When it comes to stylish timepieces, two brand names that will surely make an appearance on that list are Movado and Citizen. Both brands are well-known in watch aficionado circles, and it is easy to see why with one glance over at their respective catalog. As a gift, these two will never disappoint – as part of your growing watch collection; both brands will bring something unique to the table.
Let’s take a look at what Movado and Citizen have in store for watch enthusiasts and casual watch lovers alike. Does one brand reign supreme over the other? It’s time to find out in this matchup between two brands that are synonymous with stylish watches.
History of Movado
Movado was founded in 1881 but was initially known then as LAI Ditescheim & Freres SA. It was not until 1905 when they officially rebranded themselves as Movado. The name was an attractive and smart choice as it meant “always in motion” in Esperanto.
Movado exclusively stayed within the European side of the market. The company made commendable strides, building a respectable reputation along the way.
The company reached a milestone in 1983 when the North American Corp purchased them. Under this banner, Movado finally had the means to break into the American market. With their flagship Museum watches, Movado quickly separated themselves from the pack with the minimalist Museum line.
If you are not familiar with the Movado Museum line of watches, then you know it always features a signature design. Museum watches from Movado all take the minimalist approach with their appearance. The dials are usually free of any details aside from the Museum Dot located at the 12 o’clock position.
Movado has also since acquired MVMT, a new fashion watch company, last year (2018). This partnership is quite promising as MVMT is known for its modern minimalist watches popular among millennials that may not be familiar with the Movado brand. While some watch snobs may discredit the acquisition due to MVMTs lack of horological significance, others feel this blend of old and new should meld well with Movado’s more traditional yet equally minimalist approach to their timepiece design.
History of Citizen
Despite the name, Citizen is, in fact, a Japanese-based watchmaker that was founded in 1918. Formerly known as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute, they primarily produced pocket watches. The company changed its name to Citizen in 1924.
Citizen was among the businesses that suffered from the near economic collapse of the Japanese market due to World War 2. Fortunately, Citizen understood their dire situation and quickly adopted a new business model.
Citizen poured their resources into the expansion over the broader international market. The company also experienced a renaissance during this period as they also focused on developing innovative watch technologies.
It took until the quartz revolution of the 70s for Citizen to finally secure their place in the watch market. Along with Seiko, Citizen was among the top brands that led to the quartz movement revolution. See our full comparison of Seiko and Citizen here.
Citizen also made their first significant mark in the industry during this era with their Citizen X-8 watch. The Citizen X-8 was the first official titanium watch in the market.
The solar-powered watch was also part of Citizen’s area of expertise as evident with their famous Cryston Solar Cell. This was the first solar-powered analog quartz watch in the entire market. One of Citizen’s crowning achievements though is their upgraded solar-powered watch technology – the Eco-Drive.
Unlike most of the solar-powered watches in the market, then, Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology was not tied down to charging via sunlight. The watch was able to recharge even via artificial light which was a groundbreaking achievement back then. Nowadays, Citizen has amassed a cornucopia of amazing timepieces and is known for some of the best solar watches on the market.
When it comes to Citizen watches, you can bet that they all offer a balance of style and substance. Quite simply, you can never go wrong with a Citizen timepiece.
Movado and Citizen Watch Comparisons
Both Citizen and Movado are well-respected names in the watch industry. While watch enthusiasts will be able to decide which one to pick quickly, what about those new to this market? Well, my friend, read through this comparison section to guide you towards the right watch brand that suits your preference.
🏆 #1 Best Overall
- ⌚Analog Quartz Watches for Men:Original imported quartz movement,the battery life can be as long as 2-3 years. quality assurance,provide stable and accurate time.It is a must-have wrist watches mature man.
- ⌚Business Dress Men Watches:Big face watch for men with day date.diamond roman indexes, easy to read, classic business style, stand the test of time, handsome and outstanding.
- ⌚316L Stainless Steel Strap:Solid stainless steel watch bracelet, hidden butterfly pushed button,prevent perspiration, quality assurance.The watch is equipped with a tool for adjusting the strap, which is simple and easy to operate.
- ⌚3ATM Waterproof Watch/Luminous:30M waterproof meets daily waterproof needs. the luminous function can read the watch in the dark environment.
- ⌚OLEVS Men Watches: Male watch come with olevs brand box.we offer a 30-day free return period and a 1-year warranty period are also provided. If you encounter problems during the use of the two tone silver watch, you can contact us through Amazon.
