Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket Watch
No. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.

Next month, the first in the run of 100 of these limited-edition timepieces will go up for auction at Sotheby’s, with proceeds benefitting an environmental nonprofit.
The Citizen 100th Anniversary Limited Edition # 1 Pocket Watch was made to pay homage to the watch the Shokosha Watch Research Institute created in 1924, with a few modern twists.
The 2024 pocket watch has Breguet numerals and small seconds at 6 o’clock, both are nods to the 1924 model, but its 43.5 mm case is titanium, making it light and easy to handle.
The watch’s white dial was created using electroforming, clear coating, and polishing. Its pattern is meant to mimic snow that has accumulated from a snowfall, symbolizing the passage of time.
It is powered by the in-house, manually wound caliber 0270 movement, which is visible through the sapphire case back and, like the original 1924 pocket watch, has diamond-beveled edges and a Côtes de Genève finish.
The Citizen 100th Anniversary Limited Edition # 1 Pocket Watch is being auctioned off with a copy of “Citizen: Essence of Time,” the Assouline-published book on the brand authored by longtime watch journalist Jack Forster, now editorial director at The 1916 Company.
The book is stamped “No. 1” to match the pocket watch.
Together, they are expected to sell for $10,000 to $15,000, with all proceeds to benefiting 1% for the Planet, an international nonprofit whose members, like Citizen, pledge at least 1 percent of their profits to environmental causes.
“In 1924, we launched our first hand-wound caliber 16 pocket watch, establishing a legacy of craftsmanship that has inspired every Citizen timepiece since. As we celebrate this 100th anniversary, we honor our history with a special limited-edition pocket watch that reflects a century of design evolution while looking towards the future,” Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen said.
“Partnering with Sotheby’s allows us to connect with a global audience that shares our values of environmental responsibility, with proceeds supporting our partner, 1% for the Planet. Every tick towards sustainability matters as we continue our commitment to creating exceptional watches that our owners will cherish throughout their lifetime.”
Sotheby’s “Important Watches” sale is scheduled to take place Dec. 6, with a public exhibition to open a day prior.
For more information on the auction, visit the Sotheby’s website.
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