Its pretty much the Grand Seiko line of Orient. Beauts. I've heard that they're very very slightly less quality than Grand Seiko, but still incredibly well done.
Thanks to WUS thread and CitizenM, I bought a watch an hour ago... Citizen Signature Automatic
5
So, this morning I was reading the thread that CitizenM posted about some of the new Citizen Signature automatic watches, their new movements and designs, really just a great thread. As always, his posts contain just a wealth of information, along with some tempting pics. Turns out some of the photos were from Joe at AZ Finetime (forum sponsor) and so, in a fit of "WTH" I headed up to their shop, just a few hours ago.
Saw the new Citizens, and they are stunning. I mean, truly, just gorgeous watches. I am tempted to say "for the money", but the fact is, that they are beautiful regardless of price. As in all of Citizen's better offerings, the AR and crystal are impeccable. Not only is the dial stunning, but it SHINES under the loupe (I highly recommend each and every one of you get a loupe if you don't have one already, an indispensable watch accessory IMO...) Blued hands are clean and crisp, and the lume is outstanding, that wicked cool blue lume that Citizen seems to own.
The movement is extremely well decorated, the rotor is particularly stunning. Pics really don't do this piece justice. Bracelet is clean and well fitted, though I do not care all that much for the clasp.
But seriously, this watch is something else. It will rise right to the top, I believe, in many of the "Best watch under $1500" threads. I, for one, will be certain to mention it. 28,800 BPH runs smoothly as expected, and turning the crown to wind it is silky smooth. Again, wish you could all see this watch in person.
BTW, Joe at AZ Finetime was wearing his Grand Seiko "Snowflake"... Talk about a stunner. While a considerable distance apart, the new Citizen is definitely somewhat reminiscent is style and general feel, IMO... Anyway, here's the pics, enjoy! Also, CitizenM, will send you an invoice ;-) !
Dan
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Saw the new Citizens, and they are stunning. I mean, truly, just gorgeous watches. I am tempted to say "for the money", but the fact is, that they are beautiful regardless of price. As in all of Citizen's better offerings, the AR and crystal are impeccable. Not only is the dial stunning, but it SHINES under the loupe (I highly recommend each and every one of you get a loupe if you don't have one already, an indispensable watch accessory IMO...) Blued hands are clean and crisp, and the lume is outstanding, that wicked cool blue lume that Citizen seems to own.
The movement is extremely well decorated, the rotor is particularly stunning. Pics really don't do this piece justice. Bracelet is clean and well fitted, though I do not care all that much for the clasp.
But seriously, this watch is something else. It will rise right to the top, I believe, in many of the "Best watch under $1500" threads. I, for one, will be certain to mention it. 28,800 BPH runs smoothly as expected, and turning the crown to wind it is silky smooth. Again, wish you could all see this watch in person.
BTW, Joe at AZ Finetime was wearing his Grand Seiko "Snowflake"... Talk about a stunner. While a considerable distance apart, the new Citizen is definitely somewhat reminiscent is style and general feel, IMO... Anyway, here's the pics, enjoy! Also, CitizenM, will send you an invoice ;-) !
Dan
21 - 24 of 24 Posts
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Yeah, Royal Orient is their elite line of mechanical watches. I've never seen one in person, but like most high-end Japanese watches, they're extremely understated. But I know very little about them.
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It makes sense for Arizona Fine Time since they have probably the biggest selection of high end Japanese watches in North America. I would be very curious to see how these perform, especially since a cheap $200 Orient is actually surprisingly accurate.
It makes sense for Arizona Fine Time since they have probably the biggest selection of high end Japanese watches in North America. I would be very curious to see how these perform, especially since a cheap $200 Orient is actually surprisingly accurate.
6
I bought a new Citizen Signature Automatic and wanted to record some of my thoughts after wearing it for a couple of days so I'm just going to piggy-back on Dan's review. The watch was bought from Arizona Fine Time and came nicely packaged. I have not yet performed a check on accuracy but, so far, seems to be keeping good time.
