This popular series features Chronos Japan's elite editors getting their hands on hot new models, using them to their heart's content, and reviewing them. This time, we're looking at Citizen's Eco-Drive One. As the world's thinnest Eco-Drive watch, it's a masterpiece that not only utilizes technological development to make it slimmer, but also adds durability. We tested the capabilities of this model, which you can experience for yourself when you wear it on your wrist.
The splendor of the cermet bezel is amazing
At Baselworld 2016, Citizen released a limited edition and a regular model of the Eco-Drive One to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the launch of the light-powered wristwatch. While the most notable features were its astonishing 2.98mm (designed) case and 1mm movement (making it the world's thinnest Eco-Drive watch), I was also drawn to its extraordinary texture. Essentially different from thin dress watches that lack a sense of three-dimensionality, the Eco-Drive One was positioned as a highly practical and stylish timepiece.
One day in a certain month. I visited the CITIZEN DESIGN STUDIO in Omotesando, Tokyo, and received an Eco-Drive One from a PR representative I know well. I asked if I could use this watch to write an impression article for this series, and they readily agreed. I picked up the regular model, featuring a stainless steel case and bracelet with a cermet bezel. The dial is a subdued charcoal gray. The cermet bezel, reminiscent of pink gold, really stands out. After adjusting the bracelet, I put it on my wrist. It certainly has a different feel than a regular thin watch. It's a subtle way of putting it, but it feels like I'm wearing the first model of Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak. The buckle is a double-folding clasp. The clasp features intricate circular graining. This looks promising.
I put on my Eco-Drive One and strolled around the streets of Omotesando. It felt wonderful. The solar-powered Eco-Drive comes fully charged, so there's no need to worry about charging. Thanks to its low power consumption, it can operate for approximately 12 months.
What immediately caught my eye was the bracelet, which seemed sturdy compared to the thinness of the case. While I assumed the thickness was appropriate, it appears thick due to the case design. The bezel is made of cermet, which Citizen says is intended to achieve a thin yet strong design, rather than a thin yet fragile one. Cermet (a portmanteau of ceramics and metal) is a general term for a composite material made by sintering powders of metals and hard compounds such as carbides and nitrides with a metal binder. It offers heat and wear resistance and is capable of producing colors with a more metallic luster than typical ceramics. The carbide alloy, with a Vickers hardness of over 1500HV, is securely fastened to the thin stainless steel middle case with four screws. The case back is also made of cermet, protecting the thin case from unexpected impacts. Incidentally, the limited edition Eco-Drive One model, limited to 800 pieces and immediately sold out, stands out for its toughness, with a cermet case and a bezel and case back made of binderless carbide alloy with a Vickers hardness of 2100HV. Both the limited edition and regular models are designed to be thin and practical, yet also strong.
