Citizen Watches Review 2021

citizen-watches-reviewAs the title itself suggest in this post we will discuss Citizen watches review and our review of some of the models that have caught our eye. But first, let us put a word or two about the company itself.

It all started back in the year 1918 in Tokyo, Japan where a horological research center named The Shokosha Watch Research instituted has been founded.

A couple of years later the institute produced their first pocket watch and in 1930 it became a company known as Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. In years prior to the WW2 Citizen distributed their watches solely in Asia.

Their entire export ended during the WW2 since Japan was defeated by the ally forces. After the war, they had to rebuild their production and distribution and in the next 10 years, they regained their Asia market. During 1960’s Citizen started making parts for Bulova watches and made their way into the American market.

In 1986 Citizen became the world’s largest watchmaking company and remained near the top in today ever since. The company made a lot of innovations during years and some of the best-known series in the watchmaking business. One of their most recognizable brands is Eco-Drive technology. Behind Eco-Drive technology is an environment-friendly idea to lower the number of waste produced by battery replacement.

It is applied in over 80% of Citizen watches that use battery rechargeable by a solar panel hidden under the watch’s face. These batteries last much longer than batteries used in watches with typical quartz movement. Eco-Drive is definitely one of the technologies of the future with arising power of green movements around the world. There is no better option than Citizen for all eco-conscious among us.

#1 Citizen Eco-Drive BM8180-03E Review

Citizen Eco-Drive BM8180-03E

 

Citizen BM8180-03E is a watch from Citizens Eco-Drive Collection. It has an everlasting classic look and very reliable technology. It is a great watch for casual everyday wearing.

Design and Features

Round stainless steel case with long lugs gives this watch classic yet very distinctive design. It is 37 mm in diameter and only 8 mm thick. This means that if you have a larger wrist or prefer more substantial timepieces maybe it will not be the perfect choice for you. For others with small to medium wrist sizes, it will be perfect.

On three o’clock there is a large day/date window. The black background gives a good contrast behind white hands and printing so it is very easy to check the time. For low lite conditions, there is luminous paint on hands – another great feature of this watch.

Green canvas strap is eye-catchy and gives military look to Citizen BM8180-03. In general canvas, straps are very comfortable but you have to give it some time to fit your wrist. Mineral glass protects the face of the watch.

A ton of positive reviews could be found about this watch left by customers. The main negative points are about the quality and the look of the strap. We think also that this strap maybe not the best solution but on the other hand it is a matter of taste and a lot of customers’ like that casual style that it brings to the overall design of this watch.  It is great that in person Citizen BM8180-03E looks even better and the strap definitely can be changed if you don’t like it.

Key Specs

  • Movement – Analog display with Japanese quartz
  • Case – stainless steel case of 2 millimeters in diameter and 9.5 millimeters thick, with mineral crystal dial window
  • Band – 18 mm Canvas Strap, a standard length with a Buckle Clasp
  • Dial – Date display at the 3 o’clock position. Chronograph sub-dials
  • Water Resistant – Water resistance of 100 m or 330 feet

Pros

  1. Reliable Eco-Drive technology powers the watch by natural or indoor light
  2. A great everyday watch that will go perfectly with casual and sports wardrobe
  3. Has large/date window at 3 o’clock on easy to read dial.
  4. Luminous paint on hands is a great feature that enables checking the time in low lite conditions.

Cons

  1. Water resistance of 100 m says that it is suitable for snorkeling and swimming, but Canvas strap could be damaged if it’s often exposed to water.
  2. Little stiff canvas strap needs time to fit your wrist.

Final Word

Overall it is a stylish watch, very reliable and at a great price. Flawless technology behind this great timepiece and a lot of happy customers make it not only one of the most popular Citizen watches but one of the most popular watches in that price range.

