# Seriously underrated: THE Citizen HAQ



## NYCNIK

The Citizen Watches are now where Grand Seiko used to be in 1990s. It's a shame they don't get the attention then deserve.


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## Ginseng108

Difficulty in purchasing them outside of their home market is a factor. This reduces their exposure significantly. Would love to handle and try this on, but not in the US.


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## NYCNIK

Ginseng108 said:


> Difficulty in purchasing them outside of their home market is a factor. This reduces their exposure significantly. Would love to handle and try this on, but not in the US.
> View attachment 16303308


The absence of a signed crown on the Chronomaster is quite inexplicable.[/QUOTE]


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## flaggermi

Ginseng108 said:


> Difficulty in purchasing them outside of their home market is a factor. This reduces their exposure significantly.


I second that. I would certainly take a closer look at one of these if they were more readily available.


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## sticky

Perhaps if they were more readily available the might get a little more love.


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## Wilfried84

They don't even try to market their higher end pieces outside of Asia. "The Citizen" aka Chronomaster isn't even available outside of Japan. Did you know that they have a whole Eco-Drive One line of ultrathin dress watches that sell for four or five thousand dollars? They're front and center on Citizen's global website, but in Europe or the United States, nary a peep. Remember when they announced their new Caliber 0200 mechanical movement? Everyone cocked an eyebrow, and many rolled their eyes and said, who's going to spend $6000 on a Citizen? People in Asia do, apparently, but we have no idea. And after the announcement, the watch dropped off the radar, and there's not a hint of them here. The Citizen boutique in New York Times Square is the only place I know of where you can buy a Chronomaster or Eco-Drive One retail, but even there, the manager says he has beg for stock, and can't get the popular washi paper models, even though they're a company store. Citizen seems to have no interest in selling those watches in Europe or the Americas, and is content to be purveyors of budget quartz mall watches. I don't get it. If Citizen can't be bothered to sell their watches, who's going to bother to pay attention?


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## Nokie

The less that know about this great watch, the more for the rest of us.....!


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## leadbelly2550

i like citizen's innovation with watch movements, not just the cal. 0100 but the automatics they are starting to sell. if my ecozilla ever dies, i would seriously consider a promaster mechanical diver to replace it.


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## aafanatic

The JDM rant is an old trope A lot of us here end up buying JDM watches without holding them. 2k-3k is about the ceiling for that style of buying. Once you get to 4k-5k you better handle it first. My most expensive Citizen is a JDM limited Promaster @ 2k. For my 60th I got a Seiko GPS solar Prospex that I gratefully paid 3k for sight unseen from a vender I hadn’t used before. 
So, I don’t think that the 2k-3k that Citizen is asking for the Chronomaster sight unseen is too much to ask

CC7014-63E (#260-500)


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## tmathes

Wilfried84 said:


> They don't even try to market their higher end pieces outside of Asia. "The Citizen" aka Chronomaster isn't even available outside of Japan. Did you know that they have a whole Eco-Drive One line of ultrathin dress watches that sell for four or five thousand dollars? They're front and center on Citizen's global website, but in Europe or the United States, nary a peep. Remember when they announced their new Caliber 0200 mechanical movement? Everyone cocked an eyebrow, and many rolled their eyes and said, who's going to spend $6000 on a Citizen? Asians do, apparently, but we have no idea. And after the announcement, the watch dropped off the radar, and there's not a hint of them here. The Citizen boutique in New York Times Square is the only place I know of where you can buy a Chronomaster or Eco-Drive One at retail, but even there, the manager says he has beg for stock, and can't get the popular washi paper models, even though they're a company store. Citizen seems to have no interest in selling those watches in Europe or the Americas, and is content to be purveyors of budget quartz mall watches. I don't get it. If Citizen can't be bothered to sell their watches, who's going to pay attention?


As I've said before, Citizen marketing is an oxymoron, with emphasis on "moron". 

They could easily have done what Seiko did but don't seem to even care to try. That's always been baffling and to me since they have some really fantastic designs they don't sell here. Instead here they sell 47mm overly complex garrish designs which are destined to be sold on eBay for 20c on the dollar. The upside is I've been able to take advanage of their horrid marketing for what were nice watches (ie, smaller/thinner ones)

Maybe that's why they bought Frederique Constant and Arnold & Son, to crack into upper echelons they thought they couldn't. For crying out loud they have some of their own in-house product but never tried to sell it to anyone outside of their home market.


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## Wilfried84

BTW, here's my Chronomaster. JDM, of course, but I managed to snag it domestically from a private seller. This was a grail, because I didn't think I would ever be able to find one.


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## journeyforce

Amen to that brother... Amen. You can buy a Chronomaster with a paper dial that looks like it is hands and markers on fresh snow.... That is solar... and has a perpetual calendar. So other then changing the time for summer time and back, you don't have to touch the watch and if you live in a place with no summer time you don't have to touch the watch at all. Why buy a GS 3 hander with a 9F movement when you could get this?


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## brash47

I have never seen anyone say anything but great things about their HAQ watches. I love the way they look, but I really would like to try one on before I purchase one. I have plenty of GS HAQ now and am a lover of this type of movement. I don't think there is any lack of respect or love of these watches. There is just a lack of the watches by members of this forum. If I could go down to the local Citizen Boutique and see one, I bet there would be more discussion.


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## NYCNIK

journeyforce said:


> Amen to that brother... Amen. You can buy a Chronomaster with a paper dial that looks like it is hands and markers on fresh snow.... That is solar... and has a perpetual calendar. So other then changing the time for summer time and back, you don't have to touch the watch and if you live in a place with no summer time you don't have to touch the watch at all. Why buy a GS 3 hander with a 9F movement when you could get this?


Since I have both GS and Citizen HAQs, there is NO difference in fit and finish. And the fact that you don't need to adjust or replace anything on the Citizen, means that it's perpetual not just for it's calendar but also it's use as long as it stays exposed to light to keep the cell above 20%. 

In fact the Citizen manual states to move the crown from time to time just to prevent dirt build up since you don't really need to adjust the crown.


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## Wilfried84

journeyforce said:


> Amen to that brother... Amen. You can buy a Chronomaster with a paper dial that looks like it is hands and markers on fresh snow.... That is solar... and has a perpetual calendar. So other then changing the time for summer time and back, you don't have to touch the watch and if you live in a place with no summer time you don't have to touch the watch at all. Why buy a GS 3 hander with a 9F movement when you could get this?


Precisely. And it has a quick set hour hand, so it's just a quick flip for summer time, or when you travel. I figure I'll set mine once a year. And their Duratect gold titanium is remarkable. Mine has no visible scratches after a few months of wear. I can't say the same for my "high intensity" titanium Grand Seiko. That said, I'm still eyeing a quartz Grand Seiko.


NYCNIK said:


> Since I have both GS and Citizen HAQs, there is NO difference in fit and finish.


 Well, I'd say that Grand Seiko finishing and designs are just a half notch higher, but the Citizen is remarkable, and a good bit cheaper.

Now that I think about it, it took a huge investment on the part of Grand Seiko to break into the US market and get past "just a Seiko." It would take the same for Citizen, and I guess they've decided that it's not worth the bother. Which is a shame.


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## NocturnalWatch

FYI: one of my Croatian watch forum buddies just came back from US with AQ1030-57H. Bought in some mall in Miami. He says they have only Citizen watches, lots of JDM models. So, it's possible to find them in US. Price was something over 2k.


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## NYCNIK

NocturnalWatch said:


> FYI: one of my Croatian watch forum buddies just came back from US with AQ1030-57H. Bought in some mall in Miami. He says they have only Citizen watches, lots of JDM models. So, it's possible to find them in US. Price was something over 2k.


