The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

Iconic watch art prints. Made in Switzerland, lifetime guarantee

A small Seiko given to me by my parents, I find it beautiful with a dial that plays with the light to the most beautiful effect, a rather classy dressy look, a quality leather strap.

Seiko omen

For me, this is a watch that sits beautifully on the wrist, with a dial that plays with the light, a strap that complements the watch perfectly, and a precise and reliable Swiss movement. A truly beautiful diver's watch, water-resistant to 200 meters.

I adore 

Hello, I started by buying French watches, Lip and Yema, and now micro-brands like Léon Caradant, etc. For me, the Lip GIGN is a beautiful watch. It's a limited edition of 1973 pieces, 1973 being the year of the collaboration between Lip and the GIGN (or at least I think so, I'm not sure). It has a nice presence on the wrist. Good light

Lip gign

For me, a truly beautiful watch with a reasonable diameter, top-notch finishes, you forget you're wearing it, and quite accurate – mine is less than 10 seconds a day. For me, it's excellent value for money.

Speedtimer 

A 1970s Lip Chrono Skin Diver dive watch with a beautiful 39mm diameter and a timeless sporty silhouette. It features a bidirectional rotating bezel, television-style counters, superb hour and minute hands, an orange seconds hand, and a Valjoux 7734 movement. I find it absolutely beautiful.

Lip chrono skin diver

I hadn't ordered a Citizen, but since the store was unable to send me the model I ordered, I went with this one instead, and I don't regret it at all. For under 200 euros, it's a well-made watch with a beautiful guilloché dial that plays with the light, and a polished and brushed bracelet that looks fantastic. A classy little Citizen.

A small citizen

Citizen was founded in 1918 in Japan by Kamekichi Yakamazi of the Shokosha Watch Research Institute in Tokyo. Now one of the world's largest watch companies, recognized for its innovative watches and cutting-edge technology. The history of Citizen begins with the launch of its first pocket watch in 1924, called the "CITIZEN".
<h2 dir="ltr">History of the Citizen brand</h2>
This watch was equipped with a high-quality mechanical movement and was highly valued for its precision and reliability. It quickly gained popularity, establishing the foundation of Citizen's reputation in watchmaking.
Over the following years, Citizen continued to innovate and push the boundaries of watchmaking technology. In 1956, the company introduced the world's first pocket wristwatch, which revolutionized the way watches were worn. This innovation paved the way for a new era of more practical and functional watches. In the 1960s, Citizen released several revolutionary watches, including the Citizen Parawater, Japan's first waterproof watch, and the Citizen Cosmotron, the country's first solar-powered electronic watch. These technological advances have solidified Citizen's position as a pioneer in the watch industry.
Citizen has also played a key role in the quartz watch industry. In 1973, the company introduced the Citizen Crystron Solar Cell, the first quartz watch powered by solar energy. This innovation paved the way for a new generation of more precise and durable quartz watches with the 1976 launch of the technology&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive">Citizen Eco-Drive</a>.
Over the decades, Citizen has continued to introduce new features and technologies into its watches. In 1993, the company launched the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/promaster_aqualand">Citizen Promaster Aqualand</a>, a diver's watch that has pushed the boundaries of underwater performance. It was equipped with features such as measuring depth and diving time, which allowed divers to explore the seabed safely.
In the 2000s, Citizen began developing ecological watches. In 2008, the company introduced the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave, the first solar-powered watch capable of receiving satellite signals for optimal accuracy around the world. This revolutionary technology eliminated the need to change batteries, providing a more durable and convenient solution for watch enthusiasts. Over the past few years, Citizen has maintained its leading position in the watch industry. The company continues to innovate in design, technology and sustainability, while maintaining its commitment to quality and precision.
Today, Citizen is a globally recognized brand, offering a wide range of watches to suit all tastes and needs. Whether for lovers of classic watches, diving watches, connected watches or sports watches, Citizen offers varied options meeting the expectations of consumers around the world. Citizen is one of the 3 major Japanese watchmaking groups with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/seiko">Seiko</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/casio">Casio</a>.
The current range includes models such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive">Citizen Eco-Drive</a>, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/promaster_diver">Citizen Promaster Diver</a>, <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/tsuyosa">Citizen Tsuyoza</a>, Citizen Skyhawk or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/chronomaster">Citizen Chronomaster</a>.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Citizen watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Citizen watches change regularly and vary depending on the model. Most cost between $400 and $800 depending on the models and finishes. As an example, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/eco-drive_diver_200m">Citizen Eco-Drive</a> starts to $250 and the top of the range Citizen with the collection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/citizen/the_citizen">The Citizen</a> oscillates between $3,000 and $7,000. Prices also fluctuate depending on the distributor, and promotions sometimes allow you to benefit from a more competitive price. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Citizen.
<h2 dir="ltr">Citizen: The other giant of Japanese watchmaking</h2>
Citizen Watch is a renowned Japanese watch company with a history dating back almost a century. From its first mechanical watches to its innovations in solar energy, quartz and sustainability, Citizen has played a major role in the evolution of the watch industry. Today, Citizen continues to position itself as a global leader, offering superior quality watches combining functionality, design and innovation.
Citizen is owned by a Japanese industrial group in the same way as the brands <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/bulova">Bulova</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/alpina">Alpina</a>, Arnold &amp; Son and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/frederique_constant">Frederique Constant</a>. Citizen produces several million watches per year, all models combined. To choose the Citizen model that best suits you, Dialicious customer reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating different models through real owner experience.
Check out the <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_japanese_watch_brands">ranking of the best japanese watch brands</a>, including Citizen.
(Updated December 2023)

