The Best Watch I’ve Ever Bought! The Citizen AQ4091-56E Chronomaster Review

[@SamP.H-t1r]

Looks so good. I wish more companies got into solar quartz. They deserve a lot more attention and appreciation imo. It is great that you highlighted that there are levels to quartz and not all of them are cheap.

[@JohnBowl14690]

This watch better than any mechanical watch in every respect except one....people's mindset. It's better quality, more accurate, easier to maintain, etc etc. But people feel the need to pay for overpriced watches that are less accurate. I don't think that will change for the next 15 years or so. They're brainwashed.

[@damyr]

@@JohnBowl14690 Finally someone with a working brain. Practically every quality made quartz is infinitely better than any mechanical watch. It's just a much better technology... more reliable, more durable, more accurate and more practical in literally every sense. But people are confusing old, obsolete and today practically useless mechanical technology, with a beauty of arts and craftsmanship, not being aware that modern mechanical watches are mostly built with stamped out parts from Chinese factories (yes, even big Swiss watch companies do that).

[@JohnBowl14690]

@@damyr 👍

[@smokingbeetles5793]

If you care about accuracy get digital. The quarts econd hand does not have the sweeping motion. We like the automatic for the complication of movement.

[@damyr]

@@smokingbeetles5793 Quartz does have sweeping motion. For instance, the whole AliExpress quartz offering is about the mecha-quartz mvmt... Which I personally don't understand, because there's literally nothing less important in the whole universe then how the second hand moves. Tho, anyway hi-beat quartz movements have "sweepier" second hand than any mechanical mvmt ever built... so there's that. And it's funny to talk about the complication of movement. If you like wearing watches because of looking at cogs and wheels turning around, then all your watches should have an open back and you should wear them upside down, just to enjoy watching the movement. The function of telling the time is irrelevant, anyway. LOL Tho, if we really wanna talk about complication of movements, quartz is about trillions of times more complicated, especially when talking about digital watches, with electric circuit boards and liquid crystal displays... which is on a totally different level of engineering. Comparing any, even the most complicated, mechanical mvmt with the most simple quartz mvmt, is like comparing a bicycle with a modern sports car engine... But hey, wearing a watch is all about the things we don't actually see, right? Right? xD

[@jerryglasses]

I don't even need to watch the vid. A060 is a better movement than the 9f. No battery and perpetual calendar. And comparing to a similar priced GS, you get more. Nicer bracelet, and lume. I almost bought one but got a good deal on a Railmaster. Edit I commented before watching the vid. And this is now my fav watch channel. Props for calling out the snobbery.

[@RelativeTime]

How do you like your railmaster? I always wanted one, but now I feel like I have too many similar watches to it.

[@e28forever30]

There is still a battery in there, be it a rechargeable one…

[@jerryglasses]

Great watch. Torn between this Citizen, the GS sbgv245 and the silver Railmaster. It's a great watch. It's essentially a field version of the Aqua Terra for a lot cheaper. The silver dial is what won me over. It shimmers in the light beautifully. One grip. Uses a butterfly clasp. I don't mind but I think works better on dressier pieces. The RM is all brushed and casual. A small divers clasp would have been more fitting. Funny thing is I also ended up buying an Astron a couple of months later. So two watches when one probably would have worked. But that's watch collecting.

[@RelativeTime]

@@e28forever30 true, but the battery should last a lot longer. Whereas a 9f Grand Seiko lasts 3 years.

[@Gary-li7ib]

​​@@jerryglassesI own a Citizen AQ4100-14L and an SBGV245. I reach for the Citizen a lot more. It's a lot lighter and more comfortable because of the titanium but it still looks like a really well finished stainless steel watch because of the duratect platinum coating which helps prevent scratches too (something the GS picks up too easily). The crystal is clearer and the movement is better too (solar, perpetual calendar etc). I initially brought the GS after researching it for months whereas the Citizen was a bit more of an impulse/opportunistic purchase because it was a really good deal and has pretty much become my favourite watch.

[@adk7962]

The longer I am in this hobby, the more I am appreciating quartz watches. The 5 seconds a year is mind boggling. I can’t quite afford this, but the Oceanus keeps surpassing other watches I want to buy. Head in a-…😅

[@johncurtis6815]

Nothing beats the value of the Oceanus. It’s not even close. The Oceanus 🌊 is my favorite watch and I own: Omega, Breitling, Bulova, Citizen and seikos.

[@johanvandersandt8904]

Totally agree. Mechanicals are great to marvel at but 80% of the time I just want something accurate and hassle free!

[@keitha.9788]

Look at the Seiko Astron. - Solar powered, built-in GPS receiver. Same long term stability as the GPS system - +/- 1 second in 100,000 years.....

[@adk7962]

@@keitha.9788 Very cool. Again. I’m fairly new to the hobby. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@richardmorris7063]

Having self winding automatic watches can be a beast of burden. Either get watch winders or let them sit stagnant. Of course you could always self wind em everyday I guess. Simplicity is good sometimes..