Looks good and love the lumed hands. Perfect blend of sport-dress watch. The bezel around the date window looks sublime as it floats over the translucent dial.


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## NocturnalWatch

NYCNIK said:


> The bezel around the date window looks sublime as it floats over the translucent dial.


'Citizen' branding as well. I think it's because of Eco - Drive dial. Looks really nice.


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## Newnice

They seem to be doing some interesting things with Bulova in the English-speaking market, including at the luxury price range, but not with Citizen. Maybe they want to elevate the Bulova brand and keep Citizen where it is.


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## Rojote

I have bought my first 6 Citizens this year. Ton of value and tech for the $.


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## Simon

NYCNIK said:


> The absence of a signed crown on the Chronomaster is quite inexplicable.


[/QUOTE]

I have observed this several times with higher end Japanese watches - different aesthetic


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## JNW1

I bought a JDM Chronomaster last year and it is my most expensive watch. It was a difficult decision to buy something like this sight unseen and the shipping had some glitches which was not fun. 









I love this watch and I’d like another, but all of the Chronomasters look pretty much the same. Yes, they have slightly different dials and sizes, but they’re all shiny, dressy sports watches with 3 hands.
I wish they’d make other styles of HAQ watches such as chronographs, divers or dress watches. I would love a Chronomaster dive watch - it would be the perfect companion to my washi paper dial beauty.


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## Incompass

Second a sporty Chronomaster style watch like a dressy diver. I definitely get the GS comparisons and the different brand strategies.

Industry is changing and I see fewer and fewer young professionals wearing a watch. This would be the perfect watch for a someone out of college in business (my opinion). 

Great pics of some really nice watches, thank you. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NYCNIK

I have observed this several times with higher end Japanese watches - different aesthetic
[/QUOTE]
Citizen's 'The Citizen's line comes with signed crowns and it's pretty much the same watch as the Chronomaster. I think it's a marketing decision so that they can charge a bit more for the dumb name of 'The Citizen'.


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## Bulovas&BoltActions

NYCNIK said:


> I have observed this several times with higher end Japanese watches - different aesthetic


Citizen's 'The Citizen's line comes with signed crowns and it's pretty much the same watch as the Chronomaster. I think it's a marketing decision so that they can charge a bit more for the dumb name of 'The Citizen'.
[/QUOTE]

Zenith has used 'Chronomaster' for some of it's El Primero models for a long time now. I wouldn't be surprised if Citizen is updating the branding so they can a) be consistent across their high end lineup and b) don't have to worry about trade marks and trade names with other brands (like Zenith) as they expand their high end lineup across the world. I'm not sure if the quartz models will be widely available outside of Japan (though I really, really hope they will be), but the 0200 automatics will be so it makes sense to get the branding right now rather than have to pivot later on over legal and marketing issues.


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## JodyDavis

I stumbled upon the watch reviewed in the original post (AQ4080-52L) completely by accident, when looking for a smaller, blue dialed watch. Found hardly any info on the watch in the usual forums/YouTube, so took a risk and bought it from a Japanese website. 

Have to say I’ve been very happy with it - greatly exceeded expectations. I also have an SBGX261, and it compares very favorably in terms of fit and finish, and the design is obviously very similar. But on the tech front, it blows away the 9F movement. Aside from jumping the hour forward/back twice a year, I never have to adjust the time or change a battery. 

Really glad this is getting some attention as it’s very well deserved. 











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## NYCNIK

JodyDavis said:


> I stumbled upon the watch reviewed in the original post (AQ4080-52L) completely by accident, when looking for a smaller, blue dialed watch. Found hardly any info on the watch in the usual forums/YouTube, so took a risk and bought it from a Japanese website.
> 
> Have to say I’ve been very happy with it - greatly exceeded expectations. I also have an SBGX261, and it compares very favorably in terms of fit and finish, and the design is obviously very similar. But on the tech front, it blows away the 9F movement. Aside from jumping the hour forward/back twice a year, I never have to adjust the time or change a battery.
> 
> Really glad this is getting some attention as it’s very well deserved.
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Looks beautiful. The AR has to be the best I have ever seen as it makes the crystal completely disappear in certain angles like your shot demonstrates. The blue dial also looks super classy.


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## 03hemi

I'm a citizen fan boy from way back, got one of their first Solar. Even though I don't have any in my collection currently, I have in the past.
Stock photo of the last Citizen I had before the capacitor crapped out on it.
However, I think you'd have to get to the Citizen Campanola level to reach the Grand Seiko level.
Man I miss that watch, but what a ***** to set!
I sold it for parts and put the money towards my Seiko Sportura that's a really great watch.
Threads really suck without pictures.


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## Gerry.GEG

I believe you're right saying they're underrated. I also feel that based on the looks (nice but not fancy), they are a bit overlooked and many feel as a quartz watch they're overpriced. Once you own one, those concerns melt away and the technical capabilities and engineering of "The Citizen" stand out from the rest.


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## NYCNIK

The inevitable comparison of the GS vs The Citizen


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## Watch Obsessive

JodyDavis said:


> I stumbled upon the watch reviewed in the original post (AQ4080-52L) completely by accident, when looking for a smaller, blue dialed watch. Found hardly any info on the watch in the usual forums/YouTube, so took a risk and bought it from a Japanese website.
> 
> Have to say I’ve been very happy with it - greatly exceeded expectations. I also have an SBGX261, and it compares very favorably in terms of fit and finish, and the design is obviously very similar. But on the tech front, it blows away the 9F movement. Aside from jumping the hour forward/back twice a year, I never have to adjust the time or change a battery.
> 
> Really glad this is getting some attention as it’s very well deserved.
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I discovered this watch a few weeks back after seeing it on an Instagram post. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. It's just come back in stock on Gnomon but I'll get royally stung when importing to the UK. I've bought from Gnomon before and had a great experience. I wish Citizen would release this in the UK, I'd be so tempted.

Is it as awesome as it looks in the pics? I've seen one or two videos on YouTube and everything about it looks perfect to me. Seems to be the ultimate no hassle watch!


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## SamRHughes

Let me make my best case _against_ the Citizen HAQ.

You can get a Junghans Max Bill Mega Solar for under $1k. 38mm, titanium case, super-light, and a +/- 8 spy movement. It also unfortunately(?) has radio signal reception, making the high accuracy movement superfluous.

The main argument I can see for the Citizen is the design or style. In my opinion, many of the new A010/A060 models, maybe some A660's as well, have a visual design flaw (which I'm not going to explain because I don't want to ruin it for you) and that's what would stop me from buying one online.


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## JodyDavis

Watch Obsessive said:


> Is it as awesome as it looks in the pics? I've seen one or two videos on YouTube and everything about it looks perfect to me. Seems to be the ultimate no hassle watch!


I would say that the pics and YouTube videos are pretty accurate. For blue watches, often the specific shade of blue is hard to capture, but I think the pictures on the Gnomon website do a good job. Fit and finish are excellent. And yes, it’s easily my most no hassle watch - truly grab and go. 


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## NYCNIK

The Max Bill is like a Longines in it's execution. Checks all the marks but the in the sum of the parts it falls short. Where the Citizen shines is its ability to go head to head with a GS in performance, fit and finish, which was the sole domain on GS at a sub $10,000 price point. Sure there are watches that beat a GS, but you won't get them these days at less than 10k.


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## adg31

As others have said, I like to try before I buy at the price point of the Chronomaster.
For some reason Citizen consciously choose not to provide worldwide availability of this model - so I don’t buy it.
It’s not something I’m happy about as it looks close to my ideal of a GADA set and forget watch at a very wearable size.
So if it is underrated it is as a direct result of their own marketing decisions - but I doubt it concerns the nice people at Citizen.


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## mleok

This is my Citizen Chronomaster AB9000-52L, purchased from the Citizen Boutique in Times Square. They don't carry the Washi paper dial variants, which is a shame.