#2 Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Strap

Citizen Mens Eco-Drive AW1361-10H

 

Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Strap is fantastic aviator style watch from Citizens Eco-Drive Collection. It is another perfect watch for everyday casual wearing. Its stainless steel case is 45 mm in diameter. The brown leather strap is very comfortable for wrist and has white stitching that is very common in aviator style designed watches.

Cool vintage looks of the charcoal-grey dial have Arabic numerals as minute markings and on the inner circle, there are 1-12 and 13-24 hour markings. The date function is placed at three o’clock with another great design solution that completes its aviator style.

It is water resistant to 350 feet with but it doesn’t have a push in the crown to additionally prevent water from coming inside of the watch. We cannot recommend longer exposure to water since the leather strap can be damaged. There is good color contrast between hands and the dial so it’s really easy to read the time. Also, the hands have luminous paint for checking the time in the dark.

Customers who bought this watch are very satisfied with it. There are some negative reviews left about the duration of glow on luminous hands. It last approximately four hours and the quality of the strap. One customer after a year of wearing had to replace it. In general leather straps are very comfortable to wear but are more delicate than stainless steel, silicone or other materials.

Key Specs

  • Movement – Analog display with Japanese quartz
  • Mineral glass
  • The stainless steel case of 45 millimeters in diameter
  • Date display at the 3 o’clock position
  • Water Resistant – Water resistance of 100 m or 330 feet

Pros

  1. Perfect for everyday wear with a casual and more formal wardrobe
  2. Great design of the face and easy to read dial
  3. Luminosity on the hand for low lite conditions

Cons

  1. Water resistance of 100 m says that it is suitable for snorkeling and swimming but with a leather strap, we don’t recommend it

Final Word

Citizen is proved in the watchmaking industry for the production of high-quality watches and Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Stainless Steel Watch with Brown Leather Strap is not an exception. Great feel to the wrist, reliable and great design comes with affordable.

#3 Citizen Men’s BL5250-02L Titanium Eco-Drive Watch with Leather Band

Citizen Mens BL5250-02L

 

Citizen Men’s BL5250-02L Titanium Eco-Drive Watch with Leather Band is a watch of industrial design that cannot be unnoticed. It will be perfect for jeans and with brown belt and shoes. It can pass for even more formal wardrobe thanks to its leather strap.

The first thing that you can notice is a lot of features on the dial. And as you can expect from this great brand they are fully functional and for the price, you will get reliable and lasting timepiece. It is powered by high-quality Eco-Drive movement. We found that the dial on Citizen timepieces is easy to read compared to other watches that have subdials on the face.

Citizen BL5250-02L is macho designed watch with its rugged stainless steel case and unidirectional bezel. This type of bezel is used to measure the time spent underwater. It works nicely but this timepiece is not really a diving watch. It is up to 660 feet water resistant but doesn’t have screw down crown that is a must for divers’ watches. On 4 o’clock there is a date window. It automatically adjusts for odd and even months.

The customers like Citizen for its accurate timekeeping, great looks, and price. On the other hand, there are some negative comments about the quality of the band and that it’s a little hard to set up for some customers. Our advice is to read and follow instructions for recharging and setting up and you wouldn’t have any problems. The leather bands are a little bit delicate and you have to be careful regarding exposure to water and other external factors. Also, you have to be prepared to change it over time.

Key Specs

  • It is powered by Japanese quartz movement with Eco-Drive technology
  • The titanium case is 43 millimeters wide and 13 millimeters thick
  • Mineral crystal dial window
  • Band – 20 mm Leather Strap
  • Dial – Date display at the 4 o’clock position. Chronograph sub-dials
  • Alarm feature
  • Water resistance of 200 m or 660 feet

Pros

  1. Good for water sports activities thanks to 200 m water resistance
  2. Masculine design
  3. Reliable and accurate

Cons

  1. It can be difficult to set up if you don’t follow the instructions precisely.

Final Word

Good watch for a good price. With Citizen Citizen BL5250-02L you will get a reliable and nice looking watch for the money. For a lot of customers, it became their first choice for everyday wearing.

