Citizen

Lore & Background

The Incabloc system was invented in 1934 by Swiss engineers Georges Braunschweig and Fritz Marti, at Universal Escapements, Ltd, of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It is manufactured by Incabloc, S.A. Similar systems are ETA's Etachoc, Kif, Seiko's Diashock, and Citizen's Parashock. The pivots and jewel bearings that support a watch balance wheel are fragile in comparison to the mass they must support, and without shock protection are the part of the watch most likely to be damaged under impact. Before the widespread use of shock protection devices like Incabloc, broken balance staffs were a common type of damage requiring watch repair.

In Their Own Story

The Incabloc system uses a "lyre-shaped" spring to allow the delicate bearings to shift in their settings under impact, until a stronger shoulder of the staff contacts the strong metal endpiece, so that the pivots and bearings don't have to bear the force of the impact. When the impact is over, the springs guide the parts back to their original positions. The staff itself does not move relative to the jewel bearing, but the whole bearing is carried in a metal bushing that is free to move in the metal endpiece, under the control of the spring. Some modern balance wheels use a simpler arrangement, where, taking advantage of the low cost of modern synthetic rubies, a large jewel moves as its own mobile bushing.

Reader's Guide

The Citizen is a common enemy type encountered throughout the System Shock series, particularly in the original game and its remake. In gameplay terms, Citizens are typically low-tier hostile mutants that serve as the first combat challenge for the player. They often shamble from shadowed corridors or burst out of maintenance tunnels, their movements jerky and unpredictable. Their behavior is simple: they detect the player and close in with clumsy melee strikes or, in some variants, spit caustic bile. While individually weak, they can overwhelm the unwary in groups, especially on higher difficulty settings. Their low health makes them easy to dispatch with a lead pipe, a few shots from the Skorpion, or a well-placed grenade, but conserving ammo by luring them into environmental hazards—like electrical panels or steam vents—adds a tactical layer. In the 2023 remake, Citizens also serve as environmental storytellers: some cower in corners, whimpering, or claw at locked doors, hinting at their last desperate moments before transformation.

Did You Know?

• The Incabloc system was invented in 1934 by Swiss engineers Georges Braunschweig and Fritz Marti.
• It was developed at Universal Escapements, Ltd, of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
• Similar systems include ETA's Etachoc, Kif, Seiko's Diashock, and Citizen's Parashock.
• Before Incabloc, broken balance staffs were a common type of damage requiring watch repair.
• The Incabloc spring is described as "lyre-shaped."

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