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## NYCNIK

mleok said:


> This is my Citizen Chronomaster AB9000-52L, purchased from the Citizen Boutique in Times Square. They don't carry the Washi paper dial variants, which is a shame.
> View attachment 16420324
> 
> View attachment 16420325


The washi paper dial, while looking good in closeups, actually looks flat from a distance whereas the sunburst dial gets a lot more attention. I am looking for the red washi paper as that gets both bases covered.


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## flareslove

I was only made aware of the Citizen chronomaster recently and i've been going down a rabbit hole of research. it's my HAQ grail now!


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## flareslove

oh man this is perfect



mleok said:


> This is my Citizen Chronomaster AB9000-52L, purchased from the Citizen Boutique in Times Square. They don't carry the Washi paper dial variants, which is a shame.
> View attachment 16420324
> 
> View attachment 16420325


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## mleok

NYCNIK said:


> The washi paper dial, while looking good in closeups, actually looks flat from a distance whereas the sunburst dial gets a lot more attention. I am looking for the red washi paper as that gets both bases covered.


Yes, that's why I want to see it in the metal before making a decision. The blue sunburst dial on my Chronomaster is quite striking.


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## Xerxes300

This is my favorite


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## NYCNIK

Xerxes300 said:


> This is my favorite
> 
> View attachment 16422544


The amazing AR makes the dial pop.


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## Motorcityjoe

Fantastic Chronomaster. One of the rare Citizen watches with Duratec Alpha. I was II <-----this close to pulling the trigger on this exact watch or the Calibre 0200 with the black dial last week. I scored a great deal Seiko Spring Drive instead. I still have both 'The Citizens' on my radar for my next buy.


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## PotatoSmashed

Beautiful watch—’underrated’ watches are my favorites.


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## NYCNIK

Amazing date change.


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## NYCNIK

more macro video. The lines on the sunburst dial
are evident at some angles.


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## MonkeyChunks

Xerxes300 said:


> This is my favorite
> 
> View attachment 16422544


Does the dial have small white speckling on it, or is it just dust?

I too, like you all, have become enamored with this line of Citizen. I was on a GS 9F quest and stumbled on this line and I can't get them out of my head.

For anyone who bought 'sight unseen/not in the metal', would you be able to provide a real world experience with the watch?

Thanks


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## Xerxes300

MonkeyChunks said:


> Does the dial have small white speckling on it, or is it just dust?
> 
> I too, like you all, have become enamored with this line of Citizen. I was on a GS 9F quest and stumbled on this line and I can't get them out of my head.
> 
> For anyone who bought 'sight unseen/not in the metal', would you be able to provide a real world experience with the watch?
> 
> Thanks


I think it’s like little stars on the dial. 


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## JodyDavis

MonkeyChunks said:


> I too, like you all, have become enamored with this line of Citizen. I was on a GS 9F quest and stumbled on this line and I can't get them out of my head.
> 
> For anyone who bought 'sight unseen/not in the metal', would you be able to provide a real world experience with the watch?
> 
> Thanks


As I noted in a post above, I bought the AQ4080-52L (the model in the OP video) sight unseen and really like the watch. The finishing is excellent, the blue color of the dial is really nice (kind of a greyish blue), and the movement has been super accurate and is essentially set and forget, aside from daylight savings twice a year. It’s a great everyday watch. 

I also have a GS SBGX261 and the watches are pretty similar. The finishing of the Citizen is really close to that of the GS, but I think the GS design, finish, and bracelet are just a bit more refined (though it could be just the branding affecting my perceptions). But I find myself wearing the Citizen more, as it feels a bit less dressy/formal and a bit more unusual/quirky with all of the hidden tech. 


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## Barbababa

SamRHughes said:


> Let me make my best case _against_ the Citizen HAQ.
> 
> You can get a Junghans Max Bill Mega Solar for under $1k. 38mm, titanium case, super-light, and a +/- 8 spy movement. It also unfortunately(?) has radio signal reception, making the high accuracy movement superfluous.
> 
> The main argument I can see for the Citizen is the design or style. In my opinion, many of the new A010/A060 models, maybe some A660's as well, have a visual design flaw (which I'm not going to explain because I don't want to ruin it for you) and that's what would stop me from buying one online.


Maybe you should get the Junghans and get back to us on that… I have the regular quartz MEGA and the Solar MEGA, they are not comparable to The Citizen in any way, and they are NOT HAQ at all


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## Barbababa

MonkeyChunks said:


> Does the dial have small white speckling on it, or is it just dust?
> 
> I too, like you all, have become enamored with this line of Citizen. I was on a GS 9F quest and stumbled on this line and I can't get them out of my head.
> 
> For anyone who bought 'sight unseen/not in the metal', would you be able to provide a real world experience with the watch?
> 
> Thanks


The Tosa Washi paper is a super thin silk-paper lying between a clear disk on top and the solar panel underneath. In some angles and light you will get reflections from the underlying panel. If you have only seen closeups of the dial when it’s looking matte and structured you will be disappointed, but if you have seen washi paper (Japanese silk paper) before, you know what to expect in real life


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## Barbababa

NYCNIK said:


> The Citizen Watches are now where Grand Seiko used to be in 1990s. It's a shame they don't get the attention then deserve.


I will agree with the “underrated” part, but only outside of Asia. People are so anxious about not being able to try before they buy, so they miss out on this line. Because you can buy them, just not try before…
The comparison with 1990s GS I don’t agree with. The first watch with Chronomaster on the dial and with the A660 came 2002 if I remember correctly (the A660 came 2000). Before that there was The Citizen with the 350 caliber that came 1998 and later got the A660 caliber. And before that there was the mechanical Chrono Master. Citizen was heavily invested in eco drive 1995, the same year as GS lounged the 9f, and Seiko have basicly done nothing new since then (except the latest update).
*just to clearify what i mean with the GS ´90s comparison not holding up. GS been around for longer, but basicly just got recognition outside of Japan during the last 10 years.


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## SamRHughes

Barbababa said:


> Maybe you should get the Junghans and get back to us on that… I have the regular quartz MEGA and the Solar MEGA, they are not comparable to The Citizen in any way, and they are NOT HAQ at all


The source for this information aside from various blogs and marketing info around the internet, is the manual: https://www.junghans.de/media/manuals/en/Meister_MEGA.pdf

If that's not true, I think many people would like to know, what accuracy are you getting in quartz mode?


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## Barbababa

SamRHughes said:


> The source for this information aside from various blogs and marketing info around the internet, is the manual: https://www.junghans.de/media/manuals/en/Meister_MEGA.pdf
> 
> If that's not true, I think many people would like to know, what accuracy are you getting in quartz mode?


Let us start here, If you know how to rech HAQ numbers, you know thermocompensation (or in some cases high frequency) is needed. Junghans MEGA holds none of these features. So how will it reach numbers _under_ quartz COSC and reach HAQ? They give that promise if the watch is kept within a specific temerature range (like every quartz is calibrated for). A regular quartz is usually specified to +15spm, but most performs better than that, mostly due to what temperatures they are kept within and how well isolated the caliber is in the watch. Any manufacturer could basicly tune their caliber close to zero deviation within a very tight temperature range, but since temperature is not that stabile during a 24h day they compensate for variation and lands in the +15spm. Junghans claim combined with the tech used tells us that they tuned their caliber with a tighter calibration than others (still within a temperature range).

