By Brent Robillard
In a galaxy far, far away
I’ve had the Citizen Attesa Death Star on my wrist for a week, and I still haven’t made it through all the functions. This seems appropriate. You would hope that a watch inspired by a space station came with a few things to figure out.
What took considerably less time to appreciate was the fit. The Attesa is incredibly light and ergonomic, with a case and bracelet that make wearing it the easiest part of getting acquainted. There is plenty here to occupy a Star Wars fan, but the comfort deserves some attention before we get to the imperial hardware.
The BY1004-50E brings the Death Star into Citizen’s Attesa collection through a dark titanium exterior, a printed dial, and a particularly good use of the moonphase display. Citizen is limiting production to just 400 pieces worldwide. I suspect there will be considerably more than 400 people interested in this one.
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Key Features of the Citizen Attesa “Death Star”
A week on the wrist
The colour is deceiving. One moment, the watch looks black; the next, grey. That shifting appearance has been one of the pleasures of wearing it. Calling it a black watch feels a little inadequate when the light keeps changing your mind.
Citizen uses Super Titanium for the case and bracelet, with its Duratect DLC treatment providing the dark finish. DLC stands for diamond-like carbon. The appeal here is straightforward: titanium keeps the weight down, while the hardened surface addresses the scratches that can come with everyday wear. Citizen describes its Super Titanium as 40 per cent lighter and five times harder than stainless steel.
On the wrist, the lack of heft is immediately apparent. I enjoy a substantial tool watch, but there is something very agreeable about getting this much visual presence without the corresponding weight. After a week, the ergonomics remain the part I would most want someone to experience in person.
The brand gives the dimensions as 42mm across and 10.8mm thick. That relatively modest height is aided further by the downturned lugs. An anti-reflective sapphire crystal and 100m of water resistance round out a specification suited to regular wear.
The Death Star on the dial
The main dial depicts the Death Star, using what Citizen describes as 3D inkjet printing. On the caseback there is an additional engraving of the space station under construction. It is a fitting subject for a watch with such a technical character. A space station covered in structural detail belongs quite naturally alongside the indications and markings of a complicated Citizen.
The cleverest detail, though, is the lunar display. Citizen has put the Death Star where you would ordinarily find the Moon, allowing it to move through the moonphase indication. It gives the Star Wars reference something to do. For a collector who already enjoys the small theatre of a moonphase, that is an appealing bit of mischief.
It also makes sense of the choice of movement. Citizen already has a calibre capable of calculating the lunar phase automatically. Giving that display a Death Star is a much more engaging use of the technology than simply adding another logo. Everyone who has ever seen Star Wars: A New Hope will remember Obi-Wan’s ominous line: That’s No Moon. It’s a space station.” The joke is easy to grasp, and it rewards the sort of close attention watch enthusiasts tend to give their dials anyway.
Learning the controls
Inside is Citizen’s light-powered Eco-Drive calibre H874. Its functions include world time across 26 time zones, a perpetual calendar, day and date displays, a 24-hour indication, and a power-reserve indicator. Radio reception updates the time and calendar where a suitable signal is available, making the watch hyper-accurate with atomic timekeeping. The lunar phase is calculated from the watch’s time and date, rather than received as a separate lunar signal.
I’m still working my way through those functions. After a week, I can speak much more confidently about how the watch wears than about every setting available through its crown and pushers. That is part of the ownership proposition here. Someone who enjoys learning a watch’s controls will have plenty to explore. This one is for those who love to fidget.
The underlying attraction is familiar to anyone who likes Eco-Drive. Light replenishes the rechargeable cell, reducing the routine attention the watch needs. With the correct settings and adequate charge, the calendar and lunar display can take care of much of their own housekeeping. It is an appealing arrangement for a watch that gives you so much to look at.
Who gets the last word?
Star Wars will inevitably dominate the conversation around this release. With the brand quoting only 400 examples, I can imagine fans falling over themselves for the chance to own one. The sensible reason to buy it is that you want to wear a Death Star on your wrist. I mean…
Seriously though, for me, the strongest argument comes back to the wearing experience. The lightness and ergonomics have made an immediate impression, and the shifting black-to-grey finish keeps the exterior interesting even before you start examining the dial. Those qualities will matter long after the novelty of the lunar display becomes familiar.
I may need more time with the instructions. But I needed very little time to get comfortable with the watch.
Canadian pricing is CA$1,995. Please visit the brand website for more detail.
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About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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