Citizen
Citizen The Citizen 36 mm Blue Ceramic
Photography on request
Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Citizen · The Citizen
Citizen The Citizen 36 mm Blue Ceramic
Reference 44980OR.36
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Citizen
- Collection
- The Citizen
- Model
- Citizen The Citizen 36 mm Blue Ceramic
- Reference number
- 44980OR.36
- Year / era
- 1996 · 1990s — mechanical revival
- Complication
- Time only
- Movement
- Automatic, 24 jewels
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Oyster bracelet
- Water resistance
- 200 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 36 mm
- Case thickness
- 8.1 mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Bezel
- Fixed brushed titanium
- Crystal
- Box sapphire with AR coating
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Skeletonised sword hands, white luminescent
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- Oyster bracelet
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 200 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 43A — Automatic, 24 jewels
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 45 hours
- Number of jewels
- 33 jewels
- Complications
- Time only
- Functions
- Chronograph, tachymeter, date
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1996 – 1999
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
In-house design studio
The reference was drawn by the manufacture's internal design office, where case, dial and movement architects work alongside the watchmakers rather than as an outside commission.
Historical significance
Citizen The Citizen 36 mm Blue Ceramic sits within Citizen's The Citizen line, introduced in 1996. It carries the house codes established since 1918 — ceramic case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and automatic, 24 jewels — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
The House
Citizen
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1918
- Founder
- Kamekichi Yamazaki
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Tier
- Japanese
- Major collections
- Eco-Drive, Promaster, Series 8, The Citizen, Attesa
- Signature technologies
- Certified chronometer regulation · Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Composite and ceramic case materials
- Famous movements
- High-accuracy quartz · Spring Drive · Automatic, 24 jewels · Eco-Drive solar quartz
- Notable watches
- Citizen Eco-Drive 41 mm Slate Sapphire (1981) · Citizen Eco-Drive 42 mm Black Grade (1995) · Citizen Eco-Drive 38 mm Slate 18k (1991) · Citizen Eco-Drive 38 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k (1975)
Brand history
Citizen has spent more than 108 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Eco-Drive, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Kamekichi Yamazaki established Citizen in 1918, working from Japan at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Citizen calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1918
Kamekichi Yamazaki founds Citizen in Japan.
1969
The quartz era forces Citizen to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Citizen enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Citizen continues to produce Eco-Drive, Promaster, Series 8 and other icons in limited numbers.