Chronograph Watch
A signature feature of a chronograph watch is its three sub-dials. These extra dials are designed to measure the hours, minutes, and seconds. Both Citizen and Movado produce some top-notch chronograph watches. Let’s pick two from their current cream of the crop to see how each compare to one another.
Movado Museum Sport 0606792 Stainless Steel with Black Dial
Rank #2
- 360-degree All-round Display: no need to hide, your luxury watch needs to be displayed! The transparent acrylic cover of this men's watch box can display your gorgeous watch in 360 degrees and it is also a shining decoration in your room.
- Superior Material: Solid wood with brown leather wrapped inside to prevent your watch from scratches. Equipped with 12 removable brown leather watch pillows suitable for placing all watch sizes on the market. Transparent acrylic cover not only prevents dust but also can show your precious watches at a glance in the room!
- Luxury Features: Size: 13.4*8.2*5.8in. Do your wallets, wireless headphones, mobile phones, jewelry, and glasses still stacked in disorder? The drawer of this watch case can meet your storage needs. It can be used to place your accessories and provide a new home for your daily belongings.
- Ideal Gift for Men: luxurious packaging protection and a greeting card attached to make this watch box the best gift for watch lovers on Christmas, Father's Day, Valentine's Day or Birthday.
- Best Service: If you are not satisfied with the product after you purchased it for any reason, whether it is damaged in transit or even if you change your mind, please let us know and we will replace or refund it according to your choice!
One of the most common gripes about chronograph watches is with its somewhat cluttered design. For casual watch customers, the inclusion of three sub-dials plus other details can be quite confusing to decipher at first glance. This is where the Movado Museum Sport 0606792 comes in.
While this is indeed a chronograph watch, it still captures the clean and straightforward aesthetic of Movado’s Museum line of timepieces. The Museum Sport does add substantially more detail on its dial, but it does so with clinical precision. This look gives the Museum Sport with a tidy looking dial that still manages to display all the elements of a chronograph watch.
The Museum Sport features three sub-dials that display the hour (1/10th), minutes (30), and seconds (60). All three are evenly spaced around the lower half of the dial. The dial includes a fixed black PVD bezel with an analog display and luminous hands and markers. Additionally, it also has a date display that is located over at the 4 o’clock position.
The case diameter sits at a comfortable 44mm, making it ideal for most wrist sizes. Inside the Movado Museum is the high-precision quartz movement, ensuring constant up to date timekeeping. Of course, what is a Movado Museum watch without its signature design, the Museum Dot located on the 12 o’clock position? Overall, this is a fantastic looking casual chronograph watch from one of the industry’s top watch designers.
Citizen Eco-Drive Silvertone and Black World Time A-T Watch
Read Reviews on Amazon or See on Citizen.com
Rank #3
- BURGUNDY DIAL: this men's automatic watch features a burgundy deep, pressed pattern with a gloss finish and rose gold stainless steel watch case
- AUTOMATIC: these self-winding, automatic men's watches are powered by your movement, with a power reserve of 41 hours
- STAINLESS STEEL & LEATHER: features a durable rose gold-finish stainless steel watch case paired with a brown leather watch band
- WATER-RESISTANT: these men's wrist watches are water-resistant down to 50 meters
- 4R35 CALIBER: equipped with the reliable caliber 4R35 automatic movement, this accurate men's watch keeps precise time
The Eco-Drive A-T Watch is a feature-packed premium offering from Citizen that looks the part as well. Both body and the bracelet are made from durable stainless steel giving it an exceptional luster that further enhances its premium appearance.
As stated previously, this Citizen chronograph comes with numerous high-level features that include atomic timekeeping technology. It also uses Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology which provides efficient solar energy charging capabilities. Thus, maximizing every light gathered to prolong its battery life further.
The watch also incorporates radio-controlled world time updates, ensuring precision no matter the time zone. While the rather large round 44m case can be awkward for some, the Eco-Drive A-T is still right up there with the best in terms of comfort.
Other features included with this timepiece consists of a day and date indicator, 12/24-hour format, and a water resistance rating of up to 200m. The analog display is also protected by a durable and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal window.
If you are looking for the highest level of functionality at a reasonable price, the Citizen Eco-Drive A-T Watch might be a good fit for you.
