The Citizen’s new stunning titanium washi watch shines in first close-up images post launch

The first owner images of The Citizen AQ4100-65X have appeared on Reddit. u/Dialnotes posted a set of macro shots of the crimson washi dial a day after taking delivery. The bracelet still has its factory film, so this is clearly an unworn example.

The close-ups settle whether the paper looks like texture or as a trick. Citizen builds the dial by laying ultra-thin Tosa Tengujoshi washi beneath a transparent upper plate treated in deep crimson and given a sunray pattern. What that means is that red is above the paper rather than being dyed into it. At macro distance the individual fibers are very three-dimensional. They catch light separately and cast their own small shadows. The colour is not even. It runs lighter and more orange where the fibres mat together densely and drops to a deeper crimson in the gaps between them. If you look closely, you can see the color balance change considerably between shots taken at different angles.

The applied work looks stunning. The indices are multi-faceted with sharp polished edges that throw hard white highlights against the matte dial. The hour and minute hands use satin top faces with polished bevels. Citizen splits the colour scheme. It keeps those hands silver while the applied logo at 12, the eagle emblem at 6 and the seconds hand are all gold.

It would've been quite nice if the date disc was color matched to the vivid dial. Instead, you get a white one with black numerals. Citizen limits the AQ4100-65X to 300 pieces. The case is Super Titanium with Duratect Platinum, water resistance is 100 meters, and calibre A060 is rated to five seconds a year.

Anubhav Sharma - Senior Tech Writer - 2105 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

Most of my time goes into writing - and somehow it hasn’t stopped being fun yet. My work mainly revolves around everyday tech, gaming, watches, DIY modding, and the occasional piece on tech-policy chaos when companies and governments clash. I try to keep things simple and honest, without sounding like a product brochure. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and an Associate Degree in English Studies from the College of New Caledonia in British Columbia, Canada. Away from articles and deadlines, life usually shifts to making music, taking photos, or trying to finish games that should have been completed months ago.