Citizen introduced the Miyota brand to market watch movements in 1981. The company has long focused on these key differentiators: Made in Japan of metal components. This gave the movements ease of repair and handling, high durability, high power and torque, and a high-grade appearance.

Miyota Cal. 2035, a quartz movement, was used in many watches and by 2000 was touted as "the standard movement in the world watch industry."

Miyota was more focused on quartz movements until 2010. That year they released the advanced Cal. 9000 family to complement the entry-level Cal. 8200 family. In recent years, Miyota has challenged Seiko, Soprod, Sellita, and others to supply movements for brands without their own manufacturing capability.