Citizen debuts three affordable 38mm Eco-Drive dress watches with Caliber E116

Citizen has announced three new affordable light-powered Eco-Drive dress watches in the Citizen Collection. The new lineup pairs a compact 38mm case with a simple, timeless design that should go seamlessly with any attire and occasion.

The collection consists of the BM1350-54A with a silver/white dial, the BM1350-54E featuring a sunray black dial, and the BM1350-54L, which has a sunray blue dial. It’s a pretty clean-looking design overall. The applied bar indices, along with triangle-shaped Dauphine hour and minute hands and a needle seconds hand with a mirror finish, give the watch face a sophisticated look that bears more than a passing resemblance to Citizen's popular Tsuyosa.

Protecting the dial is a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal treated with an anti-reflective coating for glare-free legibility. The stainless steel case measures 38mm across and just 8.9mm thick and should appeal to anyone who prefers smaller, slimmer watches that are under 40mm in diameter. You also get 5 ATM water resistance, which, while nowhere near the level of a diver's watch like the Promaster, is plenty to handle daily wear and tear and splashes. There's also a date display at 3 o'clock, complete with a quick date correction function.

The new lineup is powered by Citizen's Caliber E116 Eco-Drive solar movement, so you won't have to worry about battery replacements. It operates with a reliable accuracy of ±15 seconds per month and lasts up to a year on a full charge when stored in the dark. 

Priced at ¥27,500 (~$171), the watch is set to go on sale in Japan on August 6. It’s still unclear when the trio will make its way to global markets.

Specifications

• Models: BM1350-54A / BM1350-54E / BM1350-54L
• Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber E116
• Power source: Solar-powered
• Accuracy: ±15 seconds/month
• Power reserve: Approximately 1 year on a full charge
• Case size: 38mm
• Case thickness: 8.9mm
• Case material: Stainless steel
• Bracelet: Integrated stainless steel bracelet with fold-over push-button clasp
• Bracelet width: 20mm
• Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective coating
• Water resistance: 5 ATM (50m)
• Weight: 107g
• Functions: Date display, quick date correction, charging warning, quick start, overcharge prevention
• Dial made from recycled dial components