Orient and Citizen are two of the most popular watch brands in the market today. Both brands have a long history of producing high-quality watches that cater to different styles, budgets, and preferences. While both brands are Japanese and have a lot in common, there are also significant differences between them that make them stand out from each other.
Orient is a watchmaker that has been around since 1901. The company started as a watch wholesale shop and eventually began producing its own in-house watches in the early 1930s. Orient is known for its mechanical watches, which are made with precision and attention to detail. The brand offers a wide range of watches that cater to different styles and budgets, from dress watches to dive watches.
Citizen, on the other hand, is a watch brand that is known for its innovation and technology. The brand was founded in 1918 and has been at the forefront of watch technology ever since. Citizen was the first watch brand to introduce light-powered watches and has continued to innovate with its Eco-Drive technology, which allows watches to be powered by any light source. Citizen watches are also known for their durability and accuracy, making them a popular choice for those who need a reliable timepiece.
History of Orient and Citizen Watch
Orient is a Japanese watchmaker that was founded in 1901 by Shogoro Yoshida. Initially, the business was a watch wholesale shop that sold imported pocket watches and wristwatches. However, the company started manufacturing its own watches in the 1950s and became known for producing high-quality mechanical watches.
On the other hand, Citizen is a Japanese brand that was founded in 1930 by a group of Swiss and Japanese investors. The company started as a manufacturer of pocket watches but quickly expanded to wristwatches. Citizen was one of the first companies to introduce quartz watches in the 1970s, which revolutionized the watch industry.
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Both Orient and Citizen have a rich history of producing high-quality watches. While Orient has focused on mechanical watches, Citizen has been a pioneer in quartz technology. Today, both brands continue to innovate and produce watches that are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts around the world.
Design and Features Comparison
Case Design
Orient and Citizen watches have distinct case designs that cater to different preferences. Orient watches have a more classic and executive look, while Citizen watches are more experimental and playful with their designs. Orient watches have a traditional round case shape, while Citizen watches have a variety of shapes such as round, square, and rectangular.
When it comes to materials, both Orient and Citizen watches use high-quality materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic. However, Citizen watches also have models that use their patented Super Titanium technology, which is lighter and more scratch-resistant than regular titanium.
Dial Design
Orient and Citizen watches also have different dial designs. Orient watches have a more minimalist and clean look, with simple hour markers and hands. Citizen watches, on the other hand, have a more intricate and detailed dial design, with various sub-dials and complications.
Both Orient and Citizen watches offer a range of dial colors and materials, such as mother-of-pearl and sunburst dials. Additionally, both brands have models with luminous hands and markers for easy readability in low-light conditions.
Movement Type
Orient and Citizen watches use different movement types in their timepieces. Orient watches use in-house automatic movements, which are known for their accuracy and reliability. Citizen watches, on the other hand, use both quartz and automatic movements, depending on the model.
Both Orient and Citizen watches have models with additional features such as chronographs, alarms, and world time functions. However, Citizen watches also have models with their Eco-Drive technology, which uses solar power to charge the watch and eliminates the need for battery replacements.
Water Resistance
Both Orient and Citizen watches offer models with varying levels of water resistance. Orient watches have models with water resistance ranging from 50 meters to 200 meters, while Citizen watches have models with water resistance ranging from 30 meters to 1000 meters.
Both brands have models specifically designed for diving, with features such as rotating bezels and screw-down crowns for added water resistance. However, Citizen watches have a wider range of diving watches with higher levels of water resistance compared to Orient watches.
From the rubble rises good watchmakers
World War Two had a way of pruning the bad companies away from the good ones. Those that survived that conflict were able to use their new found strength and build great watchmaking enterprises.
The heat of battle has a way of setting the pretenders apart from the real warriors. In the case of Orient that was the reality. They did not let WW2 stand in their way of getting both business and watchmaking success.