[@jeffmagic32]

I have a two tone chronomaster I got for $700 used including imports and taxes. The finishing is clearly better than a Rolex and its a super acurate perpetual calendar, so I literally only needed to set it once. Amazing value.

[@TheFuturisticVintage]

Finishing looks great! Love the crest on the dial

[@richardmorris7063]

Its a beauty, no denying that.

[@Lanciarules]

Since I have several watches that I wear in rotation, I prefer traditional battery quartz in order to be not worried of leaving it to the sun, so I still prefer Grand Seiko 9f. This citizen is perfect for a one watch collection as an exit watch.

[@Black_Cat_997]

Unless left in a dark drawer for months at a time I have never seen one of these solar watches lose a charge. I have never had a need to "leave it in the sun". Just in a place where it gets some level of light exposure. Though I have never owned one of the ultra high end Citizen solar movements before so maybe it is different.

[@johncurtis6815]

Yet another reason the Casio Oceanus is the best bang for the buck solar quartz on the market and it’s not even close. Incredible finishing, solar life to keep the watch functioning up to 6 months at full charge, beautiful crystal, atomic clock/radio controlled, perpetual calendar as well as Bluetooth timekeeping. All for…$350. 🎉

[@RelativeTime]

Hard to go wrong with Oceanus. Had t200 and only sold it when I bought the s5000.

[@johncurtis6815]

@@RelativeTime Considering the Oceanus provides everything this citizen does at a mere fraction of the cost, shows just how out of touch the pricing of this Citizen model is. My Oceanus is my most worn watch out of my entire collection. It’s the best value per dollar solar watch on the market by a mile.

[@RelativeTime]

@@johncurtis6815 well I wouldn't say exactly that. I've owned one, and love s5000. Of which I actually paid about the same for this that I did the s5000. But they are somewhat different watches with different technologies.

[@johncurtis6815]

@@RelativeTimePlease tell me how they are different in any material way. The Oceanus is finished in/near the same factory that provides zaratsu polishing. The Oceanus has tough solar movement, reserve power of up to 6 months of operation, Atomic clock time sync, Bluetooth time sync, perpetual calendar, etc. for again, an absolute fraction of the price. I picked up a t200 directly from Japan, shipped to me, for less than $350…the s100 can be had for roughly $400 if you prefer titanium. To pay more than a grand for this citizen is absolutely laughable.

[@RelativeTime]

@johncurtis6815 First off, let me just say I’m not trying to pick a fight. I’m just saying that from my opinion… one from someone who also loves Oceanus, it’s not an apples to apples comparison. So accept it for what it is, or not. But since you asked… and I assume here you’re talking about an S100 or T200. Of which let me be clear… are amazing watches for the price… I would recommend them to anyone. But from what I remember the case design is a little more complex leading to a little more interesting finishing. The dial, hands and indices are clearly better on the citizen. In fact my one complaint against my S5000 is that the hands are a little simple and rough compared to how great the dial looks. I’m also going off memory here, but I think the bracelet isn’t as good… and I’m saying that because I remember thinking the Oceanus S5000 bracelet was a little better the the T200 I had, and the The citizen is more like that. Then there is of course the movements… your talking High Accuracy Quartz vs a Multiband / BT movement. Two very different technologies that are solving the same problem. Now do you need HAQ… no and I clearly say that in the video. That for many people multiband / BT / GPS makes it obsolete. But they are still very different in how they operate and cost to make. So I don’t think you can say they are the same… that’s like saying a 4cyl turbo is the same as a naturally aspirated 6cyl engine. Or that a CVT is just like a regular transmission. They both accomplish the same thing, but offer different experiences. It should be pointed out that multiband won’t work for everyone everywhere. Especially if they ever shut down the radio towers… something they came close to doing in 2019 here in the US. Defunding them was on the NIST budget, only to be reversed at the last minute.

[@georgetorres1739]

I wish I could afford that much for this watch. It clicks all the boxes. 5 second accuracy for a year is amazing. The watch I use to set my watches to is Casio Lineage Waveceptor 5174LIW-M700, which gives me 15 seconds a month, which thrills me. Maybe I'll work up to an Oceanus, but for now, I'll be grateful to have at least seen this one. Thanks Sean.

[@allegedkurd]

Honestly most of the super watch nerds I've met LOVE high end quartz watches. People forget that quartz can be luxurious.

[@bignz721]

This and the Bulova Super Seville are really stepping up the dress quartz. Remember: Rolex, Omega, etc all bought into the quartz tech because is truly superior (then unheard of accuracy). It's great that we appreciated the tradition of mechanical watch (my vote for greatest machine that man has ever made) but sometimes you just cannot beat a quartz that you can set & forget. Great for a beater; still great for a fine-looking GADA.

[@jkratoville]

The best part of this video is watching you share the joy and satisfaction of a watch that fits your style and vibe (It does!) Many of us quartz people watch your vids. You don't have to convince us of the value of accuracy. But seriously, I now better understand the concept of "quality" quartz watches that push $1,000 and up.

