Ever wondered what the most accurate watch in the world is? It's probably not what you think.

You might guess a radio-controlled quartz watch like the Casio G-Shock Gulfman, or the Citizen Skyhawk. That's a good starting point. Atomic watches are very accurate if you can receive the radio signals. But there are large portions of the world where they don't reach (Central/South America, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the poles, out on the ocean — even plenty of places that are technically within range, but for whatever reason, not conducive to signal penetration).

Another possible answer is a GPS watch like the Suunto X9i which works almost anywhere on the globe. Unfortunately, it has very limited battery life, and doesn't sync automatically.

Conventional quartz movements are generally accurate to ±15 seconds per month, or 3 minutes per year. That's good enough for pretty much any application, as evidenced by the fact that accuracy hasn't improved much since the 1970s. More modern technology has brought a few high-accuracy quartz movements:

• The ETA Thermoline movement, as used in some Breitlings.
• Seiko 8F and 9F movements, generally good to 10-20 seconds per year.
• And today's mystery contestant: the Citizen A660.

Say hello to one of the best wolf-in-sheep's clothing watches in existence: the Citizen Chronomaster (aka "The Citizen"). The A660 movement inside the Citizen Chronomaster is the most accurate in the world right now, rated to an amazing ±5 seconds per year. There's a variety of faces and hands, but the basic watch style is a very understated men's dress watch. The cost is around $1,100 - $1,300USD at present — not bad for such impressive technology and looks.

Specifications for the model shown to the right, the The Citizen Chronomaster CTQ57-1022 (our favorite):

View the Citizen Skyhawk A-T photo gallery.

Most pilots and aviation enthusiasts tend to be gadget lovers. Whether it's an entirely new digital avionics package in the cockpit, or one of the most advanced aviation watches on the market, we lust after it. So when the Citizen Skyhawk A-T was announced last year, my interest was piqued. While the Skyhawk line of aviation watches has almost 15 years of history and refinement, the combination of Citizen's Eco-Drive movement with atomic timekeeping technology (as denoted by the A-T moniker in the name), and a new design, this watch not only makes a great companion while in flight, but looks great and gives you something to brag about back on the ground.

Features

The Citizen Skyhawk A-T is the third generation in the Skyhawk line, and represents a major step forward in features. While you do lose one alarm (from three alarms to two), you gain functionality such as atomic timekeeping, perpetual calendar, LCD backlight, and world time pre-programming for 43 cities and time-zones. Additionally, the watch is now rated to be water resistant up to 200 meters (about 650 feet), versus the 100 meters of the previous generation.

Features of the Citizen Skyhawk A-T include:

One of my favorite watch complications is the GMT hand: a separate (typically fourth) independently settable hand marking 24-hour time. It's extremely useful for people like pilots, travelers, and businesspeople who not only need to be able to switch between different time zones easily, but who also need to be able to keep track of two time zones simultaneously.

The addition of the GMT hand came in the mid-1950s when Pan Am worked with Rolex to create a watch for pilots flying transatlantic flights. You can read more about the history of GMT watches in Christian's review of the Rolex GMT Master II. But for now, back to Citizen.

I recently learned that Citizen has added several new GMT models to their Attesa line of high-end quartz watches. I was particularly struck by the unique, stark, and tough look of the Attesa ATD53-2903. Of course, as is typical of most of the coolest Japanese watches, it's only available in Asia, but since watches know no boarders, I was still able to find plenty of information:

• List price is ¥68,250 (about $600 USD as of 12/21/07).
• 39mm in diameter, 10.9mm thick, and 47g heavy.
• 24-hour indices on the chapter ring.
• DLC coated titanium case (read more about Diamond Like Carbon).
• Eco-drive (solar-powered quartz).
• 100m water resistant (about 330 feet).
• Atomic Radio-set (but only receives the Japanese time signal — bummer).
• ±15 seconds per month (with no radio reception).
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
• Calf skin band (would really love to see a matching DLC titanium bracelet option).

I really like the look of the Citizen Attesa ATD53-2903. I like the clean and readable face since I find that jet lag reduces my comprehension, and I get very grumpy about unreadable watches while traveling internationally. This Attesa has the sort of clutter-free face and clean, distinct hands (plus nice little touches like anti-glare sapphire crystal) that make for a great travel companion.

There aren't a lot of affordable (i.e. quartz) GMT watches out there, so I'm pleased so see such an attractive new entry from Citizen. If only if were 5-band atomic like the new Oceanus 5 Motors, I think Citizen would have one of the best looking affordable travel watches out there.