I bought the first gen Max Bill MEGA (no 258 from first batch) when it was released. The ultimate Hot Rod-Heritage-Homage if you will, true sixties design with plexi and a high tech RC caliber inside. What´s not to get excited about, right  ?
The RC is so weak it can barely synch with the app, not to mention on its own during night. It does try though, 4 times at night before it enters quartzmode. The main issue when failing 4 times, is that the date wheel slips a little after every fail, ending up with 2 halfs of date in the window in the morning. That can be corrected in two ways. After a successful RC or with a hard reset. Since a successful RC is not likely to happen you need a hard reset of all hands to reset the date wheel. This takes a lot of battery power. A LOT! I ended up changing battery every two months during the first 6 months of owning the watch before I decided just to run it in quartz mode (we are not going to talk about my comunication with Junghans on this issue). In quartzmode it performes just like a regular quartz when worn on regular basis (around +15spm). But when not worn a regular basis... mine is more like +1spd.

So what did this fool do? He got the new solar ti model of the same watch 😂
This time without battery issues or regular RC failures  It does _not_ succeed every night, but in the morning there is no hanging date and it will synch with the app. BUT, I can immediately see it has failed because it´s +1sek fast. If I don´t do a synch with the app it will be another second fast the next day.
I would recommend the Solar to any one, it´s a great looking watch in titanium with solarpower and perpetual calendar. And RC. But no HAQ!


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## MonkeyChunks

Well, I did it.
Here is the AQ 4090-59E "in the metal".
Here is a quick picture of the watch, with a full set of pictures and review to come a bit later.

Initial impression... it is gorgeous.
I do not see the paper fibers that the other Washi Chronomasters show, so that has me a bit concerned.
I'm no expert photographer, so here is a decent close-up from my phone.


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## sky21

MonkeyChunks said:


> Well, I did it.
> Here is the AQ 4090-59E "in the metal".
> Here is a quick picture of the watch, with a full set of pictures and review to come a bit later.
> 
> Initial impression... it is gorgeous.
> I do not see the paper fibers that the other Washi Chronomasters show, so that has me a bit concerned.
> I'm no expert photographer, so here is a decent close-up from my phone.
> View attachment 16548590


Just an amazing piece of engineering from Citizen. Accuracy to +- 5 sec per year, Japanese washi paper dial, and Duratect alpha coating, their strongest titanium coating. Looks awesome, looking forward to the more thorough review.


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## Motorcityjoe

MonkeyChunks said:


> Well, I did it.
> Here is the AQ 4090-59E "in the metal".
> Here is a quick picture of the watch, with a full set of pictures and review to come a bit later.
> 
> Initial impression... it is gorgeous.
> I do not see the paper fibers that the other Washi Chronomasters show, so that has me a bit concerned.
> I'm no expert photographer, so here is a decent close-up from my phone.
> View attachment 16548590


Congratulations!! You just purchased one of the best chronomasters Citizen has made. More pics! More pics!


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## Barbababa

sky21 said:


> Just an amazing piece of engineering from Citizen. Accuracy to +- 5 sec per year, Japanese washi paper dial, and Duratect alpha coating, their strongest titanium coating. Looks awesome, looking forward to the more thorough review.


I have also read information that says it´s Duratect-a on this model, but the text on the back only have the regular "base metal titanium" and "duratect" marking. Do you know if there is a way to tell wich Duratect is used? I thought it was supposed to have a special Duratect-a marking...


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## NYCNIK

MonkeyChunks said:


> Well, I did it.
> Here is the AQ 4090-59E "in the metal".
> Here is a quick picture of the watch, with a full set of pictures and review to come a bit later.
> 
> Initial impression... it is gorgeous.
> I do not see the paper fibers that the other Washi Chronomasters show, so that has me a bit concerned.
> I'm no expert photographer, so here is a decent close-up from my phone.
> View attachment 16548590


Enjoy the feeling of having one of the best watches ever made...


----------



## CitizenPromaster

Barbababa said:


> I have also read information that says it´s Duratect-a on this model, but the text on the back only have the regular "base metal titanium" and "duratect" marking. Do you know if there is a way to tell wich Duratect is used? I thought it was supposed to have a special Duratect-a marking...


no such thing as a Duratect Alpha marking. the way to tell is to read the (translated) specs on Citizen.jp:








AQ4090-59E: CITIZEN | CITIZEN WATCH OFFICIAL SITE


----------



## Barbababa

CitizenPromaster said:


> no such thing as a Duratect Alpha marking. the way to tell is to read the (translated) specs on Citizen.jp:
> View attachment 16553703
> 
> AQ4090-59E: CITIZEN | CITIZEN WATCH OFFICIAL SITE


Tnx  I guess I could have asked the titanium expert (you that is )from the begining 
I must look at the specs for my ONE s since they have no Duratect marking at all, only the Base st steel marking indicating there is a surface treatment


----------



## CitizenPromaster

Barbababa said:


> Tnx  I guess I could have asked the titanium expert (you that is )from the begining
> I must look at the specs for my ONE s since they have no Duratect marking at all, only the Base st steel marking indicating there is a surface treatment


Citizen.jp doesn't list discontinued models, so if you have some older models it can be more challenging to find the specs. I think though that the coating on stainless steel is usually Duratect TIC or PTIC, unless it is a very expensive model, like some of the Eco-Drive ONEs. One of those was stainless + alpha, but I don't remember which one.


----------



## Tim86seiko

I'll be fair on citizen but my local AD and a friend of mine has very little to offer.
That is more a regional thing since iam in the middle East perhaps but I never had a wow moment.

Been wanting to splurge some on a new one since I would get a discount but even then I just can't seem to find what I really want


----------



## Gavaust

Absolutely love my citizen HAQ AQ4060-50W limited edition to 300 pieces living in Melbourne Australia i purchased this JDM from ippo watch and received within 5 days the zaratsu polishing of the hands and indices are amazing and give different shades depending on the light in some shades they turn gold along with the machine lines on the date window which can only see with a loupe the dial is amazing and the photos don't do it justice and after wearing it all day for a week and checking on the watch check app every morning after the watch has been dial up all night currently running 0-0 second very underated watch


----------



## NYCNIK

Gavaust said:


> Absolutely love my citizen HAQ AQ4060-50W limited edition to 300 pieces living in Melbourne Australia i purchased this JDM from ippo watch and received within 5 days the zaratsu polishing of the hands and indices are amazing and give different shades depending on the light in some shades they turn gold along with the machine lines on the date window which can only see with a loupe the dial is amazing and the photos don't do it justice and after wearing it all day for a week and checking on the watch check app every morning after the watch has been dial up all night currently running 0-0 second very underated watch
> View attachment 16751182
> 
> View attachment 16751183
> 
> View attachment 16751181
> 
> View attachment 16751180


That pearl dial is exquisite.


----------



## Peter_030

Gavaust said:


> Absolutely love my citizen HAQ AQ4060-50W limited edition


The White Butterfly dial with the Citizen Eagles! Epic!

As it happens I've been lying awake at night agonising over whether it's worth a very sizeable amount of money to purchase another LE Citizen, not that AQ4060-50W.
FWIW, I'm not buying as an 'investment', hoping to resell for a profit, or trying to impress others.
It's just that I've fallen (hopelessly, it seems) in love. I _desperately_ want that watch and treasure it for my remaining days. I suppose it's my grail watch, a keeper. Fatal attraction ...

I've read all there is to read, and seen all the (often mesmerising) images. I don't need to justify or explain such a purchase to anyone but myself. But still, I'm having trouble pulling the trigger. And I know that if I keep hesitating someone else will snatch it right from under my nose and I'll be utterly devastated.

Citizen isn't known for repeating itself by periodically releasing _identical_ LE models and having to buy from some 'professional dealer' (who is only in it for the money and has no emotional connection to his watches whatsoever) later on, most likely paying through the nose, is a frightening prospect.

Agony!

*update*: it's gone!