[@n.s.r154]

One thing you haven't covered or possibly not aware of is the movement action; more specifically how well it works. Part of what you're not aware of seeing is how precisely the second hand moves. When a regular quartz' second hand ticks, it rattles after the event, while the second hand of The Citizen stops dead. Compare it against other quartz watches using a high speed video. Furthermore, the minute hand updates every second, not every 10 seconds like other quartz watches; observe with some macro footage while the second hand passes over the minute hand.

[@davidsenior5149]

Yes I have two. The AQ4100-06W green washi paper. It has a piece of clear polycarbonate on top of the washi paper and the AQ4100-57L sun burst blue. Love them both great watches.

[@stevemoon2136]

Nice, bru.

[@shj2000]

I dig this watch. Solar quartz tech is just amazing

[@nono-jj4yv]

man I remember you, you commented on a video from 'This Watch That Watch' and he pointed out the moustache... lol

[@Gary-li7ib]

Your experience pretty much mirrors my own. Brought a used AQ4100-14L for a really good price and its become one of my favourite watches. Killer finishing, the case is bright like steel, always accurate and the crystal is so clear it almost dissapears. This range of Citizens are the type of watches you might have to see in person before you truly "get it"

[@RelativeTime]

You may be right. With some of the more expensive watches it takes seeing them in person to really appreciate them.

[@rauliflemington7045]

Thankyou Shane, another wonderfully presented and narrated review. As an insane watch collector and photographer, I find your work inspires, mesmerises, informs and entertains and I appreciate your considerable efforts. You make it look easy. Cheers from Australia.

[@RelativeTime]

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed it. 🤜

[@fergfour]

I like quartz as much as autos. I would have preferred 38-39mm. I don't like how the tiny crown looks. The should have either made the crown bigger or the crown guards closer together.

[@nono-jj4yv]

if anything, quartz watches deserve to have a screw down crown than mechanical ones

[@fergfour]

I would prefer a screwdown as well but really my comment is mainly about the appearance of the crown.

[@PheasantPluckersMate]

Agreed - the only visual clanger!

[@nono-jj4yv]

@@fergfour yes, it looks kinda cheap, if there weren't crown guards, it'd look fine

[@siddhant46s54]

There’s the AQ4100 series from the same “The Citizen “ brand with the same fit and finish and movement but at 38.3mm , with a different case design which I actually prefer to the model in the video, do check it out !

[@jimreece7615]

I’m really interested in this and GS quartz, to accompany my automatic watches. Sometimes, I want to know I have the exact time.

[@maidpretty]

Citizen Chickenmaster with its timeless design is a prime example of an endgame or "one piece collection" watch that you buy and wear everyday.

[@RelativeTime]

Agreed... I could see this being the last watch someone ever buys. You can get something that might look fancier, or have a more prestigious name on it, but it won't be a better watch.

[@mcroadtrip7313]

I agree 😄

[@ofb7212]

They should have given this the smooth second hand sweep that the Bulova Precisionist movement has. I really hate the 1second tick

[@tiggxtreme]

Apparently the “hi-beat” quartz movements consume a ton of power, maybe more than solar can handle which is why I haven’t seen a solar version of those movements

[@RelativeTime]

It would be cool if they could somehow combine the solar HAQ and the smooth sweep.

[@thomasstratford6227]

Screams Miyota 2035, which there have been 5 billion built since 1981, and if having to replace one, will set you back $2.00

[@rauliflemington7045]

The 'one second tick' characteristic of quartz movements assists greatly in visually defining the passage of a second when timing something.

[@petermartin9494]

It is a magnificent watch. I would seriously consider one if I did not already have too many watches.

[@mcroadtrip7313]

I have AQ-4000-51E & I loved it. It ticks all the boxes I wanted in a quartz watch: Case design & size, Perpetual Calendar, HAQ, solar powered.

[@bobmcmahon9528]

Great video, I'm a Citizen/solar fan and hope to own one of these someday. Beautiful watch and you captured the beauty of it with your excellent macro shots. Well done!

[@planettudor]

The most important for me when it comes to watches is that they are reliable and looks good. This one nailed it. I have to start my hunt for one. I guess it will be awesome with a black rubber band. Thank you for a very thorough review. Keep up the good work

[@Box_13]

Gorgeous watch. An understated powerhouse and is one of those watches that "if you know, you know" for those deep in love with this hobby. "The Citizen" and that logo make me think of the movie "Starship Troopers".

[@anorax001]

I love solar Quartz watches and I can't fault this watch you have featured. This Citizen is a great balanced watch. Titanium, sapphire, solar, high accuracy, and a beautiful dial. That Oceanus you have is awesome. It is a shame Casio has such a limited range for Oceanus and this brand is not even available in my country.

[@scottlewis2372]

I've seen other reviews of that watch, Jody's, for example, but no one did it as well as you. For one, you're the only one who touched on the radio technology watches as an alternative to an HAQ. In truth, I think HAQ is technology for its own sake, like higher end mechanicals. And I like that. I've been dabbling in HAQ like you. I have a Certina chronograph powered by the HAQ Precidrive, a recently acquired VHP (your blue one is gorgeous), and a Bulova Lunar Pilot. I'm pretty much over my Oceanus interest and have a GS 9F gnawing at me, but it may have to take a back seat to a Chronochicken. Thanks for the review.

