Then you have the newer Astrodea Moon Phase watch

The next step up is the Citizen Campanola versions of the Astrodea which are the Cosmosign watches (which according to the chart below actually were released before the current Astrodea line). This takes everything you love about the Astrodea watches and the quality of the Campanola line and puts them together. This is really the best of both worlds for me. You can see the impressive level of detail on the dial using all the Campanola charm. The blue star map rotating dial just looks so beautiful. Two versions are available in a round or tonneau shaped case. These models again are also very rare, but findable. These watches you can get for roughly double the price of the base Astrodea watch line. The chart below makes it a bit confusing as to when the Astrodea name actually came out. "Lighthouse" was apparently the name for Citizen celestial watches until recently. The newest Astrodea watches (you can get a glimpse of them in the chart at the bottom) that have a different case and bracelet design, but with what I think is the same face. There you have it, about as much as I can muster up about the Astrodea collection without my mind going 'orbital.' It is really a fascinating collection as I previously expressed, but not a watch for everyone. Though if you are one of the people who is taken by this concept, you'll know it immediately and have probably already decided that "one of these watches will be mine!"

Citizen Sportissimo Watches Jazz Up The Promaster Line

Sometimes you just need to spruce up a classic, and you have a winner. A Citizen Promaster was actually my first analog watch. It was uniquely designed and out of all my watches, got me the highest number of compliments with its bright red dial colors. These new Sportissimo Promaster watches from Citizen remind me of the first Citizen Promaster that that I owned. Both were chronographs and features a really cool and appealing styling. This is perfect for someone wanting something different, or a young adult or college student. The idea is that not all of the styling is functional per se, but the avant garde looks don't inhibit the functionality at all. The cases of the Citizen Sportissimo watches are an amble 43mm wide. It is big, but not too big. The cases are 12mm thick which is pretty manageable. I like that the crystal is sapphire, which is better than the mineral crystal used on some lower end Citizen watches. You have water resistance of 100 meters, which means the watches are rugged enough to be thrown around, but they should be having the "Promaster" label. The movement is the newer Citizen H500 quartz chronograph movement. Functions, in addition to time, include a 60 minute chronograph as well as a 24 hour hand, and the date. Both of the new Sportissimo watches are sport styled, with the rubber strapped version focusing more on a diving theme, and the metal bracelet version focusing on a racing theme. They are pretty hip, totally Japanese, and have cool red on black matte finished hands. A strong contender that will likely be priced at $300 - $500 bucks.

The watches are big, being 46mm wide

The watches are big, being 46mm wide, but don't feel as big on your wrist. Crystal is thankfully sapphire. The colors on the dial look nice, but not silly looking. The hands do stand out enough, so the watch isn't too difficult to read. One thing you'll notice is the large flatter crown. It has a nice inlaid Citizen Promaster logo in it. Most of the functions need to be read about to be used, but once you learn how to use the watch, it isn't that complex. When you have the nice looking timepiece on your wrist, it is nice to know that it never needs a battery replacement, and doesn't need to be set because it is atomic clock controlled. That and the easy to use world-timer function make it a perfect travel watch, or everyday watch. Plus the watch is sophisticated enough to keep you interested in it for a while. I like the steel version with the metal bracelet the best, but you can get the watch with leather straps (blue or black dials). Prices for those are $650-$750 retail, while the limited edition (of 2,50 pieces) version is gold plated and on a crocodile strap, that goes for $895 (not too bad for a limited edition over the standard watches).

Citizen Astrodea Stargazing Watch Collection

It takes the right type of person to enjoy the Citizen Astrodea watch collection. Your typical watch lover or nerd might not get it. You might need to built-in celestial appreciation or a career in astronomy to get giddy about a star map on your wrist. I am not really any of these of these types, but I still find a lot of fascination in this watch. I am also not going to explain all the functions of the watches (as there are two main versions). One is a fancy star chart, while the other is one of the most comprehensive moon phase watches out there. Lets look at the celestial version first. Basically, the entire dial spins (slowly of course, in 'real time'). Based on this movement you can tell a lot of things. These include what you can expect to see in the sky given the time of the year, including distances of stars and planet and astronomic occasions. Oh, and while there are many versions of the steel watches out there (such as blue or cream colored dials and some with gold plating), there are also northern and southern hemisphere versions of the dial apparently available. In a nutshell here is what you will see on an Astrodea Celestial watch Then you have the newer Astrodea Moon Phase watch (Moonsign watch). This uses the same theme, but focuses on the moon. This watch really has a ton of information as well. You get the age of the moon, lunar cycle (moon phase) , the positions of the sun and moon, sunrise and sunset and the sun's position at those times throughout the year, as well as the positions of the starts Sirius and Arcturus. This watch features two discs, one large disc and a smaller inner disc for the age of the moon (each month).