----------



## Own2hands

SamRHughes said:


> Let me make my best case _against_ the Citizen HAQ.
> 
> You can get a Junghans Max Bill Mega Solar for under $1k. 38mm, titanium case, super-light, and a +/- 8 spy movement. It also unfortunately(?) has radio signal reception, making the high accuracy movement superfluous.
> 
> The main argument I can see for the Citizen is the design or style. In my opinion, many of the new A010/A060 models, maybe some A660's as well, have a visual design flaw (which I'm not going to explain because I don't want to ruin it for you) and that's what would stop me from buying one online.


My understanding is that the Junghans is not themocompensated and is marketed as HAQ because of the radio control. 

Also, the jumping minute hand that only moves at the top of the minute is reported to have a lot of play/slop in its movement and often doesn't line up with the markers on the dial.


----------



## Gavaust

Peter_030 said:


> The White Butterfly dial with the Citizen Eagles! Epic!
> 
> As it happens I've been lying awake at night agonising over whether it's worth a very sizeable amount of money to purchase another LE Citizen, not that AQ4060-50W.
> FWIW, I'm not buying as an 'investment', hoping to resell for a profit, or trying to impress others.
> It's just that I've fallen (hopelessly, it seems) in love. I _desperately_ want that watch and treasure it for my remaining days. I suppose it's my grail watch, a keeper. Fatal attraction ...
> 
> I've read all there is to read, and seen all the (often mesmerising) images. I don't need to justify or explain such a purchase to anyone but myself. But still, I'm having trouble pulling the trigger. And I know that if I keep hesitating someone else will snatch it right from under my nose and I'll be utterly devastated.
> 
> Citizen isn't known for repeating itself by periodically releasing _identical_ LE models and having to buy from some 'professional dealer' (who is only in it for the money and has no emotional connection to his watches whatsoever) later on, most likely paying through the nose, is a frightening prospect.
> 
> Agony!
> 
> *update*: it's gone!


Oh there's still a few out there i used to have around 10 watches now just the 1 it's just an amazing watch and the amount of comments I get about it and the eagles in the right light just pop out so beautiful 😍👌


----------



## Peter_030

*another update* (see my post above for context)

Overcome with grief and disappointment I proceeded to mentally prepare for implementing the backup solution that had always been near the top of my shortlist, the phenomenal model with the deep blues _washi_ dial. For some reason, that's still available via some of the usual suspects.
But what still nagged me a little was something I'd read here at WUS (and elsewhere) while doing research: _don't settle for the next best, you'll regret it_.

While pondering my options, I browsed a Chronomaster topic at a large German-language watch forum (many awesome images of various models btw) and somewhere in there, I found a (casually mentioned) link to one of the few select European The Citizen ADs recognised on Citizen's worldwide site that I hadn't visited yet.

Lo and behold: it turned out that particular AD (in Paris, France) still had my original love for sale: one of the 2 (out of 4) Limited Edition releases from the 2022 Nature Collection. More specifically my favourite by a very narrow margin, the *AQ6100-06W 'Ibuki'*, seen below (not my actual watch but an image found online)












You'll agree that this watch is beauty personified and shows off one of the pinnacles of Citizen's craftmanship. Only 250 watches will be released for each of the 4 Nature watches, all featuring the ultra-thin '_Tosa washi Tengujoshi_' paper dials, distinct colours for each season. More on that unique paper in this video (English subtitles):






FWIW, this watch was priced at official retail with a 10% discount, making it more attractive than any found outside the EU. E.g, JDM watches bought in Japan are often attractively priced but that advantage is (often more than) lost when VAT & import duties are applied, to the tune of approx. 25% altogether. And it appears that 'my' watch will have 2 years AD warranty instead of the usual 1 year offered with most JDM sales (Citizen's 10 years is for Japanese residents only, I'm told).

I'll leave it at this for the moment but I will most likely be back when my watch has arrived.

Please stay tuned!


----------



## aafanatic

@Peter_030 I am SO psyched Amazing watch hunting


----------



## Peter_030

@aafanatic Thank you for your kind comment!

*TL;DR - I unexpectedly acquired my grail watch and am a very happy bunny!*

To be honest, after having spent so many hours online trawling watch sites and looking at watch videos I'd almost reconciled myself to accepting defeat and moving on to exploring other brands/watches.
But having repeatedly missed out, either by years (ignorant about an interesting release that proved no longer available when I found out about it) or just by days or hours, as happened earlier this month, I saw this stroke of good fortune as divine intervention. A blessing by some Higher Power, if you will. Something that only happens to others, the veteran watch collectors, having the skills and the experience that I lack and never will match.

I'm a man of modest means and have lived rather frugally all my life, able to slowly accumulate some disposable funds. And now that I'm retired and have no foreseeable urgent financial obligations it appeared the perfect time to spend a little on myself for a change. Having discovered the mysterious lure of watches only a few years ago I had much to learn and a lot of catching up to do. I had time on my side and a somewhat disconcerting obsession to learn and acquire missing knowledge. I'm also not an impulse buyer: the principle of 'delayed gratification' is something I can very much relate to.

Once I discovered that I'm 'wired' to appreciate the often unjustly maligned qualities of quartz (due to its lack of serious horological properties) I was able to slowly whittle down my longlist to a shortlist. A brief flirt with GS quartz watches came to nothing and other HAQ watches didn't make the cut because of one or more perceived design flaws (in my eyes only, mind you, and often based on totally irrational pet hates). Citizen Chronomasters tick all my boxes apart from its cost. The latter proved a mental hurdle that took some time and a lot of painful soul searching to overcome: while I don't have to explain my expenditures to anyone but myself this purchase, not out of necessity but purely for pleasure, is definitely out of character.

Anyway, an unexpected and spontaneous state of profound euphoria and peace of mind overcame me after I'd approved the purchase, indicating that I'd made a good and correct decision. Not solely based on emotional arguments but also intellectually defensible. No regrets whatsoever, it _just feels good._ Knowing myself, precisely that feeling tells me all I need to know.


----------



## Gavaust

Peter_030 said:


> *another update* (see my post above for context)
> 
> Overcome with grief and disappointment I proceeded to mentally prepare for implementing the backup solution that had always been near the top of my shortlist, the phenomenal model with the deep blues _washi_ dial. For some reason, that's still available via some of the usual suspects.
> But what still nagged me a little was something I'd read here at WUS (and elsewhere) while doing research: _don't settle for the next best, you'll regret it_.
> 
> While pondering my options, I browsed a Chronomaster topic at a large German-language watch forum (many awesome images of various models btw) and somewhere in there, I found a (casually mentioned) link to one of the few select European The Citizen ADs recognised on Citizen's worldwide site that I hadn't visited yet.
> 
> Lo and behold: it turned out that particular AD (in Paris, France) still had my original love for sale: one of the 2 (out of 4) Limited Edition releases from the 2022 Nature Collection. More specifically my favourite by a very narrow margin, the *AQ6100-06W 'Ibuki'*, seen below (not my actual watch but an image found online)
> 
> 
> View attachment 16766451
> 
> 
> 
> You'll agree that this watch is beauty personified and shows off one of the pinnacles of Citizen's craftmanship. Only 250 watches will be released for each of the 4 Nature watches, all featuring the ultra-thin '_Tosa washi Tengujoshi_' paper dials, distinct colours for each season. More on that unique paper in this video (English subtitles):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> FWIW, this watch was priced at official retail with a 10% discount, making it more attractive than any found outside the EU. E.g, JDM watches bought in Japan are often attractively priced but that advantage is (often more than) lost when VAT & import duties are applied, to the tune of approx. 25% altogether. And it appears that 'my' watch will have 2 years AD warranty instead of the usual 1 year offered with most JDM sales (Citizen's 10 years is for Japanese residents only, I'm told).
> 
> I'll leave it at this for the moment but I will most likely be back when my watch has arrived.
> 
> Please stay tuned!


