This quartz GS was my third. After 2 mechanical models (Nomos and Ming), I wanted to treat myself and move upmarket, without any preconceived ideas, I just had to be seduced. I lived in Geneva, so the tests were easy and numerous. Unfortunately, for a 16 cm wrist, I quickly became disillusioned...
Even for models of 39 mm and less, the diameter was not excessive, but no watch suited my wrist: Tudor, Zenith, Mont-Blanc, H. Moser, Girard Perregaux, Glashutte Original... It didn't fit.
And, for watches of smaller diameter, it lacked presence, or it was too much of a jewel for my taste.
At the time, Seiko had just removed the 2 indications to leave only the Grand Seiko brand.
I tried a first model, it was a revelation. Sure, the watch was only 37mm, but it fit my wrist perfectly. From then on, I became passionate about the brand.
My first Grand Seiko is therefore a quartz watch, it was not my initial wish but I do not regret it at all. For 6 years and a battery change, the drift is less than 5 seconds per year.
The titanium bracelet is super comfortable, only small problem, no micro-adjustment.
The readability is perfect. For the finishes, it is Grand Seiko.
I recently tried a superb Spring Drive model of 44.5mm diameter and 50mm LtL, and well It works very well.
Japan 1 - Switzerland 0

The beginning of a love story

A year and a half ago, I stopped by the Kurono showroom, a charming place where I was able to try out the few models on display that were all out of stock. The Reiwa 2024 had not yet been released, but the tests had confirmed the quality of manufacture, the refinement, and the "portability" of the brand. It's as if making cases that fit small wrists was a Japanese specialty (exclusive?).
When the anniversary Reiwa came out, in the photo, the dial looked much more worked than the old models with a beautiful shade of translucent blue surrounding a deep black: a marriage of the most beautiful effect.
So I rushed to acquire it.
Tracking and delivery: as usual, perfect Japanese service.
The watch is in a beautiful case wrapped in a furoshiki fabric.
In real life, because of its small size, the watch is even more precious than in the photo: a real little gem that is very pleasant to look at. The dial, the hands, the horns, the case, everything is delicate. On the other hand, I will not talk about minimalism. The bracelet is very flexible, very pleasant to wear, its edge of the same blue-worm as the edge of the dial magnificently accentuates the harmony given off by this watch.
But big black point for me: the length of the hour and minute hands. The 2 leaf-shaped hands are certainly not the same length, the minute hand extends into the blueish zone which has concentric and metallic circles of the same shine. Depending on the exposure, I have a lot of trouble distinguishing the 2 hands, and therefore reading the time...
With lacquered dials like those of the urushi models, the time is much more readable.
I went back to the store last month, I saw the Shanghai edition chrono (which was not out of stock and could apparently be bought in store): superb, but no more readable and much more expensive.
I'm posting a photo where you can clearly see that a light dial doesn't make it easier to read the time...

Exclusive watch but not very readable

After the (very) conclusive experiences of 2 quartz models of GS, I was looking for a mechanical watch, or one equipped with the Spring Drive movement, so I was primarily looking at the omiwatari SD model and this SBGW 231 with manual winding. Both have a stripped-down dial and no date window. I was able to compare them: if the dial of the omiwatari with the hand that slides on the snow is superb, on my wrist, there was no comparison... Despite its larger LtL, the SBGW 231 fitted perfectly on my wrist thanks to its delicate lugs. I won't dwell on the manufacturing quality specific to GS but on the obviousness that emerges from this watch: as soon as the bracelet was closed, I said to myself:
"... , class in Las Vegas" 
A very simple dial but in a subtle cream, no indication other than Grand Seiko with the GS overhanging, indexes and hands without fuss but which play with the light like I had never seen, a domed sapphire crystal just the right amount... I changed the bracelet right away because I don't like black bracelets, and to contrast with this perfect minimalism, I think it needed a little fantasy and texture on the bracelet side. Note that GS changed the reference to adapt its steel bracelets.
There you go, now I'm looking for a Spring Drive model, but I think I've found it...

