# The Citizen Chronomaster AQ4020-54Z Review



## wingwang97

It seems that compared to Grand Seiko's quartz lineup, The Citizen Chronomaster has barely seen any attention/recognition. On top of that, the model that I have doesn't seem to have any reviews online, and thus today I would like to share my thoughts on the AQ4020-54Z.

Simply called "The Citizen" (and some given the "Chronomaster" label as well), these HAQ watches are offered in either standard battery-operated movements or with eco-drive movements. What attracted me the most were the models which have "washi" paper dials. These dials are nothing short of beautiful, only rivaled by GS snowflake dials. There was one Chronomaster in particular that stood out to me.

The AQ4020-54Z
Released in August 2019, this was a limited edition JDM release with only 200 made, making it a challenge to purchase (more on that later). The watch is 37.5mm in diameter and 10.6mm thick. As someone who has 6-inch wrists (no watch above 40mm will fit me), I found the size to be perfect. Even though I purchased it used, the condition was nice overall and there were only a few minor scuff marks on the bracelet. You can immediately tell that it's a titanium case based on how light it is.









The Chronomaster in brightly lit conditions. What I noticed immediately was faint line streaking across the left side of the dial. At first I thought the dial was damaged, or there was a hair stuck inside the dial, but upon closer inspection I think it might just be an imperfection from the washi paper. Either way, it's barely noticeable. You can also see how the case and indices have zaratsu polishing to them, giving a watch a beautiful reflective shine. (Also it looks like the second hand is offset, but I assure you it's just the camera angle. The second hand hits the minute markers perfectly when looking at the watch straight on).









Here's a photo in dimmer-lit conditions. As you can see, the dial texture changes depending on the angle and amount of light.









A "macro" shot of the dial. You can see how the text appears to be slightly floating. The second hand reflects off the dial face, which is likely due to the fact that there's a plastic coating on top of the washi paper to protect it from damage and is how all the indices and markers are attached.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the AQ4020-54Z. Red-dials aren't a common occurrence, but thankfully Citizen did not disappoint with this watch. My only complaints are that the crown isn't signed, there's no micro-adjust on the bracelet, and there's only a 1-year international warranty. But besides that, the dial is beautiful, it fits comfortably, and I think its worthy of the title "Chronomaster".

Where I purchased it, and how much it cost
I used FromJapan, which is a proxy service that lets you bid on Yahoo Japan Auction items. The watch itself cost 250,000 yen, with fees and shipping costing another 10,000. At the time, this translated to around 3450CAD (2500 USD). It wasn't cheap, but given the fact that it costs 360,000yen (w/taxes) brand new, and the fact that I wasn't charged any import fees, it definitely could've cost more!


----------



## RegularStormy

Fantastic pics! And a good write up as well. The red looks amazing.


----------



## drunken-gmt-master

The AQ4020s are nice. The red dial & gold "accuracy" eagle of the -54Z are a bit too much for me (I have the plain black dial -03E), but I enjoyed your review & agree w/your other assessments of the model line.


----------



## OutOfSpec

Nice review and beautiful watch! Aesthetically, these Citizen HAQ's with washi dials call to me more than Grand Seikos for some reason.


----------



## wingwang97

drunken-gmt-master said:


> The AQ4020s are nice. The red dial & gold "accuracy" eagle of the -54Z are a bit too much for me (I have the plain black dial -03E), but I enjoyed your review & agree w/your other assessments of the model line.


I was actually tempted to buy the -03E a little while ago (there was one for sale on the private sellers forum). It definitely has a subtle subtle theme to it, which is a lot different compared to the -54Z.


----------



## Barbababa

Congrats on a cool watch 

A "macro" shot of the dial. You can see how the text appears to be slightly floating. The second hand reflects off the dial face, which is likely due to the fact that there's a plastic coating on top of the washi paper to protect it from damage and is how all the indices and markers are attached.

