The Citizen: The dawn of the next ideal

The Citizen Caliber 0200, released in 2021, is a masterpiece that embodies the essence of a watch as envisioned by Citizen. The designers' desire to create a high-quality mechanical watch eventually took shape in terms of timekeeping accuracy and aesthetics. Featuring a free-sprung balance, high precision exceeding the standards of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), and a three-dimensional design that is characteristic of Citizen, this model symbolizes the new Citizen, challenging the next ideal of the wristwatch.

Caliber 0200, which brings together Citizen's finest technology, creates new value

　Citizen acquired the Swiss company Prosser Holding in 2012. The addition of this company, which owns the movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret, marked Citizen's return to the mechanical watch field. However, Citizen had been developing mechanical watches even before that. In addition to the classic automatic 82 series, in 2010 the company added the newly developed 90 series with a thin movement and the 09 series, a sister model for The Citizen. Unfortunately, The Citizen with the 09 series was discontinued, but Citizen has been developing a replacement model. The long-awaited unveiling of the "The Citizen Mechanical Model Caliber 0200" in 2021 was a successor to the 90 series.

　The Caliber 0200 features a design that is completely different from previous Citizen watches. Although it looks like a so-called "luxury sports watch," its design was inspired by older Citizen watches. The combination of the distortion-free surface of the case and the perfectly steep edges is rare in Japanese-made watches. At first glance, it appears simple, but it is a design that has been extremely costly.

　The reason Citizen gave this watch such a completely different design is due to the automatic movement it is equipped with. The newly developed Caliber 0200 features a free-sprung balance and is a highly accurate watch that exceeds the standards of the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). The movement's finishing also surpasses that of Swiss watches in the same price range.

　Caliber 0200 has a solid structure. It has a basic gear train with a small seconds hand at 6 o'clock, and the automatic winding is a simple unidirectional winding system, just like the 90 series and 09 series. The size of the movement is also large and thick, on par with older automatics. Looking at the structure alone, Caliber 0200 looks like an automatic movement from the 1950s. However, by incorporating an "aggressive" design, it has become an automatic movement with first-class performance.

　The design was put together by Taro Nakagawa and Kenji Tsuchiya of Citizen Watch. "We wanted to emphasize the mechanical nature of the 0200," they explained of the concept. The decision to omit the date display and use a small second hand was made to emphasize the difference from quartz watches.

　Even before development of the Caliber 0200 officially began, Citizen had been conducting basic research to improve precision. This work on the balance wheel and escapement led to the creation of the Caliber 0200's new free-sprung balance. This precision adjustment mechanism, which does not have a regulator, is easier to maintain accuracy over the long term and is also resistant to shocks. For these reasons, it is becoming an essential mechanism in Swiss luxury watches.

　However, it was surprising to see Citizen, which seems to have shied away from mechanical watches for many years, suddenly adopt a free-sprung balance. I expected it to be made by La Joux-Perret, but it turns out to be made by Citizen. Tsuchiya explains, "We decided to adopt a free-sprung balance because we now have a system in place for in-house production, especially in terms of quality." In addition to being free-sprung, the Caliber 0200's balance wheel has the largest moment of inertia of any of the company's movements, at 28,800 vph. This ensures superior accuracy not only in theory but also in actual wear. Similarly, the escapement and gears are entirely made by Citizen. "Citizen has a long history of accumulating high-precision component processing technology, and this is fully demonstrated in the manufacturing of Caliber 0200's components," Tsuchiya says.

　Nakagawa says he was unsure whether to make the Caliber 0200 a center-seconds hand. "If we made it a small seconds hand without placing the fourth wheel in the center, the design would be simpler and productivity would increase. Also, by increasing the tooth module (tooth size) and the thickness of the gear, we could improve processing precision, which would also improve the accuracy of the watch."

The company's in-house screws demonstrate its attention to aesthetics. The heads of the screws are as thick as those found in ultra-luxury watches. Not only are the top surfaces of the screw heads polished to a mirror finish, but the tool holes for inserting the screwdriver also feature beveled corners, creating a "slotted" finish. This is another of the small details found only in ultra-luxury watches.

The balance and gears of the Caliber 0200 are all made by Citizen. By adopting a classic layout with the small seconds at 6 o'clock, the size of the teeth that drive the watch is up to 1.5 times larger than that of the 90 series. As a result, the processing precision of the teeth has also improved. The grained finish on the top of the gears is also characteristic of high-end models.

The Caliber 0200's escapement is a standard club-tooth type. However, the escape wheel is made of a nickel-based material, thanks to the LIGA process, which is used to improve the precision of the components. Furthermore, by forming the escape wheel with LIGA, a type of plating, a more precise shape can be achieved than by cutting. This also contributes to improved efficiency.

One of the factors that gave Cal. 0200 its high accuracy was its free-sprung balance, which has no regulator. The gain or loss of the watch is adjusted by turning four weights attached to the balance wheel's arm. This approach to mechanical watches made it possible to mass-produce the free-sprung balance, a symbol of luxury watchmaking.

　This approach is exemplified by the new accuracy testing. A typical COSC-certified chronometer measures the accuracy of the movement alone, testing it at three temperatures and in five positions over a 15-day period. The Caliber 0200, on the other hand, undergoes a 17-day test in three temperatures and six positions while the movement is still in its case. Generally, placing a movement in a case can slightly alter its accuracy. Therefore, Citizen decided to measure its accuracy in its cased state, which is closer to reality. "We knew the 0200 could deliver accuracy, so we decided to measure it in its cased state," says Tsuchiya. The average daily rate when static is minus 3 to plus 5 seconds, which is stricter than that of a COSC-certified chronometer.

　The Caliber 0200 also stands out for its attention to aesthetics. The baseplate and bridges are made by La Joux-Perret of Switzerland. Using a special jig, the top surface is given a hairline finish, a first for Citizen. The diamond-cut chamfers are also exceptionally deep for a Japanese-made movement. The circular graining on the entire baseplate is also unusual in this price range.

　What's interesting is the new shock-resistant device "Lanblock" that has been added to the Tenshin. For many years, Citizen has used a shock-resistant device called Parashock. Nakagawa, however, wanted to "add something new," and so he gave the Caliber 0200 a new shock-resistant device. The shock resistance and recovery ability when subjected to shock are almost the same as previous Parashocks, but the design has the advantage of making the balance wheel appear larger. In addition, a steel plate that supports the balance wheel stud has been added to the balance wheel bridge. This not only provides firm support for the stud, but also adds an aesthetic accent.

　Citizen has finally released the Citizen Mechanical Model Caliber 0200. With its streamlined design, clever packaging, and new mechanisms incorporated throughout, it boasts a level of perfection that is hard to believe is the first mechanical watch in a long time. This model represents a new ideal for a luxury Japanese-made watch.