Citizen Eco-Drive One: Malaysia Price and Review

Keeping it razor sharp with Citizen’s latest Eco-Drive One.

Citizen Eco-Drive One Limited Edition

In 2016, Citizen unveiled the Eco-Drive One line of watches and grabbed the title of the world’s thinnest light-powered watch, a title that they continue to hold up until now. The collection was released in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of its proprietary light-powered technology and was praised for its innovative use of technology and extreme simplicity in design.

At Baselworld this year, the brand announced three follow-ups to be added to the flagship collection, along with a special limited-edition model. The newer versions of the Eco-Drive One continue to embrace the razor thin 1mm light powered movement, but now feature newer, lighter and stronger materials.

Citizen Eco-Drive One in Super Titanium

Focusing first on the three new Super Titanium models, just as the name suggests, the main feature of these timepieces is the use of Citizen’s specially engineered material that takes a solid block of titanium and presses it into the case mould before treating it so it becomes 40 per cent lighter than stainless steel, but also five times harder. Following that, the manufacture’s master craftsmen will then polish each timepiece by hand, resulting in a beautiful sheen.

At 36.5mm in diameter and 3.53mm in thickness, the watch appeals to both genders. The three variations of the new additions come in dial choices of dark blue, black and white with grain and sunray finishing, and are paired with a titanium bracelet.

The limited-edition release (top), on the other hand, features an ever so slightly larger (but thinner) build with a diameter measuring 37mm, while the thickness is a paper-thin 2.98mm.

This version is limited to a worldwide release of 1,000 pieces and features a mysteriously dark colour scheme with a dark grey bezel made with a special material known as Altic that comprises a mix of aluminium, titanium and carbon. Paired with a black crocodile leather strap, the dark tones nicely contrast with the silver-coloured ceramic and metal composite case, or as Citizen prefers to call it, Cermet.

All the Eco-Drive watches are powered by artificial and natural light, through a titanium lithium ion battery charged by a photocell located behind the dial. Typically, a full-charge will keep the watch running for about 12 months, a double increase from older models that provide up to only six months of power reserve. The unique in-house Calibre 8826 movement offers up a maximum variation of +/- 15 seconds/month.

While purists continue to be enamoured with the romance of automatic watches, one cannot deny Citizen’s latest release. A quartz watch, especially a light powered one, provides a fuss-free solution to those seeking a timekeeper that lasts for a long time without much upkeep. The sleek and sexy aesthetics of the watch make it a great choice to rock for dressy occasions or a casual night out. It’ll be dropping later this year so keep a lookout for it.