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The power of nature on your wrist
CITIZEN was the first to see
the potential of light
In the 1970s, the batteries in quartz watches suffered from a very short life. Changing the battery was a major hassle, and used batteries were thrown away in large numbers.
The idea that people would prefer an accurate watch that didn’t need its battery changed led us to become the first watchmaker to explore light as a source of clean, renewable energy.
We began developing a completely new kind of watch, unveiling the world’s first light-powered analogue quartz watch in 1976 – the CRYSTRON SOLAR CELL.
The timing was ideal as, when the oil crisis hit, everyone was anxious to conserve resources and reduce energy use. Unsurprisingly, CITIZEN earned a considerable reputation for creating a watch that was powered by light – a resource equally accessible to everybody, everywhere.
