The company was established in 1924. The founding fathers selected the name CITIZEN so that it would be "Close to the Hearts of People Everywhere" and soon after adopted the company's formal name, CITIZEN WATCH COMPANY.

During the last seventy-five years CITIZEN has expanded its business throughout the world and has achieved recognition as a global brand. The past 25 year period has coincided with the company's dramatic rise to its current position as the world's largest watchmaker, a distinction CITIZEN has held every year since 1986.

Beyond sheer size, CITIZEN is also recognized as a worldwide leader in advanced technology. From the world's slimmest LCD watch to the first voice recognition watch and the world's first professional dive watch with
an electronic depth sensor, CITIZEN'S record of "world firsts" is unmatched.

Most recently CITIZEN has staked out a new position as the leader in ecologically friendly timekeeping with its Eco-Drive collection of light powered watches. With models ranging from dress models to sport models to professional dive watches, Eco-Dive runs continuously in any kind of light for a lifetime of use and they never need a battery.