by Brent Robillard

Nothing like it

I’ve worn a lot of watches over the years. Dive watches. Pilot’s watches. GMTs. Chronographs. Mechanical marvels with hand-finished movements and enough history to fill a library.

I’ve also never worn anything quite like the Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T. That probably sounds dramatic, but hear me out.

---

Advertisement

---

Check out the Oris Olive Green Divers Date

---

Key Features of the Citizen Eco-Drive Tsuki-yomi A-T Grey Dial Super Titanium

The Tsuki-yomi’s party trick is right there in the name. It combines Citizen’s atomic timekeeping technology with a moonphase display, making it the world’s first moonphase watch to offer radio-controlled accuracy. During the night, where supported, it synchronizes with atomic clocks, correcting itself automatically. It also keeps track of the perpetual calendar, displays the day and date, and offers world time across 24 time zones.

That’s a lot of information to pack onto a dial.

Dial

Thankfully, Citizen has been building busy dials for years. If you’ve spent any time with the brand’s tactical watches, you’ll already know they have a knack for organizing complexity. At first glance, there seems to be plenty happening, but after a few minutes on the wrist everything falls into place. The applied markers remain prominent, the hands are easy to distinguish, and the various indications occupy their own space without fighting for attention.

The moonphase display at six o’clock naturally draws your eye first. During a full moon, it anchors the entire design. Around it, the textured grey dial takes its inspiration from the lunar surface, giving the watch considerably more depth than a flat sunburst finish might have offered.

Of the current Tsuki-yomi collection, this grey version is easily my favourite.

The black accents provide strong contrast, while the silver details tie everything back into the Super Titanium case and bracelet. It’s modern without looking cold, technical without becoming sterile, and interesting enough that I kept finding myself glancing down at it even when I already knew the time. Which, admittedly, was always exactly right.

---

Advertisement

---

Case

Case size will inevitably become part of the conversation. At 43 mm, the Tsuki-yomi isn’t small. On paper, it sounds like a substantial watch. On the wrist, though, it wears much more comfortably than the numbers suggest. A big reason for that is Citizen’s Super Titanium.

Coming in at just 105 grams, the watch feels almost surprisingly light the first time you pick it up. That lack of weight changes the entire wearing experience. Rather than feeling top-heavy, the watch settles naturally onto the wrist. The bracelet helps here as well, wrapping comfortably around my wrist with a shape that feels more tailored than many integrated-looking sport bracelets. The result is a watch that feels secure, balanced, and remarkably comfortable for extended wear.

I’ve often found that lightweight watches can feel almost insubstantial. That’s not the case here. The Tsuki-yomi still has enough presence to remind you you’re wearing a quality piece, just without the fatigue that sometimes comes with larger steel watches.

Then there’s Eco-Drive.

---

Advertisement

---

Eco-drive

By now, it almost feels unnecessary to praise Citizen’s light-powered technology because it has become such an established part of the company’s identity. Yet it’s worth remembering how liberating it is in day-to-day ownership. Leave it in the light, wear it regularly, and you’ll likely never think about changing a battery.

Details, details

The sapphire crystal, 100 metres of water resistance, Super Titanium construction, perpetual calendar, radio-controlled timekeeping, moonphase display, world timer, and Eco-Drive movement create a specification sheet that’s difficult to argue with. There are mechanical watches costing considerably more that accomplish far less.

Of course, the Tsuki-yomi isn’t trying to compete with traditional mechanical watchmaking. It’s playing an entirely different game.

---

Advertisement

---

Specs

Case	Super Titanium 43mm Diameter 10.9mm Thick /w Crystal 22mm Lug Width Snap Case Back 100m Water Resistance
Dial & Crystal	Sapphire Crystal Patterned Grey Dial Applied Markers Sword Handset Super-LumiNova
Movement	H874 Eco-Drive Moonphase Indicator World Time in 24 Time Zones Day/Date Radio-Controlled Perpetual Calendar
Strap	Super Titanium Bracelet /w Push Button Release

Citizen Eco-Drive Tsuki-yomi A-T Grey Dial Super Titanium

---

Advertisement

---

Final Thoughts

Mechanical watches appeal to our appreciation for craftsmanship, history, and engineering. The Tsuki-yomi appeals to our practical side. It represents decades of Citizen refining technologies that simply solve everyday problems. No winding. No battery changes. No resetting after months in the watch box. No correcting the calendar at the end of February. Just put it on and go.

That practicality won’t appeal to every collector, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people enjoy the ritual of setting a watch each morning. Others simply want something that works flawlessly every time they reach for it. The Tsuki-yomi is built for the latter.

After spending time with it, I came away appreciating something that often gets overlooked in enthusiast circles. Sometimes, Citizen simply asks how a watch can make life a little easier. The answer, in this case, turns out to be surprisingly compelling.

The Citizen Eco-Drive Tsuki-yomi A-T Grey Dial Super Titanium is available directly through the brand’s website for $1195 CAD. At the time of publication, you can enjoy an additional 20% off–that’s $956 CAD. Hurry over. Go on now!

---

Advertisement

---

About the Author

Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.

---

Off The Cuff articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of the watch in question and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise. If you would like to have your watch reviewed on this site, contact us here.

Please understand that using any links to products on this site might result in us making money.