Citizen VS seiko.. GO!

Today I have thrown on my NY0040 (it’s a later one with the hacking 8204 movement (8203 stamped on dial, 8204 on case back).

Full Lume on bracelet and I think it’s a great piece! 
Surprisingly(?), I don’t have an SKX in my collection, only a white dial SQ100 diver, pictures on my profile somewhere!

Do I need an SKX when I have this? 

Reply
·

Perfect match with your tatoo👌

·

Citizen seem to push the boat out a little more, and Seiko is the more conservative. I tend to fall on Seiko's side (but have owned Citizen), but I can see why someone would easily be the opposite. As a Seiko fan, I happily say that Citizen makes really good watches.

·

Nah. You're good. Besides, good luck finding NOS SKX that had it's price jacked up these days. You'd think they swapped to a NH35 movement.

·

Looks like you’re good! Nice looking diver

·

I had the Seiko Flightmaster that now costs like 400 bucks and it's a nasty piece of shit. Uncomfortable and the buttons/pushers on them break for no reason. Many others had the same issue. After seeing them sell such overpriced shite I have no respect for Seiko anymore. Even a 10 dollar Casio has buttons that don't destroy themselves.

Never had issues with my much cheaper Citizen and l never heard of anything like that with Citizen from other people. 

Image

I mostly just wear Casio nowadays but i might upgrade my Citizen someday to a really nice one. 

·

I've worn a Citizen Prodiver 24 hours a day for maybe the last four years or so. I take it off in the shower because I don't want it full of soap scum but I do sleep with it on. It's the black dial version and the strap is a black or Bond Nato. It's survived some rough treatment including plenty of capsized boats and it's stood up pretty well with some scratches to the crystal and the rotating bezel

I'm very, very picky about personal items like this, it doesn't have to be expensive or have a prestige brand, but things like the proportions of the different parts, the amount of negative space on the dial etc all have to be just right.

So for a long time I thought that much as I'd like to have a collection of watches, I won't because I also really like the attachment I get to a personal item like a watch, fountain pen, wallet etc that is always with me.

But I eventually decided that I wanted something a bit more dressy than the diver for those times I go to the office in a suit.

After a lot of humming and hahing, and about a thousand youtube video reviews, I plumped for a Seiko SUR307 and a black lizard strap from Rios1931, and both arrived yesterday. The Seiko is visually a very similar design to one of the Grand Seikos and is a real stunner. The second hand falls in a carefree, random relationship to the second markers and the fact that both the hand and the markers are extremely fine really highlights that. I haven't yet decided how much that bothers me. The Citizen is dead on.

Two very different watches, one has the Grand Seiko design DNA, the other has the better QC. Not much of a sample to choose between the companies, but for me it makes more sense to compare individual watches than to compare their makers.

Of course, the floodgates are breached now, and I have a refurbished Seiko tank coming on a very slow boat from India, and this morning I ordered a Boldr field medic. I do like the look of the Hamilton Ventura too...

·
complication

Citizen seem to push the boat out a little more, and Seiko is the more conservative. I tend to fall on Seiko's side (but have owned Citizen), but I can see why someone would easily be the opposite. As a Seiko fan, I happily say that Citizen makes really good watches.

That’s good to hear! So you’re not a Seiko fan because they are superior? but purely because they match your visual preference more.

·
CitizenKale

I had the Seiko Flightmaster that now costs like 400 bucks and it's a nasty piece of shit. Uncomfortable and the buttons/pushers on them break for no reason. Many others had the same issue. After seeing them sell such overpriced shite I have no respect for Seiko anymore. Even a 10 dollar Casio has buttons that don't destroy themselves.

Never had issues with my much cheaper Citizen and l never heard of anything like that with Citizen from other people. 

Image

I mostly just wear Casio nowadays but i might upgrade my Citizen someday to a really nice one. 

See I’m a big Casio fan, it’s strange that there’s so many stories of poor quality with Seiko yet they still command a premium new and used compared to similarly specced watches (that may or may not be more robust/reliable)

·

Nobody needs an SKX these days, for the reasons other crunchers have already stated. There are plenty of options for dive watches out there, and if you like the look of the SKX (or want to mod), you can get an SRPD. 

I personally tend towards Seiko, mainly because of the modding aspects, and many Citizens are too large for my wrist. 

·
Matda1755

See I’m a big Casio fan, it’s strange that there’s so many stories of poor quality with Seiko yet they still command a premium new and used compared to similarly specced watches (that may or may not be more robust/reliable)

Yeah it takes time for the brand name to get known. Seiko was good for a long time so now people still think it's a good deal. And they are fairly good looking as well. 

·

I think Seiko are more keep it to themselves in terms of specification (movement, QC, and Hardlex) 

Whereas Citizen would lost over the design and marketing stuff.

See.. almost every Seiko has their own nickname 🤷🤷

·

There was never a need to own a SKX, I've never had one, and never had much interest. The SKX is an overhyped watch that only became popular because it sold well under RRP on the grey market for years, likely because Seiko over produced them, and people refused to buy at RRP. 

That said, it doesn't need to be an "either or" situation. People can like both Seiko and Citizen. I think both companies make good watches, and I think both make so,e bad/questionable ones. 