Just classy

In 2019, we were already hearing about Ming, but buying a young brand from Malaysia based on a photo was a gamble. 6 years later, I don't regret buying this model, which was offered at a "reasonable" price at the time.
The dial has it all: the color and the guilloche pattern that takes on beautiful reflections depending on the exposure; the solid hands, which were quite rare for the brand at the time, and the indexes. Under an apparent simplicity, this dial takes up details that are both classic and "industrial".
I love the case with once again a very industrial design steel block that contrasts with very old school horns that remind me a little of historical cows, with a more pronounced curvature that ensures a perfect plating, even on a small wrist.
The crown is easy to grip, but I don't find the winding the most pleasant.
The bracelet is beautifully made and gives off a good cow smell when opening the leather case, well made and functional. Again…

The dial and the horns

My first mechanical watch.
I hesitated a lot with the pale pink ORION model, but maybe because it was my first mechanical watch, I went for the more classic of the two. Especially since it is not so classic, after all...
On this watch everything is fine: the case, the horns, long and thin, and these two hands that are so nice to see turning when setting the time. The minute hand is particularly long and allows a perfect adjustment that contributes to the great readability of the watch.
The manual caliber is also very fine, in the elegant sense, and particularly pleasant to look at. The drift is +5 seconds per day, which for me remains acceptable.
The mahogany cordovan strap is beautifully made but combined with the sobriety of the dial, it is a bit “boring”… So I immediately changed it for a blue alligator strap which electrifies the whole thing and matches the hands.

Elegant, well finished, beautiful caliber at a low price

Love at first sight when I saw it during a trip to Japan, I was missing a black and white diver's watch.

Super comfortable to wear, it fits my small wrist perfectly, the rubber strap is less massive than my Citizen BN0226-10P, more flexible while giving off an impression of durability.

Very readable during the day, beautiful and durable blue luminescence, I don't have better in my collection.

Titanium, screw-down crown, water-resistant to 200 meters.

Very precise like all Citizen Eco-drives (maximum drift of 3 seconds per week).

For 180 euros, what more could you ask for?

It appeared with this white dial and a black dial on the Japanese site a month ago but is now only available in its black version which I like less. I haven't seen it on the French Citizen site.


Finally a watch that I want to take everywhere

Citizen was founded in 1918 in Japan by Kamekichi Yakamazi of the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in Tokyo. Now one of the world's largest watch companies, recognized for its innovative watches and cutting-edge technology. The history of Citizen begins with the launch of its first pocket watch in 1924, called the "CITIZEN".
<h2 dir="ltr">History of the Citizen brand</h2>
This watch was equipped with a high-quality mechanical movement and was highly valued for its precision and reliability. It quickly gained popularity, establishing the foundation of Citizen's reputation in watchmaking.
Over the following years, Citizen continued to innovate and push the boundaries of watchmaking technology. In 1956, the company introduced the world's first pocket wristwatch, which revolutionized the way watches were worn. This innovation paved the way for a new era of more practical and functional watches. In the 1960s, Citizen released several revolutionary watches, including the Citizen Parawater, Japan's first waterproof watch, and the Citizen Cosmotron, the country's first solar-powered electronic watch. These technological advances have solidified Citizen's position as a pioneer in the watch industry.
Citizen has also played a key role in the quartz watch industry. In 1973, the company introduced the Citizen Crystron Solar Cell, the first quartz watch powered by solar energy. This innovation paved the way for a new generation of more precise and durable quartz watches with the 1976 launch of the technology<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive"> Citizen Eco-Drive</a>.
Over the decades, Citizen has continued to introduce new features and technologies into its watches. In 1993, the company launched the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/promaster_aqualand"> Citizen Promaster Aqualand</a>, a diver's watch that has pushed the boundaries of underwater performance. It was equipped with features such as measuring depth and diving time, which allowed divers to explore the seabed safely.
In the 2000s, Citizen began developing ecological watches. In 2008, the company introduced the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave, the first solar-powered watch capable of receiving satellite signals for optimal accuracy around the world. This revolutionary technology eliminated the need to change batteries, providing a more durable and convenient solution for watch enthusiasts. Over the past few years, Citizen has maintained its leading position in the watch industry. The company continues to innovate in design, technology and sustainability, while maintaining its commitment to quality and precision.
Today, Citizen is a globally recognized brand, offering a wide range of watches to suit all tastes and needs. Whether for lovers of classic watches, diving watches, connected watches or sports watches, Citizen offers varied options meeting the expectations of consumers around the world. Citizen is one of the 3 major Japanese watchmaking groups with<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/seiko"> Seiko</a> And<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/casio"> Casio</a>.
The current range includes models such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive">Citizen Eco-Drive</a>, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/promaster_diver">Citizen Promaster Diver</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/tsuyosa"> Citizen Tsuyoza</a>, Citizen Skyhawk or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/chronomaster">Citizen Chronomaster</a>.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Citizen watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Citizen watches change regularly and vary depending on the model. Most cost between $400 and $800 depending on the models and finishes. As an example, a<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive_diver_200m"> Citizen Eco-Drive</a> starts to $250 and the top of the range Citizen with the collection<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/the_citizen"> The Citizen</a> oscillates between $3,000 and $7,000. Prices also fluctuate depending on the distributor, and promotions sometimes allow you to benefit from a more competitive price. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Citizen.
<h2 dir="ltr">Citizen: The other giant of Japanese watchmaking</h2>
Citizen Watch is a renowned Japanese watch company with a history dating back almost a century. From its first mechanical watches to its innovations in solar energy, quartz and sustainability, Citizen has played a major role in the evolution of the watch industry. Today, Citizen continues to position itself as a global leader, offering superior quality watches combining functionality, design and innovation.
Citizen is owned by a Japanese industrial group in the same way as the brands <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/bulova">Bulova</a>,<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/alpina"> Alpina</a>, Arnold &amp; Son and<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/frederique_constant"> Frederick Constant</a>. Citizen produces several million watches per year, all models combined. To choose the Citizen model that best suits you, Dialicious customer reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating different models through real owner experience.
Check out the <a href="https://preprod.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_japanese_watch_brands">Ranking of the best japanese watch brands</a>, including Citizen.
(Updated December 2023)

