Citizen's new "Mid-Autumn Moon" limited-edition Eco-Drive keeps its moonphase accurate with atomic timekeeping

Citizen made headlines when it unveiled the world's first solar-powered watch with a fully analog moonphase display in the fall of 2023. That watch, dubbed the Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T, was also notable for introducing the Eco-Drive Caliber H874 movement with atomic timekeeping, making it the first moonphase watch that didn't require any manual adjustments on the wearer's part. Now the Japanese watchmaker is back with a striking limited-edition moonphase watch powered by the same high-tech movement.

The new Citizen Exceed "Mid-Autumn Moon" Limited Edition, as the name suggests, takes inspiration from the beautiful Mid-Autumn Moon floating in the night sky. The striking partially blackened dial is paired with amber yellow indices and hands and features a 24-hour subdial at 9 o'clock and a multifunction subdial at 12 o'clock for world time and reception status. The moon disk appears in an aperture filled with black mother-of-pearl at 6 o'clock.

Rather than relying on a traditional moonphase complication that needs occasional correction, Citizen's "Luna Program" automatically calculates the moon's age every day using signals received from atomic radio transmitters. Citizen developed a proprietary mathematical formula that determines the moon's exact position throughout the year, allowing the display to adjust itself automatically.

There's also a Northern/Southern Hemisphere switch that can be toggled by pulling the crown to ensure the moonphase display matches the view from wherever you are. As expected from an Exceed model, the watch doesn't skimp on premium materials either. The 41mm Super Titanium case receives Citizen's scratch-resistant Duratect Platinum and Amber Yellow surface treatment, while a dual-curved sapphire crystal with Clarity Coating protects the dial. The back of the case features a UTC scale, complete with city codes to help you calculate global times. Completing the package is a black crocodile leather strap with a tri-fold push-button clasp.

The watch is powered by light via Citizen's Eco-Drive tech, runs for up to 2.5 years in power-save mode on a full charge, and supports radio-controlled time synchronization across Japan, China, Europe, and North America.

Pricing & Availability

The Citizen Exceed "Mid-Autumn Moon" Limited Edition (ref. BY1025-17E) is limited to just 400 pieces and launches in Japan on August 6 for ¥275,000 (~$1,726). There's no word on global availability just yet, although the watch has already appeared on Chrono24, so importing one should be possible for collectors outside Japan.

Specifications

• Model: Citizen Exceed "Mid-Autumn Moon" Limited Edition (BY1025-17E)
• Limited edition: 400 pieces
• Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber H874 (solar-powered)
• Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month (without radio signal reception)
• Power reserve: Up to 2.5 years in power-save mode on a full charge
• Time synchronization: Radio-controlled (Japan, China, Europe, and North America)
• Case material: Super Titanium with Duratect Platinum and Amber Yellow coating
• Case diameter: 41mm
• Case thickness: 11.9mm
• Crystal: Dual-curved sapphire crystal with Clarity Coating
• Dial: Partially blackened mother-of-pearl with amber yellow accents
• Strap: Black crocodile leather with tri-fold push-button clasp
• Water resistance: 10 ATM (100 meters)
• Magnetic resistance: JIS Class 1
• Weight: 54g
• Analog moonphase display
• Automatic lunar age calculation ("Luna Program")
• Northern/Southern Hemisphere moonphase switching
• Perpetual calendar
• World Time (24 time zones)
• 24-hour subdial
• Day and date display
• Direct Flight time zone adjustment
• Daylight Saving Time (DST) support
• Charge level indicator
• Power-saving mode
• Overcharge prevention
• Automatic station selection, scheduled reception, and forced radio signal reception
• Citizen Perfex Multi 3000 (shock detection, automatic hand correction, and four-region radio reception)
• Made in: Japan