Nissan Motor and Citizen, the watch company, both have long heritage starting from the 1930s. In the nine decades they have been in existence, they have introduced many iconic products in their respective markets.
Citizen’s line of sports watches are well known with a reputation for high quality and technology. Likewise, Nissan has produced many sportscars and one of the most famous is the Z which made its debut in 1969. The original Datsun 240Z was one of the first Japanese models to show that Japan could also make sportscars and not just econocars. It certainly added another side to the Datsun brand (Nissan was not used as a brand name then) and drew enthusiasts to it.
Limited edition, 1,700 pieces
50 years later, the seventh generation of the Z has been launched and its iconic design has been modernised. To celebrate this much-anticipated return of the sportscar, Citizen has collaborated with Nissan to create a pair of limited edition watches in its Eco-Drive range. Only 1,700 watches will be available with a recommended price of US$2,495 (around RM10,400) in the US market.
The watches feature accents in the striking new Seiran Blue or Ikazuchi Yellow, both colours available with the new Z. The colours stand in bold contrast to the matte black on the centre of the dial that evokes the sense of smooth new asphalt on a highway.
The black of the dial is accented by silver hands and indexes to create a cool, understated look, while a red second hand is inspired by the redline on a tachometer. The watches each have a ‘Z’ mark on the crown and NISSAN logo on the case back.
Super Titanium casing and bracelet
The case is made of Super Titanium as is the bracelet. The proprietary space-age material is 5 times more scratch-resistant and 40% lighter than stainless steel. Anti-Reflective Sapphire Crystal is used to offer impact and shatter resistance, with anti-reflective coating to make it easy to view in all lighting conditions.
1 second loss in 1,000 years
Like other Citizen Eco-Drive watches, there is solar-powered quartz chronograph movement. Powered by any light source, there is no need to replace watch batteries. Atomic Timekeeping Technology with Synchronized Time Adjustment is available in 26 Time Zones, and the 1/20 second Chronograph measures up to 60 minutes. It is claimed that if you use the watch for 1,000 years, you would lose 1 second at most…