Now that solar watch technology is mature, there are quite a few more options out there than when I considered the problem for the first time, as a kid in the 1970s. I've always been fascinated by the idea of trying to create the ideal, completely autonomous watch – something that would have a more or less infinitely renewable power supply, and which would not rely for accuracy on anything other than its own intrinsic capabilities. In terms of accuracy, it's a remarkable achievement, and I think that while this non-solar powered version is a beautiful as well as technically intriguing watch, I'd probably look for one of the Eco-Drive models, were I to pick one up for myself. Where this watch really shines, of course, is not in the presentation of dazzling externals, but rather, in functionality. This is one area in which Citizen has been, and remains, an industry leader I can't think of another company that has succeeded as well as it has in wedding traditional analogue watch design with solar quartz technology, and this technical edge means that they can produce solar powered watches which have dials that give up nothing to more traditionally made dials but at the same time, can admit enough light to keep the movement humming away. Although this is not an Eco-Drive watch, there are light-powered versions of The Citizen as well. The dial is especially commendable – this model has a very deep, blue-black dial, with a lustrous, almost gem-like finish.
The obvious point of comparison is Grand Seiko, and while I feel that they still has an edge over The Citizen in terms of overall fit and finish, The Citizen still very much gives a definite and very positive impression of refinement and quality.
The externals of The Citizen are pretty much what you would expect from a flagship, high-accuracy quartz wristwatch from Japan. There's a tendency among mechanical watch enthusiasts to regard quartz watches as essentially all the same (and fundamentally unworthy of serious consideration) but this view, while it may be understandable, ignores the fact that there are, both functionally and aesthetically, sometimes very marked differences between the movement in a thirty or forty dollar entry level quartz watch, and one found in higher end offerings from brands as diverse as Breitling, Bulova, and Seiko, all of whom have in their current lineups, quartz watches that represent extremely dramatic improvements in quality and accuracy over more conventional offerings.
The world of "High Accuracy Quartz" watches (as they've been dubbed by the online watch community, where "HAQ" is a recognized acronym) is a highly specialized one, but within that world, there are a number of technically intriguing timepieces, including such forgotten exotica as the Pulsar PSR-10 and PSR-20, which were accurate to, respectively, 10 and 20 seconds ± per year.
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