I’ll just come out and say it. I’m a bit of a closeted Star Wars fan, and you really don’t want to get me started on the significance of the franchise or how it has evolved over the decades. So when Citizen USA drops yet another Star Wars collaboration, I usually brace myself. Most of these have ranged from forgettable to genuinely uncomfortable to look at. This one, however, caught my eye for, reasons… Citizen has officially announced the Attesa x The Mandalorian “Beskar” (AT8385-55E), a limited-edition chronograph capped at just 1,400 units worldwide.
For anyone unfamiliar with the lore, Beskar is the near-indestructible metal native to the planet Mandalore, used to forge the iconic armor worn by the show’s protagonist. Citizen’s angle here is to translate that mythology into something tangible by leaning on its proprietary Super Titanium, which the brand says is roughly 40% lighter and five times harder than stainless steel. The 42mm silver-tone case and triple-link bracelet are both built from it. As far as material storytelling goes, this is probably the most coherent justification for a Star Wars tie-in I’ve seen from Citizen in years.
The design itself is more restrained than I expected. The textured black dial carries three sub-dials and applied silver indices, with most of the franchise references kept to the details. There’s a mythosaur emblem engraved on the crown and a Mandalorian helmet etched into the case back. If it were up to me, I would have stopped the Beskar-inspired design language at the dial. The bracelet is where this gets a little busy for my taste, and that’s where the watch starts to feel more like a costume piece than an Attesa.
Spec-wise, this is still very much a flagship Attesa. The H800 Eco-Drive movement powers a perpetual calendar, a 1/20th-second chronograph that tracks up to 60 minutes, a power reserve indicator, and 12/24-hour readouts. It also pulls in multi-band atomic timekeeping, which means automatic radio sync across 26 time zones. Concentric subdials and a city-coded world time bezel round things out. For folks who already live in the Attesa territory, this isn’t unfamiliar ground. What’s new is the packaging and the fact that you’re paying a premium for the licensing.
At $1,500 and 1,400 units globally, the math here is interesting. Citizen knows exactly who this watch is for, and judging by the early reactions over on Citizen forums, the enthusiasm is real. That said, this is a piece that’s going to live or die based on whether you buy into the theme. Stripped of the Mandalorian branding, it’s a strong Attesa chronograph. Loaded up with it, it’s something more polarizing.
The Citizen Attesa Mandalorian Beskar is available through Citizen and ships in dedicated Mandalorian-themed packaging. Whether 1,400 pieces is the right number, or whether Citizen left money on the table by not making more, is something we probably won’t have an answer to for a while.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.