Last year, Citizen marked its centenary by displaying a concept pocket watch at Baselworld in Switzerland that was billed as more accurate than any other watch on the market. That technology has now been incorporated into the company's new Caliber 0100 line of wristwatches, which are slated to go on sale toward the end of 2019. Using a new quartz crystal design, the three new Eco Drive watches are claimed to have an accuracy of ±1 second per year.
Quartz watches are renowned for their accuracy with their owners able to wear them for months a time without having to reset them. However, that accuracy is, on average, only about ±15 seconds per month. That's fine for everyday use, but for watch designers and the sort of people who buy paperback novels just to make sure they aren't different from the hardback edition, that's not enough.
To fill the luxury accuracy market, Citizen plans to market its Caliber 0100 line as a limited edition of three models making up a total of 800 units. Inside each 37.5-mm case is the 0100 caliber, which combines Citizen's Eco Drive super-quartz power technology with a super-accurate timekeeping feature.
Using an amorphous silicon photocell to power both the movement and charge a special titanium lithium ion secondary battery, the Caliber 0100 can run without light for up to six months on a single charge and eight months in its power conservation mode. If it shares the same feature with last year's version, it can even reset its hands back to the proper time when exposed to light again.
But the centerpiece of the Caliber 0100 is its quartz movement, which maintains time with ultra-high accuracy without the need of any external references like GPS, internet, or radio networks. It does this by swapping the traditional tuning fork-shaped quartz crystal operating at 32,768 Hz with an AT-cut quartz oscillator cut at an angle of 35.25°. This provides the crystal with the ability to vibrate at a much higher frequency of 8.4 MHz under temperatures of between -20° C and 60° C (-4° F and 140° F).
Backing this up, the movement's circuits are shock-resistant and anti-magnetic. Meanwhile, the mechanical parts that drive the hands have been fabricated to a very high standard to maintain accuracy throughout the drive train.
The Caliber 0100 will be available in the three versions. There is the White Gold Model (AQ6010-06A) in a white gold case with front and back sapphire crystals, a high-contrast ivory dial, and a black alligator strap. It will sell for US$16,800 in a limited edition of 100 units. The second and third versions are the Super Titanium Models (AQ6021-51E, AQ6020-53X), which will have a titanium alloy case and metallic black or mother-of-pearl dials, respectively. Both will sell for US$7,400.00 with the AQ6021-51E available in a run of 500 units and the AQ6020-53X in a run of 200.
The video below introduces the Caliber 0100.
Source: Citizen
