# Photos of my Citizen CTQ57-0934



## a-Tom-ic (Mar 3, 2009)

A demure CTQ57-0934 arrived from Tokyo last month. This model drew me in the first instant I visited citizen.jp last year.

It's a true white face, exceptionally tough to photograph, with a pearl-like depth that, when you catch the right light, deepens and leaves the small minutes markers sparkling on the surface. The second hand is a rich blue. Notice how the hands have a bevel on their far point that draws your eye especially well.










My wardrobe was in dire need of a leather-shod watch. Thinking my Breitling could serve double-duty, I ordered its OEM black calf strap. And while it's nice and I'm glad to have it in "the box" - alongside matching Diver Pro I and II rubber - the Airwolf seems born for its bracelet, and my search continued. Ultimately it was clear I had to act on that early Chronomaster crush, and being on leather already I took as the final clue our paths were meant to cross.

Unfortunately, the stock croc strap, exceptionally pliable and rich-looking, came on a deployant, which, granted, bears a handsome engraved 'CITIZEN', yet turned out was utterly incompatible with my wrist geometry. To wear it at a comfortable tightness and location, the bent side of the clasp 'jutted out' the bottom outside-side of my wrist and left the strap a deformed mess. What a pity!

Or what a great excuse to order a beautiful new custom strap from the fine crew at ABP. This commission is a "simple" black calf with vintage finish, glove-style hand stitching and goatskin back. East meets West on the Far West.










To capture a few dimensions for posterity [hello searcher of 2013], the strap width is 19mm- not 20 as widely stated. Outer radius excluding crown, a tasteful 35.5mm; height a subtle 9mm, overall length (lug to lug) is a 42.5mm- perhaps a little longer than you'd expect owing to the space between spring bar and case diameter.

I like the case back. I wouldn't call it elaborate or especially fancy. Like most of this watch, it's just simply very "nice".










A 35(.5, he adds defensively)mm watch could be viewed as anachronism. Or the leading edge of fashion. Turns out the size is very pleasant on my 7.5" wrist. In fact the overall watch is almost low key and a whole day can pass without me having to fuss over size or angle or weight or do-dads once.










The streamlined case has almost no concave radius at the transition from body to lug, thus giving the watch a fleet silhouette. The one change I might wish on the face was to exchange lume material for larger metal markers, like on Citizen's premier white gold HEQ Chronomaster. And, if we're nit-picking, what about a little script-style 'C' on the crown. Wouldn't that be lovely? Still, let this dial pour from your monitor and meditate on it a while. And believe me (you can, I'm a Good Guy) it looks four times better in person that on screen.










Like many here, my watch choices are nearly as analytical as emotional. In almost everything my Breitling isn't, the Citizen is, and vice versa. Yin and yang. I don't know much about Taoism, or if applying it to expensive watches is itself a certain mark of the downfall of society, so I'll say only that the HEQ binary stars orbiting my wrist compliment each other perfectly. At the exact moment one seems anything less than perfect, the other is.


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## Catalin (Jan 2, 2009)

Nice Chronomaster |>



a-Tom-ic said:


> ...
> Unfortunately, the stock croc strap, exceptionally pliable and rich-looking, came on a deployant, which, granted, bears a handsome engraved 'CITIZEN', yet turned out was utterly incompatible with my wrist geometry. To wear it at a comfortable tightness and location, the bent side of the clasp 'jutted out' the bottom outside-side of my wrist and left the strap a deformed mess. What a pity!
> ...


I had a similar problem with an alligator+deployant vs. my wrist and a surprisingly easy solution (it also had quick-release springbars) was to 'reverse' the strap - the deployant is closing now in the other direction but it fits very well ;-)


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## T. Wong (Apr 5, 2006)

truly a gorgeous model ! congrats! As for the midsize, well, I have invested in several midsized watches now, after so many larger diver 41mm ones and up...
Here are my two pre-Bond quartz Seamasters, at 38mm to crown or so....
calibers 1441 and 1438...