[@stavros_katsopr]

Ready or not, Quartz up. Rest is for watch snobs. Cheers Shane, be well mate and enjoy this beauty.

[@khemchatr]

It’s luxurious in itself, never need a battery change, super accurate and elegant.

[@DumasMoran]

I started out collecting Citizen solars. I have about 30 now, and moved on to Seiko 5s & other autos. Now that Ali Express isn't doing anything revolutionary for me anymore, and my snobbery has died down, I'm rediscovering the reason I loved the Ecos to begin with. Simple functionality and awesome looks. Only 4 years ago I was snagging Ecos for $150US all day, including titaniums. Not sure that's a thing anymore, but am still on the lookout. Cheers

[@petervanvalkenburg1147]

Citizen is amazing! I love them. The seconds hand is always in perfect alignment so it makes the quartz not even an issue! Please anyone who's not bought in yet try em!!!

[@sivanstar]

I love my eco drives! I have an Orca, dress and a super titanium armor chronograph and though i love it, i found out that if it says "base titanium" on the caseback it is not as scratch resistant as having a scratch coating. Its the "lower" level titanium CItizen uses. Ben has Done several videos on diff materials and scratch resistance including Citizen super ti but do your own reaserch.. Still love it.. amazing watches.. we might not like it as watch collectors but eco drive is the future..

[@SteveBetton]

Thanks Shane, for a great personalized review. I have the older white Washi dial Chronomaster, and love it for all the attributes you mentioned. There is so much more going on with this watch than just simply a quartz. movement. It continues to make me smile when it is on my wrist. While I enjoy watching a smooth sweeping second hand; for me, watching that second hand tick over and land precisely on each marker, every time, is very satisfying as well.

[@ghegeler]

Another great video -and great watch! I am really impressed with the jumping hour hand and the way it allows you to change the time without stopping the watch. And I am glad you pointed out the push-pull crown, which also looked a bit undersized. But the best thing I heard was the accuracy and lack of battery changes -amazing!

[@garethhanna9173]

This is tempting. I have the quartz triumvirate: Oceanus, Jetstar, G Shock GW-M5610U. This would be a nice addition, if a bit on the pricey side.

[@fjdcwc832]

Thank you for the review! Really love what Japanese companies are doing with quartz. The set and forget, solar powered, titanium, high accuracy quartz watch is a magical tool.

[@Aliens_Gonna_Get_Ya]

Always very kool reviews 😎… recently got my 1st couple of Citizens… an old Promaster & a new EcoDrive… really like them both… 👍😊

[@chevy4x466]

I like the Boluva 262 movement how the second hand sweeps, the citizens move the second hand like any other quarts. I love the titanium of citizens.

[@GadgetyMV]

It's a great watch. Design wise I prefer the former "Chronomaster" text than the bird symbol, although I can see why they went with a symbol rather than text. I wish they'd bring out a 0100 caliber watch with at least 10 ATM WR and a date. I saw someone who's actually timed their 0100 watch and it's still less than a second off after 5 years.

[@bt3750]

I own this in blue. Citizen grows their own crystals and then tests them. Only the best crystals make it into their high-end watches.

[@fuloplehel]

Great review, I love citizen watches, I'm wearing the new citizen promaster land combination watch at work, and I like it. But this is a great watch you have, one of the most accurate ones, and there is one even better, I think it's the caliber 0100, accurate to 1 second a year.

[@chuckmontgomery7571]

When I got ready to retire my Orient Kamasu from being my daily wear beater because the bezel was getting too beat up, I did a bunch of thinking and researching and landed on a Citizen Pro Master Land. Day/Date, Solar, perpetual calendar, with radio atomic clock synchronization and no bezel. It's titanium with some level of scratch resistance but i have managed to scratch it. I also landed on a JDM model so I use a phone app to do the radio synch when the time changes. Still more accurate at the end of the months between time changes than the Orient was over the course of a day. And when i take it off at the end of my work week and put on my nicer autos, that Citizen will still be keeping great time when I pick it back up. I still think for a nice quartz I'm looking toward that Bulova JetStar for now. I'll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for a ChronoChicken eventually though. I kind of want to see that brown/yellow one in the metal...

[@bandwagon240]

I just wish it had a sweeping second hand at that price. If it did, it would be the ultimate GS alternative.

[@4747da]

I've just started collecting watches, and have learnt to appreciate quartz for a simple reason: they are cheaper. The trick is to find the models where the company invested in design and materials, because a lot of companies will marry their flagship models with a mechanical movement. It's a bit like almost all classic men's shoes brands use Goodyear welting, even though other methods can be cheaper and the difference would be negligible.

[@jonrutherford6852]

Total agreement on the (phony) quartz vs. mechanical/automatic issue. There's room for every type of watch movement in the watch-enthusiast universe, and "different" doesn't equate to "worse" in watches any more than in their wearers and collectors. It's possible to enjoy the quirks and rough places in both people and machinery.

