World Tour: Close-Up with the Citizen Series 8 GMT
Watches with a so-called “real” GMT function make it quick and easy to reset the hour hand without losing to-the-second timekeeping precision on long-distance journeys. When you have arrived at your destination simply reposition the hour hand in hourly increments, usually by turning the crown forward or backward, until the hour hand shows the correct local time. The additional hand for home time, which takes 24 hours to circle the dial, preserves its original position and continues to show the time in your home time zone. This useful complication is now available in Citizen’s new Series 8 GMT models. If you so desire, the bezel can be rotated in either direction to indicate the time in a third time zone. To facilitate this option, the bezel clicks through 48 individual steps, thus also enabling the display to show the time in zones that di er from neighboring zones by half hours rather than full hours.
Consistent Design
Series 8 was revived fairly recently (in 2021) and these three GMT models are the first ones in the series with a second time zone. Their design is distinguished by two-tone bezels in a familiar color scheme, multifaceted cases and bracelets, and a handsome alternation between polished and brushed surfaces.
The dials of the unlimited editions of the two steel-colored models (Refs. NB6031-56E and NB6030-59L) are adorned with a modern interpretation of a checkered pattern that’s very popular in Japan and alludes to Tokyo’s skyline with its countless variously shaped windows. Citizen also offers Ref. NB6032-53P in a limited edition of 1,300 watches with cases made of gold-plated stainless steel (pictured below a similar model, the NB6033-51E). The dial has an individually textured metal surface. The bezel, the crown, the flanks of the case and the middle links of the bracelet shimmer in a rosy golden hue, while the remaining components of the case and bracelet are crafted from yellow gold.
A New Movement
A see-through caseback invites you to admire new Caliber 9054, which is built by Miyota, Citizen’s own movement maker. Most of the movements that Miyota manufactures are also available to third parties, but this automatic caliber is exclusively reserved for Citizen’s watches. The movement’s power reserve has been lengthened to 50 hours and its protection against magnetic fields has been heightened from 4,800 to 16,000 amps per meter. That’s still not extraordinarily strong protection, but it effectively safeguards the watch against moderate magnetic fields like those generated by commonplace electronic devices.
The caliber has understated ornamental finishes and is regulated at the factory to lose no more than 10 seconds nor gain more than 20 seconds per day, so this movement embodies what we have come to expect from Citizen: a reliable everyday caliber.
A Faithful Companion
As far as the wearing comfort is concerned, the case has a moderate diameter of 41 mm and tapers toward the wrist, thus compensating for the model’s rather tall height of 13.5 mm. A flat, anti-reflective sapphire crystal ensures a clear view of the dial.
Fluting on the crown facilitates the tasks of setting the hands and winding the mainspring. An individually designed folding clasp with two pushers makes the watch convenient to put on and take off. The bracelet narrows toward the clasp, which further improves the wearing comfort, but there is no quick extension mechanism. Instead, the wearer must adjust the bracelet to the best possible length with the help of whole and half links. As befits genuine everyday watches, all three premiere models in Series 8 GMT are water resistant to a depth of 100 meters and their metal bracelets suffer no ill effects from immersion in water. The two stainless-steel versions are priced at $1,695; the gold-plated model sells for $1,795.
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This article was originally published in the November / December 2023 print issue. To subscribe to WatchTime Magazine, click here.
