Watches have been a way of expressing style and taste for a long time. A devout watch wearer knows that his precious timepiece is essentially an extension of his personality. There are countless watch brands out there, and each of them has something to offer to the user.
In this Citizen watches review, we will take a deep dive and see what this brand has to offer because spending thousands of dollars on a watch does not always guarantee that you will be fully satisfied with the product.
Elegance can be found in all price ranges, and you should never let your budget bring you down when it comes to buying a timepiece. Many brands in the world manufacture watches that are affordable yet offer you that premium looks you are always craving.
Citizen watches are one such brand that makes low-cost yet high-quality watches that gathered a lot of attention. Because of their large collection of well-designed wristwatches, it really comes as no wonder.
Whether you are looking to attend a business meeting or a cozy family gathering or even just going out with a friend, you can expect Citizen watches to have your back. In this article, we will take a look at what makes Citizen watch so special and also review some of their top products.
Top 5 Citizen Watches
The best thing about Citizen watches is they do not cost a lot. You can find a beautiful and well-made watch without going overboard with spending and come out happy. Here are the top five wristwatches made by this company that really stand out among its large inventory of timepieces.
1.Citizen Watches Men's BM8180-03E
If you are the adventurous type, then this watch is your perfect companion. Its no-nonsense, minimalistic design allows you to take it with you every day even when swimming. With a simple stainless-steel construction and a simple leather band, you really do not need much else out of a watch.
Solar-powered watches can get quite expensive. But not in this case, as this is an affordable product that can harness the power from any type of light source. It also comes with a backup battery so that you do not have to worry about it suddenly running out of juice. This feature is known as Eco-drive and is quite common for this brand.
It is a lightweight watch with only 37 mm of diameter and 9 mm thickness. The case of the watch is made of brushed stainless steel with a simple black dial. Large numerals around the clock offer high readability. The three hand-dials are also made luminous to help further viewing, even in darkness.
Furthermore, the watch features a simple day/date function that is conveniently placed beside the 3-o clock marking. The watch comes with a sleek strap made of nylon that utilizes a simple and easy buckle closing mechanism. On one side of the timepiece, you can find the textured crown that lets you set the time.
This beautiful watch comes with a water resistance of 100m. You don’t necessarily find this much water-resistance in a watch of this price range. For this reason, this watch is a great companion if you want to go swimming or snorkeling. Additionally, the crystal mineral display also protects it from scratches or aging.
- Pros
a) Environment-friendly Eco-drive
b).Amazing water resistance
c)Simple design
d)Affordable
- Cons
a)Strap needs some time to break-in.
2.Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Titanium Perpetual Chrono Atomic Timekeeping Watch
This amazing Titanium watch by Citizen has all the features that you might ever need. With a lightweight design and beautiful construction, this timepiece can survive anything you throw at it. Though a bit on the expensive side, this watch is worth every dollar you spent.
The moment you get your hands on this product, its quality becomes apparent. There is a steel version of this watch available, but the titanium version comes with blue accents on the knobs. Because of the use of titanium, this watch is also lighter and innately resistant to any form of corrosion.
The watch comes with three sub-dials that serve the chronograph functions. It comes with a plethora of features that can keep even a scientist happy. Included in the list is a chronograph, a power reserve meter, a 24-hour time display, and also a window for showing date and time.
If that was not enough, this watch also runs on Atomic time. What that means is that this watch is synced to the atomic clock in NASA via radio frequency and keeps its time in check. It allows the watch to be the most accurate and also able to switch up its time zone at the click of a button.
This precious timepiece comes in a titanium case of 42mm diameter with a thickness of 13 mm. With a lug width of 24 mm, this is quite a significant sized watch. Thanks to the sapphire mineral crystal, the clock is water-resistant up to a whopping 200 meters. Unless you are involved in marine activities, you are unlikely to dive this far. It also has an anti-reflective window to make reading easier.
- Pros
a) Extremely well-made designb) Massive amount of features
c) Accurate Atomic time
d) High water resistance
- Cons
3. Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Titanium Chronograph Watch
If you are a man of taste, this beautiful watch should be right up your alley. Suitable both as a dress watch or for casual use, you would have a tough time finding anything wrong with this product. Let us deep dive into what makes this watch such an amazing accessory.
First and foremost, you can throw the hassle of setting up your date out the window. It comes with a feature called Perpetual Calendar that requires only an initial setup. After that, the watch will never show you an incorrect date by adjusting the number of days that goes into a month.
The Citizen special eco-drive technology can also be seen in this watch. For this, you never have to worry about replacing the battery in the unit. With one charge, you can expect at least 5-6 months of usage. It achieves this by conserving energy by going into a sleep mode when the watch is not used for a long time.
From a design perspective, you cannot find much wrong with this product. It is a lightweight watch with a case diameter of 43 mm and a thickness of 12.5 mm. With an accompanying leather strap of 22 mm width, this watch does look a bit bigger than the rest.
The casing is made with strong titanium that attributes to its light structure. It also quite durable because of the mineral coated dial window. The coating protects it against minor bumps and also contributes to its high water-resistance of 200 meters. The hands in the watch are luminous to allow visibility, even in dark places.
- Pros
a) Beautiful design
b) Perpetual calendar system
c) Eco-drive technology
d) Lightweight and durable
- Cons
a) Alarm sound too low
4. Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Strap
This product from Citizen comes in a design that is similar to the aviator style of watches. A perfect companion for casual wearers, this is a beautifully designed watch. The brown leather strap contains white stitching that is a nod to old-school aviator watches.
The product comes with a vintage gray colored dial inside a 45 mm stainless-steel case. With a thickness of 12 mm and a leather band of 22 mm width, this watch fits snugly on any wrist size. The band also follows the retro vibe of the watch and comes with brown colored leather. It employs a simple buckle strap for its deployment option.
