This limited-edition Spider-Man watch is one of two new Marvel designs introduced by Citizen at New York Comic Con 2019.
New York—Citizen was one of hundreds of companies exhibiting its wares at New York Comic Con last week, helping partner Marvel mark its 80th anniversary.
The watch brand unveiled two new, limited-edition Marvel timepieces, including a Marvel 80th Anniversary and a Spider-Man watch, at the annual pop culture convention.
New York Comic Con, which took place at the Javits Center Oct. 3-6, is one of the largest conventions of its kind, attracting 250,000 fans in 2018, according to its website.
Events included educational panels covering topics such as how to create a graphic novel or a super hero outfit, early screenings of upcoming films, celebrity interviews and meet-and-greets, and costume contests.
Citizen had its watches displayed around the perimeter of the Marvel booth, its showcases lined up against a larger-than-life backdrop of Marvel superheroes, including Captain America and Captain Marvel.
Marvel’s booth is a mainstay at the annual convention and one of the largest on the show floor, featuring its own stage where comic book artists showed off their skills in real time to a raptured audience.
A few Marvel fans trailed off from the main stage area to Citizen’s section of the booth where knowledgeable sales associates answered questions and took orders on their tablets for the two new watches.
The limited-edition Marvel 80th Anniversary watch highlights various logos used by Marvel throughout its history ($495).
The watch is limited to 1,939 pieces, the year Marvel was founded.
The Marvel 80th anniversary watch features a dark-blue dial with sunray finish, red accents, a case back stamped with “Marvel 80 Years,” and a black-tone bezel and date display. On the background of the dial is a transparent, matte print of various Marvel logos used over the years.
Limited to 1,939 pieces, a nod to Marvel’s inaugural year, the watch retails for $495.
The limited-edition Spider-Man watch features the Marvel hero in full color against a gray background ($450).
The watch is limited to 1,962 pieces, the year Spider-Man was introduced.
The Spider-Man watch’s dial showcases the friendly neighborhood hero in full color on a gray comic book-panel background and a black leather strap with contrasting red stitching.
The watch is limited to 1,962 pieces, celebrating the year of the hero’s introduction, and retails for $450.
“We appreciate the continued support from comic enthusiasts as we create pieces that showcase the most iconic Marvel heroes, characters, and stories," Regina Fiedel, vice president of marketing for Citizen Watch America, said in a press release.
Actor Josh Peck, star of Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake and Josh” and a known Marvel enthusiast, served as a brand ambassador and was present at Comic Con, showing off the new watches on Citizen’s Instagram Stories.
The watches will be available for purchase online in November. Information on pre-sale availability can be found on Citizen’s website.
New York Comic Con attendees were given a 25 percent discount on pre-sale orders.
In conjunction with its appearance at Comic Con, Citizen hosted an event at Macy’s Herald Square in the watch department Saturday, featuring a Q&A session with Marvel comic artists Adi Granov and Mark Brooks, hosted by Ultimate Spider-Man editor Nick Lowe.
The first 100 customers to pre-purchase a Citizen watch at Macy’s Herald Square were given the opportunity to meet the artists and take a photo with them.
With the pre-purchase of a Citizen x Marvel watch in-store, customers were given VIP access to the event, which included a fast pass to the meet-and-greet and custom artwork by the artists.
Citizen has a line of Marvel watches, featuring the Avengers, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Marvel, and the Hulk, ranging in price from $225 to $550.
The watch brand’s foray into superhero-themed timepieces is part of its partnership with Marvel parent company Disney. In 2018, Citizen became the official timepiece of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista (Orlando), Florida and of Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
Visitors can see the Citizen logo on all the clocks on Main Street U.S.A and on certain analog ride and FastPass clocks throughout both parks.
Citizen also recently introduced five limited-edition Star Wars watches to commemorate “Triple Force Friday,” which marks the official launch of new merchandise from “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “The Mandalorian,” and “Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.” (Disney also owns Star Wars after buying Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012.)