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## rex (Feb 12, 2006)

*That was surely fun to read. Gorgeous Chronomaster&thanks 4 sharing!!>>*

Just remember the polished surfaces on your new watch is a scratch magnet despite what they say about the Duratech finish on the Chronomaster...Leaves little to be desired, eh? So just be careful with it, and enjoy!


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## petew (Apr 6, 2006)

*Re: That was surely fun to read. Gorgeous Chronomaster&thanks 4 sharing!!>>*

Rex,

I strongly suspect that only the case is treated. Do you have any evidence where Citizen specifically says that the bracelet is hardened as well?


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## South Pender (Jul 2, 2008)

Well, there is this (another Chronomaster model) on Higuchi's site:








*REF:CTQ57-0953*
*MSRP:280000YEN 
*A660/High Accuracy +-5SEC/year QUARTZ
*Caseuratect Ti
*Bandurect Ti
*Sapphire Glass
*Perpetual Crander *100M water resist
*10years warranty
*case diamater:37mm Our Price:*please ASK* photo1


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## petew (Apr 6, 2006)

Yeah, I know some (maybe all) of the newer models are all Duratect, but early on, I know some other Citizen models that were adverstised as Duratect were not entirely coated throughout the case and bracelet.


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## G Shock (May 28, 2007)

:-!:-!:-! i like it.Do you have any lume photo?


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## a-Tom-ic (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks all for checking out the photos. I will do one (or maybe two) more rounds, and try to capture a lume photo. The material glows a blue green, perhaps closer to green than blue, but just barely. Interesting and brilliant tip about switching the deployant direction. Ah, oh well, I like the bragging rights of my French cow.  T, nice Omegas! Indeed, smaller sizes may be now (or just about to be) back in to vogue. And wrt. scratches: I already made two very small marks on the lug underside when changing straps- from friction with the free spring bar, not from my tool. So I do not believe the coating is especially tough. But it does seem to lend the surface a luster or shine that's "pretty".


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## artec (Oct 31, 2006)

*Re: That was surely fun to read. Gorgeous Chronomaster&thanks 4 sharing!!>>*



petew said:


> Rex,
> 
> I strongly suspect that only the case is treated. Do you have any evidence where Citizen specifically says that the bracelet is hardened as well?


The Ti bracelets on my The Citizens don't seem to scratch easily, and I always assumed the Ti was treated as Higuchi's site says. And if your The Citizen is SS, it's easily polished and returned to mirror finish.


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## Beau8 (May 24, 2008)

Very sharp looking Citizen~Cheers! ;-)


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## tfar (Apr 7, 2010)

Wow. Very well written and well photographed article. Great job. Love both watches. I'm a HEQ lover, too, and have looked at both these watches before. I think with these two models you have covered the two most interesting HEQ movements on the market. One the super simple A660 (is that right?) in the Chronomaster and the other the tricked out multi-function B78 in the Breitling. You definitely picked the HEQ cherries there. And the Raven looks even better on the Pro II than on the black rubber strap it normally comes with. Very sensible upgrade. Plus you picked the nicest The Citizen. I find most others a bit bland but this one makes a virtue out of it's simplicity and what is bland in the others becomes elegant in this design.

The glove leather ABP strap is also a wonderful pairing. Love the hand-stitching. If you wanted to go a bit more flashy you I could well imagine a grey or black sting ray (peau de galuchat) strap with white pearls. Maybe grey would be even better to echo the silver casework and white pearls to echo the pearly white dial.

For shameless self-promotion here is a link to two ABP straps I just had made last week in Paris:
https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=410847

Cheers,

Till


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## a-Tom-ic (Mar 3, 2009)

Thanks Till, and that's a great ABP write up you made - a worthy contribution to WISdom's shared consciousness.

Truthfully, I couldn't agree with you more about the movements. Seiko's have a higher sense of mystique and grandeur, but the egalitarian, "Every dependable man deserves a dependable watch, and we wish to be that for you" approach of Citizen's The Citizen, and the A660's perpetual calendar, tilted the scale. I might eat my words, but I probably won't return to Seiko (had the MM300 for a while) for anything short of a Spring Drive. (I MIGHT try a quartz Tuna at some point, only as it represents a truly iconic design, despite not being "HEQ") And the A660 matched with the Breitling's (ETA) gonzo "Swiss" army knife of a movement is a special "best of both worlds" pair.

