Takayuki Takahashi
DESIGNER
- Name
- Takayuki Takahashi
- Specialty
- Product design & curator
- Region
- Japan
- Career
- Takahashi joined the Citizen Trading Life Design Center in 1986. He worked on development-related design and handled many models when the PROMASTER brand was launched. He subsequently became responsible for the Latin American market, and in 1997 he was assigned to the U.S. market and stationed there until 2002. After returning to Japan, he continued to oversee the U.S. market, and because it was necessary to control design close to the production sites in Hong Kong, he was posted there from 2004 to 2008. After returning to Japan, from 2015 he took charge of the domestic market and worked on men's models. From 2019 to the present, he has served as Director of the CITIZEN Museum.
- Hobbies
- Staying physically active through running and cycling to keep his senses from dulling. He recently read “The Gift of Mathematics” by independent researcher Masao Morita, which led him to conclude that, beyond cultivating the senses, it is necessary to take an interest in everyday phenomena and examine them with deeper insight.
RELATED ARTICLES
Sense of Reliability
This model was developed as the highest precision watch, representing the pinnacle of CITIZEN’s precision technology at the time. Rather than following the trend of the era for slim and simple designs, it features prominent indexes and hands for outstanding legibility, allowing you to check the accurate time at any moment. Additionally, the case lugs are boldly constructed with edges and slopes, resulting in a design that stands out on the wrist, even in an era when understated, simple designs were mainstream. Overall, it combines high precision and a sense of luxury, making it a highly satisfying watch and a representative model of CITIZEN from that era.
Perfect Balance
This distinctive model features CITIZEN’s most advanced quartz chronograph movement of the time, the Cal. 3510. It is a masterpiece that takes on the challenge of a face design that is neither simply angular nor round—a rounded square with no straight lines, achieving the best possible balance, which is extremely difficult to perfect. The case design is also skillfully unified without relying on pronounced bezels or edges to define its shape, showcasing the designer’s expertise. Despite its unusual form, it achieves 10-bar water resistance by using a screw-type round case back, allowing for worry-free daily use. The band is thin with fine pitch links and a free-adjust buckle, making it suitable for wrists of all sizes. In this way, every element is brought together in exquisite balance, resulting in a timeless model that remains appealing even today.
The Beauty of Utility
Developed in 1958 as Japan’s first "bell-ringing watch," this model continued to sell well for many years, spawning various variations, despite its price of 9,200 yen—almost equivalent to a new university graduate’s starting salary at the time. The reason for its success, I believe, lies in how the additional alarm function is expressed as an indicator hand at the center of the dial, and in the distinctive crowns placed at the 2 and 4 o’clock positions for ease of use, beautifully integrating function and design. Excellent design, in my view, is when functionality is so beautifully integrated that one can intuitively understand how to use it and its purpose just by looking at its form, without needing to consult the manual.