[@watchchimp3102]

Looks good! Quartz? I am not, or have I ever been, "anti-quartz," but I am anti-battery, and I have been for over 30 years! My first "anti-battery" watch was a Seiko Kinetic. Nice, but heavy. Then a Citizen Solar Tech. A titanium watch that, despite heavy use and the capacitor dying, still looks incredible! 👌 For many years, my daily was one Citizen Eco-Drive or another! And they're still watches I go back to and buy! At the end of the day, though, how many Solar watches is it practical to own? My move into higher end automatic watches was the inevitable destination. Being squeezed between my modern Solar and collection of vintage mechanical watches. There's something magical about picking up a 50-70 year old watch, giving it a little shake and seeing it spring to life! You can't do that with a battery-powered watch, or probably any quartz watch! 😢

[@KornettenJoel]

I so feel you. A solar watch gets its life from the same source as you do, an automatic watch gets its life from your movements, a manual wind gets its life from you deliberately giving it life. A battery watch just dies and gets new life by a stranger. My favourite watch (right now) is probably my great-grandfather's manual wind from '49, and its only second on my wrist after a modern solar seiko, which can take, and does take, a beating regularly

[@thealphabethalls]

I have a 8 year old Seiko Astron which is very similar in many ways. Solar, the “battery” still shows full though it is only worn weekly now and lives in a watch box the rest of the time. Finishing is superb (similar coating to retain the polish) and the crystal is invisible. But it does drift off time if it can’t sync for a week. I also have a Bulova Jetstar (red like yours, Shane) and love it for different reasons. So many watches, so few wrists.

[@gregsmith7821]

Great review. Already have a few j-quartz and have had my eye on the indigo chrono since it came out. Have to agree with all said here. Nothing to add, nothing to criticise. Well done.👍

[@eugenkorn5928]

Fantastic watch! I have 2 Chronomasters in collection - stainless steel aq1030 and 25th anniversary aq4042 and I love them!

[@ZachBie]

I have the blue dial version of this watch and a Grand Seiko spring drive. Both are amazing and if I had to choose to keep just one, it would be a hard decision. I really love that Citizen does titanium better than any other brand. Finished in a way that doesn’t look like titanium or steel, but something else. Interestingly, my paper dial has a stronger texture than your watch. Might be the way the color reflects light differently. Both of the two above mentioned watches are 40mm by 12mm, but the Citizen wears smaller. I’m getting closer to +7 seconds on my watch, which is fairly typical for this Citizen watch. This is still AMAZING, but falls outside of their marketing claims. Generally consensus is that these Citizen and Grand Seiko 9F accuracy are about the same in real use. Big win to The Citizen is the jumping hour on all models (about 1/2 of the quartz Grand Seiko’s have the 9F61 without this feature). You can use this to jump the date forward or backward and it proved super useful when I visited Japan again earlier this year.

[@dahak972]

Citizen has really stepped up their game lately. I have the Series 8 Pepsi GMT with the 9054 movement and it’s only three seconds fast after wearing it for ten days straight, only taking it off for showers. I’ve got an eco-drive that’s 24 years old and still going strong. I’m waiting on the indigo died Washi paper The Citizen to come in the mail. They are worth every penny.

[@mjhastings4534]

This watch is insane in the metal! Crazy value perpetual calendar, jumping hour hand and accurate solar wow!

[@entropicallydriven]

YES SHANE! I echo all the praise you gave and thank you for dismissing the quartz haters 👊 I’ve owned the indigo variant for a little less than a year (only +2 sec!) and I am absolutely in love with it. Great review!

[@infinitekronos]

Such a great video! I've been one of those "quartz watches shouldn't cost a ton of money!" I must say you have really changed my perspective. I do love the washi paper dial and all the thought that went into this watch. Thanks again for the review.! Take care.

[@RelativeTime]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed watching it. There are some nice quartz watches out there, just have to look for them.

[@slowbluesmaster]

Citizen fan and quartz aficionado here. I'm the proud owner of a The Citizen AQ4100-06W. None better.

[@Sabundy]

Citizen is criminally underrated in my opinion.

[@chrisp.5272]

Such a beautiful watch, makes me want a Casio Oceanus so much more. I’m a Citizen Casio fan to say the least. Atomic time, and quality similar to Grand Seiko and Citizen Chronomasters for 1/4 the price.

[@anthonyprice5596]

Thank you, you've made me feel so much better about my GSHOCK!!

[@RelativeTime]

Which one?

[@steveb4012]

Solar Quartz and A.T just rocks. I love Citizen, also enjoying a few Bluetooth G-Shocks. Your watch will blow any Rolex away for timekeeping. , which after all, is the function of a watch.

[@richardmorris7063]

I still like to collect pricey watches w/ well known names but I get almost equally excited about less expensive quartz. I ordered a Seiko Seikoanaut in gold w/ brown rubber to mimmick AP. Also picked up a Citizen Trump racer. Pictures do not do it justice. Dial is like a dark charcoal grey/gree.,Pushers & crown are at the top & bracelet is one of the best I've ever seen. When it articulates there are shiny bits that sparkle but not obnoxiously. Less than 1500$ for both.