Inside the dial, you get three number formats for showing you the minutes and both 12 and 24-hour time formats. The large hour and minute hand-dials rotating across the dial are luminous to help visibility. There is also a second hand and a date window located in the place of the 3rd hour.
The watch is mineral coated to prevent any damage against scratches or water. Its water resistance lasts up to a depth of 100 meters. So as long as you are not planning to go diving with the watch, you should be fine. The crown in the watch does not have any push to make it further water friendly.
The infamous eco-drive is also seen in this watch. Following the movement of Japanese Quartz Eco-Drive J810, you can expect this watch to tell precisely. It is also quite durable, and you do not need to worry about issues like replacing the battery.
- Pros
a) Retro design
b) Good water resistance
c) Eco-drive technology
d) Addition of a minute marker
- Cons
a) Size of the watch might feel too big to some users.
5. Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Blue Angels World Chronograph Atomic Timekeeping Watch
The company paid its homage to the US Blue Angels flight squadron with this beautifully designed aviation watch. It comes packed to the brim with features that make it well worthy of the tribute. The case back also contains an emblem of the infamous squadron. How cool is that?
This watch comes in a beautiful color combination of blue strap and dial with silver accents. It has a stainless-steel case with a 43 mm diameter dial window. The argument is 13 mm thick and fits comfortably on the wrist. Its synthetic leather band of 23 mm thickness features a buckle clasp system for fast deployment.
One thing you cannot complain about this watch is the accuracy. It follows the atomic time using its eco-drive technology, which allows it to tell time with high precision. Furthermore, it features the perpetual calendar system so that you do not have to worry about fixing the date.
It comes with a chronograph system that can measure up to 60 minutes. With the inclusion of 12 and 24-hour timers and a power reserve indicator, the dial window is quite busy. Yet you will hardly feel the congestion because of its spacious arrangement of the sub-dials inside the slide ruler system bezel. The hand-dials are also luminous to help visibility in the dark.
The anti-reflective mineral coating on the dial window gives the watch all the protection you need against rough use. It is also highly water-resistant, capable of going to depths of up to 200 meters. The number of features packed into this tiny device is enough to keep any avid watch lover fully satisfied.
- Pros
a) Precise atomic time
b) Water-resistance of 200 meters
c) An amazing list of features
d) Good quality sapphire mineral coating
- Cons
a) The synthetic leather band is not the best choice.
Citizen Watches Buying Guide
A Look at The Brand
Citizen is a much-beloved name in the industry that offers innovation in their products. Established in 1930, this company has provided nothing short of excellence in the world of watchmaking. It now has more than two hundred million watches of different types under its belt, which is a remarkable achievement for any company.
The company has rewarded creativity and always chose the environment over profit. Their innovative eco-drive technology makes use of light energy from the sun or any other sources and uses it to power the watch. This step, if taken by other brands, will drastically reduce the amount of discarded watch batteries polluting the earth.
It also made a partnership with Disney as of 2018, sharing similar ideologies. As a result, Citizen is the official timepiece provider for both Disney World and Disneyland. Furthermore, you also get to see its watches in Marvel or Star Wars movies because of their contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
.Is Citizen a good watch brand?
Citizen is a renowned company that makes some solid watches. The build quality is good, and they are also quite reliable. Its Eco-drive technology plays a positive impact on the environment. It is not a luxury brand, but rather an affordable watch brand with a good balance between price and features.
.Is Citizen better than Tissot?
Not necessarily. These two brands though in a similar price range, have a lot of differences. Tissot usually makes automatic watches, while Citizen watches are solar-powered. The quality of both brands is quite similar, so it is hard to answer the question. In the end, it boils down to a matter of perspective
.What is Eco-drive?
vCitizen mainly uses eco-drive technology for its movement. It essentially stores the power of light emitted from any sources into its lithium-ion battery and uses it to run the battery. This process is also long-lasting, requiring no battery replacement for at least ten years.
.Are Citizen watches durable?
If you want to know the battery life, a Citizen watch will last you a long time thanks to its eco-drive technology. It can last as long as 20 years with proper maintenance. As for the watch itself, they are made with good construction quality. So, if you are careful with your use, you can expect a decent life out of them.
.Are Citizen watches Luxury?
No, citizen watches do not fall into the luxury category of watches. They are aimed towards the mid-range market that is affordable to most users. There are expensive models available from this company, but nothing too expensive to fall into the luxury sector.
.What is the best way to take care of the watch strap?
When caring for your watch, you need to pay proper attention to the bands. Depending on the type of bands, you will need to take different steps. This is necessary to protect not only the strap but also the watch itself.
If your watch band is made of metal, then you do not need to take too much hassle. Unless you are too rough on your use, they will survive a long time. For occasional cleaning, use a soft brush with warm soapy water. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly before you attach it back to the watch.
In the case of leather bands, you need to take caution since they are prone to damage and wear from moisture. That is why they need regular maintenance as sweat from your hands slowly affect the leather. First, you need to wipe both sides of the strap with a dry cloth to remove any residue. It is good practice to do this daily.
Rubber straps are not that durable as they are susceptible to a lot of things. Sweat and oil are the primary culprits in ruining a rubber watchband. When cleaning this type of strap, use a soft toothbrush and some detergent mixed with water.
Clean it thoroughly on both sides. Then rinse off the residue and leave it out to dry. You can also use a protector on your strap to further extend its lifetime.
Final Thoughts
Citizen watches gained widespread popularity because of their delicate balance between price and quality. Their constant dedication towards innovation and making the world a better place is what sets them apart from the rest.
We hope that you found our citizen watches review to be enlightening. You should now have a good idea of the quality of their products. So, get your wallet out and get one for yourself.
