Citizen Reinvents Super Titanium With Amber Yellow

More than half a century after making horological history with the world’s first titanium watch, Citizen is once again pushing the boundaries of material science. This time, the brand introduces a fresh chapter in its legacy: Duratect™ Amber Yellow Super Titanium™—a rich, soft-toned hue that combines beauty, durability, and technical innovation. The launch celebrates 55 years of Citizen’s pioneering work in titanium and reaffirms its commitment to mastering one of the most challenging materials in watchmaking.

When Citizen debuted the X-8 Chronometer in 1970, the watch world took notice. Titanium, prized for its light weight and corrosion resistance, was rarely used due to its difficulty to machine and polish. Undeterred, Citizen invested decades of research into improving titanium for watchmaking. By 2000, the brand had unveiled Super Titanium™, a specially hardened version of the metal made possible by another proprietary technology: Duratect™.

Duratect™ enhances metals by hardening their surfaces while also adding visual sophistication. Over the years, this innovation has allowed Citizen to offer titanium watches in a wide spectrum of colors—not just the expected silver and gray, but also gold, metallic pink, black, blue, and Sakura, a soft cherry-blossom hue. In 2022, the company introduced DLC Blue, a striking color inspired by optical light interference patterns, with a crystalline appearance that further broadened its palette.

The latest advancement is the Amber Yellow finish, a warm and understated tone designed to evoke the softness of natural light rather than the flash of traditional gold. Unlike gold plating—which can cause allergic reactions, scratch easily, and appear overly bright—Amber Yellow Super Titanium™ is hypoallergenic, more subdued in tone, and significantly more resilient.

Leading the development of Amber Yellow is Kazuma Sato, a physicist who joined Citizen Japan in 2017 and has since focused exclusively on Duratect™ R&D. “We wanted a softer, more classic alternative to gold,” Sato explains. “Something suitable for all skin tones, more durable, and safe for people with metal allergies.” The project proved more complex than anticipated, especially in achieving consistent coloration during mass production. Ultimately, the team discovered that skipping a step in the processing sequence not only resolved the color issue—it also increased the material’s surface hardness.

Crafted from a unique niobium-titanium alloy that excludes nickel, the Amber Yellow material boasts a Vickers hardness between 1,700 and 2,300, making it up to 20 times harder than standard gold plating. The finish is not only scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic but also built to endure decades of daily wear.

Currently, this new color is available exclusively in Japan on a women’s Eco-Drive-powered Hikari collection model, priced around $750. Plans for international release are still under discussion.

To mark the 55th anniversary of its titanium innovations, Citizen is hosting a global exhibition titled Super Titanium™: Beauty of Time. This immersive showcase features nearly 1,000 titanium plates and traces the evolution of Super Titanium™, including experimental finishes rarely seen by the public. The exhibition opened in New York recently and will travel later this year to Tokyo and Paris.

Interestingly, Citizen is now licensing Duratect™ for use in external industries—from smart rings to scissors—and has supplied Super Titanium™ components for the Hakuto R lunar lander, which completed a Moon flyby earlier this year. With new tones on the horizon, Sato hints that future developments could include expanded offerings in cool blue hues.