THE ESSENCE OF TIME | CITIZEN Brand 100th Anniversary Watch Event
Introducing the process behind the exhibition composition.
Concept Development
In developing the concept, we discussed the images each designer brought to the table and distilled key words. Through this, we shaped the foundations of the exhibition: conveying CITIZEN’s passion for craftsmanship; showing how diverse challenges link the past to the present and point to future possibilities; and unearthing the traces of ingenuity and presenting them like specimens.
Excavation
The CITIZEN Museum located at the Tokyo works displays a variety of materials and objects, and its backstage Archive Room houses even more archival materials. Constantly receiving historical materials from inside and outside the company, it is truly a treasure trove. From this vast trove, we carefully excavated items that reveal the passion and ingenuity of our predecessors. We also visited active development sites where current engineers work to find items that embody the exhibition concept.
Exhibition Composition
We then considered layouts to communicate clearly how to arrange the excavated items and materials for display and what captions to attach. Members pooled ideas and iterated toward the optimal approach.
The base of the exhibition was a selection of 100 models chosen from an internal project exploring what makes CITIZEN, CITIZEN. We organized them according to 12 categories derived in the same project. Each of the 100 display boards features text analyzing the models from both design and engineering perspectives. The texts were written from a contemporary viewpoint by current designers and engineers (and marketers for some models).
To make the accumulated ingenuity of our predecessors tangible, we exhibited designers’ observational sketches and notes alongside period equipment and materials used in actual development and development samples.
Preparation
Scenes of painting the display boards on the rooftop of our office building. Even within a limited budget, designers literally got hands-on and DIY-built parts of the exhibition fixtures to raise quality.
We conducted exhibition simulations in the Design Department office. Whatever we did, we were fighting an overwhelming volume multiplied by 100.
Exploration of the exhibition within the design office.
Kudan House
The venue, Kudan House, is a nearly 100-year-old building still standing in Chiyoda, Tokyo. With a passage of time akin to CITIZEN’s, the space resonated so strongly with this exhibition that, on the very day we scouted several candidates, everyone present became convinced this was the one.
Detailed meetings at Kudan House.
Installation
All members pitched in to prepare the exhibition. Here, too, the sheer scale—everything times 100—kept us working right up until the opening. As a result, we believe it became a dense exhibition packed with a century’s worth of feelings and energy.
Exhibition Views
Here are some scenes from the exhibition.
A genealogy diagram at the start of the exhibition visualizes the evolutionary connections among the 100 models. At the two ends are the first pocket watch to bear the name CITIZEN and the latest pocket watch equipped with a mechanical watch, symbolizing CITIZEN’s origin and a new beginning. This diagram embodies how our challenges connect past, present, and future from both technological and design perspectives.
A film that reflects scenes of CITIZEN’s craftsmanship. It expresses the side of CITIZEN’s skills in which people and machines collaborate to create watches. Produced by HIROBA, who also created the video for CITIZEN Design’s philosophy, Designing Emotion. You can view the videos here.
Making Time (opens in a new page) / Tuning Time (opens in a new page)
Tools and machines used at watchmaking sites.
The underground exhibition space. We zoned areas from the first basement to the third floor above ground by each of the 12 categories expressing CITIZEN-ness and displayed the 100 models.
Cosmosign, an astronomical watch born from the passion of a single developer.
A model that became the origin of CITIZEN’s radio-controlled watches, boldly placing the antenna for signal reception at the center of the dial. It is a model where technical constraints, conversely, became a design icon.
The first pocket watch to bear the name CITIZEN.
Kinder Time, a children’s watch designed so that the time is easy to read.
Satellite Wave, a satellite radio-controlled watch with an impact worthy of world-first technology.
Exhibition in the second-floor Japanese-style room.
CITIZEN L, which deliberately uses frosted glass to evoke a gentle sense of time.
EXCEED Magnifique, featuring bold cuts in sapphire glass.
Film reels of experimental footage long dormant in the Archive Room.
Cards that turn the texts—analyses from both design and technology perspectives for each of the 100 models—into takeaways. Visitors could take home cards of their favorite models.
Design study models
In a separate garage building, we presented our design philosophy, Designing Emotion, along with an exhibition of design study models that offer a glimpse into CITIZEN’s future.
Here is the documentary video.
DESIGN STUDY EXHIBITION | CITIZEN Brand 100th Anniversary Watch Event
Introduction to the design philosophy, Designing Emotion.
The seven study models were exhibited together with items that embody each concept or served as sources of inspiration, expressing their respective worlds. These models will be introduced in a future Product Story article. Note: The AKIRA graphic novels and motorcycle model were references for design imagery and do not imply a collaboration model.
Music at the venue featured works by haruka nakamura, who also provided tracks for the Designing Emotion videos. Layered with CITIZEN’s single-minded passion carried forward over 100 years and the time accumulated by Kudan House, the music created a special place that could exist only there and then. A playlist compiling CITIZEN-related tracks is available on the artist’s YouTube channel; please have a listen.
CITIZEN × haruka nakamura (opens YouTube playlist)
Starting from CITIZEN’s first pocket watch, the exhibition guided visitors through the footprints of the past 100 years, rediscovered the passion for craftsmanship, and invited them to envision the future ahead. It became a space symbolizing CITIZEN’s beginning and a new beginning. It also embodies the CITIZEN brand belief, BETTER STARTS NOW. As the event was primarily by invitation for the press, we hope this article conveys a part of the experience.
Exhibition Credits
Composition: CITIZEN
Film: HIROBA
Music: haruka nakamura