Citizen PRT AW7031-54A review
Now and again I see a watch that stands out to me in a shop window and I’m not quite sure why. I saw the PRT in a local jewellers a couple of months ago and saw it again yesterday which was a bit of a surprise. This time, however, it was 30% off and with some haggling I walked out with it for less than £130 which felt like good value to me.
There were a few facets that drew me to the watch; the layered white dial, the date window bubble, the hands and the sheer matte case and bracelet. In short, the entire watch just looked right to me.
So, I paid my money and took it home and the positive vibes continue through to the wearing experience. The watch is very light considering its size and it does hug the wrist very well, which is something my Tudor Black Bay fails to do most of the time.
It’s not small at 42mm, but it isn’t too deep which helps a lot and the lugs drop just enough to follow the flow of the wrist when worn. It sits well on my 7.25” wrist and is deceptively comfortable.
It is hard to fathom that the case and bracelet are made from stainless steel because of the way they are finished and the general lightness. I had to double check on the Citizen site and it is definitely stainless steel which makes for a confusing if very positive experience.
There are few downsides to this watch, but of course nothing is perfect. The date bubble is set too high and so you need to look at the watch directly from about to see the date. It does magnify, but most of the time it distorts which is a slight annoyance. It would make more sense in this watch to simply make the date window larger. The cartoony 6, 9 and 12 alongside the power reserve indicator could be a little more serious to fit the style of the casing, but that really is about it. The hour markers are applied and offer good depth, the 100m water resistance is enough for almost everyone, even if a screw down crown would be preferable, and the subtly striped dial is a joy to look at.
Being a Citizen quartz it is naturally deadly accurate, very well made and is sure to last for many years of use, but of course I am a watch guy who has gone through the Citizen level of watches and who (stupidly) is now looking up at Rolex.
It does, however, offer a lot for the price and ticks most of the boxes I want ticked in a watch; comfortable, accurate, great (blue) lume which is sharper than my Black Bay, has presence and is from a recognised brand. There is a lot to like in this watch, a lot indeed.