pkonos
2405
The good Citizen knocking at Grand Seiko’s door...
Bearing Citizen’s “THE CITIZEN” name (essentially what Grand Seiko is to Seiko, except comprised of only quartz pieces until now), both the 0200 (introduced in 2021) and 0210 (intro’d in 2023) unsurprisingly manifest mission and design tenets similar to those of GS: Accuracy, legibility and reliability for daily wear, first and foremost; a high level of finishing to please the eye; and a certain conservatism of design to stand the test of time.
The 0200 & 0210 both boast new automatic calibers designed and manufactured in-house, regulated to run at a Grand Seiko-like -3 secs.~+5secs/day, with an adequate 60-hr. power reserve.
The backside (image from the ‘Net)
(Another photo of the movement gleaned from the ‘Net)
The Zaratsu polishing on these pieces is
immediately evident to the eye, as the hour and minutes hands, and applied
indices all sparkle with life in a way that will be both familiar and appealing
to GS fans. They are set off to
particularly good advantage by the glare-reducing, textured dials of the 0200
and 0210, in either black or white.
(Credit: Citizen Global website)
The Citizen Caliber 0210 automatic is slightly thicker than the 0200 (11.2mm vs. 10.9mm), as it has been modified to accommodate a date function and increased water-resistance from 50m to 100m, but the change in thickness is almost imperceptible unless the cases are compared side-by-side.
The 0200 and 0210’s distinctive integrated case-bracelet design will likely be polarizing, but it does successfully distinguish Citizen’s foray into GS territory from its other mechanical and myriad quartz offerings.
As an aside, one can’t be but struck by the case design’s similarity with the IWC Ingenieur Ref. 3521 of yore…
An instance
of borrowed inspiration or convergent evolution?:
The bracelet feels merely adequate, its links a bit too thin, a bit unrefined to the eye and touch, not quite measuring up to GS’ offerings. Wearing comfort of the 0210 is nevertheless high, and its 40mm stainless steel case feels quite at home on the wrist. (I’ve not tried on the 0200 which, I believe, has already been phased out in favor of the 0210).
As a reliable and accurate, versatile, everyday companion of a watch that works equally well with jeans or a jacket, the 0210 succeeds in its mission and positions itself (@MSRP 880,000 yen) as a viable, attractive alternative to Grand Seiko, especially for Citizen fans who may have long hoped for a finer mechanical timepiece from the brand or for those just curious to try something new and competitive from Japan’s no. 2 watch manufacturer. Grand Seiko would do well to answer the knock at the door and find out what the good citizen next door has been up to.
The good Citizen knocking at Grand Seiko’s door...
Thanks for this wonderful, comprehensive review 👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻
My pleasure, it was fun! 😃
Wow