by Brent Robillard
Two Giants of Affordable Watchmaking
Seiko and Citizen were among the first watches I ever owned. I suspect a lot of enthusiasts could begin their collecting stories with that same line.
Long before I knew what a column wheel chronograph was, before I had ever heard of COSC certification, and certainly before I found myself interviewing watchmakers in Geneva, I was drawn to the same qualities that continue to define both brands today. They made watches that looked good, felt solid, and could survive just about anything their owners asked of them. Better still, they were attainable. They weren’t objects to admire from afar; they were watches you could actually buy.
That remains true today.
Citizen vs Seiko: Not an either-or story
Over the past several years here at The Calibrated Wrist, we’ve had the opportunity to spend time with everything from six-figure independents to modern Swiss icons. Yet I still find myself looking forward to the arrival of a new Seiko or Citizen. There’s something refreshing about reviewing a watch that doesn’t require a second mortgage, yet still arrives with a genuine sense of purpose. Whether it’s a rugged diver, an everyday GMT, or a solar-powered field companion, these are watches designed to be worn, not merely collected.
The internet loves turning this into a rivalry. Search “Citizen vs. Seiko” and you’ll find countless articles determined to crown a winner. Usually, they boil the comparison down to a checklist of specifications before declaring one brand victorious.
I think that’s missing the point.
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The real story isn’t that Seiko and Citizen have spent more than a century competing with one another. It’s that they’ve arrived at remarkably similar destinations by taking slightly different roads. Both companies manufacture the overwhelming majority of their own components. Both have introduced innovations that changed the course of watchmaking. Both produce everything from affordable everyday watches to genuine high-end mechanical pieces. Most importantly, both continue to offer some of the strongest value propositions anywhere in the industry.
For collectors, that’s a very good problem to have.
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More Alike Than Different
On paper, Seiko and Citizen seem destined to be rivals. Both are Japanese manufacturers with histories stretching back more than a century. Both produce millions of watches every year. Both offer quartz and mechanical movements, professional dive watches, GMTs, chronographs, dress watches, and just about every other category imaginable. Walk into almost any jewellery store in Canada, Europe, or North America, and there’s a good chance you’ll find both brands sharing the same display case.
Yet they have never been carbon copies of one another.
Seiko has traditionally worn its mechanical heritage on its sleeve. Mention the company to enthusiasts and you’ll quickly hear names like the Turtle, the SKX, the Marinemaster, or the legendary 62MAS. Even collectors who eventually migrate toward Swiss brands often admit that a Seiko was the watch that first sparked their interest.
Citizen, meanwhile, has built much of its modern identity around technology. Eco-Drive transformed solar charging from an interesting novelty into an everyday convenience. Radio-controlled movements, satellite timekeeping, Super Titanium, and highly accurate quartz movements all demonstrate a company that has never been afraid to invest in practical innovation.
Neither approach is inherently better. They’re simply different expressions of the same philosophy: make dependable watches that ordinary people can actually afford.
Two Companies That Helped Shape Modern Watchmaking
Seiko
Although they’re often grouped together simply because they’re Japanese, Seiko and Citizen developed along remarkably independent paths.
Seiko traces its origins to 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo. His philosophy—”Always one step ahead of the rest”—would come to define the company for generations. By the middle of the twentieth century, Seiko had become one of the world’s most vertically integrated watch manufacturers, designing and producing nearly every component in-house.
That philosophy culminated in one of the most significant moments in horological history: the introduction of the Seiko Astron in 1969, the world’s first commercially available quartz wristwatch. It permanently changed the watch industry and ushered in the Quartz Crisis that reshaped Swiss watchmaking.
Citizen’s story is no less impressive.
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Citizen
Founded in 1918, the company adopted the name “Citizen” with a remarkably democratic ambition. The goal was simple: produce quality watches for ordinary citizens rather than the social elite. More than a century later, that philosophy remains surprisingly intact.
Citizen has since become one of the largest watch manufacturers in the world, producing not only its own watches but also Miyota movements that power thousands of models from independent brands across the globe. Chances are, if you’ve owned a microbrand watch in the past decade, you’ve probably owned a Citizen movement without even realizing it.
