"Consumers don't fully understand us" : Citizen execs talk Eco-Drive, beautiful design and the future of mechanical movements

Last night, Citizen hosted a celebration of its Eco-Drive technology at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. That saw an appearance from iconic fashion designer, Vera Wang, ahead of her collaboration with the brand launching next year.

We also saw the unveiling of a model celebrating those 50 years, dubbed the Citizen Eco-Drive Photon. That showcases some of the brand's incredibly dial design work, sitting inside of a beautiful, retro case and bracelet.

Prior to the celebrations, I sat down with two of Citizen's executives to talk about the new launch, the Eco-Drive technology and more. And right off the bat, it's very clear that the brand has focused its efforts on beauty, as well as brawn.

"We understand that watches are decorative items, so we always want to keep the beauty in the design," says movement engineer, Shoichiro Morita. It's a stance which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise given some of the stunning designs we've seen from the brand recently.

While the event was put together to celebrate the Eco-Drive, it certainly wasn't the only talking point. After all, Citizen's catalogue is diverse, with a multitude of different movements used to offer watches at all price points.

The team tells me that – while Eco-Drive still makes up the bulk of its offering – it is committed to continuing to innovate in the mechanical world, too. It's a side of the business which seems far grander than you'd realise on the face of it, with the favoured La Joux Perret manufacture under the brand's stewardship.

When I asked if the team felt that Eco-Drive technology got the credit it deserved, the answer was a fairly resounding 'no'. "We get the impression that consumers don't fully understand us," says Senior General Manager, Yoshihisa Yajima, "but we're hoping that events like this help people to understand more."

It's a sentiment I share. Having spent a few days immersed to saturation in all things Citizen, I have a newfound love for the Eco-Drive system.

It really doesn't get the plaudits it deserves, possibly because the technology can be found on everything from the most affordable watches in the brand's catalogue up to some of its costliest. But that's exactly what makes a good technology great. You don't need to spend mega bucks to enjoy it; it's a technology for the many, not the few.