I never felt the urge to greet someone after wearing a new wristwatch, but that's the exact emotion I experienced when I first put on the new Citizen Caliber 0200 Automatic. Although I was unpacking these beautiful, high-end Japanese watches alone at home, it would have been great to walk around the room and commend the Citizen microengineers and watchmakers for their achievements. These aren't the most expensive Citizen watches ever made, nor the brand's latest high-tech innovation. Rather, they are the most impressive traditional-style mechanical watches Citizen has ever produced, and such items are in high demand among watch collectors. The Caliber 0200 is truly well-crafted and more than a competent rival to Grand Seiko.
What I love about the Citizen Caliber 0200 is that explaining its appeal to someone uninterested in watches in recent years would be a long and frustratingly complex conversation. However, if you are a 'watch person,' almost no explanation is needed other than to hand over the watch for personal examination. In such a case, handing the watch to a fellow enthusiast, I'd only verbally add: '6,000 dollars. Look at the movement. Isn't the case well-made? Check out the dial texture.' The rest speaks for itself.
As I write this review, I have two watches in front of me for comparison. The first is the Citizen Series 8 870 priced at $2,000, and the second is the Citizen Caliber 0200 priced at $6,000. Both models were introduced in 2021 (at the time of writing, they are not yet on sale) and are part of Citizen's current campaign to promote in-house mechanical movements. While the Citizen Group has been producing mechanical movements for a long time, it's been over a decade since the Citizen brand introduced a new mechanical movement in one of their watches. The company has primarily focused on its Eco-Drive technology for light-powered quartz watches and various ways to expand this brand idea. Eco-Drive remains Citizen's main focus, but Citizen is also a brand for enthusiasts. For this group, the Caliber 0200 is currently the best example of traditional timekeeping money can buy from a respected brand.
When placing the Series 8 870 and Caliber 0200 side by side, one can find many obvious differences and similarities. The Series 8 870 is an excellent product for the money and is a finely made watch. The Caliber 0200 simply elevates all this to a new level of sophistication. Mostly, this means slightly better polishing and finishing of the steel surface, tighter tolerances on the components, and numerous differences on the dial. (Remember, these watches house entirely different in-house Citizen automatic movements). Citizen is very careful to ensure that while you get a lot of watch for your money at $2,000, you clearly get even more for your money at $6,000. But yes, many laypeople will find it difficult to appreciate the difference between these two watches (aside from the obvious case shape and visual differences).
Citizen has always existed in the watch world between Seiko and Casio. On Seiko's side is traditional watchmaking with a strong emphasis on classic forms. On Casio's side are all the high-end chronometers and technologies with a clear focus on constant iterative perfection and truly modern design. The Caliber 0200 was born out of market demand and was created using various skills and capabilities accumulated by the Citizen Group over many years.
The most important aspect of creating these watches was Citizen's acquisition of the Swiss movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret. La Joux-Perret is not the only Swiss watch company acquired by the Japanese group, but it was the only one involved in producing original fine mechanical movements. La Joux-Perret even has two of its own brands (although it produces parts for others) - the acclaimed Arnold & Son and Angelus.
At La Joux-Perret, Citizen was able to carefully study traditional Swiss styles of movement decoration and how to apply them. Citizen then brought this knowledge back to Japan and developed its own methods of creating similar decorative techniques, as well as movement architecture for its in-house produced movement. The result was (at least the first result) the Citizen Caliber 0200 automatic movement. Indeed, the naming terminology is confusing, as the Caliber 0200 movement is inside the Caliber 0200 model watch. You might also use the reference number of the watch - NC0200-90E. Oh, and to further complicate things: Citizen calls the Caliber 0200 not Citizen watches, but 'The Citizen' watches.
The Caliber 0200 movement is a beautiful thing, combining a range of aesthetic features you typically see in fine Swiss-made mechanical movements, combined with Japanese architecture and design. It's a hybrid between traditionally Swiss and traditionally Japanese movements, and besides its attractive appearance, it boasts high performance. The movement operates at 4Hz with a 60-hour power reserve. Citizen claims an accuracy of -3 / +5 seconds per day. Such claims are usually worse than actual performance. As far as I can tell, the Caliber 0200 performs about the same as modern Rolex automatic movements and certainly within the range of COSC Chronometer specifications.
