Are Citizen Watches Good? Find How They Stand Out Here!

Watch collectors may have heard about Citizen, one of the popular brands in the Japanese watchmaking industry. For a century, Citizen has consistently crafted excellent timepieces in various ranges. The long history of Citizen proves its place in the global watchmaking market. But are Citizen watches any good?

Comparing quality is something any collector will do, including watch collectors. Classic watch features, like the movement or the size, maybe the focus of the scrutiny. The following explanation may help you better understand the quality of citizen watches.

What You Should Know About Citizen Watches

Citizen is a watch brand based in Tokyo, Japan. It began with Kamekichi Yamazaki, the co-founder of the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in 1918. From this effort to develop a Japan-owned timepiece, the first pocket watch was born in 1924.

At the time, Count Shinpei Goto, the Mayor of Tokyo, suggested the name Citizen due to the brand’s passion for making affordable and excellent watches for the people. The company expanded until Yamazaki officially formed the Citizen Watch Company in 1930.

A year later, Citizen launched its first wristwatch. From that point forward, Citizen’s high-quality craftsmanship was recognized. The brand created high-quality and robust watches, one of the well-known pieces being the Parashock model.

In 1956, Citizen made a historic showcase by dropping the new Parashock model from an airborne helicopter. This grand performance aimed to ensure the hardiness of the watch’s design. The result? After being dropped from the sky, the watch still functioned perfectly.

When the watchmaking industry introduced the quartz movement in 1969, the Japanese brand didn’t hesitate to adopt the new technology. The accurate and cost-effective technology movement made production much more efficient. By 1984, Citizen produced more timepieces than any other watchmaking brand.

Citizen continued to innovate as time went on. The brand made the first electronic watch the world had ever seen. The brand prioritized in-house components, from movements to hands. This maintained the prices of Citizen watches as affordable without compromising quality, allowing the brand to produce a quartz movement completely every second.

Read also: Citizen Eco-Drive Ladies Watch: Beauty in Sustainability 

Citizen In-House Movements

As one of the leading Japanese brands in the watchmaking industry, Citizen makes its movements. The brand has a subsidiary in Switzerland that produces a particular movement. Other than that, every component of Citizen watches is manufactured exclusively in Japan.

Citizen has practiced in-house craftsmanship since the manually wound F caliber movement that powered its first wristwatch in 1931. Based on the in-house production, how good are Citizen watches? To prove its dedication to watchmaking, the brand has preserved the in-house movement tradition by producing the movement for the following timepieces:

• The first Citizen electronic watch in 1966.
• The first Citizen quartz watch in 1973.
• The world’s first solar-powered analogue quartz watch in 1976.

Throughout the years, Citizen has proven time and time again to innovate and push the boundaries in watchmaking. To this day, Citizen consistently produces automatic mechanical movements and a wide range of quartz movements. However, the Japanese brand’s most prominent legacy would be its Eco-Drive technology.

Eco-Drive Citizen: The Special Solar-Powered Watches

As the first brand to create a solar-powered watch, Citizen bears the title proudly by continuing the innovation of the technology. Since 2009, Citizen’s Eco-Drive has made rounds in the watchmaking industry. The latest solar-powered innovation from the Japanese brand can capture the power from any light source, natural or artificial. Within the inner mechanism, the power is converted into energy and stored in the power cell.

The remarkable Eco-Drive technology can harvest power from even the dimmest light. It also has a power reserve of six months. With this system, your watch will not need a periodical battery replacement. For this invention, Citizen was rewarded with the Gold Prize in JEA’s Eco Mark Awards in 2014. The award remarked Citizen as the first watchmaker to bear the privilege.

Citizen watch quality varies from one product to another, however the excellence of the brand’s Eco-Drive technology doesn’t lie. A Citizen Eco-Drive watch is powered by a complicated solar panel underneath the dial or the ring surrounding the dial. With a single charge, the watch can stay powered up for several months.

Sometimes, the Eco-Drive watch may stop working due to several reasons. In this case, make sure the watch gets enough light to charge up. Exposing the watch to the light for several hours will do. Under artificial light, the watch may take days to charge. Conversely, charging it under the sunlight may only take hours.

Read also: 6 Men’s Citizen Eco-Drive Watches: Elegance and Innovation 

Recommended Citizen Watches to Own

Citizen manufactures excellent watches consistently, but which type suits your preference best? Among the vast number of collections, here are several Citizen watches Gnomon can recommend:

1. Citizen Eco-Drive White

Precision, or accuracy, is the key to understanding a Citizen watch's quality. Mainly producing quartz watches, Citizen focuses on the timepiece's functionality by elevating its mechanism with continued innovations. Citizen Eco-Drive White is the perfect craft born from the skilled hands of the Japanese brand’s dedication to the art of watchmaking.

As one of the premium or top-tier timepieces, the Eco-Drive watch has the highest level of refinement as seen in the stainless steel case finishes. It features a Zaratsu polishing throughout the sides. The bezel also gets highly polished, resulting in a flawless, mirror-like finish that shimmers under the light.

With a 37.5 mm diameter, the case makes the classiest design for a timepiece. It pairs with the 19 mm stainless steel bracelet, bearing intricate polished and brushed finishes. Up close, you can see the intricate vertical stripes that run down the textured dial. All these details are shown through the scratch-resistant sapphire dial coated with the Citizen’s Clarity Coating.

