized Bluetooth technology,
which we developed first in 2006, and with global signal radio reception, which
we pioneered in 1993. We will offer special limited edition collections that
demonstrate each of these technologies this year at Baselworld.”
As Takeuchi explains, Citizen is proud of these technical advancements. He
emphasizes that while the larger Citizen Group also manufactures electronic
devices, machine tools and even jewelry, the company directs the largest
share of its investment within its watch business. He points to the recent
opening of a new movement factory, now the world’s largest, as an example of
how Citizen focuses on developing its internal technology.
Citizen’s Satellite Wave World Time GPS
52 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2018