Citizen Eco-Drive Chrono Time AT Watches

Functions! Functions! Functions! This is the newer line of Citizen Eco-Drive Chrono Time AT watches. Pictured are two of the models with the all steel version up top, and the limited edition gold-plated version below. Though other models are available. Breitling proved to the world that men like busy dials. With the advent of the Breitling slide-rule rotating dial, very world of busy pilot watches was born. I have yet to meet people who actually use the slide rule bezel, but they do succeed in making the wearer look more important. This isn't the first Citizen watch with a slide rule, but it may be of the nicest. One thing different about this Citizen Chrono Time At watch compared to a Breitling, is that the Citizen has many more functions. To get an idea of what they are all, see the little diagram with arrows showing what areas on the watch are meant to indicate. I am sure that simply looking at the dial didn't have you thinking it did all that. At first I assumed that it had the time, which was atomic clock based, picking up the radio signals, that it had a chronograph, a 24 hour hand, the inner rotating slide rule bezel, date, and was a world timer. Then you begin to notice other features that are less obvious. Just as a battery charge indicator for the light powered Eco-Drive quartz movement, alarm, a system for telling you whether you are in day light savings time, an indicator telling you what atomic clock radio signal you are picking up, as well as more information about the radio signals, that the watch is a perpetual calendar, oh, and that the watch kick's ass.

The Citizen Eco-Dive Dome started as a concept watch

The Citizen Eco-Dive Dome started as a concept watch in 2009, and was green-lighted (ins slightly different form) for production in 2010. The first of the watches should be available when you read this, and come in reference number BY0030-04E ( in titanium with white "pearl" coating) and BY0039-00E (in titanium with black DLC coating). One thing I can't say for sure is the exact size, but I believe it is 49mm wide. Big, but Japanese watches are getting bigger. Even domestically in Japan, young people like larger timepieces. While the dials are around, the cases are sort of tonneau shaped with a very interesting look to them. Fashionable, hi-tech, and futuristic all at the same time. In fact, being futuristic is a main goal of the Dome watch. From a technology standpoint, there is nothing new, just the audacity of the concept showings its face to challenge contemporary design. At its core, the Eco-Drive Dome watch has a Citizen light-powered Eco-Drive quartz movement that is atomic clock radio controlled (not sure how many bands, I would guess 5-6). Functions include the time, date, 1/5 of a second chronograph, alarm, world time indicator plus GMT time indication, and a power reserve indicator for the battery. The fun is all in the design and the case. Strap is a polyurethane black that is like rubber and uses a push-button butterfly clasp. Probably fine, but I hate straps like this where you have to physically cut it to size. With a case in titanium, the Dome is flanked by black or white plates that are very slick looking. The black one is DLC coated titanium with a fascinating finish that looks like meteorite. Never seen anything like that. It glistens beautifully, and represents one of the most sophisticated DLC applications around. Each particular watch is said to have a slightly different look to it. The white model is also amazing. While not DLC, it has a 5 layer white coating that looks as pure as white enamel. Only here the multi-layer look glistens a bit and is called "pearl" to its shine and deep luster. Crystal is sapphire, and I believe there is more sapphire in the multi-layer dial, though I am not sure. Citizen calls the dial "mirror silver" in tone. Even will all that is going on, the large high-contrast hands and hour indicators make the Eco-Drive Dome easy to read. There is gonna be one of those "oohh... look at THAT watch," timepieces in Japan. I am sure a few of them will reach our shores as well. I would totally wear one of these beauties. Price is up there, at close to $2,900 for each of the 500 pieces in this limited edition collection. Good to see more interesting stuff like this from Citizen and not sure Seiko.

Citizen Eco Drive Dome Limited Edition Watch

My love of interesting Japanese watches is greatly enhanced by my love of Japanese anime and related Japanese pop culture. Many people who design Japanese watches are likewise influenced by such media, so it is inevitable that once in a while the brass at the top will allow them to release watches with a techno-cool vibe from a very well established brand such as Citizen. This watch will likely never see the light of day officially in the US, but it is going to be offered as a limited edition of 500 pieces (250 pieces of each style) in Japan (and maybe a few places around there). Price is pretty high for a Citizen watch, but within Campanola standards though. The inevitable comparison people are going to make to a watch like this (especially the white and black one) is to Star Wars (storm troopers). That is the easy answer, and unfair given that the watch is Japanese. I see it more as a statement on types of organic looking anime characters and robots that have more curves than sharp angles. The skeletonized/open dial is not only trendy, but a comparison to the exposed robotics and electronics that many beloved anime mechanical creations are known to exhibit, from time to time. For comic style technologists, it isn't just the theme which is interesting, it is the plausible form that fantasy technology takes, which is so intriguing. So to compliment the Citizen Eco-Dive Dome watch, I am placing an image of the Guyver, as well as robot character from Ghost in the Shell called Tachikoma.