Citizen's new limited-edition platinum "Washi paper" dial watch now open for preorders

Citizen's newest limited-edition Eco-Drive, "The Citizen" AQ4090-08A, has moved from announcement to preorder. The 200-piece watch, which features a hand-dyed indigo washi paper dial, can now be added to cart on Citizen's own site at $2,995. The company is promising delivery as early as July 22 for those who order now — sooner than the "sometime in August" window given at launch.

The price also comes in slightly under the $3,000 figure originally quoted, though that's a very minor difference and may simply reflect final US pricing versus an earlier estimate.

Everything else about the watch stays the same. Each dial is individually hand-dyed using a traditional pole-wrap shibori technique, in which white washi paper is wrapped around a tube, tied off with string to create fine wrinkles, and then repeatedly dipped in natural indigo dye made from fermented leaves. Because the process is done by hand, no two dials turn out exactly alike.

Powering the watch is Citizen's Caliber A060 Eco-Drive movement, rated to within ±5 seconds a year and capable of running up to 1.5 years on a single charge in power-save mode. The case is built from Citizen's proprietary Super Titanium with a Duratect Platinum coating for added scratch resistance, with a dual-curved sapphire crystal and anti-reflective Clarity Coating. At 40 mm wide and 12.2 mm thick, it's finished with a black crocodile leather strap instead of the metal bracelet used on the earlier blue and green washi paper editions.

Other details carry over too: 10 ATM water resistance, luminous hands and markers, a gold-colored eagle emblem on the dial, and an individually numbered caseback.

Since preorders are now live and shipping dates are confirmed, this is likely the last update before the watch reaches wrists later this month.

Buy the Citizen BM7334-58B on Amazon.