Today, both companies rank among the largest watch groups on Earth. Discussions of the global watch industry often focus exclusively on Swiss luxury houses, but that paints an incomplete picture. Citizen Group and Seiko Group each generate annual revenues comfortably exceeding one billion Swiss francs, placing them among the world’s largest watch manufacturers by sales.
Their influence extends far beyond enthusiast circles.
Different Strengths, Shared Values
Spend enough time reviewing both brands, and certain patterns begin to emerge.
Seiko tends to appeal first to the romantic in all of us. Its watches are steeped in history. Modern Prospex divers borrow heavily from famous vintage references. The SPB14X recalls the proportions and warmth of the original 62MAS in a way that feels authentic rather than nostalgic. The Turtle and the Samurai remains one of the most comfortable dive watches ever produced, while pieces like the Marinemaster continue to demonstrate just how capable Seiko’s mechanical watchmaking has become.
Citizen often wins you over in a different way. Rather than asking you to appreciate history, it asks you to appreciate convenience.
Take the Promaster Land GMT we reviewed earlier this year. It delivers practical traveller functionality, impressive legibility, and Eco-Drive technology in a package that’s ready to accompany its owner almost anywhere. Likewise, the Tsuki-yomi combines radio-controlled accuracy, titanium construction, perpetual calendar functionality, and a beautifully executed moon-phase display into a watch that simply disappears into daily life. It asks almost nothing of its owner beyond wearing it.
Both approaches have tremendous appeal. One celebrates mechanical tradition. The other embraces practical innovation. Both understand how much value matters.
The Value Proposition
This is where the comparison becomes especially interesting. Luxury watch brands often ask buyers to accept increasingly ambitious prices in exchange for marginal gains in finishing or exclusivity. Citizen and Seiko have largely resisted that temptation (yes, yes, there are exceptions).
Both companies continue to produce watches that feel genuinely attainable without feeling compromised. That’s a surprisingly difficult balance to strike.
Consider the range we’ve reviewed here at The Calibrated Wrist over the past few years. Seiko’s SPB147 remains one of our most-read articles for good reason. It captures so much of what enthusiasts love about vintage dive watches while offering modern construction, sapphire crystal, and reliable everyday performance.
Citizen’s Promaster collection occupies much the same territory. Whether it’s the Diver Automatic (one of my all-time favourites), the WaveTracker, or the Land GMT, each feels purpose-built without becoming unnecessarily expensive.
If anything, the two companies push one another to remain competitive. Collectors are the real winners.
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Mechanical or Quartz? Perhaps That’s the Wrong Question.
Few debates generate more heat than mechanical versus quartz. Ironically, both Seiko and Citizen helped shape both sides of that conversation.
Seiko introduced the Astron and forever altered the economics of watchmaking. Citizen perfected light-powered quartz to a degree few companies have matched. Yet both continue producing excellent mechanical watches alongside their electronic counterparts. And vice versa. Take the solar-powered Seiko Speedtimer or the Citizen Promaster Diver Automatic (yeah, I mentioned it already–can you blame me?)
Perhaps the better question isn’t which technology is superior. It’s which one best suits the way you actually live.
If you enjoy winding a watch, watching a sweeping seconds hand, and appreciating traditional engineering, Seiko offers countless compelling options. If you simply want a watch that’s astonishingly accurate, virtually maintenance-free, and always ready to wear, Citizen’s Eco-Drive remains one of the industry’s great achievements.
Personally? I’m happy owning both. In fact, I suspect many collectors eventually arrive at exactly the same conclusion.
There Doesn’t Need to Be a Winner
If this article has a takeaway, it’s probably this. The internet loves declaring winners. Collectors rarely do.
After years of wearing, reviewing, photographing, and writing about both brands, I’ve never felt the need to choose a side. My SPB147 still makes me smile every time I strap it on. At the same time, Citizen continues to surprise me with just how much technology and usability it manages to package into watches that remain refreshingly accessible.
Perhaps that’s why both companies have endured for well over a century. They understand something that’s easy to forget amid discussions of luxury, scarcity, and resale value. A watch’s greatest achievement isn’t becoming difficult to obtain. It’s becoming difficult to take off.
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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.
Other Watchy Bits include op-ed pieces and articles of general interest. We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section below.
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The 63MAS line and that Citizen Promaster Diver Automatic are the pinnacle of dive watches.
I’m happy with my sekio turtle 🐢
That was rabbit hole watch. Cheers!