The Watch Too Difficult To Make
Just imagine the things Citizen could have done with this design...
The Precursor
Any car fanatics reading this will no doubt be familiar with the disappointment of Concept Cars – those fantastical designs that are so unique and fanciful, you just know they’ll never make it to production.
Citizen has a Concept Watches collection. Luckily for us, they’re bold enough to pull the trigger on some of these concepts.
Citizen AO9010-02A “Eyes” Eco-Drive
A watch killed by its own 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 fully ceramic dial took 80 times longer to produce than Citizen’s other complex dials at the time.
When they debuted the AO9010-02A, they would have known the challenges involved, but it seems they hoped future Citizen could solve the production difficulties present Citizen was facing. Unfortunately, no temporal version of Citizen could overcome the painstaking process of hand-finishing a delicate ceramic dial to mirrored perfection.
After completing this limited run, 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.
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.
As anyone familiar with ceramics knows, the material is inherently fragile. Two hollowed-out ceramic circles perched on a narrow point? Fragile². Just thinking about the challenge of safely installing the hands on this watch is enough to give me the shivers.
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 says it was designed to reflect as much light onto the dial as possible.
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.
Before wrapping up, 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, as the quotes I received for international shipping started at $165.00. 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.
The Citizen AO9010-02A is now available to buy on our website.
Full kit. Unworn condition. A true piece of Citizen’s horological history.
Credor GCAR966 HAQ
The Credor GCAR966 is as accurate as it is beautiful. Released in 2020 as part of Credor’s Signo Collection - meaning symbol or stamp in Latin - the series is designed to epitomise Credor as a brand. It’s immediately clear that this model achieves exactly that.
A solid 18k rose gold bezel, paired with matching indices, surrounds a glossy black dial. Inside, the ultra-slim and ultra-accurate 8J81 movement powers the watch with an impressive accuracy of ±10 seconds per year. At just 6.9mm thick and 37mm wide, it not only perfectly captures the spirit of Credor but also flawlessly embodies the concept of a dress watch - lightweight, slim, and effortlessly classy.
For me, a dress watch should be enjoyed in its entirety - no one detail should overpower the watch as a whole. The intricately cut dagger indices play a key role in balancing the 3, 6, and 9 Roman numerals. Typically, baton, stick, or dagger markers are either longer or shorter than the accent numerals, but Credor’s approach of equalising the two creates a harmonious design where no single element steals the spotlight.
With a retail price of around $4,500 in Japan, the price I’m offering the watch at today exemplifies how Credor remains significantly underappreciated and undervalued in Western markets. If you’re in the market for a dress watch, this is your chance to pick up a true value proposition.
The Credor GCAR966 is available to buy on our website.
Great condition overall. Almost no noticeable marks anywhere on the watch, other than the caseback. No box or papers.
Seiko “Shippo Enamel” SARW039
A rich blue that mirrors the colour of sea. Unlike typical enamel, Shippo enamel is translucent, and because the surface is built up over many layers. the Shippo enamel can take on a wide array of hues. After the final layer has been added and the dial has been re-fired, the surface is polished to a perfectly glassy finish.
Enamel, Urushi, Shippo, and Arita Porcelain (it feels like I’m summoning a Seiko version of Captain Planet) are the four materials that make up Seiko’s Master Craftsman series. Shippo Enamel was the last one I needed to cover in the newsletter, and just like the previous three, the production of these dials was overseen by a single specialist - Wataru Totani.
The dial pattern is engraved into the metal disc, upon which the Shippo enamel is layered. It is reminiscent of flinqué, which is the term used in Europe to describe a guilloche dial that’s been enamelled over. Don’t get me wrong, flinqué dials are incredibly pretty, but the translucent nature of Shippo makes for a much more interesting viewing experience, in my biased Seiko-loving opinion.
Just as an interesting aside, the SARW039 features the indices and minute track markers found on Seiko's 1895 Time Keeper Pocket Watch!
The Seiko SARW039 is available to buy on our website.
Great condition overall. Almost no noticeable marks anywhere on the watch, other than the caseback. No box or papers.
Seiko SCED035 “Ripley”
In space, no one can hear you scream. The SCED035 is a limited edition re-release of the 7A28 “Ripley” - a watch accidentally made famous by James Cameron’s 1986 film Aliens. Unlike most watches worn in films today, there was no marketing deal between Cameron and Seiko. Cameron simply scoured the market for a watch that had the retro-futuristic charm to match the vision of his film.
Fortunately for him, Seiko had recently collaborated with the king of retro-futurism, Giorgetto Giugiaro. Renowned for redefining the modern sports car, Giugiaro also dabbled in designing watches exclusively for Seiko.
To truly understand Giugiaro's impact, it’s worth noting his vast and varied design portfolio. He has 46 car design credits. To be clear, I don’t mean he designed 46 individual cars - I mean he was commissioned to design new vehicles for 46 different car companies. Can you even name 46 different car companies? From Daewoo to Ferrari and Suzuki to Bugatti, Giugiaro has done design work for them all.
And his influence extends far beyond automobiles. He designed a dozen cameras for Nikon, firearms for Beretta, motorcycles for Ducati, a train, tractors, telephones, a bridge in Tuscany, a new pasta shape, an Olympic basketball, and, of course, several watches for Seiko.
The fact that there’s no Giorgetto Giugiaro autobiography is, quite frankly, criminal.
The Seiko SCED035 “Ripley” is now available to buy on our website.
In great condition. Comes with box and papers.
Seiko SARB044
It certainly doesn’t look like a Seiko. Released in 2008 and discontinued after two years, this Seiko isn’t commonly seen outside of Japan, which is a shame as its design feels perfectly suited to life in Europe.
If you missed it the first time, and would like to read more about it, including the interesting history of the “Watchmaker’s Four”, please click here.
The SARB044 is available to buy on our website.
Great condition. Any marks are mild and not of significance. Original strap. Comes with box and papers.
Citizen Campanola CTR57-0981 Triple Perpetual Calendar
Aren’t these usually housed in a tonneau case? Rumour has it that once Campanola fulfils their yearly quota of strikingly eccentric designs, they slip in a few traditional options. There’s a lot going on with this watch, so please click here to read my full write-up if you aren’t familiar with it.
The CTR57-0981 is available to buy on our website.
Good condition. Serviced by Citizen in Japan. Light scratches can be seen on the bezel.
Don’t forget to follow my Instagram to see all of the watches above in full cinematic glory next week.