Congratulations that's beautiful can't wait to see it on your wrist 😍👌 yes I have tried to get the 10 year warranty however it is only available to japanese resident's 😔


----------



## Tseg

EDIT: Disregard... The Citizen I wanted no longer available (for the price I am willing to pay). On the hunt again


----------



## NoTime007

Wilfried84 said:


> BTW, here's my Chronomaster. JDM, of course, but I managed to snag it domestically from a private seller. This was a grail, because I didn't think I would ever be able to find one.
> 
> View attachment 16304395


Wow, that dial.


----------



## Peter_030

Tseg said:


> It is like I've died and gone to heaven.


 You said it!

post edited for loss of context (see below)



Tseg said:


> EDIT: Disregard... The Citizen I wanted no longer available (for the price I am willing to pay). On the hunt again


Oops! Noticed your post edit (content deleted) too late. What a shame but there'll be other Citizens.
Happy hunting.


----------



## aafanatic

Peter_030 said:


> @aafanatic Thank you for your kind comment!
> 
> *TL;DR - I unexpectedly acquired my grail watch and am a very happy bunny!*
> 
> To be honest, after having spent so many hours online trawling watch sites and looking at watch videos I'd almost reconciled myself to accepting defeat and moving on to exploring other brands/watches.
> But having repeatedly missed out, either by years (ignorant about an interesting release that proved no longer available when I found out about it) or just by days or hours, as happened earlier this month, I saw this stroke of good fortune as divine intervention. A blessing by some Higher Power, if you will. Something that only happens to others, the veteran watch collectors, having the skills and the experience that I lack and never will match.
> 
> I'm a man of modest means and have lived rather frugally all my life, able to slowly accumulate some disposable funds. And now that I'm retired and have no foreseeable urgent financial obligations it appeared the perfect time to spend a little on myself for a change. Having discovered the mysterious lure of watches only a few years ago I had much to learn and a lot of catching up to do. I had time on my side and a somewhat disconcerting obsession to learn and acquire missing knowledge. I'm also not an impulse buyer: the principle of 'delayed gratification' is something I can very much relate to.
> 
> Once I discovered that I'm 'wired' to appreciate the often unjustly maligned qualities of quartz (due to its lack of serious horological properties) I was able to slowly whittle down my longlist to a shortlist. A brief flirt with GS quartz watches came to nothing and other HAQ watches didn't make the cut because of one or more perceived design flaws (in my eyes only, mind you, and often based on totally irrational pet hates). Citizen Chronomasters tick all my boxes apart from its cost. The latter proved a mental hurdle that took some time and a lot of painful soul searching to overcome: while I don't have to explain my expenditures to anyone but myself this purchase, not out of necessity but purely for pleasure, is definitely out of character.
> 
> Anyway, an unexpected and spontaneous state of profound euphoria and peace of mind overcame me after I'd approved the purchase, indicating that I'd made a good and correct decision. Not solely based on emotional arguments but also intellectually defensible. No regrets whatsoever, it _just feels good._ Knowing myself, precisely that feeling tells me all I need to know.


@Peter_030 SO well expressed and a pleasure to read Have fun tryinmg to figure out if it has lost 1 sec over a couple of months


----------



## Tseg

Peter_030 said:


> You said it!
> 
> post edited for loss of context (see below)
> 
> 
> Oops! Noticed your post edit (content deleted) too late. What a shame but there'll be other Citizens.
> Happy hunting.


So now I have had 24 hours to regroup and think about what The Citizen I really want. I'm using my experience from other purchases to craft my decision:

Looking for dressy, but sporty enough to be worn with casual clothes
NEEDS LUME
I'm thinking 40mm vs. smaller... I have a 40mm GMT that just feels perfect on my wrist, whereas my 38mm Baltic diver just feels small (although it is a diver)
I'm particularly attracted to: ecodrive, washi paper dial, hour skip without hacking, perpetual calendar, +/-5spy
I have finally resolved that I prefer the blue dial over black if for no other reason that most of my watches have black dials and I have no blue-dialed watch

Now my debate is whether to get the version with the "Chronomaster" logo and no signed crown (AQ4030) or the Citizen Turkey logo with signed crown (AQ4091). Other than the graphic aesthetic on the dial and signed crown, are there any other known differences, other than the AQ4030, even if "new", will have a battery ensemble that has aged a few years?

EDIT: I just pulled the trigger on a new blue washi 40mm AQ4030-51L, to arrive within a month. What I couldn't walk away from was the non-hacking hour hand and perpetual calendar... with all my other watches, lack of one of these 2 items rear their ugly head periodically and I think, "...if only?...". I did have a titanium eco-drive Citizen atomic watch I gave my son, but with all the busy dials not dressy at all. Arguably an atomic watch could address my need, but there is something cool about the "Chronomaster" logo on the dial, even if the name "Citizen" on the dial is not that cool. ... Nothing personal against the Citizen Chicken logo, as well.


----------



## Cetautomatix

Tseg said:


> Other than the graphic aesthetic on the dial and signed crown, are there any other known differences, other than the AQ4030, even if "new", will have a battery ensemble that has aged a few years?


Citizen.jp tells me that the AQ4091 has Duratect platinum coating, while Ippojapan tells me that the AQ4030 has a Duratect alpha coating. Are they both right? I don't know. But the Duratect alpha is harder, whereas the Duratect platinum is lighter (more like platinum or stainless steel), so that would be a pro or a con.
The hands on the AQ4091 also look more pointy.


----------



## Tseg

I was just going to point out the AQ4091 hands are more pointy and the lume is pointy as well. The AQ4030 has some rounded lume on the hands. Also, not sure it can be confirmed, it seems the AQ4091 uses 2 colors of lume... the hand color in the dark is different than the hour color. Is this true? I kind of don't like the multi-colored lume effect. But, sadly, I have no turkey on my crown.


----------



## Ziptie

For size reasons alone the 4030 and 4091 are at the top of my someday list. Can’t imagine dropping $2k+ on a watch anytime soon, but maybe someday.


----------



## RawDog

Gavaust said:


> Absolutely love my citizen HAQ AQ4060-50W limited edition to 300 pieces living in Melbourne Australia i purchased this JDM from ippo watch and received within 5 days the zaratsu polishing of the hands and indices are amazing and give different shades depending on the light in some shades they turn gold along with the machine lines on the date window which can only see with a loupe the dial is amazing and the photos don't do it justice and after wearing it all day for a week and checking on the watch check app every morning after the watch has been dial up all night currently running 0-0 second very underated watch
> View attachment 16751182
> 
> View attachment 16751183
> 
> View attachment 16751181
> 
> View attachment 16751180


That is perhaps the most handsome watch I have laid eyes on. Thank you for posting the outdoor photo!!


----------



## Peter_030

the saga continues ...

This morning FedEx dropped a parcel off at my front door 😁

I think a little (strip)tease (SFW) might be in order.





































I'm feeling a little lightheaded right now for pure joy. All this takes me back well over half a century, those wonderful presents under the Xmas tree. A chocolate watch did the trick back then.

As soon as my adrenaline and blood pressure have returned to acceptable levels I'll go for The Big Reveal.

Stay tuned, please.


----------



## Chasy

Sold 2 watches

AQ1040
AQ4030

Pure frustration. Both ran way faster then 5 SPY (+11 and +18, and getting faster and faster every month)

Citizen support tried to convince they will self correct, but after a year of worsening issues, agreed to repair.

I was done. And sold mine.

No regrets. I dont like over-promising under-performing companies.