·

You've got it made, son 🤠

·

I love my SKX009 and it's in the collection for the long term. I paid $375 CAD and at the time I thought it was over priced. There is no way I would spend the $700-$1100 price tags I see on them today.  I would totally go with that Citizen which is on paper just as solid of a watch. 

Having said that if I spotted a SKX007 for under $400 I would probably snatch it up still but then put in a NH36 movement and sapphire glass and wonder what the hell I was doing.

·

It all depend on who you ask this question to. For me, I do like the promaster design a lot more than the SKX but some people think the opposite and that's fine. They're both really great but for me I prefer Citizen Promaster 😁

·

Of the SKX and the NY, the Citizen all day long! Looks much cooler and 'tool-ey'!

·

I don’t think you would need a SKX after that. If you want one though, that’s a different story. Great models from two great companies.

·

Now that’s something you don’t see everyday, colour matching tattoos to your watch 👏 Having owned both the Citizen Pro Diver and a Seiko SKX, in my opinion I wouldn’t bother buying a SKX. When they were first released they were a great watch and great value, I’ve owned probably 7 or more, but sold every one of them. The movements are so outdated and just a pain to set the correct time. I suppose this and all the watches other little quirks make them so desirable, but for me personally I just wouldn’t bother buying another, especially their asking prices now, give me a Citizen Promaster over the seiko any day 💯

·

You it's funny, I've not got a Citizen in my collection but always thought I should.

I really like The Old Nighthawks (with the red on it). I've not got a "flighty" type watch..

·
Matda1755

That’s good to hear! So you’re not a Seiko fan because they are superior? but purely because they match your visual preference more.

Design is a big part of why I like Seiko... I also like their history... the movements I don't perceive to be streets ahead of Citizen, but at the same time, Seiko movements get used in a lot of watches for a reason, too. So, I think Seiko is solid on a lot of levels. But design is #1 for me.

·

So I own three variations of the NY0040.(Hand winding and hack).Full lume, black and blue dial. I also own a SKX 007 and 173. I love them all in their own ways but there is something about the citizens that always makes me smile. 

·

I have a Lot of Seiko's, I haven't had one issue with any of them. The whole misaligned dial thing kills me.  If it has a misaligned dial don't buy it or return it. I only came across one that was a bit off and my AD immediately sent a replacement. I'm just diligent about my watch purchases, If I'm not able to hold it in person. I ask every question there is, If I don't get the answers I want. I don't buy it.

Someone mentioned the Seiko Flightmaster as having poor build quality and that their pushers broke. Well it can happen, but I know a lot of happy Flighty owners out there. I have put mine through a lot wear and pusher time. And it work's perfectly and I love it!

I notice a lot of peanut gallery remarks about Seiko's quality. I truly wonder how many complaining actual owned them. 

I also have a lot of Citizen's and I love both Brands!!!! I don't think you NEED a SKX as there's better options available. Unless of course you want one in the fold, I have a few SKX mods that I love.

 I personally think it's better to talk about what or why you like a certain brand as Opposed to why you Hate them.

Image
·

The NY0040 series is what the SKX hoped to be when it grew up. Citizen has always made better quality watches. 

·
Whitesalmon

I have a Lot of Seiko's, I haven't had one issue with any of them. The whole misaligned dial thing kills me.  If it has a misaligned dial don't buy it or return it. I only came across one that was a bit off and my AD immediately sent a replacement. I'm just diligent about my watch purchases, If I'm not able to hold it in person. I ask every question there is, If I don't get the answers I want. I don't buy it.

Someone mentioned the Seiko Flightmaster as having poor build quality and that their pushers broke. Well it can happen, but I know a lot of happy Flighty owners out there. I have put mine through a lot wear and pusher time. And it work's perfectly and I love it!

I notice a lot of peanut gallery remarks about Seiko's quality. I truly wonder how many complaining actual owned them. 

I also have a lot of Citizen's and I love both Brands!!!! I don't think you NEED a SKX as there's better options available. Unless of course you want one in the fold, I have a few SKX mods that I love.

 I personally think it's better to talk about what or why you like a certain brand as Opposed to why you Hate them.

Image

This would be my go to reply.

I too own many, many Seikos and have never had an issue with any. Granted I don't own any seiko divers and my experience does not invalidate any other persons.

On to the OP, you don't NEED an skx, heck you don't even need that citizen... but if you want one and you can find one then I see no issue with owning both.

As for comparing the two, I'm not sure the brands overlap in many areas apart from low end divers and high end quartz. Citizen generally makes cheaper watches than  the seiko group and are heavily focused on their eco-drive tech (which is amazing). Seiko are more of an all-rounder with watches at almost every level and in almost every tech though I think their solar isn't quite as good as citizen. In terms of design I tend to prefer seiko. I think very few companies can match the breadth of seikos design catalogue. With regards to durability I'd say they are about equal. My wife wears a 30-odd year old citizen thar used to be my mums and I have a seiko 5 her dad bought in Singapore in the 70s! Never been serviced and still runs fine.

I think citizen is not as popular in the watch community because they've tended to focus on quartz while most "enthusiasts" tend to prefer mechanical. I like both and own both. On the mechanical front I have heard about issues with durability of citizen mechanicals, and thar they can be "noisy". 

·

Thats a very impressive Citizen best features I ever seen. I know they done a fantastic job with the Eco drives which are excellent and automatics great watches too.