A new collection of Citizen watches has arrived, with a unique bracelet material.
The range is also limited edition, so you'll need to move quickly to get one.
If you're looking to find a truly underrated brand in the watch industry, Citizen is a strong candidate. The brand is really accessible, with a range of affordable options on offer, but also offers some incredible technology.
Its range of Eco-Drive movements, for example, draw power from any light source. That is seriously useful and means you should be able to go for longer periods without needing to change out a battery.
While those movements are present in its latest limited edition range, it's certainly not the focal point. Instead, that goes to the bracelet material, which fuses a few different innovative processes.
The centre links are crafted from something called Recrystallised Titanium, which is created when common or garden titanium is heated to a high-temperature and then cooled. The result looks mesmerising, with a mottled effect that you really don't see everyday.
That's flanked by super titanium, and treated with something called Duratect Platinum. That increases the hardness of the material, making it more resistant to scratches, while also giving it a glossy silver finish.
The range consists of three models, which share the same appearance with slightly reworked functionality. The first is a simple three-hand affair, with uses Direct Flight technology to quickly adjust the time and date in 26 time zones with the crown.
That's also the most wearable at 40.6mm across and 10.6mm tall. It's accurate to within +/-15 seconds per month, and can be synchronised with radio-controlled time for even greater accuracy. That one is priced at £895 (approx. €1,000 / US$1,200 / AU$1,800) and is limited to just 1,400 pieces worldwide.
The next model up the chain adds in a chronograph and a perpetual calendar, at the cost of some wearability. It sits 42mm across, costs £995 (approx. €1,150 / US$1,350 / AU$2,000) and will see 2,500 pieces offered globally. I think this one is my pick of the bunch, with the perfect marriage of functionality and form at a seriously great price.
Last, but not least, is the jewel in the crown of the range. That model packs in an F950 movement, which is the most advanced Eco-Drive Satellite Wave GPS watch movement. That offer's the world's fastest time-only signal reception, which can pull the signal in just 3 seconds.
Elsewhere, accuracy is improved to +/- five seconds per month, while a full charge will run for a staggering five years. You'll find a chronograph on offer here, as well as a perpetual calendar, making this a seriously well spec'd piece.
You will have to make a sacrifice though – at 44.6mm wide and 15.4mm tall, this one is going to need some tree-trunk arms to sit right. Still, at £1,595 (approx. €1,800 / US$2,100 / AU$3,200) and with 2,200 pieces available worldwide, I can see it being a popular pick.