[@teamhonn]

Tanks great review. Citizen is making some amazing watches

[@SouthPadreTony]

I love the chrono-chicken!

[@tkindschi]

For most of my working career, (retired now), I was a Citizen Eco-Drive, quartz, atomic time adjusting, "One Watch for Me!" guy. And if you JUST want a watch for it's intended purpose, it's hard to argue against these. But I got interested in the mechanical thing, and the variety available, and haven't wandered back yet. Maybe I will someday....but probably won't.

[@RelativeTime]

You might... I did. I think there is a balance to be had with each collection and room for each. Like too many quartz and automatics become much more interesting. But too many automatics and a lot of busy morningS and you sometimes want something nice that's already set and ready to go. That or an impatient spouse who gets annoyed every time you stop to set your watch before heading out the door. 😁

[@Jasebha]

It's a beautiful, elegant piece. And I'm no quartz snob - my collection features a number of them, including a solar quartz dive watch. But when you said the MRP, I blurted out two words beginning with F and O to an empty room, and they weren't 'fair offer'. I'm just not worried enough about 5 secs per year accuracy to go anywhere near that kind of money for this, given what else you can get for similar figures. You also mentioned that people who have these will never give them up, but that you got yours used - so somebody clearly has. A lovely, lovely watch - but no. Not at that money.

[@RelativeTime]

More the SARB033s that I've heard many say they will never give up. For what it's worth I paid less than half of MSRP for mine. So you can find them for much cheaper if you're patient.

[@Jasebha]

@@RelativeTime Ah, OK, sir. I misunderstood on first listen - apologies. At less than half, it's a much more reasonable proposition. But even then, the competition at around a grand is pretty fierce, I think.

[@greggusan]

Great review, I and like this watch very much. Some of my favorite watches are quartz, so not put off by that at all. Especially here, given that it's a high accuracy, solar AND a perpetual calendar WITH a jumping hour hand. Fabulous! Very nice case and finishing. But...at this price point (especially having a quartz movement, even one as high spec'd as this), an adjustable on-the-fly clasp is a must.

[@TheGrandSeikopath]

There's a reason why Grand Seiko offers inferior accuracy of their battery powered quartz watches and still can charge more than Citizen for their superior Chronomaster line watches. Grand Seiko did a lot more in the past ten years, to convince potential buyers to part with their money, than Citizen ever did. Long story short, when you consider buying a premium watch, things like brand perception start to kick in. Moreover, Grand Seiko guarantees that their newer quartz movements can be actually repaired and serviced with intervals between 25 and 50 years. It's something Citizen has yet to achieve, as for now this aspect is a question mark. In my opinion, they should focus on promoting and developing their sister brand - Campanola. Great quartz watches, not for everyone though, as their design might be off-putting. Btw. if newer Citizen Chronomaster watches seem a bit too much in terms of price, you can check their older models, like AQ4000-51E or AQ3001-54E. The same fit and finish, where older doesn't mean worse in this case. Both watches come from the very same Chronomaster line.

[@richardmorris7063]

Citizen Eco are my daily go to watch,I have three. Accuracy & no need for battery plus most way under a thousand dollars.

[@peternerenst]

Incredibly nice watch. And a very nice review!!!

[@RelativeTime]

Thank you kindly!

[@hormazdirani1431]

Citizen has all the tools to fight back and I am glad it did.😊

[@richardmorris7063]

I was at my AD dealer yesterday, Citizen always has gorgeous watches that draw me in, the Tsuno Racer got me yesterday, pics do not do it justice. Its my 4th Citizen.

[@bonnland]

Hi Shane! I hope they keep making more options in the solar sport watch category. Are Citizen and Casio leading the way, or are there other brands to keep an eye on? A well thought-out design that is truly convenient, such as the jump hour time setting feature, plus the attention to aesthetics, is something that would push me to spend this kind of extra money on a watch. Thanks as always for the worthwhile eye candy!!

[@silkytp789]

I'm a solar only guy. Nothing beats the accuracy. It's like the difference between someone who works on old cars and someone who drives new cars. I'm the new car driver.

[@Golem.8088]

If it's only about accuracy, then the screen of your phone will eventually be more accurate than even the most accurate quartz watch.

[@silkytp789]

@@Golem.8088 not mine... I have a citizen ProMaster land that sync's with the atomic clock daily. Plus, I'm 64 and have always worn a watch. And as I said earlier, some guys like working on older classic cars, and some prefer new ones. (Shrug)

[@richardmorris7063]

I'm about variety, I like Eco watches for daily but still like Swiss mechanical. I have watches from 250$-12,000$. Does the 12k watch bring me 30 times the joy? No but in a pinch I can still sell it for 10k+.

[@silkytp789]

@@richardmorris7063 totally get that.

[@invexx]

@@Golem.8088 Not true. Phone time can be off by many seconds according to Atomic Time app.