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The crystal measures 35.5mm across and the case is 41.8mm across, not counting the crown & guards. Lug-to-lug, the case is 45.5mm long. The bracelet is 21.7mm wide at the case and tapers to 20.9mm at the clasp. After removing three links to fit my wrist, the watch weighs 144 grams.
Here it is on my 6.75 inch wrist:
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Qualitatively, the watch feels really nice and refined. It is certainly on par with my similarly priced Hamiltons and Movados - if not slightly nicer. It does not have the same quality feel as my Omegas, or other higher-end watches, but that should not be surprising.
There are a number of interesting design quirks which you will either like or not. Some of these include the angled bezel around the date window, the prominent crown guards (whose angle matches the date bezel), the big crown, the rotor decoration, the different surface treatments on the dial and the coin edge ring around the display back. I like all of these features and think that they add visual interest to the watch.
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The bracelet is a mixture of brushed and polished pieces. Most of the bracelet is brushed but there are "H shaped" parts which add a discreet but interesting pattern. The bracelet is quite comfortable and rattle free. The links can be removed with screw pins. There are no half-links nor does there appear to be any kind of fine adjustment mechanism. The clasp uses two side buttons to release and has a square look. Although certainly not ugly, the square clasp does not seem to flow as well as the rest of the watch.
The movement is the unidirectional winding Miyota 9010. It is noticeably quieter and smoother than the Miyota 8245 found in my Maratec pilot's watch. After having worn it for several days, I don't think that it feels any different than my ETA based watches.
Here it is compared to some well known watches (Omega Seamaster GMT and Nomos Tangente Sport):
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The Citizen Signature Automatic is a nice, do-it-all, watch. It has a new, but seemingly good, movement and a style that fits a lot of different looks. Along with Hamilton, Seiko and Christopher Ward, I think it would be a great option for people looking for a good quality basic automatic. It's a nice watch by any reasonable standard, but for under $1000, it's also a really good deal.
The crystal measures 35.5mm across and the case is 41.8mm across, not counting the crown & guards. Lug-to-lug, the case is 45.5mm long. The bracelet is 21.7mm wide at the case and tapers to 20.9mm at the clasp. After removing three links to fit my wrist, the watch weighs 144 grams.
Here it is on my 6.75 inch wrist:
Qualitatively, the watch feels really nice and refined. It is certainly on par with my similarly priced Hamiltons and Movados - if not slightly nicer. It does not have the same quality feel as my Omegas, or other higher-end watches, but that should not be surprising.
There are a number of interesting design quirks which you will either like or not. Some of these include the angled bezel around the date window, the prominent crown guards (whose angle matches the date bezel), the big crown, the rotor decoration, the different surface treatments on the dial and the coin edge ring around the display back. I like all of these features and think that they add visual interest to the watch.
The bracelet is a mixture of brushed and polished pieces. Most of the bracelet is brushed but there are "H shaped" parts which add a discreet but interesting pattern. The bracelet is quite comfortable and rattle free. The links can be removed with screw pins. There are no half-links nor does there appear to be any kind of fine adjustment mechanism. The clasp uses two side buttons to release and has a square look. Although certainly not ugly, the square clasp does not seem to flow as well as the rest of the watch.
The movement is the unidirectional winding Miyota 9010. It is noticeably quieter and smoother than the Miyota 8245 found in my Maratec pilot's watch. After having worn it for several days, I don't think that it feels any different than my ETA based watches.
Here it is compared to some well known watches (Omega Seamaster GMT and Nomos Tangente Sport):
The Citizen Signature Automatic is a nice, do-it-all, watch. It has a new, but seemingly good, movement and a style that fits a lot of different looks. Along with Hamilton, Seiko and Christopher Ward, I think it would be a great option for people looking for a good quality basic automatic. It's a nice watch by any reasonable standard, but for under $1000, it's also a really good deal.
21 - 24 of 24 Posts
