The Japanese watch revolution in the United States started back in the 1960's as soldiers returned from the Vietnam War. However, the current leader of sales, Citizen, actually started during the 1920's as a company that was interested in introducing a product that all people could afford and benefit from. The quality and elegance of Citizen watches has become the leader of all Japanese watches and today is still striving to stay the leader.
When they first started, Citizen had a desire to compete with the primary watch manufacturers in the United States, but taking sales from Timex and Bulova was not an easy task. They were not only competing with two US giants, they were not even the number one brand in Japan. Seiko had established themselves and owned the lion's share of sales space at most jewelry retailers.
Unlike the competition, Citizen decided to take a different approach to gain market share. They built strategic relationships with some of the largest retailers and in essence bought shelf space. This tactic had never been employed to this degree, but the ongoing support they offered to their partners started to impact the sales of their competition, while gaining more of a market share.
During the revolutionary introduction of quartz watches, Citizen embarked on one of the most aggressive and unique advertising campaigns in watch history. While other companies showed various styles of product, trying to catch the consumers' eye, Citizen used world renowned landmarks to establish the quality and accuracy of their products. This creative approach created an interest in their products and slowly they began to take more retail space from the competition.
During the 1980's, when watches started to become more than just a timepiece, Citizen became the number one selling watch in the United States. With catchy phrases as "You can never be too rich or too thin", they introduced the thinnest quartz watch in existence. Their creative department has always been on the cutting edge to offer their customers the best quality and styles of any watch manufacturer.
During the early 2000's, they introduced the thinnest light powered product coming in at under 4.5 millimeters in thickness. This line of products included two features never combined in a watch before. It was the thinnest and it was powered by the sun. The line invigorated a market that had been flooded by inexpensive imported products. The Elegance line of watches had been introduced in the 1990's and had not done too well. Although the quality was exceptional, competing with higher priced Swiss products was tough. These new innovations established Citizen as a leader in a mid priced watch industry and again they captured more market share.
As more companies are focusing on becoming more friendly to the environment, Citizen introduced the Eco-Dive products. Being driven by light with no need to ever replace the batteries, their consistent attempts to lead their industry still continues. They offer multiple styles and colors that keep their customers coming back, even in a soft economy. And although most customers are only familiar with their watch products, they only make up about 40% of Citizens sales. They have expanded into the clock industry, eyeglass frames and health products.
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