I received this Citizen CZ Smart Gen2 Hybrid Sport watch a few days ago and I absolutely adore this piece. It has a face that reminds you of an older watch but with the hybrid smartwatch face in the center. It perfectly syncs up with my Android phone and the notifications are spot on. The leather band is a nice touch as well!
Overall: This fits a niche but won’t be replacing my Apple Watch. However, if I didn’t already have an Apple Watch, this might be my choice. Looks: Miles better looking that Apple Watch, but not quite to the level of my favorite (original Withing Activite Saphire). This was a little too bulky for my taste in analog watches. Battery: Again miles better than Apple Watch. Think days/week. Love that it’s rechargeable, so that makes it the top in this area for me. Functionality: This is where it comes up short to the Apple Watch. The citizen doesn’t have as many integrations with third party apps, which I’ve become so ingrained into. In addition, the UI is a little clunky vs a touchscreen. It feels like using a Fitbit that looks and functions much better.
This watch is 80% style and 20% tech. Perfect for when you want to keep a sense of class but still stay connected to the most important parts of your phone. It includes a heart rate monitor, Alexa functionality, and a variety of other features and watch faces. The screen blends nicely with the watch features, almost un-noticeable to anyone not looking for it. The strap is genuine leather and very comfortable.
I was provided this watch in exchange for an honest review by Influenster and Citizen. So I feel we need to split this into two parts, the watch itself and the supporting software. Let's talk about the watch first! This watch is like nothing I have ever seen before. I am a big fan of mechanical watches, but I also like the convenience of being able to see my notifications on my wrist. This watch seems to be the perfect combination. The first time you see the hands move out of the way to show your notifications is a trip. Behind the hands is an e-ink screen that has customizable faces. Using the e-ink technology instead of a traditional LCD screen allows the battery life to go way farther between charges. Almost long enough that you lose the charger, wich is super impressive. Let's talk about the applications. These are the only parts i have issue with. There are two applications, Citizen Connection and CZ YouQ. I feel like one of these was an afterthought based on how they are deployed. The connection application has a number of very cool features that feel like you need the secret handshake to get to. It really has a robust watch face creator that is not very well explained or documented. The YouQ application felt incomplete. The connection to my watch had several issues and would not consistently record data, to the point where I was having to reconnect it manually to get it to record my sleep and pulse. The alert test is really cool though, I am a big fan of that. Using a reflex test to check your alertness, you can see how ready you are to face the day or night. Apparently this test is based on the one used by the astronauts on the space station. IN CONCLUSION: This is a great watch with a lot of very useful features. My only gripe is with the UI/UX of the applications that it connects to. For the price point it is comparable to other smartwatches, but the Apple Watch and the Pixel Watch won't get anywhere near as many looks as this.