[@link4444swords]

This is a grail quartz watch for me. I'm aiming for the blue washi dial.

[@RelativeTime]

The blue one looks really cool.

[@jokur2630]

Love this. My current grail is their red washi paper dial. Think it was a Chronomaster though, thanks for sharing this one!

[@RelativeTime]

The red one looks sharp!

[@dunderhay9169]

Great review of a beautiful watch 👍. I love the idea of owning a watch that is independently accurate to 5 seconds a year, the jump hour hand is an elegant answer to travelling and DST too. I'm so glad I just picked up an Oceanus t200, I don't feel quite the envy I would otherwise 😁

[@franklaoshi7527]

I’ve got 2 seiko and 2 Casio and totally happy with it

[@neilbotha3527]

Great review. Also have a few auto’s but you can’t beat a quality quartz. Beautiful piece and I can see the value even though pretty pricey

[@RelativeTime]

Especially when you don’t have to service it every 7 years or so.

[@bayouboy8644]

Great info, and it's thoughtful in its presentation. Im wondering where you can it for the 2490 ?? price.

[@RelativeTime]

eBay is probably the easiest way to find one right now. Otherwise maybe one of those shops that specializes in JDM watches.

[@bayouboy8644]

@@RelativeTime I see them online but there 4,420 for the charcoal

[@Cravenfr]

Great video ! 🙏There are some watches, few of them, that I look at as "watches to quit the game" sort of watches. The Citizen collection are one of them, once you get one you don't really need anything else. Great looking, elegant, incredible specs, it's Grand Seiko territory but solar and insanely accurate. One day I will restrein my collection to less and less watches, this one will be a banger, the difficulty will be to choose a color, and amazing feature, washi paper dial making unique paterne between each dial. To anti Quartz guys : Do you've seen how cool are The Citizen mechanical ? You will be blown ! 😉

[@jimblack8104]

I was going to import one of these from Japan but I got a GS instead. Spring drive

[@RelativeTime]

Hard to go wrong with a spring drive. They are amazing.

[@bobbailey6398]

Im not a quartz enthusiast by any means but my beater watch is a quartz. There is a value to having it there and ready to go without a ton of drama. I really like that you do now have experience with higher end brands. Now when you say the finishing is fantastic (for example) I know you have actually seen fantastic finishing. 2500 for a citizen though? Yikes. Couldn’t do that. Does that make me a snob.?

[@alexfarid5144]

Expensive quartz watch , i like mechanical watches . I had a Citizen watch 50 years ago and was a great watch.

[@Peter-Alexander]

Looks like an ideal watch! I hope the dial is UV resistant for this price point. Do you know if the paper dial is?

[@FiremanFrach]

Nice watch. I feel the same way about my Citizen BN0191-55L. We have the same size wrist so 40 mm is the smallest I would go, trend or no trend.

[@ArmandBisho]

I do own the watch and from my experiance its a realy good timepiece i do agree with your coments everything on point.

[@nkr1159]

I usually don't care much for fancy dial textures but this one is understated and spot on, just like the whole dial and overall proportions. If only the crown was a touch bigger and screwed down - not sure I'd risk swimming with this despite the claimed 100m WR.

[@richardmorris7063]

I don't even wear any watch in the shower. My pool has chemicals, I'm fussy about keeping my pieces perfect no matter how much I spend.

[@Timo-y8p]

CITIZEN deserves praise and recognition for their mission statement: “Better starts now”. It’s such a strong motivation and brand identity, compared to brands like ROLEX. What’s their mission statement? “Get on the List!?”

[@djlakin1494]

Hi , great video showing off the high accuracy quartz movement . As good as this is , I will stick with my Grand Seiko 9 F Quartz which I have had for 9 years and is accurate to approx 2 seconds per year and the movement itself looks glorious . Cheers Dave

[@RelativeTime]

Hard to go wrong with GS. Dials are the best out there, and the 9f has one distinct advantage by easily being able to adjust its rate. I just wish they had more titanium 9f watches. I think there is maybe one right now still in production.

[@steven3379]

Citizen will, as a brand, in my mind, always come in second to Seiko. I definitely want to see the movement for that much money.. Good video thanks for sharing.

[@RelativeTime]

Do you think it is like a Coke / Pepsi thing? Like in my mind Pepsi is always 2nd place to Coke. Which it was for the longest time.

[@steven3379]

@@RelativeTime Absolutely 😉

[@harrycee656]

💯 legit reason for Quartz. I have a Citizen perpetual and 2 Casios for the I am late grab and go scenario. A watch on wrist is better than nothing IMO. I am not trying to impress anyone. No one except me cares about what is on my wrist. When inhave time then i go to my box and pick up my Sarb033, Nomos, Vario, Farer, blah, blah blah.... I need a 1 inch thicker wrist and a slga025 in my life to complete my collection for now.

[@patrickhartmann1540]

Own a prior gen steel Chronomaster, and I say the same thing about it. Better finishing, execution, etc. etc. than my watches 3 times the $. Jody Musgrove also loves his and modeled his GAGA release after it(other influences admittedly). The watch is awesome.

