In 2010, Citizen introduced a new concept model that today has become a reality. As a limited edition of only 25o pieces for the world, in two different styles, the Citizen Eco-Drive EYES is finally available to a lucky handful. Today we review the black variation AO9010-02E.
The concept of the EYES is to play on light and shadow. The incredible design of this timepiece is only done justice in person, but we can most certainly try to replicate with pictures and video. The unique concept seems to engage the wearer, utilizing different angels of light making your watch change in character, either by lighting up the indexes or changing the depth of the shadows. This also effects the legibility of the watch. At some angles, the indexes almost blend together with the rest of the dial which makes the hands just about clear enough to read the time. At other angles, you see the true depth in the dial, which my even appear more deep than it actually is, due to the dramatic size of the shadows.
The dial itself is made of ceramic and sapphire crystal. The sapphire crystal is found at the center of the dial to allow light to pass through and power the watch. All 13 ceramic indexes, the portion of the dial where they sit, and the “EYES” (day/date indicator) are completely finished by hand to ensure the evenness and perfection needed for this impressive dial to work. Apparently, these hand selected ceramics tend to shrink in the manufacturing process, which makes it necessary to polish by hand. As you could guess, ceramic is very fragile and difficult to work with. This is another attribute that makes the EYES so special. They say the overall manufacturing time of the EYES is about 80 times longer than a typical product.
The inspiration for this incredibly deep and intricate dial was adopted from skyscrapers and historical monuments like Stonehenge. The ceramic indicies are brought to a maximum height to fully utilize the natural shadows and show the beauty of light. The “EYES” themselves are intended to symbolize clearness, sharpness and brilliance, while also conveying a sense of infinite light and time energy.
The deeply domed sapphire crystal protecting the dial is actually inspired by a botanical garden architecture and is utilized to allow light to come through from all angles. From there, the dial is bowl shaped to bring the light to the center and power the Eco-Drive solar panel. The sapphire crystal is polished to perfection ensuring maximum clarity.
The 43mm case design is incredible. The body and portion with the lugs are made individually, and the “clamps” at the 3 and 9 o’clock position are brought in to fuse the case together perfectly. One thing is for sure, the finish is immaculate. The combination of brushed and beautifully high polished finish are protected by Citizens proprietary Duratect coating. This coating allows the same exact finish as originally found on the steel, but also makes it about 3-4 times harder. The case is virtually scratch resistant, preserving its extremely high quality finish and eliminating the worry that small scratches will dull down its shine.
The movement used in the EYES, is Citizen’s Eco-Drive Caliber 8676. The caliber 8676 displays day, date, and has centralized time (hours, minutes, and seconds). The duration of life from a full power reserve is 6 months, as with most Citizen products. The accuracy is rated to +/- 15 seconds a month as you will also find in most other Citizens.
The strap on the EYES is a unique product. This “liquid rubber” strap is stain resistant and also has an incredibly comfortable feel. This is not your typical polyurethane strap you will find on most Citizens. The cut to size strap has a black hard coated butterfly deployment clasp as well.
Overall, the Citizen Eco-Drive EYES Concept Watch AO9010-02E is not only extremely rare, but an amazing timepiece. Utilizing light and shadow is something found in traditional Japanese culture and the EYES exhibits this trait to the full extent. There is much to be said about this concept model brought to life, but you really need to see it with your own eyes.
The Citizen Eco-Drive EYES AO9010-02E is $4,700. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-486-3996, or check us out on www.AZFineTime.com.
Check out our video review below…
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