The Citizen platform has become a great classic in a few years.
Affordable, reliable, a little rustic, with an almost vintage touch, versatile, there are many adjectives that stick to it.
Containing a caliber renowned for its reliability, with its soft rotor noise...
All for a very reasonable price, Citizen, as often, treats us to a well-finished watch, pleasant to wear and that we never get tired of, a must have!

Entrance to the platform

My first automatic watch that immersed me in this vast and interesting world that is mechanical watchmaking, before I was more of a Casio, then for Christmas I chose this Citizen it had just come out and its khaki green dial, its aviator style and its vintage style case attracted me, and bam here I am with my first automatic mechanical watch on my wrist, Citizen Platform Mechanical Automatic 42 mm case and 8200 movement. I wear it very often because there is something between us! Which is indescribable.

My first mechanical watch

Bought several months ago, I fell in love with this Japanese pilot's field watch with a retro look and cushion shape.
This discreet Japanese watch amazes me every day with its various bevels and its brushed and mirror polishing.
The slightly sunray gray dial gives it an almost neo-retro dress watch style with its 42mm case, but it doesn't look huge when worn.
Powered by a very reliable and proven Miyota 8210 that barely takes 10 seconds per day.
Impressive value for money.
Not very heavy and very comfortable on the wrist.
The price is ridiculously low considering the quality of this model: €179.
I went for it and I'm enjoying this marvel every day.

Neo retro watch in the CITIZEN style

This watch has a cushion-shaped mirror-polished steel case. While the case is relatively large, the bezel and dial make the timepiece appear smaller than it actually is. The gray dial is the model's strong point. Not liking steel bracelets, I equipped my watch with a Bond-style NATO strap, which suits it particularly well. I am less fond of the logo-free crown and the solid caseback. Nevertheless, this timepiece remains particularly competitive.

Platform mechanical automatic 

ZRC est une maison horlog&egrave;re fond&eacute;e en 1904 &agrave; Gen&egrave;ve (Suisse) par Edmond Zuccolo et Joseph Rochet. N&eacute;e dans l&rsquo;univers des cha&icirc;nes de gousset puis des bracelets m&eacute;talliques extensibles, la marque s&rsquo;adresse aujourd&rsquo;hui aux amateurs de plongeuses-outils iconiques, rendue c&eacute;l&egrave;bre par sa Grands Fonds d&eacute;velopp&eacute;e pour la Marine nationale &agrave; partir des ann&eacute;es 1960.
<h3>Couronne &agrave; 6 h, bo&icirc;tier monobloc et esprit Marine nationale</h3>
Con&ccedil;ue pour r&eacute;pondre aux contraintes op&eacute;rationnelles des plongeurs-d&eacute;mineurs fran&ccedil;ais, la Grands Fonds adopte la couronne &agrave; 6 h, un bo&icirc;tier monobloc et des solutions maison comme l&rsquo;ECS (Easy Clean System) et le CPS (Crown Protection System). Dans la pratique, la couronne &agrave; 6 h et le CPS emp&ecirc;chent de porter la montre si la couronne n&rsquo;est pas parfaitement viss&eacute;e, limitant ainsi les risques d&rsquo;erreur avant immersion ; l&rsquo;ECS facilite le rin&ccedil;age pour &eacute;viter la cristallisation du sel sous la lunette.
<h3>Grands Fonds et d&eacute;clinaisons contemporaines</h3>
La collection actuelle d&eacute;cline l&rsquo;ADN historique (lisibilit&eacute;, ergonomie de terrain, silhouette &laquo; outil &raquo;) en plusieurs tailles et niveaux de performance. Quel que soit le mod&egrave;le, l&rsquo;architecture et la signature &agrave; 6 h rendent la lecture imm&eacute;diate et l&rsquo;identit&eacute; instantan&eacute;ment reconnaissable.
<ul>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64 &mdash; Hommage aux sp&eacute;cifications Marine nationale, codes historiques de cadran et de lunette.</li>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds Heritage&nbsp;&mdash; Gabarit plus contenu (38 mm) conservant la signature de couronne &agrave; 6 h pour les poignets fins.</li>
<li>ZRC Securicode &mdash; R&eacute;interpr&eacute;tation d&rsquo;un th&egrave;me de la fin des ann&eacute;es 1950/1960, avec &eacute;l&eacute;ments de style historiques.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positionnement : outil pro, prix et distribution</h3>
La marque revendique un positionnement &laquo; instrument de plong&eacute;e &raquo; au sein de l&rsquo;horlogerie ind&eacute;pendante suisse, avec volumes de production non communiqu&eacute; et diffusion s&eacute;lective (d&eacute;taillants sp&eacute;cialis&eacute;s et vente directe). &Agrave; titre indicatif, de nombreuses r&eacute;f&eacute;rences acier se situent autour de 2 500&ndash;3 000 &euro;, tandis que des versions techniques en titane d&eacute;passent 4 000 &euro; ; certaines &eacute;ditions sp&eacute;ciales ou m&eacute;taux nobles s&rsquo;&eacute;tablissent nettement au-del&agrave;. Pr&eacute;sence confirm&eacute;e en France avec des &eacute;taillants comme <a href="https://www.bijouterie-clouzeau.fr/fr/marques/zrc-1904">Clouzeau</a> ou <a href="https://www.berenger.fr/fr/horlogerie-berenger/marques/zrc-1904">Berenger</a>, et sur quelques march&eacute;s Asie/Moyen-Orient via un r&eacute;seau resserr&eacute;.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
ZRC s&rsquo;adresse aux amateurs de montres-outils au style imm&eacute;diatement identifiable, qui privil&eacute;gient la fonctionnalit&eacute;, la lisibilit&eacute; et une signature de design forte. Le choix se fera entre un usage polyvalent quotidien (Grands Fonds 300/38), une filiation historique appuy&eacute;e (MN64, Securicode) ou une approche plus technique et extr&ecirc;me (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Les acheteurs sensibles &agrave; l&rsquo;ergonomie appr&eacute;cieront la couronne &agrave; 6 h et la s&eacute;curit&eacute; du CPS ; les puristes salueront la coh&eacute;rence d&rsquo;ensemble. Pour &eacute;clairer votre d&eacute;cision au-del&agrave; de la fiche technique, fiez-vous&nbsp;aux avis clients Dialicious, utiles pour comprendre confort, lisibilit&eacute; r&eacute;elle et ressenti au port&eacute;.
(Mise &agrave; jour Ao&ucirc;t 2025)