The first analog watch I bought myself. Not being yet addicted to watches, I wasn't looking for a specific model, I wanted a green watch, solid and in a contained budget. 
A friend recommended the citizen brand to me, I was immediately attracted by this green promaster. 
For less than 200 bucks, we have a diver with an eco drive movement (solar), waterproof to 200m and with a screwed crown!

A good first diver

My first Japanese. Powered by sunlight, robust and waterproof to 200m, it makes it the perfect watch for going on an adventure. I was able to use it during my last adventures, from scuba diving to mountain climbing, it has never disappointed me. In addition, I am always amazed by the power of the luminescence which makes reading simplistic.

Good complement to my other mechanical watches... No hassle for a robustness to all tests! Without a doubt my watch for this summer's holidays 😎

A symbol of exploration

Cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 2017 par le designer Nicolas Ducoudert, Beaubleu apporte une dimension nouvelle &agrave; l&rsquo;horlogerie en cr&eacute;ant des montres &agrave; la fois esth&eacute;tiques, &eacute;tonnantes et profond&eacute;ment symboliques. Les aiguilles rondes, signature de la Maison, sont le reflet d&rsquo;une singularit&eacute; et d&rsquo;une simplicit&eacute; sophistiqu&eacute;e. Chaque mod&egrave;le arbore un design d&eacute;licieusement contemporain, o&ugrave; chaque d&eacute;tail, chaque surface, interagissent avec la lumi&egrave;re.
Cassant les codes de l'horlogerie traditionnelle en apportant une vision nouvelle du temps, les montres Beaubleu sortent des sentiers battus en arborant des aiguilles rondes et &eacute;vid&eacute;es, inspir&eacute;es des travaux de Galil&eacute;e dans sa compr&eacute;hension du syst&egrave;me solaire. Ces aiguilles affichent de mani&egrave;re po&eacute;tique les heures, qui ne pointent pas un index ni une graduation, mais qui indiquent une position, un instant depuis le centre du cadran.
<h2>Quels sont les principaux mod&egrave;les de la marque Beaubleu ?</h2>
Beaubleu vient d&rsquo;annoncer le 5 juin 2024, le lancement d&rsquo;une nouvelle collection en s&eacute;rie limit&eacute;e nomm&eacute;e <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/seconde_francaise">Beaubleu Seconde Fran&ccedil;aise</a>. Une belle innovation esth&eacute;tique et po&eacute;tique comme en a le secret la marque., avec une aiguille volante des secondes et un calibre fran&ccedil;ais de France &Eacute;bauches. La Beaubleu Seconde Fran&ccedil;aise fait partie des nomin&eacute;s au Grand Prix d''Horlogerie de Gen&egrave;ve 2024.&nbsp;
La collection <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/ecce">Beaubleu Ecce</a> reste la collection permanente de la marque lanc&eacute;e en octobre 2023. Malgr&eacute; sa jeune histoire, Beaubleu a d&eacute;j&agrave; commercialis&eacute; 3 collections en s&eacute;ries limit&eacute;es :
<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/b01">Beaubleu B01</a> <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/union">Beaubleu Union</a> <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/vitruve_date">Beaubleu Vitruve Date</a> et <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/vitruve_gmt">Beaubleu Vitruve GMT</a>
<h2>Quel est le prix d'une montre Beaubleu ?</h2>
Le prix des montres Beaubleu &eacute;voluent et diff&egrave;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre 800 &euro; et 1,600 &euro; selon les r&eacute;f&eacute;rences. A titre d'exemple, une <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/ecce/vesperal">Beaubleu Ecce Vesperal</a> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; 890 &euro; sur le bracelet cuir et la nouvelle collection <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/seconde_francaise">Beaubleu Seconde Fran&ccedil;aise</a> est vendue &agrave; partir de 1,490 &euro; sur bracelet cuir &eacute;galement. <a href="bit.ly/4abJPrn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tous les prix Beaubleu sur le site de la marque</a>.