The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal case back - a rarity for Citizen mechanical watches. I like that the movement occupies a large portion of the case and features an attractive skeletonized rotor. The effectiveness of the automatic winding system can be judged by how easily the rotor moves in both directions. Upon close inspection of the movement, you can see a range of decorative elements, including anglage polish, perlage polish, embossed text, and carefully ground surfaces. Large synthetic rubies placed on the main bridges of the movement create an attractive aesthetic (and functional) detail.
The minute details of the Caliber 0200 dial are as interesting as the Caliber 0200 movement. The dial is the pinnacle of Citizen engineers' efforts to create contrast and visual perfection. Contrast is important, as without it, the dial's legibility cannot be achieved. Such dress watches are often accused of being difficult to read because dial elements blend into each other in light. To avoid glare and light blurring on polished surfaces, special attention must be paid to the shape and finish of materials. On a relatively small space, Citizen showcased mastery over several material work techniques just on the dial of these watches.
In terms of design, the Caliber 0200 dial doesn't offer anything particularly new. It's a classic type of dial you might have seen on many historical or even modern Citizen watches. It's simply a popular aesthetic, and people often associate it with traditional Japanese watchmaking art. It includes applied hour markers and sharp 'dauphine' hands. Each piece's distinctive feature is relatively small details like the finish and slight variations in shapes. In the Caliber 0200 model, the standout features are the hour and minute hands, which appear to glow white thanks to the special satin finish on the main surface. The edges of the hands are polished.
The main dial is black with a texture I call 'volcanic grain.' The flat dial appears to be made of tiny pieces of semi-glossy granules, which contrasts nicely with the matte steel applied hour markers. The subsidiary seconds dial has a completely different texture - a polished snail-like black sunray but with high-contrast second markers applied in white. The dial elements, for the most part, are fully minimized, except for the unusual Citizen eagle logo below the applied Citizen plaque.
Finally, we move on to the case and bracelet of the Caliber 0200 watch. It's interesting to note that the Caliber 0200 and Series 8 870 watches are the same size: 40mm wide and 10.9mm thick. But they look so different in size - how is that possible? The Caliber 0200 appears more compact due to narrower lugs and a less bold bezel and dial. The Caliber 0200 has a narrower bracelet, which greatly changes visual proportions. Don't forget about the Citizen Caliber 0100 watches, which I wanted to include in the discussion, as they were released a year earlier and are actually sold at a higher price than the Caliber 0200 (although they have a completely different type of movement technology).
The Caliber 0200 case has a classic profile and proportions, yet its appearance is quite modern. Despite being a more elegant watch, it has visual strength and doesn't appear characterless like some traditional dress watches. The bracelet resembles an enhanced version of the one used in the Series 8 870 watches. The Caliber 0200 bracelet is narrower and has a more defined shape with polished links that use the same basic 'H' link concept. The bracelet closes with a solid folding clasp, but it lacks a micro-adjustment feature (which would be a nice bonus). However, the steel bracelet includes half-links for precise sizing, as well as screwed bars holding the links together (as opposed to tension bars). Still, these are double-sided screws, meaning you'll need steady hands, several tools, or a special device to size the bracelet yourself.
The Citizen Caliber 0200 is a product that will truly appeal to watch enthusiasts, but I have no idea about its demand among the wider public. I assume Citizen knows that such a product will sell well enough in Japan to meet the minimal needs to sustain the series. Company representatives have made it clear that the Caliber 0200 is not intended for mass production. It's a special product, and acquiring it will likely be a pleasure. Come to think of it, I can't wait to see what the packaging looks like! The Citizen Caliber 0200 reference NC0200-90E will be available for sale in fall 2021, with a retail price of $6,000 USD. More information can be found on Citizen's website.
Essential Data
>Brand: Citizen
>Model: Caliber 0200 reference NC0200-90E
>Price: $6,000 USD
>Size: 40mm width, 10.9mm thickness, lug-to-lug distance ~48mm.
>When the reader should wear them personally: Ideal dress or business watch that will be a genuine conversation piece.
>The friend we'd recommend them to first: A Japanese watch lover who also collects Swiss watches and is interested in a product that combines elements of both worlds.
>Best characteristic of the watch: Equally beautiful execution of the case and movement. Another desirable member of the high-end Japanese watch club. Well-readable dial. Excellent movement performance.
>Worst characteristic of the watch: Niche product despite beautiful appearance. I would prefer 100 meters water resistance over 50 meters. No mention of magnetic resistance of the movement.