The Citizen Exploring Grand Seiko Territory - Kind of

I really like it 🔥

I’d say go for it! GS drop pretty bad in value for resale too. In my opinion if someone was to spend the extra cash for GS might as well go for the Spring Drive which is way over 3k new at least. Manual, automatic, and quartz there are countless other options out there.

Pick The Citizen over a GS? It honestly depends on the actual design of the watch. Even though GS are fantastic watches, I don’t consider them because I am just not a fan of the design. The same is the case with this example. On paper it is a fantastic piece, and will undoubtedly feel that way in the metal; but I would keep my money in my pocket on both.

Personally a hard no mainly due to the design. It’s very generic, especially the roundish/organic case. Dial is nice and all, but remove the logo and it could be one of any number of designs.

Depends on the model, many GS sell for over retail aswell...

I can see that for their limited runs

I own the blue Washi dial AQ4091-56L and do prefer it to its GS equivalent, for the combination of EcoDrive and perpetual calendar, the incredible accuracy and the full titanium treatment.

It is also the ultimate « sleeper » watch, which I like a lot. Having watch snobs looking down on my quartz Citizen is always a great pleasure.

I'm pretty sure that if I ever get into GS territory, it will actually be one of these Citizens. The specs are so great, and I'm fond of the brand.

(A blue washi version, for me.)

It's definitely an attractive watch, obviously paying homage to GS. Personally, in the luxury price range, I want a mechanical movement. I know a lot of people are OK with quartz, and I appreciate what the Eco-drive does, just not what I'm looking for in a watch at this price range.

That’s a very fair statement.

The way Citizen implements their solar module in the dials is astounding.

That said, I own two GS and wouldn’t trady any for the Citizen nor would I buy one over a GS.

My business took off last year and I started traveling for work much more, so I thought I could justify owning one $2,000-ish watch. I picked one of these Chronomasters about 8 months ago and have not looked back.

People on watch forums love specs but for god knows what reason, the A060 - the most accurate perpetual calendar on earth!!! - is relatively slept on. (Maybe we just like arguing about specs, so it's actually kind of boring when something is unambiguously the best of its kind, while also costing less than a used car.)

It's perfect for my purposes. I meet with a diverse clientele, so it's important that I look sharp, but a $2,000 Swiss watch would scream "I'm a lawyer", and to be mistaken for a lawyer when you're a different kind of white-collar consultant is very dangerous. At farm shows and working with tribal governments, an expensive watch with a proletarian twist goes over very well. (Farmers are notorious for having millions in the bank while spending about $50 on their outfits.)

BTW in order to defend the honour of my purchase: more accurate to say that GS and The Citizen co-evolved, it is not a new trend for both companies to have similar product lines while Seiko holds somewhat of a marketing advantage. Except for that weird trend of putting a dial power reserve on the last generation of Chronomasters. I can't justify that.

Deprecation: seen another way, watch collecting is full of amazing bargains, as long as you only buy good pieces that you won't want to resell. I bought my Chronomaster slightly used, instantly saved $1,000, and threw away the papers. (Not like they would have been good for anything, Citizen doesn't guarantee any of these things that leave Japan.)

That’s beautiful and I’m a citizen fanboy but I’m kinda done buying quartz eco drives right now. (Even premium ones.) I just want autos, 262khz, or spring drives. But I don’t see where you could go wrong if you’re in the market for a watch like this. I bet that is stunning in the sunlight.

I disagree. The design screams "high end Japanese" to me: silver color indices with height for decoration, neutral color but delicate dial, sharp and probably well polished hands, plain and well polished bezel and case. Very very Grand Seiko.

Dress Swiss and German have different aesthetic.

You can get them for less than $3k, but it is a watch on my list.

I agree. It crossed over into a higher end artistic piece with amazing specs. I lean that way.

One of the few Citizens whose design I truly like 🫢

I Like the blue washi paper they came out with a while back. I wish it's 40mm though. I saw a white dial in japan and it looked a bit small in person (although im not sure if that was 38mm or 36mm model since i was just looking down a display glass case and didnt hold it. I dont like to bother sales attendants when im "just looking")

Que belleza!

I don’t know, these watches have a very similar design language to me if you are sitting across the room/table from someone. Similar case shape/profile, baton indices. Definitely have differences (hands, dial color/texture, material, more angular lugs on the Citizen), but they are pretty similar. Then again, it’s true of other types of watches like dive watches.

For WIS like ourselves, we see the difference. But for non-watch folks, they all seem the same. At least my wife tells me whenever I show her my new purchase 😂

Never ever ever would I spend 4 figures on an Eco drive... 😅

have you see the new Citizen 0210 calibre? it is beautiful watch, but with same amount of money I will go for Grand Seiko.

I've been looking at that watch on Chrono myself 😂

Gotta love the crazy accuracy, sharp polished look & the entire design language. Gotten mine last year approx. USD 2.5k @ Malaysia (diff model).