Citizen's $3,095 limited edition Eco-Drive with a hand-dyed paper dial is finally up for grabs

Back in March, Citizen unveiled a new limited-edition watch to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Eco-Drive, the company’s solar charging technology that gave birth to the world’s first analog solar watch in 1976 and laid the groundwork for today’s light-powered watches. At the time, Citizen said the commemorative model would go on sale sometime in May. That day is finally here, and the watch is officially up for grabs on Citizen’s online store for $3,095.

The Citizen Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary Edition (AQ4091-56W) serves as both a showcase of Citizen’s technical chops and a tribute to the Japanese craftsmanship that defines the company’s premium “The Citizen” lineup.

For the uninitiated, the limited edition watch is all about that striking green dial made from traditional Japanese washi paper. Hand-dyed in chitose midori, a rich shade inspired by evergreen pine needles, the dial is a masterclass in materials. Citizen says pulling this dial off was no easy task. Because no natural dye exists that can produce the exact green tone, artisans first dyed the washi paper yellow multiple times using traditional ibuki kariyasu plant dye, derived from Japanese silver grass, and then dipped it in indigo blue dye. 

Washi paper, historically used in sliding doors and lanterns, is the perfect translucent material. It lets both artificial and natural light to pass through to the underlying solar cells while also adding incredible depth to the dial, which is accented by a gold-tone second hand and Citizen’s signature eagle emblem.

The 40mm case and bracelet are crafted from Citizen’s proprietary Super Titanium and finished with a Duratect Platinum coating. Citizen says the material is roughly 40 percent lighter than stainless steel while also being five times harder.

Powering the watch is Citizen’s high-accuracy Caliber A060 Eco-Drive movement, which offers ±5 seconds-per-year accuracy, a perpetual calendar programmed through 2100, magnetic resistance up to 4,800 A/m, and up to 7 months of runtime in power-save mode. Other highlights include water resistance up to 20Bar/ 20 ATM/ 200 meters, automatic hand correction, power reserve indicator, and luminous hands and indexes.