Renowned Japanese maker of timepieces, Citizen, opens its first freestanding store in the Philippines at SM Makati.
The opening of the store is a part of their ongoing venture into high-value retailing in the country. Through this, Citizen aims to provide customers with better understanding of the brand and its offerings.
L-R: Mr. Ray Jacinto, Mr. James Nakai, and Mr. Francis Yu
Ray Jacinto, president and COO of the Timeline Group—the group of retail watch stores under Wizer Industries, Inc.—spoke at the official opening and revealed that this latest undertaking complements Citizen’s global initiative of the “unified shop” concept around the world. “This is to reinforce its status as a truly global brand and leading maker of timepieces,” said Jacinto. “These stores will continue to offer the vast array of Citizen collections, the freestanding stores will further bolster the presence of the brand in the market.”
Eco-Drive Satellite Watches
Along with the showroom’s opening is the Philippine media launch of Citizen’s distinguished flagship models: the limited edition Eco-Drive Satellite Wave-Air watch and the Eco-Drive Altichron-Cirrus watch.
Part of the Promaster Collection, the Wave-Air, marketed in 2011, has an advanced satellite timekeeping system, which receives signals from GPS satellites in order to have accurate time and calendar information anywhere in the world. The Wave-Air is the world’s first light-powered watch with a full-metal case that receives time signals from navigation satellites. This technology brings ultra-precise timekeeping wherever people are on the face of the Earth.
“This new Satellite Eco-Drive watch creates a system that receives signals not from radio towers but from the satellites. The main advantage here is that now your watch can be hyper accurate anywhere on the planet—not just regions where the radio signals are present,” explains Jacinto.
The Eco-Drive Altichron-Cirrus is an updated version of the Altichron equipped with the latest technologies and innovative design. With sensors for electronic compass and altimeter, the Altichron-Cirrus allows precise measurements of direction, up to 10,000 meters in height and as deep as 300 meters below sea level. A push of a button displays measurements of depth, height or direction simultaneously with the time.
Further explained by Francis Yu, the operational range of the altimeter is –300 to +10,000 meters, indicated with three hands. The orange-colored hand indicates magnetic north when direction-measuring function is activated. Hands for altitude and direction operate independently from the time hands so that the watch can display altitude or direction simultaneously with time.
“Given the increasing number of Filipinos travelling to various parts of the world for business and leisure trips, this is the perfect time to launch this Eco-Drive Satellite Wave-Air watch in the market. These watch-wearers can be assured of the most accurate time through the satellite wave signals that the watch receives,” said Jacinto.
Eco-Drive is Citizen’s patented technology and domain. This technology allows them to produce watches powered by using any natural or artificial light source that can be manufactured and placed in the mid-price market.
Conserving energy and creating an ecologically friendly image for the brand, James Nakai commented that Eco-Drive watches could even regenerate power from the light of a candle with an incorporated solar cell that generates electricity from captured light. Surplus electrical energy is stored in a rechargeable battery. This mechanism has earned a reputation as being eco-friendly and eliminates the need for replacing batteries.
President and CEO of Citizen Ryota Aoyagi remarked, “Our product development philosophy, “The Fusion of Technology and Beauty,” conveys Citizen’s belief that technology without beauty is incomprehensible and even meaningless. The role of technology is to complete the ultimate design and functionality, which can profoundly touch the hearts of people everywhere.”
The Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave-Air will be available in September at the Citizen store located at the second level of SM Makati and in all Timeline Group watch stores.