Eco-Drive VITRO

https://ms.citizen.jp/assets/Frame 8978 (2)

Designer: Hideki Inoue
Year launched: 2009
12 categories: 10 / Pioneering

Commentary: Overturning the conventional concept of the watch
Electricity is generated by arranging 6 μm-wide amorphous silicon wires at 94 μm intervals on the glass, forming solar cells that appear transparent to the naked eye. The trident-shaped hour and minute hands are inspired by the blades of wind turbines, which, like light-powered technology, harness natural energy. A curved indicator hand on the back side shows the charge level. Arabic numeral indexes are placed along the inner side surface of the tube-shaped case, and a see-through case back creates a skeletonized structure to emphasize transparency. Free from fixed ideas such as the traditional separation of the watch’s case and dial, indexes and hands, this model materializes a watch that overturns conventional notions of what a watch can be. Not yet released.

Link tags
CAL.: ―
Watch type: Eco-Drive
Case material: Stainless steel
Design features: Painted exterior

https://ms.citizen.jp/assets/RING_02_25-14

Pursuit of New Value

To highlight the value of CITIZEN’s core technology, the light-powered Eco-Drive, a total of eight concept models were unveiled between 2009 and 2012. The models were selected through an in-house competition. The only rule was that they had to be 'powered by light.' With no other restrictions, designers were free to propose new products from a completely blank slate. The models were announced on a grand scale at BASELWORLD, the world’s largest watch fair held in Switzerland, drawing significant attention. Furthermore, the initiative did not end with the unveiling of the concept models; efforts were made to mass-produce them with their original designs as much as possible. Four of the announced models were produced in limited quantities, and their technology and design codes had a major influence on subsequent models.