The choice for an “always right” (solar-powered, atomic time synchronized) dress watch has, up to now, been somewhat limited. Apart from the Japan-only Seiko Brightz, the only watches in this space have been from Casio (and their Oceanus brand). The Casio watches that fit the technical specs (e.g. G-Shock GW-2500BD) can’t really be classed as dress watches, and the Oceanus watches (like the OCW-S1000 “Manta”) are expensive and have limited availability (indeed, Casio in the UK has abandoned the Oceanus brand). But now Citizen has entered the stage with the Chrono-Time AT — the first watch using the new Citizen H610 caliber.
There are four models to choose from, one of which is the limited edition Rose Gold model reviewed here (the UK version is reviewed; some details may vary by region). The basic specifications are:
- Solar power with 240-day power reserve.
- Atomic time synchronization across four regions (US, Europe, China, Japan).
- Sapphire glass.
- Rose Gold plated with leather strap and two-part folding clasp.
- Hour, minute, second hands.
- Chronograph minute and second hands.
- Second time zone (24 hour subdial).
- Date and time zone indicator.
- Alarm.
- Perpetual calendar.
- Circular slide rule in the bezel.
- Weight: 97g (including strap).
- Diameter: 36mm (51mm top to bottom including lugs).
- Thickness: 13mm.
- Water resistant to 200m (~650 feet).
- 5 year warranty.
On the wrist, the rose gold is subtle and the whole watch looks sophisticated without too much bling (although it might appear otherwise from the official photographs – another reason why on-the-wrist is not the same as on-the-screen). I should point out that my wrists are quite small, so the watch looks bigger than it really is (it’s only slightly larger that my Breitling Aerospace).
The time zone selector is operated by the 3 o’clock crown, and has 26 cities to select from (the 24 hour time zones plus GMT+5.5 for Delhi and GMT+9.5 for Adelaide).
The chronometer second hand is used as a general indicator for various things. For example, it points to “H” (high), “M” (medium) or “L” (low) to indicate the atomic clock radio signal strength on the last synchronization (or “NO” if the watch failed to synchronize, and “RX” if it is currently in the middle of synchronizing). It can also used to set the daylight savings time adjustment for a particular time zone, to set the calendar manually, and indicate the alarm status.
I have not tried to adjust the second time zone, opting to leave it on my home (UK) time. Whether it will adjust for daylight savings time automatically remains to be seen — the manual is unclear on just how this subdial works. The manual isn’t the best example of technical writing, and I can only agree with it when it says “The indication is not so precisely.” Incidentally, the manual does talk about the “hand correction function” which automatically corrects misaligned hands, but it then talks about the watch reset process to manually correct misaligned hands. Go figure. My expectation is that needs to done manually unlike some of the newer G-Shock movements.
The strap is leather with a two-part push-button clasp that is adjusted by moving the buckle fastener to a new hole. Other models have a metal bracelet (in stainless steel) or a simple buckle leather strap. The special edition reviewed here is the only one with sapphire glass (although this may vary by region). From its specifications, it might appear to be chunky, but it really does sit neatly on the wrist.
The solar charging seems to work well: solar Eco-Drive is something that Citizen has been doing for a long time and I’ve never had any trouble with other Eco-Drive watches. The specification says that it will work for 8 months on a full charge, and up to 4 years when the watch drops into power saving mode. Given that it automatically synchronizes from an atomic clock, I can’t really measure accuracy of the movement. Radio reception has been good: I live in an old building with very thick walls about 500 miles from the radio transmitter in Mainflingen, Germany. Although the second hand sometimes says “NO,” it usually indicates an “H” for reception when I ask (I’ve mostly stopped asking now, since synchronization appears to just work). This watch really fits the bill for a zero-maintenance dress watch that you can leave on a table for weeks or months and yet just put it on and go.
The perpetual calendar works up to February 2100, but the watch can be set manually by using the second hand to indicate leap year, month, day, etc. The time can also be set manually which is useful for a long trip to the Southern Hemisphere (where atomic clock synchronization won’t work). Speaking of traveling, there is an alarm. The crown is used to set the time on the hour and minute hands while the second hand indicates “ON”. I’ve never used the alarm, however, since I prefer to use the alarm in my phone.
The circular slide rule can be used to perform aviation calculations such as flying time for a given speed and distance, fuel consumption rates, and flying times. I can see no real use for this today other than for cheating in air navigation exams. The lume on the watch is good (it uses non-radioactive luminous paint, but better than I’ve seen on many other watches). In the photo, the 12 o’clock lume appears to have a slice taken out of it: this is of course the chrono second hand at its home position.
In the UK, the watch is still selling at full retail price. The prices start from £399 (which includes UK VAT of 15% – I hope those in the US reading this will no longer complain about extortionate sales tax!). I did see an internet price of £329 very briefly, but the watch is so new that there is no substantial discounting online yet. The limited edition model reviewed here has a list price of £599. In my opinion, these prices compare well to the competition from Oceanus.
Review and photos by Ken Tindell.