[@Out1sSaidAsOat]

I honestly can't justify purchasing this over a Seiko Presage SARX057 which is also titanium and i dont mean to be a movement snob cuz the 6R15 isnt fantastic movement by any means but at least i could see a relatively smooth seconds hand compared to a ticking quartz. At the same time, absolutely adore my Seiko SBDN075 which is also a solar quartz. But anything over $2000 for a CITIZEN quartz of any variant and justifying it with just a titanium factor is RIDICULOUS, personally. yea that dial is nice, saw it around japan during my recent visit but that price tag is 2x of what it should be

[@RelativeTime]

Fair enough, everyone loves different watches for different reasons. But what do you think about Grand Seiko quartz watches? Now I think I did get really lucky with this one. It was used and I paid less than half MSRP, but showed up practically mint. So for what I paid, I'm very happy.

[@bmwresto]

I was on board until I heard no screw down crown. It would need to go on vacation , in the water etc. GADA is what I'd love to find. This one was real close!

[@LastNineBreaker]

I used to hate quartz until I started collecting. All-metal quartz movements that can be serviced last as long as automatics. I have the older white Washi paper dial, I paid $2300 for it when I could have gotten a like-new regular silver or blue dial version with the same movement…. for $700 on Yahoo Japan. I paid so much extra because I knew I would not like the regular ones with different dial, hour markers, and case shape.

[@RelativeTime]

How do you like it?

[@LastNineBreaker]

Had a typo. Meant to say when I started “collecting vintage”. I have the AQ4020-54Y. It grew on me very quickly after having doubts at first. I don’t like paying that much for a watch, but it’s a grail and I know I’d regret it. Now it takes half my wrist time. I do agree that the nature of the paper makes it easier to read without any glare getting in the way of the high-polished angles. Somehow crown guards with a bracelet hits home specifically on these otherwise dressy watches. I imagine these watches will rise in price to match Grand Seiko in the coming years, much like Grand Seiko is now double the price compared to what they used to be.

[@rag_man673]

I think it's a stunning looking watch, but I already have 5 solar watches and I work nights so I'm struggling to keep them charged. Right now I have a Seiko Coutura perpetual that is flat due to this. I live in Australia so even putting on a windowsill for 1/5 hour, it gets extremely hot. (I actually think I damaged my Seiko from this as it doesn't hold charge any longer than around 3 months now). I'd love to see a video on keeping them charged safely and possibly a solar charging station of sorts for collections like mine.

[@royaldahlia]

to be fair, it should be attesa from citizen for casio oceanus

[@PheasantPluckersMate]

Great watch and review, Shane! That ChronChicken does have quite the ‘set’ on ‘im.

[@KabobHope]

At 40 mm diameter I would have to try it on first because I'm afraid it would wear a little large for my taste. I could probably wear it, but every time I wore it I would be reminded that I just prefer something smaller.

[@Koishishibaman]

Great review. Thanks. I have looked at this line for a long time, but never bought one. Think very good value if you don't pay MSRP. Great watches for the money. The citizen solar quartz line is amazing. The apocalypse watch to have😂. Have a couple of divers. Accurate enough for daily use. For me, it would be the paper dial, not the movement that would make me buy one. Quartz, vs mechanical? Easy, have both. I have many mechanical watches, maybe a dozen quartz. Kind of funny. My 9f movements are very accurate along with my Bulova. Then there is the freak. Have a 70s king Seiko quartz. This one seems to keep time with my 9f watches.❤

[@remus2001]

I believe that on these watches the solar cell is not under the dial, but under the chapter ring.

[@RelativeTime]

Could be. Citizen has gotten really good at integrating them with impacting the design at all.

[@tizombie]

Congratulations 🍾. Great looking watch. Wear it in good health.

[@RelativeTime]

Thanks, I will!

[@vonkruel]

Grand Seiko makes beautiful quartz pieces, but this would be my own personal choice for a quartz grail -- specifically AQ4091-56L (blue dial). About accuracy: I think the differences in specifications (e.g. +/- 5 spy vs. +/- 10 spy) may have more to do with manufacturer judgement rather vs. the actual capabilities of the movements. Long term, I might give the edge to Grand Seiko for accuracy because they provide a trimmer on the movement that allows you to compensate for changing behavior of the crystal over a period of decades. However, the accuracy will be *Just Fine* on both, so for me it comes down to comfort & overall design, and there I think Citizen comes out ahead. I already know Citizen does a great job with titanium, too, because I have a super titanium watch (Citizen Promaster Land AT6080-53L) that's very comfortable and durable. I consider this watch a connoisseur's choice for a quartz daily. Some wouldn't want to spend this much on a quartz, and I won't presume to tell them what to do, but these are beautiful watches & packed with features. Not radio reception or GPS or Bluetooth, though -- who needs 'em when you've got incredible accuracy.

[@RelativeTime]

The accuracy could just be their comfort levels. I know that happened with Bulova Percussionist watches. Used to be +-10/ year. But in the last few years they changed that to 5 / month.