With a tag line like “Unstoppable,” Citizen watches have a lot to live up to from the outset, but taking a close look at their products makes it easy to believe their tag line is authentic. With a rich history and tradition of excellence, more individuals choose this internationally-known brand every single year.
History of Citizen
The story of the Citizen begins in the year 1924, which is actually quite a bit later than many people would expect given the relative success that this company has had. Its drive to catch up with other great watchmakers is perhaps one of the greatest strengths the brand has. The 85-year history of the company is best divided into stages of initial growth, consolidation and dramatic rise.
The initial growth phase of Citizen Watches spans about 30 years of that time period, and it started in 1924 with the founding of the company. Created with a name that would hopefully allow it to grow “close to the hearts of people everywhere,” the initial growth phase was strong yet moderate. The company was busy with putting down their roots, setting up innovation cycles and marketing their brand name in the public domain. When all three of these things happened at a modest pace, the perseverance that the company showed to keep at it was admirable, and it allowed them to initially grow into a middle-sized company that could either go up or down depending on the decisions made during consolidation.
You can’t really cite a specific year when initial growth became consolidation, but the 1950s are probably the best decade to start talking about consolidation in because the company had a lot to preserve during this period of time. With many upstart companies that would eventually go broke later, it was all the company could do in order to keep its current market share and weather the storm of a few recessions that took place between the 1950s and the 1980s.
The men’s watches they started creating in the 1980s helped propel them to their dramatic rise which culminated in the year 1986 with this brand name being recognized as the largest watchmaker in the world. That was perhaps the proudest moment in the history of the company, excelled only by the fact that they have been able to keep that distinction through to the end of 2008 and will probably keep it once more when 2009 has come to a close.
What They Are Known For
As has been alluded to in the history section, Citizen is known primarily as being the largest watchmaker in the world by the statistics, and the mens watches they have created over the years have certainly helped them in that regard. While sheer size is not necessarily a good thing, the way in which the company utilizes their size to increase their market share is masterful, and for that reason, certainly worthy of the respect they get from their fellow watch-making companies. Every one that they make increases their chance of holding onto that label and right now that is certainly a matter of pride for them.
Citizen wristwatches are also known for being one of the drivers of technological innovation within the watch-making industry, a reputation that they have gained recently through advances like voice recognition and slim LCD displays. They have few firsts from the original renaissance of watch-making, but they have quite a few from the ultramodern world of watch-making, and that is why they are a company that seems to be gaining strength rather than losing it. These days, they make timepieces that automatically synchronize with atomic clocks around the world, models designed specifically for collectors, and some of the most advanced watchband technology in the industry. It’s hard to tell what they’ll do next, and with their standing at the forefront of the watchmaking world, you can usually bet that they’ll be the first company to do it.
One final thing that a Citizen watch can be known for is the ecological sensitivity that it shows to the world around it. This brand name has been active in the creation of eco-friendly lines of mens watches and for that reason has gained massive publicity points amongst a population that is increasingly ecologically conscientious. By incorporating features like solar powered panels, this brand has become a leader in integrating care for the planet with care for the reputation of a brand. That might be the legacy they carry into the near future as well considering the fact that many companies are now scrambling to try and catch up in this particular area. It is certainly not a bad thing to be known for both from the marketing point of view and from the general moral point of view as well.
