The original Star Wars (retroactively subtitled “Episode IV: A New Hope”) hit theaters in May 1977, and hardcore fans of the epic, cinematic sci-fi franchise it launched have since established today’s date, May 4, as a secular holiday, using “May the Fourth Be With You” — a play on the classic Star Wars salute “May the Force be With You” — as the official greeting. What better day for Citizen Watch Co., official watch partner of Disney, owner of the Star Wars properties, to launch two new special collectors’ timepieces inspired by the original movie’s beloved sequel, 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, which marks its own 40th anniversary this year?
The Star Wars Bespin Limited Edition calls back the notorious cliffhanger ending of The Empire Strikes Back. Its unique dial design with radiating orange lines visually echoes the underground carbon-freezing chambers beneath the planet Bespin, in which heroic Han Solo is encased in carbonite. The watch’s 42-mm case and integrated link bracelet is treated with a gray IP coating that complements the black dial with orange hands and white hour and minute markers. Another visual nod to the film’s thrilling denouement are the blue and red “light saber” icons at 3 and 9 o’clock, representing the famous battle scene between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, which culminates in the revelation that villainous Vader is Luke’s father. The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary logo is engraved in the solid caseback, behind which is a Citizen Eco-Drive movement (Caliber J830), powered by any light source and never requiring a battery change. The watch is limited to 1,980 pieces, in honor of the film’s release year, and priced at $375.
Another famous scene, and another fictional planet, finds a tribute in the Star Wars Dagobah Limited Edition. Dagobah is the swamp-covered planet where Luke Skywalker sought out the ancient Jedi master Yoda to mentor and train him as a Jedi Knight. The bright green dial depicts Yoda’s face at 6 o’clock and, at 12 o’clock, the image of an X-Wing fighter rising from the grassy swamp as Yoda demonstrated his mastery of the Force. The 42-mm mm case, in gray ion-plated stainless steel, comes on a dark brown textured leather strap; its caseback is etched with the Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary logo. The watch, also limited to 1,980 pieces, is powered by the Eco-Drive caliber E111, which provides a date indication at 3 o’clock in addition to the three-hand time display. It is priced at $275.
