Model: Citizen AO9010-02A “Eyes” Eco-Drive
Year: 2013
Features:
The Complexity. Citizen first unveiled this concept piece at Baselworld in 2010, but it didn’t finish production until 2013. Why? Because each one took an excruciatingly long time to make. This hand-polished ceramic dial took 80 times longer to produce than Citizen’s other complex dials at the time. They looked for a more time efficient methodology, but ultimately, nothing could circumvent the painstaking process of hand-finishing a delicate ceramic dial to mirrored perfection.
Limited Edition. After completing this limited run of 250 pieces (and 250 black pieces), Citizen shuttered production forever. Perhaps scarred by the experience, they only revisited ceramic dials a handful of times thereafter, opting for simple, flat designs each time. As you can see from the pictures, this watch is anything but simple. Its razor-sharp markers jut out of the ceramic bezel like ancient monoliths. Every hour marker is hand-polished with diamond paste to achieve an impossibly flat surface. Under macro scrutiny, the chamfered edges on the indices are so perfect that I have to assume they were the most likely point of failure during production.
The Design. While a circular day and date complication is fairly straightforward, its presentation here is undeniably curious. Two raised peaks, holding the most electric blue hands I’ve ever seen, sit within an ocular design that earned this watch its nickname – Eyes. These two “eyes” appear to float above the dial, but if you peer through the side of the large domed sapphire crystal, you’ll see they’re supported by a single ceramic column. Ceramic is inherently fragile. Two hollowed-out ceramic circles perched on a narrow point? Fragile².
The Case. By now, we’ve all seen most case shapes in existence, so I don’t typically draw attention to them, but I’m sure you’ll agree this alien mothership design deserves a second look. The ceramic crown is locked in by rectangular arms that extend from the underside of the case and grip the sapphire above. The crystal itself is dramatically domed – Citizen states this was designed to reflect as much light onto the dial as possible.
The Movement. Because this is an Eco-Drive, after all. Believe it or not, the flat ceramic centre circle is translucent enough to charge the solar cell hidden beneath it. The 8676 Eco-Drive movement inside the AO9010-02A goes from zero to fully charged in 14 hours of sunlight, with a full charge lasting up to six months. And the battery itself? According to Citizen’s internal testing, it will retain 80% of its original power storage capacity after 20 years. It’s no wonder Eco-Drives are the Kings of set-it-and-forget-it.
The Box. I have to mention the original box – but consider this as much a warning as anything else. The inner box is made of solid glass-ceramic and weighs over 2.0kg (4.5lbs). I have no idea how Citizen shipped these economically. Of the 500 made (250 in white and 250 in black), only a few dozen were allocated to overseas dealers. This limited international availability might have been due to the high shipping costs, but I also suspect the non-Japanese market wasn’t quite ready for this ceramic monster in 2013. Priced at ¥440,000 (approximately $4,700 at the time), this was Citizen’s equivalent of the Concorde – too expensive to be viable, but too awesome to not at least try.
Specifications:
Condition: Full kit. Unworn condition. A true piece of Citizen’s horological history.
Scope: Full box and papers.
Movement: Citizen 8676 Eco-Drive
Dimensions:
- Case Width: 43.0mm
- Lug to Lug: 50.6mm
- Case Thickness: 18.0mm (12.2mm without the bubble glass)
- Lug Width: 22.0mm
