Telling time
This used to be a simple thing as people just grabbed any old watch they could afford and then wrapped it around their wrist. When people asked what time it was, all you had to do was look at your wrist and tell them.
In today’s modern world, telling time has become a little more sophisticated. watches are more complicated, have more features, and sometimes they come with blank screens as modern technology has hidden the time from view.
Picking the right watch starts with reading comparisons to find which is the best timepiece for you. Keep reading to see how good these two watch brands are and if they are the right fit for your lifestyle.
Who makes both Tissot & Citizen watches?
One is a subsidiary while the other is a parent company. Tissot is owned today by Swatch but it started out in 1853 as its own watchmaking company that was searching for a market.
Its first international score was Russia and from that point on Tissot was able to make its name known throughout the world. Of course, being owned by Swatch has helped the company branch out into over 160 countries.
Citizen is purely Japanese and while it owns a few other watch companies, it still makes its own brand of watches. The company started as a jewelry shop in 1918 but branched into making watches in 1924.
The company was able to weather the setback caused by World War 2 and has been a good watchmaker for the past 70+ years. However, it is more of a nerdy type watch company than Tissot is and puts a lot of features into its individual watch lines.
Tissot vs. Citizen durability
It is very difficult to compete with an indestructible watch but Tissot tries. Citizen is known for its Eco-Drive watch line that is almost impossible to destroy. The fine construction materials and other components Citizen puts into this watch series are top quality and possibly second to none.
Yet, Tissot is not taking the challenge lying down. Their T-Sport Rose Gold Watch is said to be one of the finest sports watches made. its designers used materials that would withstand the rough and tumble nature the outdoors brings.
This latter watch is not one you wear to formal occasions but it will hold up to other events you attend or participate in. It does give the Citizen Eco-Drive a run for its money, even in the dress watch category the Eco-Drive barely wins out over the Tissot black dial watch when it comes to durability.
Citizen vs. Tissot Features and Technology
Here is where Citizen excels. The company uses technology to its fullest potential. That can be seen in their Eco-Drive models as that series of watches can be powered through solar technology, in sync with different time zones.
Plus, you get a calendar window, a power-saving mode, 12 or 24-hour timekeeping, and a lot more when you buy specific Citizen watches. Not to mention that many of their watches can be submerged between 30 to 100meters deep.
Tissot stays with its competition by using top-quality materials to protect its watches up to 30 feet underwater. Then their calendars can be larger keeping track of the day, the weekday, and the month you are currently in.
Those sweeping windows make reading the date impressive to others and easy for you. Both companies are putting their best foot forward when it comes to their top-of-the-line models.
Tissot vs, Citizen Looks & Style
Technology and features are easy to measure. You can count the number of features and then see how good the technology used can be when inside a watch. however, when it comes to looks and style, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Both companies do make plain-Jane models and both companies also make watches that look out of this world. it is hard to pick a winner here as both companies want their watches to meet your tastes and preferences. Plus, looks and style are very subjective. What looks good to one person looks gaudy to another.
But, because Citizen packs its watches with many features, this category belongs to Tissot. Their elegant styling just overshadows what Citizen can produce. The main complaint against Citizen is that their watch faces are overcrowded making it difficult to see the time.
Tissot does not have that problem and makes sure you get to see the time and other details like the date very clearly and easily.
Citizen vs. Tissot costs
If your watch buying decision is influenced by cost alone, then you will probably pick the Citizen brand over Tissot watches. While the Citizen Eco-Drive series of watches can be fairly expensive, around the $400 mark +/-, Tissot is just getting going at that price level.
That is if you pay retail. In that market area, Citizen beats Tissot by being the cheaper brand. You can afford one of their watches, and even about 5 or more of them at the same cost as buying 1 Tissot watch.
The good news is that you can find expensive Tissot watches at steep discounts on the internet. However, you need to be wary of the validity of those watches as anything with a 70 to 90% discount may not be real.
You will not find Citizen brand watches at that same store.
Some final words
Tissot comes with fine European craftsmanship and you pay a lot for that talent. Citizen is a good brand but it suffers from being made in Japan, a reputation that the Japanese have had a hard time overcoming.
Bot companies make good watches, the question is how much do you want to pay for them. Their watches do what watches should so, keep accurate time so the decision is up to you. You can pay more for the same accuracy or pay less and have some money left over for other items you need.
You will look good either way you go.