By Paul Hubbard

Sometimes all you want from a watch is the time and date in a nice, readable format. Not too fancy, not too cluttered, not too expensive. Even us gadget freaks get the urge to strap on a simple watch with a clear face sometimes. Allow me introduce the Citizen BM6400 watches, available with either a canvas strap (BM6400-00E, retail $175) or a bracelet (BM6400-51E, retail $225).

The list of features is as simple as the face of the watch itself:

• Time.
• Date.
• Non-reflective mineral crystal.
• Eco-drive solar powered.
• 200m water resistant (about 650 feet).
• All stainless steel.

I really like the clarity and readability of these watches, and the prices are even lower than retail if you search a bit. An excellent watch for those times when you Just Need A Watch.

By Paul Hubbard

Citizen announces the new high-end Calibre 3100 collection. Done in the style of a classic dress watch, the Citizen Calibre 3100 collection sports modern touches like large date mixed with the vintage look of Roman numerals, subseconds at 6 o'clock, and an elegant dial.

Features include:

• Perpetual calendar, good until the year 2100.
• Eco-Drive solar power.
• Large twin date display at the 12 o'clock position.
• 24-hour dial at the 9 o'clock position, probably for a second time zone.
• Anti-reflective crystal.
• 100m water resistant (about 330 feet).

The Calibre 3100 collection contains a total of 7 watches with the BT0000-15A and BT0003-17A being limited editions. The BT0000-15A (999 pieces) is stainless steel, and the BT0003-17A (1,500 pieces) is rose gold-tone stainless steel. Both have have anti-reflective sapphire crystals (the others have mineral glass crystals), and something I've never seen on a Citizen watch before: genuine alligator straps! MSRP for these limited edition pieces are $650 and $675, respectively. MSPR for the rest of the collection is between $375 and $500.

On a personal note, I really like how they've melded clean looks with modern features, making a dress watch that will last for many years with zero maintenance, keeping great time all the while. These really have very nice proportions and would go well in almost any situation. The 100 meter rating means you don't have to baby them either.

By Paul Hubbard

Citizen is generally less well known than Seiko for their dive watches, however they do offer some very interesting pieces (e.g. a 1,000m mechanical nicknamed "Autozilla"; a 300m Eco-drive called "Eco-zilla"; and a new 200m Eco-Drive known as "Orca", among others). Adding to their innovative diver collection, and challenging what it means for a dive watch to be considered a "diver", Citizen now has a new line of Eco-Drive divers with chronographs and alarms. At the head of the pack is the BL5315-50E.

The Citizen BL5315-50E

At 44mm of stainless steel, it's large but understated. Features include:

• Stainless steel case and bracelet
• Perpetual calendar (nice!)
• Eco-Drive (4-month power reserve)
• 1-hour stopwatch
• 12/24 time and dual time zone support
• Alarm
• Water resistant to 200 meters, or about 660 feet
• Mineral crystal
• Unidirectional ion-plated ratcheting bezel
• 44mm case, not counting the crown (nice and chunky)

There are several similar versions available with slightly different colors and looks. The BL5314-52E is the most expensive at $475 while the BL5334-04E sits at the lower end at $375.

Citizen really seems to be stepping up their game lately. Lots more to come.

One unfortunate fact of life for those of use who like Japanese watches is that the most interesting models are often only sold in Japan. There are internet resellers of Japanese models, but you've then got warranty difficulties if service is ever required, as the domestic service centers will require you to ship the watch back to Japan.

I bring this up because of the wonderful Citizen PMT56-2711 from the Promaster line. This particular watch is no longer in production (though it's still available here and there if you look hard enough), and has been superseded by models adding radio synchronization and such (like the new Citizen Attesa). It's an analog quartz watch, solar-powered, with a blue face and titanium case, and there's something very elegant in its simplicity.

Things I like about this watch:

• Surface-hardened titanium case and band, trade name "Duratect". Almost impossible to scratch, and with the brushed finish, it yields a subtle, low-key metal that's quite attractive.
• Domed sapphire crystal. Again, almost impossible to scratch. The interior has an anti-glare coating, which reduces reflections. The doming also reduces reflections and makes it easier to read under water.
• Perpetual calendar. Although this makes for an involved setting procedure, it's nice not to have to worry about resetting the date at the end of some months.
• Eco-Drive. This is Citizen's solar power technology. The face of the watch is a solar cell with a subtle hexagonal pattern that also serves to add visual detail to the dial. The battery on this one is good for five years, so even if you forget it in a drawer, you're unlikely to need to reset it!
• 200m water resistant (about 650 feet). Several people use this watch for SCUBA diving; it's more than enough for any use you're likely to have.
• Travel friendly. Unlike most watches, you can change the hour without stopping the watch. This is fantastic when traveling. You pull out the crown, press the button while rotating the stem, and the hour advances. I used this when going from the west coast to South America, and I can testify to its usefulness. With other watches, more than once I've set the local time wrong due to jet lag haze. Also nice for accuracy fans, since the seconds and minutes are not affected.
• Power saving modes. This adds some personality to the watch, and makes it fun to interact with. After a minute or two of darkness, the second hand stops at 12 and stays there until light returns. Meanwhile, the minute and hour hands continue to display the correct time. If light remains off for three days, all the hands stop, only to spin to the correct time when you take it out of the drawer. These makes the watch seem a bit more alive -- more than once, I extend my arm and watched the second hand wake up from falling asleep under my coat. The watch will warn you if the battery was depleted far enough that it lost time.
• Luminosity. The face has large, clear markers with Luminova on them, making it easy to read at night. The second hand is not lumed, instead having a painted red tip. Perhaps they left the lume off the second hand due to the power saving feature above (you only need lume in the dark, and in the dark, the second hand doesn't move), but either way I rarely need to see seconds in the dark, anyway.
• Readability. The face is a mixture of military style numbers (sans-serif, upright and distinct) with an aviator-style inverted triangle at the 12 o'clock position. The hands are simple white with clean lines and contrast nicely against the blue dial. These, combined with the domed crystal, make for a watch that can be read at a glance at a wide range of angles. Day or night, no problem. The red-tipped second hand is a nice touch, too.
• Weight and size. The combination of 40mm size and titanium makes this watch seem quite light when you pick it up. I've been wearing a much heavier steel watch, but once I adapted, I quite like the reduction in mass. You just don't notice wearing it at all, even on the matching metal (titanium) bracelet.
• The blue of the dial is gorgeous and unobtrusive. They put the minute markers on the chapter ring, so there's a nice balance of empty space and text.

Citizen has just released a new limited watch in their Japan-only Attesa line: the Perfex Multi 3000 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, an atomic Eco-Drive powerhouse that manages to look semi-dressy while still packing in the features:

• Worldwide atomic receiver (works in Japan, US, and in Europe).
• Eco-Drive (Citizen's term for solar powered), with an astounding 2.5 year power reserve.
• Second time zone LCD and an analog UTC subdial.
• 99-minute countdown timer.
• Stopwatch with a resolution of 1/100th of a second and a maximum duration of 24 hours.
• Integrated bracelet (nice enough, but a minor negative for those of us who like to switch to a strap occasionally).
• Two world time alarms.
• Titanium case and bracelet with DLC coating (diamond-like carbon — very scratch-resistant).
• Synthetic sapphire crystal with antireflective coating.
• LED backlight.
• Battery charge indicator.
• Water resistant to 100 meters, or about 330 feet.

The Citizen Attesa Perfex Multi 3000 is 41mm in diameter which is a nice contemporary size without being too large. It's 12.6mm thick, and 102g in weight. The ATV53-2832 goes for ¥115,500, or about $944.

I consider the Attesa line to be in competition with Oceanus watches from Casio and the Seiko Brightz World Time. These are superb watches if you travel frequently as they are maintenance-free (Eco-Drive), extremely accurate (world-wide atomic), and they make it very easy to switch between time zones. The Citizen Attesa even makes a decent dress watch, though the LED display would probably bar them from the most formal settings.

By Paul Hubbard

Those of us into high-tech watches have been wondering who would be the first to release a Bluetooth watch, and how long it would take. Just when we all thought it was going to be Seiko, Citizen has beaten them to the punch. Starting July 7th, The Citizen VIRT will be the first commercially available Bluetooth watch. Features will include:

• Pairing with your Bluetooth mobile phone.
• Vibrating call alert.
• Caller ID of incoming calls. This feature requires that the you transfer your phone's phone book to your watch in advance. Up to 1,000 records are supported.
• Phonebook. Transferring your phone book to your watch not only enables caller ID, but also allows you to look up numbers right on your watch.
• Dropped link alert. If you phone is too far away from you, your watch warns you that the link has been dropped so you don't end up leaving home without your phone (how dare you!).
• Call log (up to 10 numbers).
• Alarm.
• OLED display (which means it's nice and bright without using too much battery).
• Rechargeable battery capable of functioning about five days between charges (personally, I would expect more like three once the battery gets broken in). The watch takes about three hours to fully charge.
• Available in black and silver.
• Dimensions: 40mm wide, 42.4mm tall, and 14.6mm high. (Not too bad -- I definitely have watches bigger than that.)

Citizen will initially limit production to 5,000 pieces, probably to gauge market viability, and no word yet on price. Of course, none of those 5,000 watches will be sold here in the US. I just hope us poor backwater yanks can one day get our hands on some innovative wrist technology like this.

Related articles:

• Is the World Ready for Seiko's new Bluetooth Watch?
• The Current State of Wrist-phones