PS
seconds hand was too short on both, another imperfection

plus, lume was not great, I confused hour and minute hands a few times at night

something that never happenned with my Oceanus


----------



## RawDog

Peter_030 said:


> the saga continues ...
> 
> This morning FedEx dropped a parcel off at my front door 😁
> 
> I think a little (strip)tease (SFW) might be in order.
> 
> View attachment 16775127
> 
> 
> View attachment 16775128
> 
> 
> View attachment 16775130
> 
> 
> View attachment 16775133
> 
> 
> I'm feeling a little lightheaded right now for pure joy. All this takes me back well over half a century, those wonderful presents under the Xmas tree. A chocolate watch did the trick back then.
> 
> As soon as my adrenaline and blood pressure have returned to acceptable levels I'll go for The Big Reveal.
> 
> Stay tuned, please.


I have never been a ‘nail biter’ in my whole 58 years, but you are going to cause me to start chewing!!! 
Dont leave me/us hanging 😉


----------



## Peter_030

First of all, please allow me to apologise for my unscheduled absence from this topic.
Urgent RL matters forced me to reschedule my agenda to focus on the correct priorities.
I've also taken the time to download the manual for the correct Citizen (060) movement and familiarise myself with the somewhat idiosyncratic way of correctly setting the perpetual calendar.

Anyway, back on topic. BTW, please feel free to skip my incoherent and unstructured rant below. I know you're here for the images.
And I should warn you that I'm not a great (watch) photographer and you should not set your expectations too high. Feel free to look for professional shots elsewhere online.

But before it comes to that I must explain that I'm your typical hardcore watch aficionado, the people whose contributions I've encountered doing my research here. I'm not a watch collector and I also couldn't care less about what's fashionable, desirable, trendy, wise, prestigious, status-enhancing, a good investment or any such motives when considering a watch.

For me, a watch must be 'love at first sight': the overall aesthetics (how a watch looks and is executed) must appeal strongly and suggest being future-proof. Resulting in a subconscious signal from the prefrontal cortex that cannot be translated into words. A primordial urge to act that will not abate but must be satisfied in some way or form. Mind you, the latter is not always translated into possession but is more often expressed by a lingering desire to revisit, and to muse on for no apparent reason, often at inopportune moments. An instant crush, if you will. Rational considerations are not part of the equation.

My very first close-up glimpse of a Citizen watch with a 'washi' dial took my breath away and made my heart skip a beat. IMHO, it's just the most striking watch dial I've ever seen. Some Grand Seiko dials come very close, but a 'washi' Citizen takes the cake. FWIW, I've discovered an interesting read about it here. Mind-blowing stuff. Just find some Youtube videos about the process that is involved in the making of 'washi' paper. Only in Japan!

Anyway, just 2 quick snaps acting as 'proof of purchase'. Taken in haste and without a more deserving lighting setup.
More to come !



http://imgur.com/a/NtQFIpp


FYI:
I've been to Japan only once (now more than half a century ago) and, in hindsight, it was my most memorable tour abroad, by a very respectable margin. I went well prepared but still was taken by surprise: it far surpassed my expectations and made a deep and lasting impression. At the time, the foreign influences were still fairly modest and mostly small-scale. It's much different now and not all of this has been for the better, AFAICT.

From here on I'll wear a rare edition of one of Japan's great watches with pride and respect, fully aware of how fortunate and privileged I have been to acquire it. Against the odds, I might add.

Thank you for indulging me. Stay tuned!

Peter


----------



## RawDog

Darn, I thought there would be pictures


----------



## Peter_030

@RawDog: I have inserted an Imgur link to 2 pictures and I can see them in my post above just fine.
Try this, please (copy&paste in a new browser tab)


Code:


https://imgur.com/a/NtQFIpp

or, even better. just look at this




















FYI: the correct date & time appear to have been set. So far I've just checked the charge level.

Now AFK, RL calls again!


----------



## RawDog

Peter_030 said:


> @RawDog: I have inserted an Imgur link to 2 pictures and I can see them in my post above just fine.
> Try this, please (copy&paste in a new browser tab)
> 
> 
> Code:
> 
> 
> https://imgur.com/a/NtQFIpp
> 
> or, even better. just look at this
> 
> View attachment 16779474
> 
> 
> View attachment 16779476


Oh!! I thought the Imgur insert was some website advertising 😉 so naturally I didn’t click. Looking forward to your final unboxing.


----------



## Peter_030

A quick one on the wrist. It looks larger here than it actually is on my 7"/18cm wrist.
It's light as the proverbial feather (my 1st titanium watch). I'll try to post better shots










Took me a while to figure out (thank you, YouTube!) how to adjust the deployment clasp.


----------



## Terra Citizen

I really like the cap on the second hand that Citizen does with The Citizen watches. I also like the Citizen Eagle logo. Another detail that I appreciate is how the minute and hour hands are not stamped steel, but are metal with a thickness and beveled edge. That green Washi paper dial looks awesome! Congratulations on the watch.


----------



## yellowfury

I've been on the fence for the blue model. Just waiting to see if my rolex AD can pull off the impossible before i pull the trigger on this one since i don't have funds for both.


----------



## nuhobby

That is one righteous watch!!! Really striking.


----------



## Peter_030

Thank you all for your kinds words!

Here's another passable shot that is fit for publication


----------



## Tseg

Nice watch! Anyone know if Super Titanium The Citizen models also have titanium hands and markers?


----------



## ustinj

The washi dials aren't for me personally (a little too organic, reminds me of mold), but I'm definitely going to have to bite on one of the HAQ models soon. The feature set of solar, ultra high accuracy, and perpetual calendar especially are too good to pass up. Can anyone provide a reason as to why a quartz Grand Seiko is still worth buying when these exist?


----------



## Tseg

ustinj said:


> The washi dials aren't for me personally (a little too organic, reminds me of mold), but I'm definitely going to have to bite on one of the HAQ models soon. The feature set of solar, ultra high accuracy, and perpetual calendar especially are too good to pass up. Can anyone provide a reason as to why a quartz Grand Seiko is still worth buying when these exist?


Grand Seiko brand panache? For whatever that is worth? I bought my The Citizen after buying a GS 9F diver that was 1/3 the cost more and 2/3 the features less. I’m keeping both, but The Citizen is clearly a better value.


----------



## ustinj

Tseg said:


> Grand Seiko brand panache? For whatever that is worth? I bought my The Citizen after buying a GS 9F diver that was 1/3 the cost more and 2/3 the features less. I’m keeping both, but The Citizen is clearly a better value.


No doubt better value. Though I will say I do think from what I've seen The Citizen is just now getting into the more intricate and fancy dials. When it comes to interesting and detailed dials, GS is quite a bit ahead of The Citizen IMO... some options are so refined and elegant it's really no comparison. maybe that gap will also be closed soon as well.


----------



## Peter_030

@ustinj

Would you consider the Citizen Exceed AR4000-55E?

Full specs when you open 'Product information' (solar, +/- 10 SPY)

Blue dial version here

related: All Citizen HAQ Movement Calibers list


----------



## Bulovas&BoltActions

ustinj said:


> The washi dials aren't for me personally (a little too organic, reminds me of mold), but I'm definitely going to have to bite on one of the HAQ models soon. The feature set of solar, ultra high accuracy, and perpetual calendar especially are too good to pass up. Can anyone provide a reason as to why a quartz Grand Seiko is still worth buying when these exist?


I wider variety of dial colors and textures, plus a variety of case designs. Many of GS case designs have been refined for decades, and that means they get the details right most of the time. High end Citizens are beautiful, but there's usually something off about the details, proportions, or colors used. That's why I got a GS SBGV005 as my first real high end HAQ. I do want a Citizen eventually (currently leaning towards an AQ4041/AQ4100 of some type), but I had to go GS first.


----------



## Peter_030

Citizen will release another Limited Edition model later this year, the *AQ4091-56M*

Still a 'washi' dial but with a slightly different texture, less 'mouldy'.
The image shown on the product page is (very) poor, but you can find a better one here - scroll down a little for 2 dial close-ups that can be enlarged.


