New Flavors of Citizen Campanola Eco-Drive Watches For Basel World 2008

I call any watch a "new flavor" when the look and feel change a bit, but overall the watch is the same, being part of a series. This is a watch maker's way of sprucing up a line a bit, or adding a few more color schemes. Don't let this practice fool you into thinking it is a lazy attempt at a new watch. Watch companies would be unwise not to allow a watch to fully realize its potential. A slight change of design can drastically change a watch's character, and move it into your favored versus dismissed pile. For 2008, Citizen is releasing a handful of interesting offerings at Basel World. None the least of which are two Eco-Drive based Citizen Campanola watches. The Eco-Drive based Campanola watches represent a small segment of the entire Campanola line, and of course different movements. The challenge has been in allowing for the watch dial surface to be penetrated by light, yet still maintain an attractive look, befitting the Campanola moniker. Eco-Drive movements are light powered (almost all light, not just sun-light) and must have special dials as the photoreceptors lay beneath this surface. Most Campanola watches have beautifully ornate dials which are hand painted. The amount of pigment and lacquer on the dials makes it impossible to implement an Citizen Eco-Drive movement, but as you can see, this is not the case for all Citizen Campanola watches.