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The Citizen Watch Company has
the distinct honor of holding many titles for “first” in its history of over 75
years. The company was founded in 1930 and given its name as a way to appeal to
the emotions of the wearer. This was to be their watch – the watch for all
citizens. It was one of the first watch companies to target the masses in the
wrist watch craze that was just beginning. Today, the wrist watch is an
accessory as well as a fashion statement, with many people owning several styles
to suit their own tastes and reflect their special interests and hobbies.
Since 1986, Citizen has been
the world’s largest watchmaker. They lead the industry in technological
advances that make watches affordable without compromising quality. Some other
Citizen Watch
firsts and top distinctions include:
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In 1956 Citizen made the first shock resistant
watch ever manufactured by a Japanese company
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Made the first Japanese-manufactured water
resistant watch
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Creator of the world’s first professional dive
watch to electronically sense depths
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Creator of the slimmest LCD watch and the world’s
thinnest light powered watch, the Stiletto
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Creator of the first voice recognition watch
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Leads the world in light powered watches with the
Eco-Drive watch collection that uses natural and artificial light as power
sources, and never needs a battery. In 1996, it became the first watch to
receive an Eco-Mark.
The first Citizen pocket watch
was produced at the Shokosha Watch Research Institute. The Japanese-made watch
was given its name by Tokyo’s mayor in 1924, Mr. Shimpei Goto. While Citizen
has expanded into making jewelry, eyewear, clocks and other products, The
Citizen Watch Company remains strong with headquarters in Tokyo and facilities
throughout the world.
The Citizen Watch Company began
exporting their classic timepieces in July 1936 with shipment to areas of
Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. By 1958 the company was shipping to the
People’s Republic of China and shortly thereafter, in 1960, struck an agreement
with the Bulova Watch Company in the United States for importing and exporting.
Full scale exporting to Europe began in 1965 with the opening of a Citizen
office in Germany.
Citizen watches continue to
make time keeping an art form with stylish designs on the cutting edge of
innovation and technology. As society, as a whole, strives to become more
ecologically aware, Citizen Watches will already be there to keep it on
schedule.
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