If I’ve said it once, I‘ve said it a thousand times but the fact that Citizen produce a watch called The Citizen is one of the most confusing naming conventions in the watch industry. Especially because The Citizen is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. That’s the collection not the brand, oh you get what I mean. The Citizen Washi Paper Dial 30th Anniversary series was initially launched back in March and the new watches we see here are simply additions to that range.
Like the original pair, these new watches feature 38.3mm titanium cases with one of Citizen’s Duratect coatings, a protective layer that increases scratch resistance while also adding colour to the case. Specifically, we have the ref. AQ4103-16W with Duratect Amber Yellow (a new addition to the Duratect line) and the ref. AQ4100-22A in Duratect Platinum.
Focussing in on the yellow gold version first, it’s paired with a black washi paper dial. Washi paper is a naturally produced paper that’s popular in Japanese calligraphy for the way it absorbs ink. Here the black paper has been decorated with delicate lines of gold leaf that are designed to evoke images of golden sunlight outlining the peaks of mountains that remain in shadow below at sunset. It helps add some character to the design and works well paired with the golden accents of the hands, hour markers and date window.
Second is the silver coloured model, which is the first monochrome edition in the Anniversary series as it’s paired with a silver-white dial. Though despite that it feels worryingly familiar because it’s effectively a direct revival of the 2023 limited edition except that it’s presented on a crocodile leather strap instead of a metal bracelet. Personally, I think that’s not enough of a change compared to the previous edition to make it feel like a distinct watch and is something of a disservice to those who bought the original limited watch. On the flip side it is a nice design with its Sunago-Maki platinum powder design.
As with all the models in the Citizen Washi Paper Dial 30th Anniversary range the biggest issue the price. At £2,795 for the silver coloured and £2,995 for the gold, these watches do not fit within the normal remit of Citizen collectors’ budgets. Especially as they are Eco-Drive rather than mechanical. However, while I personally struggle to see a customer base, evidently they are selling because Citizen has been producing them for multiple years and are only expanding the range. Perhaps people value the craft of the hand produced washi paper dials very, very highly, as well as the fact they are limited to 400 pieces each.
Price and Specs:
More details at Citizen.