Best Chronograph Watch
Dress Watch
Next up, let’s take a look at the fashion side of things. If you have an inkling of what each brand offers in regards to style, I think you can already decide which one between Citizen and Movado to choose. For our casual readers, here is a quick overview and comparison between these two watchmakers.
Rank #4
- [Luxurious Mechanical Watch] High quality hollow mechanical watch appearance retro gorgeous, exquisite carving and design of the golden appearance of the European nobility more highlight your noble identity extraordinary taste, to bring you a pleasant luxury experience
- [Mechanical Movement] This watch has manual self-winding. Please consider that mechanical watches that require manual winding can only keep time for a short time after winding. To prevent running or inaccurate time, it is advised that you verify the time periodically and wind up the chain 15–20 times.
- [Waterproof] Water resistant to 50m (165ft) -suitable for short periods of recreational swimming and showering, but not diving or snorkeling
- [Ideal as a Gift] This beautiful retro-style watch can be worn on any occasion or given as a gift to your father, brother, partner, or boyfriend. At weddings and any holiday gatherings, it can be a really appreciated and elegant gift.
- [Professional After-Sale Service] Please contact us if you need any additional details about our watches. We will be happy to answer and help you anytime.
Movado BOLD Two-Tone Watch 3600431
As one would expect from a Movado dress watch, the Men’s BOLD Two-Tone features a sleek, minimalist, yet chic design. It is a rare timepiece with its chameleon-esque qualities of being both masculine and feminine. The monochromatic design with gold accents helps elevate it in terms of elegance.
The Movado BOLD also follows the brand’s tradition of crafting excellent timepieces with a minimalist approach. The silver analog dial features gold-coated hands, marker lines, and the signature Museum Dot located at the upper part (12 o’clock position).
The bracelet also features the two-tone gold and silver accent with a deployment clasp in place that makes the watch easy to remove and secure in place. Within the Movado BOLD is a Swiss quartz movement that makes sure that the watch is always accurate with little need for manual maintenance.
The dial is protected using K1 mineral crystal that is shatter and scratch-resistant. The watch also comes with a solid 3ATM water resistance rating.
Citizen Eco-Drive Corso Two-Tone Stainless-Steel Watch BM8224-51E
Read Reviews on Amazon or See on Citizen.com
💰 Best Value
- The black IP Michael Kors Slim Runway watch is polished perfection. A classic three-link bracelet and monochromatic sunray dial with stick indexes add up to a wear-with-everything timepiece that dresses up and down with ease.
- Case & Dial: Round 44mm stainless steel case with a black dial; mineral crystal face resists scratches
- Watch Band: Black stainless steel bracelet band; 22mm band width; links can be removed for a customized fit
- Movement: Quartz movement with three-hand analog display; imported
- Water Resistant: Up to 50m (165ft): Wearable while swimming in shallow water; 5 ATM
Quite similar to the Movado BOLD Two-Tone, but with a more traditional flair, the Citizen Eco-Drive BM8224-51E is a premier example of excellence in execution. The watch comes with a silver, gold, and black aesthetic which is a fantastic combination that radiates a sense of luxury and professionalism.
This timepiece features Citizen’s patented Eco-Drive technology and reliable quartz movement. The dial hands also use a luminous finish for improved legibility in low-light environments. As it uses Eco-Drive technology, the watch’s solar charging capability is top-notch. The black dial uses a mineral crystal window which is relatively sturdy.
Other notable features are its 30m water resistance rating and day and date display located at the 3 o’clock position. As a dress watch, the Citizen BM8224-51E is a sleek timepiece with a 35mm case diameter and 8mm thickness. If you are looking for a classy and traditional dress watch, then you might want to check out what Citizen has to offer.
Best Dress Watch – This one falls on whether you prefer a more contemporary design or a traditional timepiece. Both are on equal footing in regards to functionality and precision. Both these watches also feature near-identical design. This is a win-win situation, in my opinion.
Conclusion: Movado vs Citizen – Which is the Better Watch?
This is a relatively easy decision to make if you’ve read through the comparisons we made in this article. Movado is designed with a considerable lean towards the fashion side of watchmaking. When it comes to features and functionality, Movado offers the current trend but nothing mind-blowing. Citizen watches primarily focus on functionality, but it is no slouch when it comes to style as well.
Citizen watches are synonymous with innovative technology and features. If you are looking for the perfect blend of practicality and style, Citizen is an excellent brand to check out.