Our top picks for the best Citizen watches to grab this year

 

Citizen as a brand is heard of by many, but not well understood or known of. It is a brand that we often associate with affordable and reliable watches, stuff we get because we need them and not because we want them. But there’s more to the brand than that, being one of the pioneering innovators of light powered calibres being used en-masse in watches (the Eco-drive caliber) as well as other innovative features such as radio-controlled world timers etc. The brand is a proper watchmaking powerhouse, and today, we’ve narrowed down 6 models that shows how far Citizen has come as a watchmaker.

Citizen Promaster Fugu NY009

Citizen as a brand needs no introduction, established in 1930, the company has long been synonymous with affordable and reliable watches for the masses and still is today. Though it might seem to be living in the shadow of Seiko, that only means that you’re less likely to stumble upon someone else with the same watch as you, and if that’s what you want, then you’re in luck with the Citizen Promaster Fugu NY009. Dive watches are aplenty these days, and for good reason, they’re incredibly well built, are very versatile and overall, are just really great watches to have. The Fugu NY009 harks back to an era long before us, with vintage design cues from the early history of diving and an added touch of idiosyncrasy unique to the NY line of Promasters. The principal characteristics are the left-hand crown position at 8 which is meant to prevent inadvertent knocks as well as to provide more ergonomic comfort to the wearer. And the distinctive bezel as well, with alternating smooth and serrated edges allowing for better grip when being operated under water especially with gloved hands. Power comes from a Miyota Cal. 8203 a proper workhorse movement with a 45-hour power reserve that beats at a respectable 21,600VPH (3Hz). Its not the most groundbreaking performance, but it was never meant to be in the first place. What Citizen has done with the NY009 Fugu is bring about more interesting variety into the dive watch market and with some serious competition, performance and pedigree to boot as well. 

 

CITIZEN PROMASTER AUTOMATIC GOLD STAINLESS STEEL NY0083-14XB BLACK SILICONE STRAP MEN'S WATCH

With the return of the Fugu name with the NY009 as mentioned above, it is only appropriate for us to take a look at its predecessor, the NY008 to find out more about what this name means. The first Fugu was the NY004, a legendary tool watch. The signature left hand crown at 8 o’clock ensured a protection against knocks as well as comfort for the wearer without the crown digging into the wrist. For 2018, Citizen has updated the NY004 with the NY008. The watch comes in at 42mm in diameter, and is powered by a Miyota 8203 caliber with 40 hours of power-reserve and a 3 Hz frequency as well. The case is a Tonneau shape with lugs extending to form a slightly elongated shape. This perhaps accounts for the seemingly smaller wearing impression. The bezel has alternating smooth and serrated edges provide a positive grip in wet conditions, and is inspired by the pufferfish, or “Fugu” in Japanese. The bezel gives the watch its signature look, as is the machine knurled crown at 8. Overall, if you’re looking to get into the history of Citizen and its divers, the NY009 is a great watch to look forward to what Citizen has to offer today, but the NY008 is a look back at where Citizen has come from.

 

CITIZEN PROMASTER SKYHAWK CHRONOGRAPH TWO TONE STAINLESS STEEL JY8078-52L MEN'S WATCH

So far, we’ve looked back at Citizen’s history of traditionally made watches, now let’s look at where they are now with the modern and innovative ‘Blue angels’ Skyhawk JY9078-52L. The Citizen Promaster Blue Angels A-T is a dedication to the team and is equipped with radio control signalling to provide precise atomic timekeeping in 43 cities. This Promaster Blue Angels A-T appears in a stainless-steel case measuring 46mm diameter and comes with either a steel bracelet or a leather strap. We review the version with the steel bracelet. The case itself is round with a brushed finish, with massive lugs on either end. The bezel carries yellow accents over the dark blue base with white inscriptions. The dial is also in a dark blue. The hour indices are large bars, with Arabic numerals for 3, 6, 9 and an arrowhead for 12. The dial is inspired by cockpit instrumentation, with the case having a resemblance to the fuselage. The dial is rather busy, with a mixture of LCD windows and printed analogue displays with hands to indicate the plethora of information it is required to show. A manually operated mechanical slide rule, makes the bezel look very complicated and alongside the other features include a chronograph, perpetual calendar, dual time, alarms, countdown timer, digital backlight and UTC display, and power reserve indicator. Secondary indicators also crowd the dial to indicate the signal information from radio transmitters. The Blue Angels logo also adorns the printed nomenclature on the dial alongside the brand name and model designations. All in all, the JY8078-52L is a worthy testament to the innovation and technology that Citizen is more well known for these days and is a certainly a great piece to have.

 

CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE TWO TONE STAINLESS STEEL AO9044-51E MEN'S WATCH

If you’re looking for a smart looking timepiece to dapper up your wardrobe, the Citizen Eco-drive AO9044-51E might just be what you’re looking for. Its cased in a 43.6mm stainless-steel case and strapped on a clean and nicely finished steel bracelet as well. The watch is immensely slim thanks to its eco-drive caliber and sits nicely on the wrist and would easily slip under a cuff as well. The dial is a clean no-nonsense affair with slim baton indexes applied along the periphery and a pair of symmetrical sub-dials telling you the date and the day. Showing everything, you need and nothing more, the minimalism of this timepiece really exudes an air of timeless class in its design and thanks to its eco-drive caliber as well, ensures that it’ll be running for a very long time.

CITIZEN AUTOMATIC SUB-SECOND SILVER STAINLESS STEEL NJ0090-81E MEN'S WATCH

The Citizen Titanium Automatic NJ0090-81E Men’s Watch is a Classically designed piece and wears very well as a dress watch. It is very comfortable and qualifies very well as an everyday wear. The classic appearance makes it extremely easy to read, and the reliable workhorse Miyota caliber ensures that the watch is as reliable as it is good looking. The appearance of the watch makes it suitable for business and other formal occasions. The watch is sleek and highly attractive thanks to its Titanium Case fastened onto a Titanium Bracelet. Decorous and elegant, it is about setting a standard of luxury over its competition. The Citizen Titanium Automatic successfully combines utility with style. The watch is powered by a Miyota 8213 automatic caliber The watch also is protected by a Sapphire Crystal. If you’re looking for a lightweight, easy to wear every-day watch, the Citizen NJ0090-81E with its elegantly simple and minimalist design paired with its highly technical titanium case makes for a perfect everyday watch.