Model U830
I own several Citizen watches, and one of them is nearly 20 years old. Overall, I have been very satisfied with the brand over the years. However, my latest purchase, the Citizen Skyhawk U830, has made me rethink the level of quality that Citizen once offered. At first glance, the watch looks great. But when you examine it closely, you begin to notice that the craftsmanship is not what it used to be. The polishing and finishing are not as refined as on my older Citizen watches. In fact, my 20-year-old Citizen still looks better in some respects. Even the bracelet clasp feels virtually unchanged from what Citizen was using two decades ago, which is surprising. I could probably overlook those issues. What disappointed me most is the lack of a clear, simple, step-by-step setup guide. Configuring the watch and getting it into the correct operating mode is unnecessarily complicated and confusing. Another major disappointment is the backlight. It is barely visible. My older Citizen watches have illumination that is at least three times brighter. I honestly do not understand how this was considered acceptable for a modern watch. While I still appreciate Citizen’s history and reliability, this experience has left me disappointed. Based on this watch, I do not think Citizen will be my first choice when purchasing a watch in the future.