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## Tseg

In reality, one has to use a macro lens or loupe to see "moldy" Washi paper texture. Remember, there is tinted UV treated plastic on top of the paper, so not like it is furry out in the open. The other game-changer for me with the Chronomaster is the Super-titanium which may scratch over time, but in Week 1 of my having this, not a single hairline scratch. My 44GS case with Zaratsu steel slab sides was an absolute scratch magnet.

But I will say, The Citizen is definitely not designed to be a safe queen, like maybe some Grand Seiko's are. If you want a good-looking watch that remains that way, that runs and runs, and has a lot of great features, The Chronomaster will not let you down. Much better functioning double-domed AR crystal than the GS, as well. Super legible. We are talking HAQ here, so won't bring up how GS spring drive and hi-beats need to regularly be sent back to Japan for service... the GS 9F watch dial styles are about as limited as Citizen.

And I went GS first as well, twice. No regrets with The Citizen.








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## ustinj

Bulovas&BoltActions said:


> I wider variety of dial colors and textures, plus a variety of case designs. Many of GS case designs have been refined for decades, and that means they get the details right most of the time. High end Citizens are beautiful, but there's usually something off about the details, proportions, or colors used. That's why I got a GS SBGV005 as my first real high end HAQ. I do want a Citizen eventually (currently leaning towards an AQ4041/AQ4100 of some type), but I had to go GS first.


Yep have to agree with you on that. I think if I'm looking to pick up a The Citizen, at the moment I'd be considering one of their more simple offerings like a simple sunburst dial.


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## ustinj

Tseg said:


> In reality, one has to use a macro lens or loupe to see "moldy" Washi paper texture. Remember, there is tinted UV treated plastic on top of the paper, so not like it is furry out in the open. The other game-changer for me with the Chronomaster is the Super-titanium which may scratch over time, but in Week 1 of my having this, not a single hairline scratch. My 44GS case with Zaratsu steel slab sides was an absolute scratch magnet.
> 
> But I will say, The Citizen is definitely not designed to be a safe queen, like maybe some Grand Seiko's are. If you want a good-looking watch that remains that way, that runs and runs, and has a lot of great features, The Chronomaster will not let you down. Much better functioning double-domed AR crystal than the GS, as well. Super legible. We are talking HAQ here, so won't bring up how GS spring drive and hi-beats need to regularly be sent back to Japan for service... the GS 9F watch dial styles are about as limited as Citizen.
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> And I went GS first as well, twice. No regrets with The Citizen.
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Really good to know about the durability of the super titanium. I have a GS 9F and it picks up scratches but I expected that. Great point you made and definitely helped to push me closer to picking one up..


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## Peter_030

I assume this topic, The definitive Citizen Titanium Thread is old news. But just in case ...


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## JodyDavis

ustinj said:


> Yep have to agree with you on that. I think if I'm looking to pick up a The Citizen, at the moment I'd be considering one of their more simple offerings like a simple sunburst dial.


This is the main reason (along with the smaller 37mm size) I went for the AQ4080-52L. 











Regarding comparisons with GS, I agree with the other comments. The Citizens definitely win on features and value. But the GS designs seem just a bit more refined. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## NYCNIK

JodyDavis said:


> This is the main reason (along with the smaller 37mm size) I went for the AQ4080-52L.
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That blue really grows on you. I got mine because I like blue dials, but over time I realized how it transforms in hue depending on the lighting. And the smaller case size just ties in with the idea of a precise and functional timepiece. No frills, just to the point. Exactly what HAQ watches are.


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## Terra Citizen

I'm rockin' the poor man's version of this watch, the stainless steel NB1050 with an automatic 9000 movement:


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## Gerry.GEG

The Citizen is beautiful but I think can be a bit pedestrian. I appreciate mine but I don't wear it much due to size mostly. 38mm is not my sweet spot.


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## Moonbiter

Gavaust said:


> Absolutely love my citizen HAQ AQ4060-50W limited edition to 300 pieces living in Melbourne Australia i purchased this JDM from ippo watch and received within 5 days the zaratsu polishing of the hands and indices are amazing and give different shades depending on the light in some shades they turn gold along with the machine lines on the date window which can only see with a loupe the dial is amazing and the photos don't do it justice and after wearing it all day for a week and checking on the watch check app every morning after the watch has been dial up all night currently running 0-0 second very underated watch
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Reviving this old post, but I recently won an auction for one of these. Your pictures of it helped win me over, I was between this and the green-dialed AQ4100-06W, but I managed to snag this one for less than half of what I would've paid for the green. Green is my favorite color, but I think with this I have a dressy HAQ to round out my collection at a significantly lower price than the AQ4100. Looking forward to receiving it. The one I snagged is missing the box but it had all its extra bracelet links. It looks like it should also go well with a leather band, really looking forward to receiving it!
Edit: minor lesson learned, I forgot to change from PayPal payment to credit card and the conversion fee is around 4.5%, which is way more than the international transaction fee for my card. Ended up paying an extra 7-8%, so lesson learned. Never paying anything international with PayPal again unless the transaction is already in dollars. Their conversion rate+fee is absolute rubbish.


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## Watch Obsessive

JodyDavis said:


> This is the main reason (along with the smaller 37mm size) I went for the AQ4080-52L.
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> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I just wanted to bump this thread and this post in particular as I can’t get this watch out of my head.

I’m more than likely going to make a purchase in the next week or so. I’m hoping to land a new job and what better way to celebrate.

I’m pretty content with my current collection, they’re all keepers and the foursome has been the culmination of over 10 years of collecting and flipping. I’ve been wanting to add a blue dial ever since I sold off my Omega 2504.80. Nothing else out there is grabbing me as much as this Citizen. The size, specs and aesthetic are everything I look for in a timepiece. I love the tech and I’m a lot more into quartz these days after being an auto only guy for 10 years. The fact it’s HAQ is the icing on the cake. The blue dial is beautiful. I’ve watched every video available and studied all the pics I can find online. It’s the perfect shade for me, I’m very picky when it comes to blue dials, I don’t like ones that have a purple tinge in certain light. The Omega AT blue is lovely and the Citizen even more so.

I’m probably going to buy from Sakura watches, they’re the best price online and although I’ve never bought from them before, I’ve read lots of good things about them. I’ve bought several watches unseen from Asia before so have no problem importing and obviously I don’t have a choice with being in the UK. I’ve had no luck finding a used one and I’d prefer brand spanking new anyway.

The 37mm case and 44mm lug to lug should be a perfect fit for me. I like to keep things around this size as my wrist is only 6.5”.

Could I request some more wrist shots from you if poss? It would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT.

After a bit more digging I’ve found some more wrist shots online so I’m confident the fit will be good. I had a slight concern about the male end links but judging by the L2L it should wear similar to watches I’ve owned in the past.


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## Peter_030

Perhaps this video review will has something useful


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## Watch Obsessive

Peter_030 said:


> Perhaps this video review will has something useful


I’ve already seen that mate and the other videos by the same YouTuber but thanks.

I’d like to see some shots on wrist from some distance, I’ve only seen close ups online. 👊


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## JodyDavis

Watch Obsessive said:


> Could I request some more wrist shots from you if poss? It would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Here are a few more pics. I’m also really picky about the shade of blue and also don’t like any shades that are a bit purple. This one is a really nice blue, with a hint of grey.




















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Watch Obsessive

JodyDavis said:


> Here are a few more pics. I’m also really picky about the shade of blue and also don’t like any shades that are a bit purple. This one is a really nice blue, with a hint of grey.
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Legend. Thanks so much, it’s awesome.


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## Moonbiter

Watch Obsessive said:


> Legend. Thanks so much, it’s awesome.


I love how helpful folks are here .


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