Press Release
CITIZEN TO LAUNCH REVOLUTIONARY CURVED CLOCK USING E INK'S ELECTRONIC PAPER DISPLAY
World's first curved clock to utilize an electronic paper display
Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, MA, USA - June 15, 2005 – Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (president, Makoto Umehara), T.I.C.-Citizen Co., Ltd. (president, Toshio Takahashi), and E Ink Corporation (Massachusetts, U.S.A., president & CEO, Russell J. Wilcox) are pleased to announce the demonstration of the world's first curved clock product to utilize an electronic paper display (EPD). This unique design is enabled by E Ink® Imaging Film. This easy-to-read, low-power display component is fully conformable, allowing product designers more creative freedom than ever before. Citizen Watch Co. and T.I.C.-Citizen Co. worked closely with E Ink to develop the electronic paper display used in this new clock.
Displays made with E Ink Imaging Film provide a number of benefits over traditional display technologies, including:
Exceptional Readability: Roughly twice the contrast of a reflective LCD, EPD's can be easily read in bright sunlight or in dimly lit environments and at virtually any angle.
Low Power Consumption: In addition to the fact that no backlighting is required, the display also has an inherently stable "memory effect" which requires no power to maintain an image - both of which drastically increase the battery life. The result is 1/100 the power consumption of traditional display options.
Versatile, Flexible Form: E Ink Imaging Film allows product designers to create entirely new designs that were never possible before. This thin, flexible display can be used to create curved, eye-catching shapes.
These benefits allow the clock to be installed in locations that would otherwise be difficult with other technologies. In applications where portability is valued, this extended battery life enables the clock to be easily used as a "mobile" product.
Citizen Watch Co. and T.I.C.-Citizen Co. have not yet announced a launch date for this product, but it is expected to be commercialized in Japan in 2005. Plans for the international launch are under consideration, along with other design interpretations.
About Citizen Watch Co.
Founded in 1930, Citizen Watch Co. was named after the policy, to provide the best products and services to all "citizens" in the world. Citizen is recognized as a worldwide leader in Watch Industry, especially in advanced technology. Citizen has consistently drawn on its leadership in watch technologies to create new possibilities in information and electric equipment, precision parts and industrial machinery. At the same time, Citizen takes on the challenge of next-generation ultra-precision fields, by moving beyond the conventional thinking about watch technologies and precision processing. Citizen news can be found at: www.citizen.co.jp/english.
About E Ink Holdings
Founded in 1992 by Taiwan's leading papermaking and printing group YFY (1907.TW), E Ink Holdings Inc. "E Ink" (8069.TW) is the pioneer of TFT and ePaper business in Taiwan. Its corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences, and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper display as well as its 2008 acquisition of Hydis Technologies, manufacturer of the world's best wide viewing angle LCDs and its 2009 acquisition of E Ink Corp., the worldwide leader in ePaper. Listed in Taiwan's GreTai Securities Market and the Luxembourg market, E Ink is now the world's largest supplier of displays to the eBook market. For corporate information, please visit www.einkgroup.com; for EPD information, please visit www.eink.com / tw.eink.com; and for FFS information, please visit www.hydis.com.