CITIZEN is proud to announce that the company has won the gold prize at the “Eco Mark Award 2014” organized by the Japan Environment Association (JEA). This award recognizes CITIZEN’s contribution to the promotion of consumer awareness about the environment through its Eco-Drive watches. It is the first time ever that a watch company has won the gold prize, the highest honour of the award.

The Eco Mark Award was established in 2010 by JEA, in order to reward and recognise companies and organizations that make superior efforts to produce and promote environmentally friendly offerings, such as Eco Mark certified products. The goals of the award are to help consumers make eco-conscious choices of products and recognize companies that contribute to a sustainable society by making their products more environmentally friendly.

In 1996, CITIZEN received Eco Mark product certification as the first company in the watch industry to produce watches featuring “Eco-Drive.” This light-powered technology harnesses light from any natural or artificial source and converts it into energy for watches. Since then, CITIZEN has continued to lead the watch industry toward eco-consciousness through various efforts, such as making 99% of watches sold in Japan under the CITIZEN brand eco-friendly. These efforts include not only improvement of the performance of the environmentally friendly technology Eco-Drive but also fusing technology and beautiful design. The result is an attractive product lineup that allows consumers to choose a watch that not only matches their personal preference but also they can use for longer period.

CITIZEN has also contributed to the exposure of Eco Mark in various consumer-facing materials, including its product catalog, website, and in-store tools. This exposure has not only improved name recognition of CITIZEN’s Eco-Drive technology but has also contributed to increasing consumers’ consciousness about environmentally friendly products.

It is a great pleasure and honour for CITIZEN that we have won the Eco Mark Award 2014 gold prize. In 1970s, when quartz watches came onto the market as a major breakthrough in watch industry, CITIZEN already realized an issue caused by used batteries and began developing a light-driven watch. This resulted in the world’s first light-powered analogue quartz watch in 1976.

Having overcome numerous hurdles to improving on the technology, this innovation was launched in the worldwide market in 1995 under the Eco-Drive name. Refinements of this technology have been ongoing. Now, it has won the confidence of the global audience, and environmentally conscious Eco-Drive is a key component of CITIZEN brand.

One major recognition of CITIZEN's efforts to improve this technology was receiving the Eco Mark product certification in 1996—the first company in watch industry to achieve this honour. CITIZEN views the Eco Mark as evidence of the value that the technology offers to our consumers and society. Achieving this recognition has further encouraged the company to drive forward with improving technology and product lineup. This includes the newly introduced the Eco-Drive Satellite wave F100 that features the world’s fastest*1 signal reception speed of as little as 3 seconds, which was developed and produced pursuing better usability for consumers.