On the evening of Thursday, February 28th, atop Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center in NYC—with a perfect view of Citizen’s US headquarters within the Empire State Building—Eric Horowitz, the brand’s Managing Director, announced the formation of a new division within Citizen. Dubbed Citizen Premier, this new endeavor represents what Citizen describes as “the pinnacle of watchmaking,” and highlights their ability to marry technological innovations with high-end Japanese craftsmanship in what will be a range of higher end, more refined products, all while maintaining the tried and true value-driven offerings we’ve come to appreciate more and more in recent years.
Citizen Premier is an entirely new category within the Citizen ecosystem that launches with two of their most popular brands: Series8 and Attesa. These collections push the boundaries of Citizen’s movement technology and materials expertise. Series8 incorporates bold, contemporary designs into modern sports watches housing automatic movements, while Attesa places a focus on Super Titanium, Eco-Drive technology, and avant-garde design.
It’s clear that Citizen views this announcement as a major milestone at a time when the brand is enjoying renewed strength in the enthusiast market. It’s no secret that Citizen has been on a run lately with watches targeted directly at the enthusiast community. Chances are you’ve spotted various Citizens on wrists at Windups and meetups more frequently now than a few years ago. That’s no accident: Citizen has made a concerted effort to fill a gap in this arena left open by many of their competitors who have gone upmarket.
What does this mean for the general watch consumer? It means a lot of bang for buck for a recognizable brand. What does it mean for the enthusiast? In this case, it translates to a brand that, thanks to its scale, is putting quite a bit of technological innovation into watches that remain relatively affordable, but also scratch that slightly under-the-radar itch.
