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Long reserved for the Japan Domestic Market (the famous JDM watches), the Citizen Series 8 is the brand’s take on the sporty, characterful watches made for daily use. Sharply designed with a mix of boldness, resistance and a certain contemporary elegance, the collection was given some fresh air in 2021 and became available worldwide. Since then, we have seen a clear expansion of the range, with GMT and Diver models, all available in cool limited editions with bold colours and textures. Now it’s time for the core model, the 830/831 series, to receive the same treatment with this new Ice Blue limited edition reference NB6051-59L.

The Citizen 830 and 831 Mechanical models share the same overall design and are the most streamlined versions of the Series 8 collection. Indeed, we’re looking at classic time-and-date watches with no additional function or a rotating bezel. Sharp and highly faceted, the case opts for a trendy octagonal shape – reminiscent of certain 1970s icons – and comes in fairly pleasant dimensions with a diameter of 40mm and a height of 11.6mm. The present version is classic stainless steel, without coating or colouring on the case. The rest of the specs make it a solid daily-wear watch, with 100m water-resistance, a well-protected crown and a sapphire crystal on top. It’s a sharp and smart timepiece, not lacking character.

What matters most for this year is the new dial, which combines a trendy colour – Ice Blue – with a stamped texture that is “inspired by rays of sunlight reflecting off crystal clear blue ocean waters” – but mostly, to me at least, it has an undeniable Japanese feel. While it’s not revolutionary or “en vogue”, the result is nevertheless appealing and matches the style of the case. Bold applied markers and hands indicate the time, together with a surprising precision seconds track at the periphery.

Part of the appeal of the Citizen Series 8 and this specific limited edition is the presence of an almost integrated bracelet that flows with the case. The H-shaped links are brushed with polished accents, and the bracelet is closed with a folding clasp with push-button release. Under the transparent back is the in-house calibre 9051, a mid-range automatic movement running at 4Hz and boasting 42 hours of power reserve. It is lightly decorated and comes with stripes on the rotor and bridges.

Available worldwide and limited to 1,800 pieces, this new Citizen Series 8 / 831 Mechanical Ice Blue reference NB6051-59L will be in stores in March 2025.