GS 9F vs Citizen A060

[pandrew6l]

Looking into a GS SBGX261/SBGT241 vs a Citizen Chronomaster AQ 4030-51A/AQ4103-16E.

I have looked up the Spec differences between the two. The Chronomaster seems to be superior ( +-5 seconds, 10 years Japan warranty/service, 10 years battery life, Eco Solar, super titanium, dial lume ). The money difference is small enough for me to consider either.

Any of you care to share your experiences/opinions on either ?

[arnage]

I have watches that utilize both movements; from the perspective of convenience and accuracy, it's difficult to come up with many (any?) reasons to forgo the Citizen.

I have two 9F based watches, the SBGV243 and the SBGP015 - both very nice watches, stylistically. But battery life was only 2.5 to 3 years, and that was even after I had begun pulling the crown out when not using the watch, to preserve some life. I also noticed that the second hand on the watch never gave the "staggered 2 seconds" indicator that the battery was on its way out. It's not hard to replace the battery at all, but if you're the type who would insist on only letting a GS service center do so, that's quite inconvenient.

I also have the Chronomaster aq4090-59e; limited edition with a really neat washi paper dial that has small specs of metallic flake in it. Watch has basically been in the "set it and forget it" mode since I've had it, with no issues. perpetual calendar, solar powered, very high accuracy. Case and dial index finishing at least on par with GS, in my opinion. But perhaps most significantly, the durability of the titanium finishing has proven very robust and quite exceptional. literally no hairlines / scratches. And you can't really say the same for the GSes.

GS still has a much more pronounced following in the US (and of course this wasn't always the case, if you remember threads from 10 years back). But Citizen is now setting up to sell their higher-end JDM stuff here too, so let's see how that evolves. For now, unless the design of the GS speaks to you much more than the Citizen's design, the pure merits of the watch should point you towards the Chronomaster.

[pandrew6l]

Thank you for sharing your experience and the informative write-up.

Citizen is currently selling two new models using the A060 movement, the AQ4100-65W ($4,300) and the AQ4103-16E ($3,800), both more expensive than the AQ4030-51A when it was released a few years back.

As you said, there is no reason not to like the Chronomaster, other than the GS name recognition.

[AF_Rob]

In case you need a little nudge ;) I set it New Year’s Day and it’s still dead on.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[1William]

I prefer the Grand Seiko.

[pandrew6l]

Originally Posted by AF_Rob

In case you need a little nudge ;) I set it New Year’s Day and it’s still dead on.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very nice, thank you

[arnage]

a picture, just because...

[pandrew6l]

Both are stunning! What model is your Chronomaster with the gold second hand?

[arnage]

Originally Posted by pandrew6l

Both are stunning! What model is your Chronomaster with the gold second hand?

Hi, thank you; the Citizen is model: AQ4090-59E

My understanding is that it was limited to 400 units. The dial is pretty cool, and has some small flakes in it that sparkle in the sunlight.

[pandrew6l]

Pulled the trigger over the weekend on a slightly used (2021) Chronomaster AQ4030-51A (A060-T024271) from a GS AD in Burlingame, California. This watch came with box/paper, and 1 year AD warranty. The more I look at that white Washi Paper dial, the more I like the Chronomaster.

Thank you for the inputs from everyone!

[douglasf13]

FWIW, I saw somewhere that GS is hesitant to use solar, because of long term reliability implications.

[pandrew6l]

I am interested in reading up on this Eco Drive (sola) concern, can you point me to the right direction on this article?

[piratfisk]

FWIW, the watch that I wore on my wrist throughout each & every deployment was a Citizen EcoDrive chronometer model AT0810-12E. The only thing I've ever replaced was the strap (currently on its fourth or fifth different one... rubber, to NATO, to sailcloth, to Cordura, etc.). It's incredibly durable & to my eyes, as accurate as I've ever needed a watch to be.

[pandrew6l]

The Citizen Chronomaster jumped from 29 to 1 this morning all by itself. This is a feature the GS9F still does not have.