Citizen Eco-Drive Ring Concept Watch Limited Edition BU1020-08A

Citizen has a small handful of incredibly unique concept watches, some of which made it into production as small batch limited editions, some of which did not. One, which originally debuted in 2009 called “The Ring”, was produced in 2012 as a limited edition of only 250 pieces for the world and introduced a unique technology that also contributes to its incredible design. Today we review the Citizen Eco-Drive Ring Concept Watch Limited Edition BU1020-08A.

The Ring is not only the name of the watch but an indication of a new way of absorbing light through the case sides as opposed to its dial. Citizen’s proprietary Eco-Drive technology allows for their watches to be recharged with any kind of light. The solar panel is typically found in the dial, which creates limits to the types of dials they can use. With The Ring, an opaque silver dial can be used, as the watch is only charged through the case sides. This ring shaped solar cell is visible all the way around the case sides through a sapphire crystal and has an impressive coin edge look to it.

To maximize the amount of light that hits the solar cell, the watches 44.4mm stainless steel case has hollow lugs, leaving no aspect of the sides in the dark. The case is hand polished to a mirror finish and is coated with Citizen’s proprietary Duratect Coating. This clear plating helps preserve its beautiful finish by making the steel 3 to 4 times harder than its original form. The unique case design is not only functional, but also visually stunning and very durable.

The deeply recessed silver dial is also quite impressive. The hour markers from the top appear to be only stick indexes, but when viewed from an angle, the 3 dimensional arabic numerals are revealed. Not all of the indexes have this trait, but the 2, 4, 8, and 11 hour markers double as the 3D numerals.

Another interesting aspect of the dial is its 12:00 date wheel and 6:00 sub dial displaying age and shape of the moon. They use clear components on each dial to add to the 3D feel of dial, and giving the appearance that parts are floating freely. Even the Citizen logo on he dial casts a shadow on the dial due to the clear parts. The caliber 8712 is used which has a 6 month power reserve from a full charge.

The moon phase display is also very unique. The age of the moon on this piece can be read as well as its shape. There is a small circular opening in the clear disc in the sub-dial, which will expose the appropriate phase of the moon. The two silver discs that rotate around the sub-dial will will contribute to the reading of the phase (for example, the discs will represent the shadow over the moon and if the circular opening on the clear component does not have any portion of the disc inside, it represents a full moon). One of the two silver discs have a small circular opening which is basically a pointer to read the actual age of the moon.

The final touch on this elegant timepiece is its unusual silver-ish blue strap. It actually has a pearl coating giving it a gorgeous look and compliments the rest of the watch very well. The clasp mimics the case design using a hollowed out design.

The MSRP on the Citizen Eco-Drive Ring Concept Watch Limited Edition BU1020-08A is $5,500. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-486-3996 or through AZFineTime.com.