It´s a "sandwich" dial with a glass disk that the indices and text are on, so it´s not a plastic coating


----------



## wingwang97

Barbababa said:


> It´s a "sandwich" dial with a glass disk that the indices and text are on, so it´s not a plastic coating
> View attachment 15325048


Are you sure? Time and Tide Watches posted an article about the paper dials, and they said it was a plastic layer (I guess plastic coating isn't the best way to describe it)









Accurate AF – the Citizen Chronomaster limited editions - Time and Tide Watches


Citizen makes some very accurate quartz watches. The Citizen Chronomaster has just been released in new limited edition dial colours.




timeandtidewatches.com





also same with this review article








Review: Enter the dragon: The Citizen AQ 4020-54Y. Best quartz watch in the world? -


We review a remarkable watch often missed by the connoisseur because it is quartz, and comes from a company not known for high end watches. But in our exploration of The Citizen AQ 4020 - 54Y, we discover the charms of this ultra high precision quartz watch, and give it our thumbs up.




deployant.com


----------



## Cannonball

I love mine. Also have the green version, which has a bit different grain than the red.


----------



## HiggsBoson

Two beautiful watches there chaps. Nice being 'proper' limited editions too. Not 10,000 of each!


----------



## imaCoolRobot

Wait... how did you not get charged import fees?


----------



## gaijin

imaCoolRobot said:


> Wait... how did you not get charged import fees?


Don't ask, don't tell...


----------



## Barbababa

wingwang97 said:


> Are you sure? Time and Tide Watches posted an article about the paper dials, and they said it was a plastic layer (I guess plastic coating isn't the best way to describe it)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Accurate AF – the Citizen Chronomaster limited editions - Time and Tide Watches
> 
> 
> Citizen makes some very accurate quartz watches. The Citizen Chronomaster has just been released in new limited edition dial colours.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> timeandtidewatches.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> also same with this review article
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Review: Enter the dragon: The Citizen AQ 4020-54Y. Best quartz watch in the world? -
> 
> 
> We review a remarkable watch often missed by the connoisseur because it is quartz, and comes from a company not known for high end watches. But in our exploration of The Citizen AQ 4020 - 54Y, we discover the charms of this ultra high precision quartz watch, and give it our thumbs up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> deployant.com


When I was in the flagship store in Ginza, they had stands with different movements and watches in pieces and parts on display. The guy who fitted my wifes watch said it was "crystal" on the 54Y that was on display. My eco-drive ONE also have a dial in saphire crystal with the solar panel glued on the back side of it. I can´t be 100% sure if he only used the term crystal instead of plastic if that´s the case, but it makes more sense its made of glass than plastic I think


----------



## Mr.Jones82

Barbababa said:


> When I was in the flagship store in Ginza, they had stands with different movements and watches in pieces and parts on display. The guy who fitted my wifes watch said it was "crystal" on the 54Y that was on display. My eco-drive ONE also have a dial in saphire crystal with the solar panel glued on the back side of it. I can´t be 100% sure if he only used the term crystal instead of plastic if that´s the case, but it makes more sense its made of glass than plastic I think


I have generally read plastic, too. Not really a concern for me, just saying I've read the same thing.

OP, I have to say the red looks way better in your pics than the renderings I let saw of this LE that left me underwhelmed. Wow. One thing I've always wondered about on the Chronomaster models is the indices. They look a lot thinner than GS's. How do they compare?


----------



## Nokie

Nice review of a beautiful watch. Love the red dial.


----------



## wingwang97

Mr.Jones82 said:


> I have generally read plastic, too. Not really a concern for me, just saying I've read the same thing.
> 
> OP, I have to say the red looks way better in your pics than the renderings I let saw of this LE that left me underwhelmed. Wow. One thing I've always wondered about on the Chronomaster models is the indices. They look a lot thinner than GS's. How do they compare?


Yeah it frustrates me how a lot of watches aren't given enough credit simply because the photos online don't do them justice. As for the indices, I haven't owned or seen a GS in real life unfortunately so I can't make the best comparison. The indices on the chronomaster are definitely on the thin side, but it is a smaller watch so I have no issues with it. And the polishing makes them catch the light even in dimly lit conditions, which makes up for the lack of lume imo.