Price: $1,950.00 USD

2. Citizen Super Titanium Blue

For blue dial watch collectors, the Citizen Super Titanium Blue may be something to look forward to. The titanium watch features a multi-dimensional texture from its high-polished and satin brushes. To elevate the strength of the super titanium case, Citizen Watchmaker adds Duratect Platinum, a hardened coating that protects the watch from scratches.

With a diameter of 38.3 mm, the blue super titanium watch offers the dashingness of a classic dress watch and the sporty look that matches activewear. The wearer and onlookers can view the stunning blue dial so clearly through the dual spherical sapphire, perfectly coated with Citizen’s Clarity Coating.

If you’d like to wear this watch during an active sport, you don’t have to worry about its safety. The watch features a solid water resistance of 100 m. During your outdoor journey, the Eco-Drive A060 movement will stay reliable as it constantly captures energy from the surrounding light.

Price: $2,280.00 USD

3. The Citizen Eco-Drive Sunray Black

From the get-go, the Citizen Eco-Drive Sunray Black stuns with its brilliant stainless steel case. It features Zaratsu polishing throughout the sides and a highly polished bezel, resulting in a flawless, mirror-like finish. The watch case is also treated with Duratect surface hardening, which keeps it looking fresh from the store.

The 37.2 mm watch looks outstanding and full of glamour. To accentuate its magnificent appearance, the glorious case is paired with the brushed finishes of a 19 mm stainless steel bracelet. Still, the main attraction of this piece is the sunray effect, which captures the light from different angles from the dial.

At 3 o’clock, you’ll find the date complication. Next to it is the push-in crown, which protects the watch from light water splashes. You can use the crown to set the date and move it backward or forward easily during your travel. Inside, the watch is powered by the in-house Citizen movement, A060.

Price: $1,990.00 USD

4. The Citizen Eco-Drive Tosa Washi Black

Another black-dial Citizen watch you may consider is the Citizen Eco-Drive Tosa Washi Black. The super titanium watch has a multi-dimensional texture thanks to its high-polished and satin-brushed surfaces. To ensure durability, the titanium case is coated with a hardened coating, similar to Seiko’s Diashield.

If you love understated elegance, then the matte black dial of this timepiece will capture your attention. The dial is not just an ordinary matte black; it’s a Black Tosa Washi paper dial with the classic black hue. Tosa washi is a traditional Japanese paper, manufactured in Kochi Prefecture. It’s thin but incredibly strong, making it the perfect material for painting restorations.

Just like the Citizen watches mentioned before, the Citizen Eco-Drive Tosa Washi Black also uses the dual spherical scratch-resistant sapphire dial. It has the classic Citizen’s Clarity Coating with an anti-reflective treatment that allows the best readability outdoors.

Price: $2,490.00 USD

5. Citizen Series 8 890 Automatic Rose

Sports watch enthusiasts may consider adding the Citizen Series 8 890 Automatic Rose to the collection. The watch is produced in limited numbers, 1,700 units worldwide. The limited edition watch measures 40.5 mm in diameter with a defined stainless steel case. 

While looking robust on the outside, the salmon pink geometric pattern dial contrasts the appearance with its softness. Above the dial, a shatter-resistant sapphire glass with anti-reflective treatment rests neatly. The case and the crystal are held together by a bidirectional diver bezel which you can control by a knob at 2 o’clock.

Underneath the eye-catching dial lies the Citizen’s in-house movement, Cal. 9051 automatic. It has a power reserve of approximately 42 hours when fully wound. Complete with the screw-down solid case back, the watch has a solid water resistance of 200 m.

Price: $1,198.00 USD

6. Citizen Series 8 880 Mechanical GMT Blue/Red

One of the respectable mechanical watches from Citizen is the Citizen Series 8 880 Mechanical GMT Blue/Red. Its 41 mm stainless steel case has sharp and defined lines, accentuating the sense of sophisticated craftsmanship. The case is 13.5 mm thick, making it an elegant timepiece to wear despite its diameter.

To add to the refinement, the GMT case features hairline-brushed finishes. The lugs also get a highly polished finish, which accentuates the sporty look. For more functionality, the Citizen features a bidirectional 24-hour bezel in blue and red tones. The bezel is equipped with grooves, making it easy to rotate in both directions as you wish.

Keeping it simple, the blue/red watch has a vivid blue dial with a pattern inspired by the Tokyo skyline and skyscrapers’ windows. Underneath the dial lies the Citizen’s in-house movement, Cal. 9054 automatic. It packs a power reserve of approximately 50 hours when fully wound. To protect the inner mechanism, the watch features a screw-down open case back with a water resistance of 100 m.

Price: $1,350.00 USD

Conclusion

So, is Citizen a good watch brand? As a watchmaker with a long history, Citizen has imprinted its legacy in the watchmaking industry. The Japanese brand competes and exists in harmony with Seiko, another Japanese watchmaking giant. Nevertheless, Citizen watches have unique characteristics, indicated by their in-house components. To this day, the proud brand remains competitive in the market as it releases new, high-quality but affordable watches.

Read also: Seiko vs Citizen: Comparing the Leading Japanese Watch Brands