ZRC is a watch brand founded in 1904 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Edmond Zuccolo and Joseph Rochet. Born in the field of pocket-watch chains and later expandable metal bracelets, the brand now caters to enthusiasts of iconic tool divers, made famous by its Grands Fonds developed for the French Navy from the 1960s onward.
<h3>6 o&rsquo;clock crown, monobloc case and French Navy spirit</h3>
Engineered to meet the operational demands of French Navy mine-clearance divers, the Grands Fonds features a 6 o&rsquo;clock crown, a monobloc case and in-house solutions such as ECS (Easy Clean System) and CPS (Crown Protection System). In practice, the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS prevent the watch from being worn unless the crown is fully screwed down, reducing user error prior to immersion; ECS helps flush out salt to prevent crystallization under the bezel.
<h3>Grands Fonds and contemporary variants</h3>
The current collection translates the historical DNA (legibility, field ergonomics, tool-watch silhouette) into multiple sizes and performance levels. Whichever the model, the 6 o&rsquo;clock signature ensures instant readability and an immediately recognisable identity.
<ul>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64 &mdash; Core diver inspired by 1964, 300 m, bold legibility for versatile daily wear.</li>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds Hertiage &mdash; Smaller 38 mm option retaining the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown signature for slimmer wrists.</li>
<li>ZRC Securicode &mdash; Reinterpretation of a late-1950s/1960s theme with historical design elements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positioning: pro tool, pricing and distribution</h3>
The brand&rsquo;s stance is that of an independent Swiss &ldquo;diving instrument,&rdquo; with production volumes not disclosed and selective distribution (specialist retailers and direct sales). As a guide, many steel references sit around &euro;2,500&ndash;3,000, while technical titanium pieces exceed &euro;4,000; special editions or precious-metal variants are significantly higher. Presence is established in Europe such as <a href="https://www.soprana.com/zrc-1904/?lang=en">Soprana</a> in Italy or <a href="https://junod-lausanne.ch/fr/collections/zrc">Junod</a> in Switzerland, and selected Asian/Middle-Eastern markets through a tight retail network.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
ZRC speaks to those who value immediately recognisable tool-watch design with functional clarity and a strong signature. Your choice will likely fall between versatile daily wear (Grands Fonds 300/38), an emphatic historical link (MN64, Securicode), or a more technical, extreme approach (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Ergonomics benefit from the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS safety; purists will appreciate the overall coherence. To refine your decision beyond the spec sheet, rely on Dialicious customer reviews to understand comfort, real-world legibility and on-wrist feel.
(Updated August 2025)

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A small citizen

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A small citizen

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