----------



## badgerracer

The red -54Z is absolutely my favorite of The Citizen limited editions I have seen, and from what I have seen you got it for a steal at $2500. My wife and I are talking about going to Japan next year (assuming international travel is ok by then) and I plan to buy a paper dial Chronomaster while I am there. If I can find a 54Z at that point I will definitely jump on it. There is another red dial limited edition for this year but it isn’t washi paper and to my eye it doesn’t look as good (although the lume is a plus) 

The only thing I would change about the 54z is the text color. The Citizen logo is silver, the eagle is gold, and “Chronomaster” is white. Pick a color! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wingwang97

badgerracer said:


> The red -54Z is absolutely my favorite of The Citizen limited editions I have seen, and from what I have seen you got it for a steal at $2500. My wife and I are talking about going to Japan next year (assuming international travel is ok by then) and I plan to buy a paper dial Chronomaster while I am there. If I can find a 54Z at that point I will definitely jump on it. There is another red dial limited edition for this year but it isn't washi paper and to my eye it doesn't look as good (although the lume is a plus)
> 
> The only thing I would change about the 54z is the text color. The Citizen logo is silver, the eagle is gold, and "Chronomaster" is white. Pick a color!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That never occurred to me how many colors they have on the dial, but good point! I definitely wish the Citizen logo was white instead of silver, it can be hard to see when it's dark out.


----------



## jandrese

Nice watch, thanks for sharing. You should join the FB Chronomaster club.


----------



## wingwang97

jandrese said:


> Nice watch, thanks for sharing. You should join the FB Chronomaster club.


What's the name called specifically? Is it "Citizen Chronomaster/Caliber 0100 Owners"?


----------



## jandrese

wingwang97 said:


> What's the name called specifically? Is it "Citizen Chronomaster/Caliber 0100 Owners"?


Yes, it's a small community but we love our Chronomasters and hope more people jump on board.


----------



## Randy63

What a beautiful watch. I was at the Ginza store this past November and was really impressed by the Chronomasters. I would love to own one but on that trip my watch money went for a Grand Seiko. Now if I visit Tokyo again........


----------



## wingwang97

Randy63 said:


> What a beautiful watch. I was at the Ginza store this past November and was really impressed by the Chronomasters. I would love to own one but on that trip my watch money went for a Grand Seiko. Now if I visit Tokyo again........


Which Grand Seiko did you end up getting?


----------



## Randy63

This one here. It's a SBGA419 which is a limited edition of 40 that was sold exclusively through the Isetan Shinjuku store in Tokyo.

Of course it's not a HAQ so I'd still like to get myself a HAQ from either Citizen or Grand Seiko down the road.


----------



## wingwang97

Randy63 said:


> This one here. It's a SBGA419 which is a limited edition of 40 that was sold exclusively through the Isetan Shinjuku store in Tokyo.
> 
> Of course it's not a HAQ so I'd still like to get myself a HAQ from either Citizen or Grand Seiko down the road.


That's a beautiful watch, I'm hoping to get a spring drive someday. I guess we think the same but are at opposite ends of the road; I have a HAQ and looking to get a spring drive, you have a spring drive and looking to get a HAQ.


----------



## koolpep

One of each is the way....


----------



## soufiane

Beautiful congrats! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## The 1Joe

I know this is an older post but do you mind giving an update on how you're getting on with the watch?


----------



## badgerracer

The 1Joe said:


> I know this is an older post but do you mind giving an update on how you're getting on with the watch?


I'm not the OP, but I picked up one about a month ago and it is stunning (although admittedly my photography skills are not). The red dial can be pretty subtle in artificial light, but then the sun hits it and the dial really pops. My only real complaint with the watch is the duratect coating. I am glad it helps prevent scratches, but it seems to really stick to the oils of your skin so it is always smudged. The watch almost feels slightly sticky because of it. I haven't noticed this on my Archimede that also has a hardened coating. Overall I would highly recommend it if you can find one









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## conrad227

Hey, also just picked up this watch yesterday. Was looking at different The Citizens, Ocarat has a few on sale that I kept deciding on if I should pull the trigger or not. But then one of these came up on Yahoo Auction and ended up going for under $2500 which was about my limit, so I won the auction. 

I've seen differences about the size, here it says 37.5mm but on a few websites I saw it was 39mm... what is the final say, everyone?


