Citizen Launch The Citizen Washi Paper Dial 30th Anniversary Editions

Sometimes it feels like brands set out to be intentionally confusing and few watches are quite so confusing to talk about than Citizen’s Citizen. Citizen being both the name of the brand and the name of the collection. So, to make it clear when we’re talking about Citizen’s 30^th anniversary and the launch of The Citizen Washi Paper Dial 30^th Anniversary Edition we’re talking about the watch model, not the brand. The brand can trace its heritage back to 1918 so is a fair bit more venerable than a spry 30.

There are two watches in the 30^th anniversary, limited edition collection, both with distinct aesthetics but sharing the same core construction. They both measure 38.3mm x 12.2mm and are made from Citizen’s Super Titanium with coloured duratect coatings. Ref. AQ4106-00A has a sakura pink duratect coating, giving it a rose gold appearance while Ref. AQ4100-22L has the high lustre of the platinum duratect. Duratect is Citizen’s proprietary surface hardening technology that alleviates some of drawbacks of titanium including its poor scratch resistance.

Both watches also feature washi paper dials, an extremely delicate form of paper with a unique texture that makes it ideal for taking on interesting patterns and colours. What’s more, the 30^th Anniversary collection is a follow up to 2024’s Nature Collection, meaning each dial is inspired by a traditional Japanese concept regarding nature. The white dial of the pink gold model is based on early spring mornings, a period of time most famous for its cherry blossom, hence the white and pink tones found across its swirling face. The second model is instead inspired by summer nights, with the silvery moonlight reflecting on clouds in the dark blue sky.

The fact the dials are made from paper and hand-dyed in the case of the indigo version, means no two dials are identical, adding to the unique desirability and exclusivity of each piece. Though that’s not the only benefit of having a paper dial. The dials naturally allow light to pass through their surfaces, making them ideal carriers of Citizen’s Eco-Drive movements that use light to maintain their power reserves, meaning they will essentially never run out of power unless locked away in a box for months on end. The movement is specifically the Cal.A060.

As for availability, both versions of The Citizen Washi Paper Dial 30^th Anniversary watch are limited to 400 pieces globally. Price-wise, these are Citizen’s top end eco-drive models with rare, difficult to produce dials so they have a much higher price than the majority of Citizen watches. But it’s also at a price point we have come to expect for this collection. The rose gold, white dial edition is $3,000 and the silver cased, blue dial version is $2,900 (approx. £2,300/£2,240).

More details at Citizen.

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