La marque Beaubleu est ind&eacute;pendante et vend plusieurs milliers de montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir le mod&egrave;le Beaubleu qui vous correspond le mieux, les <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/beaubleu/seconde_francaise/20.24_gris_perle/review/66607be37f15bc103d620fe3">avis clients Dialicious sur Beaubleu</a> sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer les diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients de la marque.
Consultez le<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_francaises"> Classement des meilleures marques de montres fran&ccedil;aises</a> dont Beaubleu fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Novembre 2024)
&nbsp;

Created in 2017 by designer Nicolas Ducoudert, Beaubleu brings a new dimension to watchmaking by creating watches that are aesthetic, astonishing and deeply symbolic. The round hands, signature of the House, reflect singularity and sophisticated simplicity. Each model features a deliciously contemporary design, where every detail, every surface, interacts with light.
Breaking the codes of traditional watchmaking by providing a new vision of time, Beaubleu watches go off the beaten track by featuring round, hollowed-out hands, inspired by the work of Galileo in his understanding of the solar system. These hands poetically display the hours, which do not point to an index or a graduation, but which indicate a position, an instant from the center of the dial.
<h2 dir="ltr">What are the main models of the Beaubleu brand?</h2>
Beaubleu has just announced on June 5, 2024, the launch of a new limited series collection called<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/seconde_francaise"> Beaubleu Seconde Francaise</a>. A beautiful aesthetic and poetic innovation as the brand has the secret, with a flying seconds hand and a French caliber from France &Eacute;bauches. The Beaubleu Seconde Fran&ccedil;aise is one of the nominees for the 2024 GPHG (Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Gen&egrave;ve).&nbsp;
The collection<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/ecce"> Beaubleu Ecce</a> remains the permanent collection of the brand launched in October 2023. Despite its young history, Beaubleu has already marketed 3 collections in limited series:
<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/b01">Beaubleu B01 </a><a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/union">Beaubleu Union </a><a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/vitruve_date">Beaubleu Vitruvius Date</a> And<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/vitruve_gmt"> Beaubleu Vitruve GMT</a>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Beaubleu watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Beaubleu watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between &euro; 800 and &euro; 1,600 according to the references. As an example, a<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/ecce/vesperal"> Beaubleu Ecce Vesperal</a> is offered at &euro; 890 on the leather strap and the new collection<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/seconde_francaise"> Beaubleu Seconde Francaise</a> is sold from &euro; 1,490 on a leather strap as well. All Beaubleu prices on the brand's website.
The Beaubleu brand is independent and sells several thousand watches per year, all models combined. To choose the Beaubleu model that best suits you, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/beaubleu/seconde_francaise/20.24_gris_perle/review/66607be37f15bc103d620fe3">Dialicious owners' reviews on Beaubleu</a> are a valuable resource for evaluating the different models through the real experience of the brand's customers.
Check out the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_french_watch_brands"> Ranking of the best French watch brands</a>, including Beaubleu.
(Updated November 2024)

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