----------



## Barbababa

conrad227 said:


> Hey, also just picked up this watch yesterday. Was looking at different The Citizens, Ocarat has a few on sale that I kept deciding on if I should pull the trigger or not. But then one of these came up on Yahoo Auction and ended up going for under $2500 which was about my limit, so I won the auction.
> 
> I've seen differences about the size, here it says 37.5mm but on a few websites I saw it was 39mm... what is the final say, everyone?


If you cant wait until yours arrive (so you can measure), I will say 37,5mm


----------



## badgerracer

conrad227 said:


> Hey, also just picked up this watch yesterday. Was looking at different The Citizens, Ocarat has a few on sale that I kept deciding on if I should pull the trigger or not. But then one of these came up on Yahoo Auction and ended up going for under $2500 which was about my limit, so I won the auction.
> 
> I've seen differences about the size, here it says 37.5mm but on a few websites I saw it was 39mm... what is the final say, everyone?


All of the AQ4020 models are 37.5mm, and the bezel is closer to 36mm. The AQ4030 models are 40mm 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Domo

wingwang97 said:


> It seems that compared to Grand Seiko's quartz lineup, The Citizen Chronomaster has barely seen any attention/recognition. On top of that, the model that I have doesn't seem to have any reviews online, and thus today I would like to share my thoughts on the AQ4020-54Z.
> 
> Simply called "The Citizen" (and some given the "Chronomaster" label as well), these HAQ watches are offered in either standard battery-operated movements or with eco-drive movements. What attracted me the most were the models which have "washi" paper dials. These dials are nothing short of beautiful, only rivaled by GS snowflake dials. There was one Chronomaster in particular that stood out to me.
> 
> The AQ4020-54Z
> Released in August 2019, this was a limited edition JDM release with only 200 made, making it a challenge to purchase (more on that later). The watch is 37.5mm in diameter and 10.6mm thick. As someone who has 6-inch wrists (no watch above 40mm will fit me), I found the size to be perfect. Even though I purchased it used, the condition was nice overall and there were only a few minor scuff marks on the bracelet. You can immediately tell that it's a titanium case based on how light it is.
> 
> View attachment 15323772
> 
> The Chronomaster in brightly lit conditions. What I noticed immediately was faint line streaking across the left side of the dial. At first I thought the dial was damaged, or there was a hair stuck inside the dial, but upon closer inspection I think it might just be an imperfection from the washi paper. Either way, it's barely noticeable. You can also see how the case and indices have zaratsu polishing to them, giving a watch a beautiful reflective shine. (Also it looks like the second hand is offset, but I assure you it's just the camera angle. The second hand hits the minute markers perfectly when looking at the watch straight on).
> 
> View attachment 15323787
> 
> Here's a photo in dimmer-lit conditions. As you can see, the dial texture changes depending on the angle and amount of light.
> 
> View attachment 15323795
> 
> A "macro" shot of the dial. You can see how the text appears to be slightly floating. The second hand reflects off the dial face, which is likely due to the fact that there's a plastic coating on top of the washi paper to protect it from damage and is how all the indices and markers are attached.
> 
> Overall, I'm very pleased with the AQ4020-54Z. Red-dials aren't a common occurrence, but thankfully Citizen did not disappoint with this watch. My only complaints are that the crown isn't signed, there's no micro-adjust on the bracelet, and there's only a 1-year international warranty. But besides that, the dial is beautiful, it fits comfortably, and I think its worthy of the title "Chronomaster".
> 
> Where I purchased it, and how much it cost
> I used FromJapan, which is a proxy service that lets you bid on Yahoo Japan Auction items. The watch itself cost 250,000 yen, with fees and shipping costing another 10,000. At the time, this translated to around 3450CAD (2500 USD). It wasn't cheap, but given the fact that it costs 360,000yen (w/taxes) brand new, and the fact that I wasn't charged any import fees, it definitely could've cost more!
> 
> View attachment 15323808
> View attachment 15341281


WOW I'm late to the party but that's one spicy watch. Beautiful!


----------



## badgerracer

I was a little worried that the red dial would make it hard to pair straps with my 54Z, but I think this new strap I picked up works quite well on it










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