And about this particular model in comparison to the rest of the The Citizens. My feeling matches yours, mostly. The rest of the line is perfectly nice. But my case is actually a generation or two older, slightly smaller, and subtly different. It has a charm that the new, more round, more spacious models don't quite capture... imho. Short of the gold models, I mean. But now I'm starting to feel like the cats on the Breitling board lamenting the new models with applied markers which before were painted, polished surfaces which before were brushed, etc. There is really no accounting for taste.

ABP proposed a couple ideas about colors and stitching. I knew I wanted something more casual than dressy, and I knew I wanted to let the watch face speak for itself. The hand stitching was a surcharge but worth it for a bit of humanism. And the vintaged black finish - a suede-like nap - has, interestingly, almost a tint of blue, accentuating the blued second hand.


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## tfar (Apr 7, 2010)

Talking about the Suede finish. At ABP they have a nubuck alligator leather that is nothing short of spectacular. I have never seen this finish anywhere else. Of course, one can argue that it is a crime to rub down the perfectly smooth surface of that precious skin but one can say the same thing about polished galuchat and polished galuchat is about the most amazing thing out there. The nubuck gator I saw also had a special two-tone tanning. It would be totally killer on a vintage Rolex and the Citizen you showed us reminded me just of that.

In regards to Seiko, I have my eyes on the GS GMT SpringDrive. That is one fine watch. And from what I hear the accuracy of the movement is also in the 5 sec per year range.

I also like the diametrically opposed character of the Citizen and Airwolf. The citizen is demure just like you put it so well. And the Airwolf literally howls, esthetically speaking but also practically with its nice and loud alarm chime. And the way the bezel ring turns is so sensual it reminds me of a high-end amplifiers. I have an ASR Emitter 1HD and a Pio 49TXi, and I sometimes find myself fondling the volume control just for the sake of it. Sooo smooth. Secret pleasures. LOL!

Till


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## South Pender (Jul 2, 2008)

tfar said:


> In regards to Seiko, I have my eyes on the GS GMT SpringDrive. That is one fine watch. And from what I hear the accuracy of the movement is also in the 5 sec per year range.


Unfortunately, as nice and interesting as the whole Spring Drive concept and execution are, these movements--not being thermocompensated--don't move in the HEQ circles. There is one member of this forum that has had truly phenomenal accuracy with his SD (approaching the figure you noted), but the norm for SDs seems to be in the ± 2-4 sec./month range. Of course, temperature changes will discombobulate things a little, as is always true with non-thermocompensated quartz, and the accuracy you get from the SD when worn will differ from that when stored. I think my experiences have been quite typical. On mine (SBGA011), the accuracy has been +3.5 sec./month when worn, over a period of several months, whereas it improved to about +1.6 sec./month when off the wrist and stored at room temperatures. Really excellent accuracy, but not quite in the HEQ big leagues


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## a-Tom-ic (Mar 3, 2009)

Well gang, here's the story:

I wanted this Citizen for at least a year. :think: So I finally bought it! Nothing can replace first hand experience. I stand by my feeling that this watch's slightly smaller diameter makes it the sweetest in Citizen's current-production lineup- at least short of the two gold models. That being said, after an earnest effort, I couldn't escape the feeling that the watch was too small for me. :-s Are these sentiments contradictory?

But I am still very happy to finally place a check mark next to this special little piece. Now, onwards and upwards!


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## RPF (Feb 28, 2008)

SOmehow, that strap doesn't look like it belongs on this dress watch. Perhaps the sportier CTQ models... but this is a dress version. 

But as always, one man's meat... 

Wear it in good health, atomic.


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## Appleman93 (Aug 30, 2010)

Beautiful watch and nice pics. Well done. Hope its still making you happy. I will have to save up for one.


