Collection: Citizen Quartz. Everyday Citizen, quartz inside.

Citizen Quartz: the battery-powered Citizens

Citizen Quartz is Citizen’s straightforward battery-powered line: steel cases, three hands and, on most models, a day and date, from 24 mm for women to 42 mm for men. It suits anyone who wants a plain, accurate Citizen and doesn’t mind a battery change every few years.

What’s in the line

The men’s models sit between 38 and 42 mm. Calibre 1502 shows the day and date in a 41 mm case rated to 50 metres. The G111 is a clean three-hand movement at 39 to 42 mm, with the 42 mm versions rated to 100 metres. The 42 mm models with calibre 1112 add a date, 100 metres and dials in blue or green, like the BI1031-51X, and the AG8300-52L adds 24-hour time to its day and date. At the smaller end, the 38 mm models with calibre G101 have a day and date and 50 metres, and the 39.5 and 40 mm models with calibre 1102 are splash resistant.

Women’s models are 24 to 27 mm, most with a day and date, in gold-tone, two-tone or steel, with black, champagne, white or blue mother-of-pearl dials.

Reading WR50 and WR100

You’ll often see Citizen Quartz models described as WR50 or WR100. That’s the water resistance in metres, and Citizen’s own chart says what each allows: 30 metres for splashes and rain, 50 for swimming, and 100 for swimming and snorkelling. None of these is a dive watch. Our guide to what water resistance really means explains the ratings and how to keep them.

Quartz or Eco-Drive

A Citizen Quartz runs on a battery that lasts a few years; when it’s changed, have the seals checked too, since the case is being opened. Eco-Drive uses the same kind of quartz movement but charges it from light, so it never needs a new battery. If you’d rather never think about it, most of the Citizen range is Eco-Drive, and our guide to automatic, quartz or Eco-Drive compares all three.

Questions

How accurate is it? Citizen describes a standard quartz movement as accurate to about 15 seconds a month.

Does it have sapphire crystal? No. Citizen Quartz models use mineral crystal, which is tough and can be replaced if it ever gets scratched.

Will I need to adjust the date? Yes, after any month with fewer than 31 days, since a standard calendar counts to 31. Keep the hands well away from midnight, roughly 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., when you change it; our guide to setting the date shows how.