The Citizen Eco-Drive Tosa Washi White Ref. AQ4091-56A

As a brand that concentrates almost totally on quartz movements, Citizen has developed and refined its proprietary Eco-Drive technology to produce stunning timepieces that continue to defy the perimeters of watchmaking. With the Japanese typically keeping the best of their products for themselves, today’s The Citizen Eco Drive 40 Tosa Washi White AQ4091-56A is one of Citizen’s best offerings originally intended for the Japanese domestic market (JDM). However, as we are introducing it on the international market, this watch is an uncovered treasure piece for the ardent watch collector.

Citizen 'The Citizen' Eco-Drive Tosa Washi White Ref. AQ4091-56A

One of the world’s trailblazing manufacturers of movements and watches for over a century, Citizen is a highly esteemed Japanese watch brand that boasts a rich pedigree of traditional watchmaking, state-of-the-art horological innovations and excellent craftsmanship. Citizen made the world’s inaugural light-powered analogue quartz watch that captures light and converts it with an inbuilt solar cell in 1976. This groundbreaking invention, otherwise called the “Eco-Drive”, entrenched Citizen as an innovative watchmaker and marked a major milestone for the brand.

Watch aficionados would revel in the fact that Citizen’s ‘The Citizen’ collection belongs to an exclusive segment of the brand that provides painstakingly refined case finishes and premium performances that can arguably compete with the likes of the Grand Seiko.

Iridescent silver dial

Although titanium is already a very robust metal in itself, Citizen was able to make the material even stronger. The brand produced a kind of titanium surface coating called Duratect to bolster the strength of titanium, making it five times more resilient than stainless steel while still keeping its lightweight build. Duratect served as a major milestone for the brand, as Citizen could produce new timepieces with unrivaled durability. Thus, Citizen decided to name this new coating “Super Titanium”. It is this Super Titanium material that forms the case and bracelet of the AQ4091-56A.

Moreover, the AQ4091-56A has dimensions like the following: a 40mm lug width and diameter (without the crown), 12.5 mm thickness as well as a maximum wrist size of 204mm. Its dial is specially made up of handmade Tosa Washi (Japanese traditional paper) with a warm and gentle texture.  Thin yet robust, Tosa Washi is a vital Japanese paper for preserving cultural artifacts and historical assets. Hence with Tosa Washi, look forward to the longevity of this watch for generations to come.

Multi-finished case

The watch also has a solid crystal with a dual spherical sapphire glass (99% clarity coating) as well as luminous hands & indexes for enhanced readability under all lighting conditions. With a perpetual calendar installed, this watch would prove itself to be reliable and always there for your needs. If you decide to take this timepiece for an adventure, go ahead and do so because this watch has a 10 ATM water resistance.

 Run by the Citizen Quartz Eco-Drive A060 movement, this watch can provide an accuracy of +/-5 sec/ annually. Also, based on the usage environment (temperature change (seasonal change), the accuracy of the watch may turn out to be 2 seconds per month.

Nifty case finishing and polish

In a nutshell, it is no exaggeration to label the AQ4091-56A as Citizen’s watchmaking brainchild given its precise timekeeping, reliable strength as well as aesthetically pleasing dial. All these elements, however minute they may seem to be, lend character and appeal to the watch.