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## Fingolfin (Nov 20, 2009)

a-Tom-ic said:


> A 35(.5, he adds defensively)mm watch could be viewed as anachronism. Or the leading edge of fashion. Turns out the size is very pleasant on my 7.5" wrist. In fact the overall watch is almost low key and a whole day can pass without me having to fuss over size or angle or weight or do-dads once.


That's because in this case Citizen, unlike so many other manufacturers, has kept a timeless design true to form. A watch like this should never be over 40+mm in my opinion, to me it looks perfect on your wrist for that style. The beveled indices, blue second hand, lume grooved hour/minute hands give it a nice touch of character as well. Gorgeous specimen, in form and function. |>


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## Ananda (Feb 28, 2008)

what a lovely watch... congrats. if i was to get a chronomaster - that'd be the one.


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## Sunwave2011 (Aug 13, 2010)

Ananda said:


> what a lovely watch... congrats. if i was to get a chronomaster - that'd be the one.


A 2 month old CTQ57-0934 was being offered in the sales forums. I came close to pulling the trigger (The initial depreciation hit of these watches is nothing to sneeze at, BTW), but the 35mm size and croc strap gave me enough reason to pause. I am not too much of a strap person. But all things considered, it is a beautiful if not a bit too formal watch to wear.

In the realm of "The Citizen" my preference is the CTQ57-0961 with somewhat larger 38mm case, SS construction and metal bracelet.


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## South Pender (Jul 2, 2008)

Sunwave2011 said:


> A 2 month old CTQ57-0934 was being offered in the sales forums. I came close to pulling the trigger (The initial depreciation hit of these watches is nothing to sneeze at, BTW), but the 35mm size and croc strap gave me enough reason to pause. I am not too much of a strap person. But all things considered, it is a beautiful if not a bit too formal watch to wear.
> 
> In the realm of "The Citizen" my preference is the CTQ57-0961 with somewhat larger 38mm case, SS construction and metal bracelet.


I'm not sure I'd place complete confidence in the published dimensions. My experience has been that the actual measured case diameter (measured with a Vernier caliper) often differs by 1 or 2 mm. from the stated diameter. (I think my 0955 was actually 37 mm. in diameter, rather than the stated 38, but am away from it at the moment and can't check that out.) The thicknesses will vary slightly too. If case size is important to you, you might ask the seller to actually take a precise measurement. CTQ57-0961 is indeed a beautiful watch....


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## tfar (Apr 7, 2010)

Tom's measurement for this watch were correct. I also measured it again, 35.5mm. Can't say anything about the other models. Thickness is 9.5mm, IIRC.

Till


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## Sunwave2011 (Aug 13, 2010)

South Pender said:


> I'm not sure I'd place complete confidence in the published dimensions. My experience has been that the actual measured case diameter (measured with a Vernier caliper) often differs by 1 or 2 mm. from the stated diameter. (I think my 0955 was actually 37 mm. in diameter, rather than the stated 38, but am away from it at the moment and can't check that out.) The thicknesses will vary slightly too. If case size is important to you, you might ask the seller to actually take a precise measurement. CTQ57-0961 is indeed a beautiful watch....


Citizen Japan just recently began adding the case width dimensions to all their watches in their site catalog. I can only assume the CTQ57-0961 38mm case width includes the crown as well.


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## tfar (Apr 7, 2010)

Usually case diameter is given without the crown if nothing else is specified. In some cases they will give diameter with and without crown and state that. The crown on a normally built watch really doesn't add much visually in size, so this method makes sense.

Obviously on something like a Panerai or Plo-prof the diameter with crown construction would have to be taken into consideration but I'm fairly sure Citizen will give case diameters that are measured diagonally from 10 to 4 or something like that.

Till


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## South Pender (Jul 2, 2008)

tfar said:


> Usually case diameter is given without the crown if nothing else is specified. In some cases they will give diameter with and without crown and state that. The crown on a normally built watch really doesn't add much visually in size, so this method makes sense.
> 
> Obviously on something like a Panerai or Plo-prof the diameter with crown construction would have to be taken into consideration but I'm fairly sure Citizen will give case diameters that are measured diagonally from 10 to 4 or something like that.
> 
> Till


Correct. Those are diameters sans crown.


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