There is such a Japanese brand Citizen, which is the world's largest watch manufacturer. They do not just produce watches: they develop new mechanisms and technologies, but most importantly, they find unusual solutions that develop the entire watch industry. And at the same time, most of the Citizen products remain quite affordable. Like the two models from today's review.
Let's discuss the flamboyant diver with the breakthrough Eco-Drive and take a look at Citizen's classic: a watch that is absolutely perfect for everyday wear. The Citizen brand has really earned the trust of our citizens, thanks to an adequate price and absolute reliability. High quality and availability, a diverse range of models - that's what we love so much.
To begin with, I propose to look at the everyday model. It is an automatic mechanical watch with a date window, a steel case, a steel bracelet and its own self-winding movement.
The watch, in my opinion, has a very successful case. With a diameter of 39 millimeters, it fits perfectly into modern style, and a small thickness of only 12 millimeters allows the watch to easily slip under the cuff.
The model turned out to be very neat: beautiful edges, a small crown seems to be slightly recessed into the case and does not stick out. Accordingly, when you put the watch on your wrist, the head will not rest and interfere. There are several types of finishes on the case. Mirror polished edges, matt body, mirrored bezel around the glass (flat mineral glass installed here).
This model has a self-winding mechanism of its own production. Caliber Citizen 8210. The movement has 21 jewels, a frequency of 21 vibrations per hour, a power reserve of 600 hours and the possibility of manual winding. The only thing that can confuse is the lack of a stop second function (this function is needed for very precise time settings, but in practice such accuracy is rarely needed). But there is a quick date change, and this is already significant if you haven’t worn a watch for a long time, but you can’t stand it when the real date and its value on the dial do not match.
In the design of this watch, I was hooked by the design of the dial. Vertical lines on a deep blue background add volume and visually stretch the watch. The effect is beautiful, the watch looks chic in the light, and neat applied marks and graceful hands only emphasize Japanese restraint.
As a result, this is a small, thin, neat and elegant watch. And considering the cost and thoroughbredness, the achievements of the brand and the manufactory, this is just an excellent specimen that can become a reliable companion for many years to come.
But what if you need a watch for outdoor activities? A watch for diving, beach parties and sports? Mechanics here will not be the best choice, and water protection is needed decent. I suggest taking a serious look at an ISO-certified diving watch with a reliable Eco-Drive movement. Model with popular green dial.
This is really a diving watch: on the dial we see the inscription “Diver's-200 m”, which means that this particular model has been tested, certified according to the ISO 6425 standard as a diving watch, and you can actually dive with this watch.
Another proof is the silicone strap: it has a decompression table. This is a tip for divers who dive to serious depths.
The watch case is neat, simple and reliable. Matt finish (because this watch is a tool, it can pick up scratches, get damaged by some corals, or get scratched by sand on the beach). In this case, the matte surface will look more advantageous. The case is crowned with a diving bezel with a green insert.
Convenience lies in the location of the translation head, it is placed in the position of "4 o'clock", screwed and has protective ledges. And on the back cover there is all the technical information on the clock and, interestingly, a warning - open it only in a service center.
By the way, you do not have to change the battery. The Eco-Drive mechanism is powered by solar energy and this is the advantage of this mechanism. It receives a charge even from a very small light source. If, for example, the watch has been lying in the box for a long time, not being charged from the sun, and it does not have enough energy to rotate the hands, the hands will simply stop. But then, when the clock sees sunlight again, the exact time is set. And it really deserves respect. There is a charge indication function, that is, the second hand jumps, one movement in 2 seconds.
In general, the energy reserve is declared 180 days, which is really very, very long. If you wear such models only during your holidays or travel to warm countries (about twice a year) - you don't have to worry at all.
And it is also environmentally friendly, because regular replacement of batteries does not have a very good effect on nature.
I would like to draw attention to the difference between the hour and minute hands. They are really very different. This was done for the convenience of reading the time in conditions of difficult visibility, including under water.
And of course, as befits a diving watch, there is a lot of luma. The hands and markers are very quickly saturated with light and then give off a bluish glow for a long time. At night, the time is read without problems.
What can confuse is mineral glass. Flat mineral glass is, of course, susceptible to scratches, but not as much as, for example, acrylic. At the same time, many tests show that mineral glasses are more durable than sapphire ones. In general, mineral water is both pluses and minuses. Everyone will be able to draw their own conclusions.
This model from a serious Japanese brand today costs about 900 euros - a good price for a great watch. It seems to me that this is a good option for the summer, a good option for relaxing. A very reliable mechanism, for which you should not worry at all.
Citizen is a serious brand that gives us high quality at an affordable price.
