Select the cover below to see an article on the specific catalog that highlights some of the interesting models from that issue. A PDF copy of the full catalog can be found at the bottom of each article.
In 1967 Citizen began issuing a regular product catalog to Japanese dealers, showing the watches in the line up. This provided a centralized location to show the lineup to dealers and to collect all of the information into a single location, making it easier to locate models and place orders. The catalogs were initially designed to be updated on a biannual basis to show the current range. There were also Supplement catalogs produced that showed just the new models introduced since the last full catalog. Seiko issued their first dealer catalog in 1966, so the Citizen catalogs may have been in response to dealer feedback finding a single document easier to manage and refer to for ordering purposes.
Initially the catalogs were given issue numbers, but this was simplified in the middle of 1975 when the numbering was updated to reference the month, for example the two main catalogs for 1976 are marked as 1976-1 and 1976-6. The initial catalogs were produced in approximately B5 size, and this changed in mid-1977 when an A4 sized format was introduced and this continues to today. The first few catalogs include watches, clocks, and thermometers, but from issue No. 6 this is reduced just to watches.
The products listed in the catalogs were initially given a reference number that was specific to the catalog. The number begins with the catalog number, then product type, page number, and a sequential number for product type of either watch or clock/thermometer. For example the number 2G-18-27, refers to a gents watch in catalog No.2, on page 18, and the 27th product. The first ladies model in the same catalog is 2L-27-65, as it is a ladies model from catalog No.2, on page 27, and the 65th product presented.
