General Manager of CITIZEN Watches Gulf Mr. Keiji Kato tells us all about the fruitful journey of the famous Japanese brand in the Gulf and its 100th anniversary celebrations:
1. How long have CITIZEN watches been available in the Gulf region?
We’ve been operating in the Gulf Region since 1989. Our journey has been very fruitful and we’ve been very successful in establishing a stable business in this region over the years.
2. How many boutiques and sale points does CITIZEN have in the region?
We have 126 sales points all across Middle East, North Africa and CIS countries from which 13 sales points are exclusive stores.
3. We know that citizen is a Japanese brand, but its history is unknown for us, now that it’s celebrating its 100th anniversary, how do you describe its procession? And what are the most important stages it passed through?
2018 has been an exciting year for us as we celebrate 100 years of watchmaking. The evolution of the brand from a regular pocket watch to the technologically advanced and path-breaking inventions such as the Eco-Drive technology, Satellite GPS watches, World’s thinnest light-powered watches etc. has been unprecedented.
4. How will CITIZEN in the gulf region celebrate the 100 years anniversary?
Yes 100th anniversary is very important and we are planning for a mega launch campaign of our anniversary models towards November – December across the region with special focus on Dubai, as it’s the gateway of the region. In addition to this we have various other digital campaigns in the pipeline to celebrate this special occasion.
5. Do you have any special watch releases on the occasion?
Marking 100th anniversary this year, 2018, we are delighted to introduce a limited edition special collection – a unique series of ladies’ and men’s watches, all of which share a striking common feature; an eye-catching gold and black dial ring. This distinctive and original addition signifies “the moment when light is transformed into time”, an expression defining the light-powered technology of Eco-Drive, which Citizen is very proud to have invented and which it continues to refine. Each of the models in the collection pays homage to CITIZEN’s rich heritage, fusing design aesthetics with leading technology and outstanding Japanese craftsmanship.
6. And what is the ratio of masculine watches vs female watches?
Looking at the ratio of total sales we are very strong with gentlemen’s watches which account for 70% of our total sales. We’ve been conducting a myriad of activities both online and offline to promote our CITIZEN L category through various campaigns. We are very confident about the growth of our ladies’ collection and are highly confident of seeing a 50/50 ratio in the near future.
7. Do you have special releases made only for this part of the world?
No, as we believe in having global uniformity for our products. However we do some variation to our global collection to suit the local market.
8. How does CITIZEN cope with the growing competition in the markets?
The best way to tackle competition is by competing with yourself. We continue to manufacture watches which can receive faster satellite reception, go deeper in the sea than before, go higher to measure altitude than before and are the thinnest light powered models and the most precise and accurate in the world.
9. Kindly tell us more about the price ranges and the after sale services and guarantee?
Since we are a brand that makes watches for every citizen of the world we have a broad portfolio of products with a starting retail point of $200 and going all the way up to $7000 for some exclusive collection.
10. What do you see as CITIZEN’s main strengths?
100 years of excellence in watch making determines our core strengths such as accuracy, technology, design and quality. It’s always about innovation for us. We are always in constant search for new technologies to measure and communicate time more accurately as time is very precious for everyone. CITIZEN have held the belief of “Better Starts Now” which is our tagline — that is, no matter who you are and what you do, it is always possible to make something better, and now is the time to start doing it.
11. What are your biggest challenges?
Our challenge is the same as every other watch brand that is how you continue to appeal your customer in this disruptive, volatile and ambiguous business world.