The limited edition Citizen
Caliber 0100 is accurate to
+-1 second annually. Just
100 will be made.
The Citizen Proximity
Pryzm, a light-powered
connected watch
iW: IS CITIZEN JOINING OTHER JAPANESE BRANDS IN TARGETING THE
HIGH-END MARKET? OR IS IT THE CITIZEN STRATEGY TO LET THE OTHER
MEMBER BRANDS GO AFTER THAT SEGMENT?
JEFFREY COHEN: As you know our portfolio of brands has grown over the
years and we have brands and products to appeal to the $5,000-and-up
customer. In the United States market, we prefer to concentrate our product
offering into the mid-price affordable luxury category where we hold the
number one position in market share. We do bring in limited production
pieces like our Caliber 0100 and Eco- Drive One models to satisfy the needs
of the luxury watch consumer looking for special precision timekeeping
models from Citizen.
HOW HAVE THE CITIZEN MECHANICAL WATCH LINES BEEN RECEIVED BY
THE END CONSUMER?
We continue to concentrate our marketing and sales efforts around our
proprietary technology Eco-Drive and therefore only sell those products
to our wholesale customers. In limited quantities, we do bring in some
mechanical timepieces to sell on our digital flagship as well as our Times
Square Flagship location. But we prefer to keep the messaging clear about
who and what we are, which is a quartz-based watch brand.
HOW HAS THE ENTRANCE OF THE SMARTWATCH CHANGED THE CITIZEN
STRATEGY FROM A PRODUCT PERSPECTIVE?
Smart technology is indeed an appeal to some consumers. As to how
much of the ‘smart’ functionality is being actually used daily by the
consumer is still a big question. The early adopters were drawn into the
smart category by the newness and exclusivity of the product offering, but
40 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2020
as more smart products come into the market at lower prices, is the appeal
of smart diminished to that set of consumers?
We have seen many significant changes to the watch industry over
the years, from the pocket watch to the wristwatch, from mechanical to
quartz, and from quartz to mechanical – and now the smartwatch. What
we can be sure of is that there will continue to be changes; that is the
nature of the consumer, who is always looking for something new. You can
be sure the trendsetters and early adopters are already on the lookout for
the next trend.
Citizen was the first watch brand to introduce a connected watch in 2012
with Proximity. We continue to have Bluetooth-connected watches in the
collection. We launched a concept watch at SXSW this year called Riiiver
and our R&D department is continually working on expanding our product
offering. Our focus will remain on traditional analog watches, but we do
see the need to address the consumer who is looking for more connectivity
from their timepiece.
WITH REGARDS TO REGIONAL TRENDS, CAN YOU OFFER SOME
THOUGHTS ON TRENDS AND PREFERENCES AS IT APPLIES TO THE
AMERICAN CONSUMER?
The U.S. consumer looks for brands that align with their sense of style as
well as their sense of purpose.
Citizen continues to be a democratic and inclusive brand with a watch
collection that is as diverse in styling and price points as the consumers who
purchase them.
The talk now is all about sustainability, but for more than forty years
Citizen has been creating watches powered by a natural source (with
Eco-Drive). We have helped to reduce by the millions the numbers of
non-degradable watch batteries from entering our landfills.