ⓘ Citizen
Citizen’s latest Exceed looks like it borrowed its blue dial from a frosty winter morning, complete with a glittery finish meant to evoke sunlight filtering through a forest. The watch packs its radio-controlled movement into a 7mm case, though getting your hands on one might take some importing.
Alongside the Attesa Ever Since limited-edition moon phase, Citizen has announced another watch inspired by a crisp winter morning. The new Exceed CB1140-79L “Sacred Morning in the Forest” is part of Citizen’s high-end dress watch lineup, which caters primarily to the Japanese domestic market. And while it might look like a fairly traditional dress watch at first glance, its dial has a few tricks up its sleeve.
The watch is part of Citizen’s 2026 DEAR Collection, a pair-watch series built around the idea of spending time with someone you love. Its deep blue dial features a gradient that shifts from a lighter shade around the edges to a darker, almost midnight-blue center.
A fine layer of glitter gives it a crystalline shimmer, while a subtle forest-inspired pattern evokes trees silhouetted against the morning sky. The lighter blue inner bezel, meanwhile, is meant to capture the first rays of sunlight reflecting off mist drifting across a lake.
Silver-tone hour markers, a mix of Roman numerals and batons, and faceted hands keep things looking suitably dressy. There’s also a date window at 3 o’clock, along with markings around the dial for the watch’s radio-controlled timekeeping functions. A sapphire crystal with Citizen’s Clarity Coating sits on top to keep reflections in check.
The CB1140-79L has a 38mm Super Titanium case that measures just 7mm thick, making it even slimmer than the Exceed “Arrow of Oath” that Citizen launched in January—though still nowhere near the razor-thin Eco-Drive One. That watch had an 8.5mm profile, so the new model shaves off another 1.5mm. The case and integrated bracelet feature Citizen’s Duratect Platinum surface treatment, giving them a bright silver finish while keeping the watch lightweight and scratch-resistant.
The slimmer profile also necessitated a change of caliber. The Eco-Drive H149 caliber that Citizen used inside the Arrow of Oath’s Eco-Drive H149 is only designed for standard slim profiles, 9.3mm to 8mm thick cases. For the latest model, Citizen went with the H147 caliber, which is designed primarily for ultra-thin dress watches but is otherwise identical to the H149 in terms of features and specifications.
Eco-Drive tech means you won’t have to worry about regular battery changes. You also get radio-controlled timekeeping across Japan, China, Europe, and the US, plus a perpetual calendar and 26-time-zone world time.
Pricing & Availability
The Citizen Exceed “Sacred Morning in the Forest” is limited to 500 units and goes on sale in Japan on November 5 for ¥187,000 (around $1,180). It’s a Japan-exclusive release, but buyers in the US and UK should be able to import one through retailers like Sakura Watches. It’s also a fair bit more expensive than the Arrow of Oath, which launched in January for ¥132,000.
Citizen CB1140-79L "Sacred Morning in the Forest: Specifications
- Limited edition: 500 units
- Case size: 38mm
- Case thickness: 7mm
- Case material: Super Titanium
- Case finish: Duratect Platinum
- Dial: Blue gradient with glitter accents and a forest-inspired pattern
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal with Clarity Coating
- Movement: Citizen H147 Eco-Drive
- Power source: Solar-powered
- Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month when not receiving radio signals
- Timekeeping: Radio-controlled timekeeping in Japan, China, Europe, and the US
- World time: 26 time zones with Direct Flight functionality
- Calendar: Date display and perpetual calendar
- Power reserve: Approximately two years with power-saving mode activated
- Bracelet: Super Titanium with a three-fold push-button clasp
- Water resistance: Daily-use water resistance
- Magnetic resistance: Type 1
Kristen Spradlin - Tech Writer - 336 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
Kristen is a technology writer based in Toronto. He's primarily interested in smartphone hardware, Android, Apple ecosystem, audio gear, and the intersection of technology and climate change. His first smartphone was the HTC Dream, and while he regards himself as an Android loyalist, he doesn’t mind using an iPhone as a secondary phone. When he’s not scouring his RSS feed for the latest tech news, you’ll likely find him glued to his Kindle Paperwhite reading his favorite non-fiction titles. He has also traveled extensively, having visited Australia, England, Nepal, and India.
Kristen Spradlin, 2026-10-13 (Update: 2026-10-13)