my headline statement is significant because 23 yrs ago i purchased a new R**** submariner which i eventually sold. clearly milsubs are my favorite type of watch, and not only does Citizen return to its 1960s diver roots with this piece, with a hi-beat movement that's equal to any of the Swiss engines, they've added something the R**** sub never had and still doesn't: an incredibly scratch-resistance hardened titanium case. the design and build is a milsub masterpiece, extremely thin for an auto, impeccable 60s-70s diver styling (no crown guards yay!) and a 60click unidirectional bezel that is spot on with no play, something top military watches have. despite my many Swiss divers, and the former submariner purchase, i'd not only rate this as the best in my collection now, but ever purchased. for me it is the 'grail' watch all watch guys speak of.
I've been a watch collector and lover my entire life, but have never had a dive watch before. I was looking for one that cost less than $1,000, and after looking at Hodinkee and Fratello articles I quickly narrowed it down to this watch. It's unreal for the money! Easy to read, attractive, comfortable, keeps very good time, and the quality and finishing is as good as anything out there. The titanium also seems impossible to scratch, so the watch will probably always look like it just came out of the box. I am seriously surprised at how good this watch is, and for the money, you can't beat it. I've been wearing it every day since I got it, and would get another in a heartbeat if something happened to it.
let me start out that like everyone else i think the crown was at least 2mm too small. while that's just an esthetic issue, we love divers more than other watches because of the very cool esthetics. that said, everything else about the watch is perfect. i say that as a vintage dive watch restorer, with a love for classic dive pieces, as well as some of the hockey puck style quartz or mechanicals as well. back to this piece, at 41mm it satisfies those who prefer a smaller watch, and the style is very close to the original, which for me is the golden age of classic divers. the movement is arguably better than the classic Swiss autos, and certainly this came more accurate than any Swiss diver auto i ever bought (which is a lot of them). finally, i'll point out to anyone gun shy of the quality control on Japanese watches (due to the laxity of another top Japanese brand, sadly) i will say Citizen has the most flawless quality control of any brand i've purchased and owned. i wear this on its original rubber strap, and i simply adore it. even with its overly small sized crown.
Awesome watch! Keeps time well within the spec. Titanium is very light and comfortable. Lume is excellent. The dive bezel is a little muted and I wasn't crazy about it at first, but it's since grown on me, especially considering how good the rest of the watch is. The rubber strap leaves something to be desired, but with 20mm lugs it's a strap monster. Overall, excellent quality, could not be happier with my purchase!
