Satellite Wave GPS
The precise time. Anywhere in the world.
What is the ideal system for precise timekeeping?
Satellite Wave GPS, a unique CITIZEN technology,
receives position data and a time signal from orbiting GPS satellites
to automatically update your watch to the correct date and time.
Because it incorporates CITIZEN's Eco-Drive light-powered technology,
Satellite Wave GPS provides you with the precise time,
wherever you are in the world, as long there is open sky above you.
CITIZEN will keep innovating until everyone, everywhere
has access to the correct time.
* GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System
Whole-earth coverage
CITIZEN Satellite Wave GPS has coverage in 38 of the world's time zones.* It receives position data and a time signal from GPS satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 20,000 kilometres to display the correct time for your precise location, wherever you are. Out in the desert, on a snowy mountain top, or out at sea, you can get the correct current time for that specific location.
* GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System
* Time zone coverage varies by model.
Coverage of 38 Times Zones
* This is a simplified time zone map. Actual time zones may differ.
The precise time,
however far you travel
Imagine that you are driving across a continent like Australia or the United States where you have to cross multiple time zones. Wherever you go, Satellite Wave GPS syncs to GPS satellites to acquire position data and a time signal at the simple push of a button. Using this data to work out which time zone you are in, it sets your watch to the correct time for where you are at that moment. Even when passing through multiple time zones, you can go on your way with complete confidence that your watch is displaying the correct local time.
* GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System
* Getting position data requires a minimum of 30 seconds. Switching to daylight saving time must be done
by hand.
Get the precise time.
Fast. And whenever you want
All CITIZEN Satellite Wave GPS* models tell the time with a high level of accuracy of ±5 seconds per month. They express CITIZEN's desire to provide the precise time with no need for adjustment. In fact, CITIZEN was the first watch company in the world to achieve time signal reception as fast as 3 seconds.* We made it possible to reset the time whenever you want; all you need is open sky overhead. Nothing beats the dynamic thrill of connecting with GPS satellites to synchronise to the correct time.
* GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning Systems.
* In 2015, CITIZEN was first in the world to achieve a reception time as fast as three seconds for a
light-powered GPS satellite watch.
Satellite Wave GPS Technology
Satellite signal reception technology
This technology captures position data and a time signal from GPS satellites orbiting the earth at an altitude of 20,000 kilometres to automatically correct the time and date of your watch. To synchronise your watch, all you need to do is go outside where there are no buildings or trees obstructing the satellite signals, point the dial of your watch towards the sky, and perform the manual operation.
In pursuit of further speed
Being able to receive a time signal and display the precise time for a specific country or region fast is a clear gain in convenience terms for customers. CITIZEN never stops experimenting in its pursuit of greater speed.
- [A CITIZEN-only algorithm]
- At CITIZEN, we wrote, tested and revised thousands of programmes in order to develop a proprietary
algorithm for speedy signal reception. It's thanks to this algorithm that we managed to be the first to
achieve the world's fastest GPS satellite time signal reception speed, as quick as three
seconds.*
* In 2015, CITIZEN set a world record for a light-powered GPS satellite watch, achieving time signal reception as fast as 3 seconds (according to research by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.). - [High-speed motor]
- Our watches incorporate a high-speed motor to move the watch hands rapidly into the correct position based on the position data and time signal captured from the GPS satellites.
The Satellite Wave GPS Story
Precise timekeeping
for people everywhere
"We want to provide the precise time to as many people as possible around the world." That was the thinking that inspired us to start developing Satellite Wave GPS. When we launched our R&D efforts, GPS chips for dedicated high-speed time-signal reception did not exist so we had to develop and manufacture them ourselves. As we tackled these challenges, we were literally building the future.
* GPS is an acronym for Global Positioning System
World's first
light-powered satellite-synchronised watch
Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE, the world's first light-powered satellite-synchronised watch, came out in 2011, after much experimentation. The design of the watch played up the GPS satellite motif, evoking images of satellites, outer space, the earth, the sun, and light. The model represented the fusion of all CITIZEN's best technology, not to mention our focus on aesthetics.
The ongoing quest
for speed
For CITIZEN, genuine convenience means enabling our customers to acquire and display the time
information for whatever country or region they are in as fast as possible. Driven by a huge amount of
research, the Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE model we launched in 2011 was able to acquire a time signal in a
minimum time of six seconds.
The Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE F100, introduced in 2014, achieved a satellite reception speed of as little
as three seconds. By providing each of the three hands—the hour hand, minute hand and second hand—with its
own independent motor, adjusting the time became totally stress-free. The Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE F100
was also the world's thinnest satellite-synchronised watch at the time.
GPS functionality
on an upward curve
In 2015, CITIZEN developed a model that could capture not just time signals, but position
data too. This was the Eco-Drive SATELLITE WAVE F900, a multifunctional light-powered GPS
satellite-synchronised watch first announced at Baselworld 2015. It pushed the concepts of speed and thin
design even further to get the maximum out of GPS functionality. Featuring a motor that could drive the
hands both clockwise and counter-clockwise extremely fast, it provided the precise time for your specific
location. It is the world’s thinnest multifunctional GPS
satellite-synchronised watch.*
CITIZEN continues to strive for faster and more precise timekeeping. Our quest never ends.
∗ As of Sept. 2018, according to research by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
* Some featured models are no longer in production or are unavailable in some markets.