Is the company as good as Citizen? You will have to keep reading to find out. Our article has the information you will want to know about in order to see where these companies stand in this industry.
Who makes both Citizen & Orient watches
Both companies had setbacks during World war 2 and the reason for those hurdles was because they were both Japanese companies and on the losing side. Only Orient though suffered through bankruptcy but the owners of that brand did not let anything stop them.
Orient started in 1901 as the Yoshida Shop and was known as a wholesale watch company. They changed somewhere around the 30s or just after the War to Orient and started their uphill climb to making top watches.
However, 100 years later, they became an unofficial subsidiary of Seiko Watched and were finally officially bought out by that company in 2009. Citizen took the other route and bought out Bulova when they needed to lighten the competition.
The orient watch lines reflect more Seiko’s type of thinking and reflect that latter company’s philosophy when it comes to looks and tradition.
Orient vs Citizen durability
Orient focuses more on the mechanical side of watchmaking as they offer a full line of automatic, wind up, and other mechanical styles of watches. Citizen, on the other hand, is the brave explorer as they tend to look to what technologies will look good in their watches.
Both make top quality and very durable watches which can be seen in Orient’s Star Retrograde and Citizen’s Eco-Drive Silvertone and Black World A-T Watch. The top craftsmanship is seen very well in both models.
Plus, the level of materials used to create these masterpieces is not from inferior grade levels. Then Orient has been able to slim down its diver’s watch to keep the bulk away from your wrist.
That sleek design helps keep the bumps away as you forget you have a watch on. The construction materials in both watches should have those models lasting almost forever under normal use.
Citizen vs Orient Features and Technology
This is a category that will be dominated by Citizen. It is a company that loves to place as many features and technological upgrades into its watches as it can. For example, the Orient Star looks very elegant, stately, and impressive while the Citizen Eco-drive looks like some mad scientist lost control and started stuffing everything he could into the watch.
That is one of the more positive aspects of the Citizen brand. If you want technology, they have the watch lines providing it to you. However, if you prefer class and elegance over technology while having some features, then you should go to Orient for those options.
The Citizen Promaster does tone it down a lot and compares quite well with the Orient Mako II model which is a good thing if you are not technology minded. Both companies provide you with a wide selection of watches that will meet your features and technology needs.
Orient vs Citizen Looks & Style
In this comparison, Orient seems to have the advantage but that is due to the Seiko influence than anything else. This company does have some great designs that are more sporty than sophisticated but even then that sporty look has a touch of elegance to it that is hard to match.
When you look at Citizen watches, it is like looking at a crowd of people from a distance of a few hundred feet. You are not sure what you are looking at until you get closer. There are just too many distractions on many of the Citizen watch models to be effective at looking good.
One thing is for sure, though, Citizen knows how to design its watches well in order to handle so much technology and features. The company has a few very clear, concise, and classy-looking timepieces, they just have too many of the other types.
It will be up to your personal taste which one you select as both companies make enough watches to satisfy everyone’s tastes.
Citizen vs Orient costs
Citizen is a mid-range watch-making company. its reputation is that while it makes some higher-end watches, they are still in the mid-range category. Most of their watch options are more middle to lower end when it comes to cost.
Orient has focused more on being affordable rather than costly. Most of their watch lines are priced below $200 allowing just about anyone the opportunity to save up and buy one.
Of course, your cost will depend on the model of watch you want and its purpose. You can expect to pay more for those top-of-the-line models that have professional purposes over those other watches that are more for casual wear and outings.
Then to get the best deal on either brand, you will have to shop around and see which store is going to give you the best deal.
Some final words
When it comes to watches, the one you buy boils down to which one looks the best and comes at the best price. Sometimes brand name places a large role in our decision making and both Citizen and Orient make that decision harder.
They are very good companies that strive to keep their top-quality watches affordable. In the end, you are the winner because this heavily competitive industry keeps giving you features and technology at affordable prices. Sometimes you just have to flip a coin to pick one. They are all that good.
