Watches - Reviews, Information, and News

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The Most Accurate Quartz Watch in the World

April 22, 2008
Citizen Chronomaster CTQ57-1022

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:

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):

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Review of the Citizen Skyhawk A-T

March 10, 2008
Citizen Skyhawk A-T

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:

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The Citizen Attesa GMT (ATD53-2903)

December 21, 2007
Citizen Attesa ATD53-2903

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:

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

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The Citizen BM6400 Watches

October 17, 2007
Citizen BM6400-00E

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:

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

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The Citizen Calibre 3100 Collection

September 20, 2007
Citizen BT0000-15A

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:

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

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The New Citizen BL5315-50E Eco-Drive Diver

August 23, 2007
Citizen BL5315-50E

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:

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.

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The Citizen Promaster PMT56-2711

July 14, 2007
Citizen Promaster PMT56-2711

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:

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The New Citizen Attesa (ATV53-2832)

July 2, 2007
Citizen Attesa ATV53-2832

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:

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

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Citizen VIRT: The World's First Bluetooth Watch

June 10, 2006
Citizen VIRT Bluetooth Watch

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:

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:

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