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Citizen is far from just another brand at the PX. The Japanese company is a legendary watchmaking giant. Its rich history of contributions to the world of horology includes ultra-precise railway clocks, the first commercially available titanium watch, and it’s arguably the current market leader in solar watch technology. Citizen’s reach stretches even further, being the parent company of Bulova watches, and of the Miyota movements that power thousands of watches from other brands around the world. Its catalog is truly massive, and it can seem overwhelming and fairly similar overall, so we’re here to sift through the thousands of options that are out there for the best of the best Citizen watches.
- Best Overall: Citizen Eco Drive Promaster Diver Titanium
- Best Budget: Citizen Eco Drive Garrison 8180
- Best Aviation: Citizen Eco Drive Promaster Nighthawk
- Best High End: Citizen Caliber 0100
- Best Newcomer: Citizen Promaster Diver
Best Overall
Citizen Eco Drive Promaster Diver Titanium
Pros
- Reliable solar movement
- Full-featured divers watch
- All-titanium construction
Cons
- Janky bracelet
- Mineral crystal
- Limited bracelet adjustment
Product Specs
- Product dimensions: 44.1mm x 49.3mm x 12.2mm
- Materials: Citizen super titanium, mineral crystal
- Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive E168
Why It Made The Cut
- Citizen Eco-Drive is great, but the titanium Eco-Drive Diver is better. It’s one of the best Citizen watches for men and women, young and old, even if you don’t dive.
Best Budget
Citizen Eco Drive Garrison 8180
Pros
- Slim and compact
- Solar timekeeping is more practical for the field
- Solid water resistance
Cons
- Alignment issues
- Mineral glass
- Subpar strap
Product Specs
- Product dimensions: 37mm x 45mm x 9mm
- Materials: Stainless steel case, nylon and leather strap, mineral crystal
- Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive E100
Why It Made The Cut
- The Citizen Eco Drive Garrison 8180 is everything a field watch should be, and then some, with accurate timekeeping, dimensions that fit anyone, and durable materials.
Best Pilot’s Watch
Citizen Eco-Drive Promaster Nighthawk
Pros
- Affordable
- Wears smaller
- Very good bracelet
Cons
- Cluttered dial
- Mineral crystal
- Limited bracelet adjustment
Product Specs
- Product dimensions: 42mm x 46mm x 12mm
- Materials: Stainless steel with mineral crystal
- Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive B877
Why It Made The Cut
- A watch that can calculate things like fuel consumption, distance traveled, and many others, and can go wherever you do, this is the coolest aviation watch around.
Best High End
Citizen Caliber 0100
Pros
- Unbeatable accuracy
- Superb finishing
- Understated looks
Cons
- Expensive
- “Just a quartz watch”
- Hard to come by
Product Specs
- Product dimensions: 37.5mm x 44.2mm x 9mm
- Materials: Titanium case and bracelet, sapphire crystal
- Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber 0100
Why It Made The Cut
- The rare Citizen watch — the Caliber 0100 — is the most accurate watch ever made. That is all there is to say about that, really.
Best Newcomer
Citizen Promaster Diver
Pros
- Lightweight
- Comfortable crown position
- Officially certified diver
Cons
- Janky bracelet
- Mineral crystal
- Movement isn’t the best that Citizen offers
Product Specs
- Product dimensions: 42mm x 47.5mm x 13.5mm
- Materials: Super titanium case and bracelet with mineral crystal
- Movement: Citizen Caliber 8203 Automatic
Why It Made The Cut
- Citizen is back in a big way with its automatic diver that’s one of the best things in affordable mechanical diver’s watches to happen since the Seiko SKX.
Things to consider before buying a citizen watch
Citizen Watches are popular, prolific watches, but not all of them are created equal. Because of this, there are some very specific tips to follow.
Prefer Promaster
There’s no coincidence that most of the watches on the list today are from Citizen’s Promaster line. That’s because these are professionally oriented watches, and some of the top Citizen watches, especially for the price. They’re aimed at people like divers, pilots, and soldiers — our core demographic.
Look at the experts
There are a lot of Citizen watches out there, but not every watch available from a mall kiosk is going to be as timeless as the Citizen NY series, as high-flying as the Nighthawk, or as luxurious as the Caliber 0100. Check with watch experts that you trust to sift through the large, tacky, and derivative watches from various brands at your local PX. That’s the entire reason this list exists.
Look at the bracelet
The strap, or bracelet, of a watch is often a place where low-end watches cut corners. Citizen is, unfortunately, no different. Bracelets with more links in the tank-tread-esque bracelets have more articulation and are more comfortable. Clasps that are milled, rather than pressed or stamped, are more sturdy and pinch fewer hairs. Having more holes of micro-adjustment on the clasp of the bracelet means that you can get your perfect fit.
FAQs about Citizen watches
Q: How accurate is a Citizen automatic watch?
A: Citizen automatic watches in the 8000-series are rated to plus or minus 20 seconds per day, but usually perform much better, especially if you regulate them.
Q: Are Citizen watches waterproof?
A: Citizen watches aren’t waterproof, since the preferred term is “water-resistant.” Nothing is truly waterproof. However, all of the watches on this list feature a good level of water resistance, and both of the Promaster divers are officially certified for SCUBA diving. Additionally, Citizen is credited with making the deepest-rated solar watch ever.
Q: Are Citizen watches high-end?
A: Citizen has some great high-end watches. The Caliber 0100 is on par with any Swiss watch you put it against, at the very least, and the newer automatic variant, the Series 8, seeks to recapture the performance luxury market.
Q: Are Citizen watches better than Rolex?
A: I don’t know any Rolex watches that keep time to within a second per year. Then again, they’ve never tried.
Final thoughts
Citizen watches are many things — misunderstood, affordable, solid, reliable, and underappreciated. We sifted through our entire experience with these watches to find the best Citizen watches for men, women, and everyone else, because frankly, they’re some of the best watches out there if you know where to look, especially on the budget end.
Methodology
The watches today were selected based on watches we’ve owned, watches we’ve recommended in the past, and watches that are legendary in their own right. These were selected from our own watch collections and the recommendations of watch aficionados across the world. Most of these satisfy two if not three of these categories since they’re all some of the best watches out there, and deserve their place in the pantheon of horology greats.