The Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 0100 – The Watch You Missed At Baselworld

Watch & Bullion

29 March 2018 | 2 min read

There is one watch that has probably gone under your radar during Baselworld, and yet it is arguably the technically most impressive timepiece of the whole fair. I am talking about the new Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 0100. What makes it so special? Well, while Seiko prints SPECIAL in all caps on their dial for a watch that has an accuracy of +4/-2 seconds per day, this Citizen is accurate to plus minus 1 second, per year. Yes, you read that right, and no it is not a fair comparison because the citizen is a quartz watch, but before you stop reading, allow me to make the case here for this Citizen. To make a better comparison, your normal Grand Seiko 9F is accurate to only 10 seconds a year.

This incredible feat in terms of accuracy is the product of several inventions. It utilises an AT cut crystal oscillator compared a normal tuning fork shaped crystal found in most quartz watches. Not only is this crystal shaped for better results, but it also vibrates at 8.4 megahertz which 256 faster than the industry standard. It comes with functions like the shock counteraction function and an automatic hand correction technology. This watch isn’t just accurate though, it is also highly efficient. By minimising the energy required of all the individual parts the solar powered watch can run without light for 6 months.

The movement sets itself apart not only then from the technical perspective, but visually speaking it is quite the looker. Tidy wiring, 17 rubies, and a black baseplate and gears make for a very tidy movement. As of right now, the Calibre 0100 is only available in a prototype pocket watch. I’ll make an educated guess however that wristwatches are soon to follow, and with the cheap production costs of quartz and the technical prowess of the movement, this could make for one of the best value propositions of 2018.