Throughout the history and development of the diving watch, CITIZEN has always been a major contender, introducing many models over the years with various innovations that have been appreciated by all divers whether professional or amateur. Above all, it has been the reliability of CITIZEN diver’s watches, proven through their application and use, that have made them a popular choice for those who choose to venture into the ocean’s depths.
 

The new NY012 series of diver’s watches has been introduced with this illustrious history in mind, taking inspiration from the many diver’s watches that were produced in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This new series offers a vintage look, with recognizable details from important watches of the past, but also comes with modern performance attributes that will continue to make them useful to any diver today.

In creating the new NY012, CITIZEN looked to a number of key models for inspiration, building its form from various elements seen in the watches from the past. The “three-point” style hour hand for example was first seen in the DV-C60 model from 1975 as well as the DV-C82 from 1977. The NY012 differs slightly from those however with the base of the “three-point” style hour hand being skeletonized - with this being done in order to ensure readability of the “day” window, which the older models did not require.
 

The bezel from the new NY012 as well takes inspiration from the one used on the model DV-730V from 1980, with similar fonts for the numerals as well as for all the 60-minute markings. These elements, as well as other subtle ones from various other watches were the basis for the new NY012, and the result is a watch with a strong neo-vintage feel which is easily seen and felt when experiencing it in the metal.

The choice to offer the NY012 in so many colour variations is a direct tribute to the many coloured dials offered by CITIZEN during the late 1970’s. At the time, quartz technology was rising in popularity and the idea of a watch being a practical tool as well as a fashion accessory became mainstream, with more and more consumers choosing to pair their watch with a suitable outfit.

Many diving watches in the CITIZEN catalogue over this time period feature models with brightly coloured dials, and many examples can be seen - with blue, orange and yellow being the most popular outside of the standard black dial offering.
 

The new NY012 follows this spirit with the five colour variations. All the dials have as a base, a grained texture upon which their colour is applied. Further to this, all the variants have a graduated colour effect, meaning that the dial colour is brightest in the centre and darkens towards the edge. This is an interesting effect since it references the way that vintage dials fade over time with exposure to the sun. The yellow and orange dial variants are especially striking in the implentation of this effect, and have a very strong retro-vintage vibe.

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