#4 Citizen Men’s AT8020-03L Blue Angels World A-T Eco-Drive Watch

Citizen Mens AT8020-03L

 

Citizen Men’s AT8020-03L Blue Angels World A-T Eco-Drive Watch is named after US elite flight squadron is one of the best aviators styled watches we have reviewed. It has a sporty design and great functions that you can expect from Citizen and a watch within this price range. It is radio controlled with atomic timekeeping in five time zones including North America, the UK, Europe, Japan, and China.

A lot of features are packed in 43 mm stainless steel case. With timepieces with so many functions, the dial is too busy that directly impacts the readability but on this fabulous watch that is not the case. That is great and we think that designers did a really good job. It has 1/20 second chronograph function measuring up to 60 minutes.

The date window is placed at 3 o’clock with a perpetual calendar feature that automatically sets the date for the varying lengths of the month. The dial is protected by antireflective-sapphire glass, the best protection for impacts and scratches in the watch industry. It is water resistant to 200 m that is suitable for swimming. Luminosity is good but it could last longer. Fantastic blue and yellow color on this beautiful watch will make an impact.

The main complaint about Citizen that we found is about the quality of the bend. There are customers that say that after starting stiffness after some time of wearing the watch it is very comfortable and good enough but some recommend buying this model with stainless steel bracelet since they are not happy with the quality. For the vast majority of customers, flawless technology and great design are things that they are very excited about and they gave high recommendations for buying Citizen Blue Angel.

Key Specs

  • Powered by Japanese quartz movement with analog display.
  • Combination of leather and the synthetic band is 23 mm wide,
  • Stainless steel case of 43 mm in diameter and 13 mm thickness with
  • Anti-Reflective Sapphire dial window
  • Slide-rule bezel
  • Chronograph functions and a date window at 3 o’clock position.
  • Water resistance of 200 m or 660 feet.
  • Weight– 3.04 Ounces

Pros

  1. Perfect for people who travel a lot
  2. high-quality manufacturing
  3. Fantastic design

Cons

  1. Quality of the band can be better

Final Word

Fabulous sports watch with great features that will be perfect for everyday usage. With it you will get timepiece for sports and outdoor activities that you can rely on.

#5 Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s AT4010-50E Titanium Perpetual  Chrono A-T Watch

Citizen Eco-Drive Mens AT4010-50E

 

Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s AT4010-50E Titanium Perpetual  Chrono A-T Watch is one of the best examples of what perfect watchmaking is. From atomic timekeeping to eco-drive technology everything that we found is nothing less than awesome.

Case and band are made of titanium so you can expect that it is lighter than stainless steel watches. Black and silver tones allow you to wear it with clothes of all colors. It has a classic design but the design solutions of the dial make it at the same time very modern and appealing.

The dial has great protection since it has a sapphire glass. It also has a perpetual calendar feature with a date window at 4 o’clock. It is perfect for people that often travel and change time zones. Its atomic timekeeping has adjustment available over five time zones.  Luminous paint provides readability in low lite or dark.

Key Specs

  • Powered by Japanese quartz movement with analog display.
  • Combination of leather and the synthetic band is 23 mm wide,
  • Stainless steel case of 43 mm in diameter and 13 mm thickness with
  • Anti-Reflective Sapphire dial window
  • Slide-rule bezel
  • Chronograph functions and a date window at 3 o’clock position.
  • Water resistance of 200 m or 660 feet.
  • Weight– 3.04 Ounces

Pros

  1. A lot of great features
  2. High-quality craftsmanship
  3. Everlasting design

Cons

  1. Although it is worth every cent it is pretty pricy

Final Word

Astonishing looks and elegance are the most appropriate words to describe Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s AT4010-50E Titanium Perpetual  Chrono A-T Watch. It is one of the watches that will bring a lot of style on your wrist. For the money spent you will get reliable and lasting timepiece with all the features, you will ever need from a watch.

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