I’ll be the first to admit that upon hearing the names of familiar watch manufacturers, I form a preconceived notion of the types of watches and the level at which they operate. I don’t think I’m alone in this thought process; many of us experience visceral reactions to things like brands, and in watches, branding is everything. For Citizen, a house so alert to this importance has built collections around technology that have become almost sub-brands, such as Eco-Drive and Promaster. These feats of engineering pushed the industry on a technical level, but as always, I want to explore something a little off the beaten path, a watch that few know about despite it holding a Guinness World Record, the ‘Meme of Citizen’.
Citizen Pocket Watch made by the Shokosha Watch Research Institute (1924)
I’m comfortable enough to admit that until recently, I didn’t know a great deal about the life of Citizen before the arrival of quartz and its revolutionary impact on the watch industry. To find the conception point of this Japanese brand, we travel back to 1924 and a pocket watch produced by the Shokosha Watch Research Institute. The timekeeper was the first ever to carry the Citizen name, which was chosen in the hope that someday, personal timekeeping devices would be accessible to all citizens.
Citizen Quartz Crystron 1973, image credit: Etsy
This philosophy is something Citizen held onto throughout the early to mid-20th century, with all types of creations, from elegant time-only pieces in steel, triple calendars, and models that demonstrated a consciousness and consideration for everyone, including braille watches and those aimed at aiding in teaching children how to tell time. Perhaps their most significant shift towards being all things to all people came during the advent of quartz timekeeping. While Seiko’s Astron in 1969 was the first quartz-powered watch, Citizen wasn’t far behind in following the same path as their fellow Japanese watchmakers with the Quartz Crystron in 1973. This marked the beginning of arguably Citizen’s most prevalent era, which resonates deeply with the original vision behind the name.
Citizen’s technology continued to evolve over the coming decades, integrating things such as EcoDrive, which converts light to energy to power watches, atomic timekeeping, which uses radio control to accurately tell time in different time zones, and satellite-synchronised GPS watches; not to mention their adoption of titanium. However, Citizen also innovated in more traditional watchmaking ways by pursuing miniaturisation with the ‘Meme of Citizen’.
While I agree its name certainly sounds like a joke, the watch itself is far from one. The ‘Meme of Citizen’ was introduced around the turn of the 21st century (long before the current memification of the internet), and instantly, it’s apparent this is an unusual and striking timekeeper. Featuring five miniature analogue dials arranged vertically, the watch held the title for the smallest quartz ‘world time’ watch when it was unveiled. Rather than utilising a bezel or a 24-hour rehaut like many conventional world timers, the idea is to set each of the individual watches to any given timezone worldwide, with some models listing the cities, London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Other.
Not only did the watch hold the record for the smallest quartz world time, but it did so via another world record: by utilising the world’s smallest analogue quartz movements. Coming in around one-third the size of Citizen’s next smallest movement, a lot of engineering is happening with this ‘meme’. For example, jewels are used for bearings, and large-capacity capacitors provide stable functions for the incredibly compact battery.
Each dial isn’t accompanied by a conventional crown but uses a push system to advance the time on the calibres G720. Measuring just 5.0mm x 6.0mm x 2.5mm, it’s no wonder the Guinness World Records officially recognised the calibre as the world’s smallest. Better still, the vertical arrangement creates a piece which emulates a bangle style seen throughout jewellery rather beautifully and stylishly. This particular example was initially conceived for women, but today – myself included – the piece speaks even more to the Citizen philosophy of inclusivity appearing uniquely unisex.
Speaking from first-hand experience, finding examples of this piece today is no easy feat. In fact, there hasn’t been a listing on English websites for a good few years. If you’re looking for one, Japanese auction houses will likely be your best option. Will it be a hunt? Sure, but will it be worth it? 100%. If you get your hands on one, send me a message and picture on Instagram, @timvaux, I’d love to talk to you about it.
Oracle Time