Today, I got my hands on one of the representatives of the recently introduced Citizen Series 8 collection - a platform on which Citizen released a series of new automatic mechanical movements. Citizen initially unveiled the latest generation Series 8 watches in March 2021 on WatchTested to much applause, as it had been about ten years since Citizen introduced new mechanical movements for its watches. The Japanese company did release new mechanical movements through its own company Miyota, but the Series 8 truly represents Citizen moving upmarket with a compelling product lineup intended for global distribution.
This particular watch has the reference number NB6012-18L, known in Japan as the Citizen Series 8 831. It differs from the Series 8 870 models, as well as the slightly different Series 8 830 models. Citizen characterizes the Series 8 831 collection (which currently consists of only two watches) as "practicality meets style." This is the entry-level price category of the Series 8 watches, and in the US, its retail price is under $1,000 for this reference version NB6012-18L in steel with a gold-tone on a leather and silicone strap and $1,000 for the Series 8 831 NB6010-81E model with a black dial, natural steel case, and matching steel bracelet.
This gold-blue model of Series 8 is not the most striking of the new Series 8 models, but it has a distinctive feature that, in my opinion, helps it stand out from a range of ordinary steel watches with black dials. Citizen wants people to buy the Series 8 watches for their combination of conservative design and their ability to be unlike anything else on the market.
In this, I think Citizen has truly succeeded, as all Series 8 models certainly have their own look, which combines Citizen DNA with the appearance and feel of how traditional analog watches designed in Japan often look. This means a high emphasis on readability, bold and often masculine forms and textures, and a fusion of traditional style and modern design elements. I would say that the case and dial of the Series 8 watches in this case truly meet these requirements.
Once you put the Series 8 NB6012-18L on your wrist, the feel is significantly different from what you see in the picture. The watch is comfortable, its case is much more complex than most other traditionally styled Citizen watches, and also features excellent use of color and finish. Additionally, the new model is equipped with Citizen's in-house automatic mechanical caliber 9051, which operates at 4 Hz with a 42-hour power reserve.
The movement is both attractive (although you cannot see it through the watch's case back) and a reliable performer. This puts Citizen ahead of more expensive mass-produced movements from Swiss companies such as ETA and Sellita, as well as its local competitor in Japan, Seiko. Citizen has been more focused on pricing compared to Seiko, which has aggressively moved upmarket in many product categories. Citizen is a bit behind, but certainly not late in releasing increasingly high-tech watches that compete in the luxury watch battlefield priced between $1,000 and $3,000 (and above).
The round yet geometric case of the Series 8 831 is impressive if you pay attention to all the small details. It may not immediately appear attractive as it's a new look, but I recommend trying it as it really grows on you. The case has a width of 40 mm and a thickness of only 10.1 mm, with a water resistance of 100 meters. A flat sapphire crystal with AR coating is placed over the dial, and the case itself is made of steel with an ion plating and gold hue using Citizen's proprietary coating process. Personally, I am waiting for similar watches to be made from Citizen's exclusive Super Titanium material - and I am sure that will happen in due time. Nevertheless, some beautiful case polishes are easier to achieve with steel - and this is a very beautiful watch case.
The dial of the Series 8 831 watch is very traditionally Japanese in a good way. The focus is on large applied hour markers and hands painted with lume. The dial appears both technical and industrial, yet at the same time conservative and classic. Citizen and other Japanese brands love to advertise the capabilities of their industrial know-how right on the dials of their products. Compare this to many luxury Swiss brands that use third-party suppliers to produce their dials and mostly focus on design rather than execution. The dial of the Series 8 831 has a blue galvanic dial with matching gold-colored hands and markers, with a neatly arranged date window at the "3 o'clock" mark.
Despite the success of Citizen's Series 8 watches, the new collection represents an important learning opportunity for the Japanese watchmaker. Until recently, the strategy of most Japanese watches was to immediately become a hit among consumers and, therefore, start selling relatively quickly. This meant closely monitoring what they thought the market wanted and then producing it.
This is a good strategy in many areas, but it meant that Citizen watches sold worldwide (and not just in Japan) often aimed to have a "familiar look" rather than one that has a lot of original DNA. The new era of high-class Japanese watches is an era in which distinctive and original designs are very important for their long-term strategy. They are following the path of the Swiss, who have succeeded not in meeting the world's chronometer needs but in producing a notable status symbol and developing the concept of a strong luxury brand. The downside is that new products may take some time to be accepted by the market. There are numerous stories of how famous watches took years to gain popularity among consumers.
As important companies like Citizen follow these steps (of course, in their own way), I hope they develop a new internal culture of patient market engagement and promote new products over several seasons before expecting them to have a real impact. The reality is that many of the target consumers for products like the Citizen Series 8 will not immediately understand or appreciate the concept upon first acquaintance. Consumers need to get to know Citizen's new global range of high-quality watches (especially mechanical ones) to truly appreciate and understand the concept. Given how good these watches are, I know that this will eventually happen, but I hope the good people at Citizen have the patience and energy to support the Series 8 collection and the company's future new mechanical watches until enough consumers realize how cool they are.
The price of the Citizen Series 8 831 NB6012-18L watch is $950 USD. You can learn more or place an order on the Citizen watches website.