Independent 1481010 Neophilia Jonathan Barnbrook + Beams Works D501

After discussing 1481010s yesterday, I thought I'd share another one today. And this one is one of the most limited release watches from the entire range. You can find out much more on the 1481010 range in my overview page (link).

At a glance, this looks like it has the same module as the 'shutter' D500 watches that I've blogged before. A closer look shows that the seconds shown in the middle of the LCD display have a curved look. Starting up the time display reveals the LCD digits which are all very stylised too. This is due to the special edition done for the Japanese clothing brand Beams with British designer Jonathan Barnbrook.

Beams is a clothing brand and department store established in Harajuku, Tokyo in the mid 70s, and have been involved in a few watch designs. Barnbrook is a designer who is most known for work with album covers (including David Bowie and Jamie Foxx), but is also a well known font designer, and this has been put to use in the watch. All of the text on the watch also has a special font. He is well known in Japan, having designed the logo and identity for Roppongi Hills in Tokyo.

The watch has a special D501 module which is a variant on the D500 or D510 (link) with the new fonts. It is part of the Neophilia line within the 1481010s and this particular one seems to have been given the name Ignis. These watches match the 'shutter' LCD design with the resin surrounded metal straps from others in the range.

The display starts as a mirrored LCD with inverse seconds in the middle. The time display below is a standard LCD with 3 lines of two digits which is revealed on a button press (with an animation of the mirrored display opening like a shutter). This normally makes a beep unless you start the light first. This module gives the watch chronograph, alarm, and timer modes too.

It had a very limited release with only 200 being made (so is one of the rarest 1481010s). It came out in 2000, in the middle of the 1481010 era.

The full model number is D501-S92693.

Citizen Independent 1481010 D500 Plastic Links

The D500 "shutter" moduleSally Vox is a versatile and we'll used module, and was featured is a lot of different Citizen watches in the late 90s, including a lot of the Citizen Independent 1481010 models. You can find out all about the 1481010 range from my 1481010 overview page.

This version of the watch has a distinctive wide plastic hinged strap which screws into a rectangular aluminium case. The watch case was mostly (maybe always) silver, but there are a range of different strap colours, along with variations on the colour surrounding the mirrored LCD display. This design came out in late 1999 as part of the fleur de lys range and was on sale until the end of the 1481010s  in 2003.

As with the other D500 watches, the default display is with seconds only showing in the middle. Pressing the display button makes the mirrored LCD reveal the time below with am animation looking like shutters are being opened. Normally, the watch beeps when you do this, except when the light is activated first. Other modes are alarm, chronograph, and timer.

Working out how to change the time is a little complex, but it's done by displaying the time and then holding both of the top buttons.

This particular model has the smoky black strap and black LCD surround. It has a full model number of D500-S73109, and a catalogue number of IT21-4501K. The originalsale price was 15,000 yen. 

Like many 90s watches, you need to watch out for the straps becoming brittle (but you may notice a slight sticky/oily feeling of the surface as a warning).

Citizen Independent 1481010 fleur de lys D500 Curvy Shutter

The module in today's watch is familiar, however the watch design isn't.

This is one of the Citizen Independent 1481010 collection, which was first released 1997 as a collection for the young and fashionable.

This particular design came out in late 98 or early 99 and is one of two watch shapes in the fleur de lys 1481010 models. Of the two shapes, this appears to be the womens version with a curved body, and thinner, more bracelet-like strap. The model was still available in 2001, but had disappeared by 2003.

The watch uses a D500 module, which was used in many Citizen designs around that time. The module has time, alarm, chronograph, and timer functions, shown in 3 lines of 2 digits on it's inverse LCD display.

I call the watch "shutter" as normally you see only the seconds, and when the time button is pressed, the display "opens" like a shutter (with a beep unless the light is on).

It has a model number of D500-S69375, and a catalogue number of IT21-4402K. It's original sale price was 18,000yen.

Citizen Independent 1481010 - Agosto D500

This watch today is one of the special editions in the 1481010 range, and is a limited version of the black leather D500 I posted in March (link).

The watch is made in conjunction with Agosto, which is a clothing shop in Shibuya, Tokyo. The shop sells designer clothing, including its own Agosto designer collection.

It has a D500 'shutter' module in a lightly gold coloured case (compared to the normal silver colour). The strap is a brown textured/patterned leather one, with a red leather lining stamped with Agosto. The watch has the normal D500 functions (time, alarm, chronograph, and timer), and usually shows the seconds on the 3-line mirrored LCD. I refer to the 'shutter ' as when the time is activated, the screen scrolls open like a shutter.

The box details the origin of the watch, and states:

Citizen "Watch" Independent
This wristwatch came into the world with epoch-making high technology of Citizen and distinct sensitivity of Agosto.

The full model number is D500-L20867, and was made in 2001


More information on the 1481010 range can be found here

Citizen Oxy GlassD D510 Yellow

As it's an Easter party tonight, I decided I needed a Yellow watch, so picked this Citizen Oxy GlassD watch.
The Oxy range is a Citizen sub-brand, and GlassD is a range of watches within that brand.
The watch was released in the 1999/2000 timeframe, and had 5 colour variations.
The watch uses the same D510 "shutter" module was the 1481010 Neophilia model show previously.
The watch by default, shows a mirrored display with inverse seconds, and pressing the bottom right button shows the time. Other modes are alarm, chronograph, and timer.
The unusual feature is the hinges around the buttons, which allow the watch face to rotate. This means that although the strap is quite stiff, the watch is very comfortable to wear.
The watch has a model number of D510-S69888, and a catalogue number of VO10-5565K. The original sale price in 2000 was 10,000 yen.

Citizen Independent 1481010 - D500 black, leather strap

Another one of the 1481010s today.

This one, has a similar display to the Neophilia model, and the same system as the "shutter" version I've shown previously, but with a very different design.

For this model, the D500 module is placed in a metal module with metal loops at either end. These loops are connected to the 2 part leather strap, and held in place with velcro and a prestud.

The module screen displays a mirrored display with inverse seconds, and time is shown with a press of the bottom right button. Other modes are alarm, chronograph, and timer.

The full model number is D500-L20280, which is the same for all of the standard leather strap D500s
It first appeared in the 2000 catalogue with a catalogue number of IT21-4611K, but the leather strap version had stopped production by 2003.

Citizen Independent 1481010 D500 "shutter"

Time for another 1481010 (as these make up about 20% of my collection).
This model is one of the 1481010 range using a D500 module, and the display works the same as the 1481010 neophilia I posted in Jan 2012.

The time, by default, shows the seconds in the center of a mirrored LCD display, and when the time button is pressed (bottom right) the watch beeps, and the mirror display fades out (like opening a shutter), revealing the time. As a neat touch, if you press the light button (bottom left) first, there is no beep when the time button is pressed.

The watch has time, alarm, chronograph, and timer functions (top left button), beeping as the mode is changed (with a double beep when you get back to time).

The watch case is segmented, with the top connection to the strap able to flex up and down, and the bottom end of the case connected directly to the strap.

The full model number is D500-S69322, and catalogue number is IT21-4392K. The watch came out in 1999 or 2000, but had ceased production by 2003

For more information about the 1481010 range, see http://whichwatchtoday.blogspot.com/p/citizen-independent-1481010-overview.html
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