Hands-On The Citizen Series 8 GMT

We covered the original announcement back in June, and I've had a couple of months to test out the new GMT in the "Pepsi" colorway. The specific reference is the NB6031-56E, and it's part of the top-spec 880 line (within the Series 8 family, alongside the 830, 831, and 870 lines). The Series 8 GMT has a steel case measuring 41mm wide, 13.8mm thick (including the bezel), and 47.8mm lug-to-lug. Water resistance is 100 meters, the crown does not screw down, and the Series 8 GMT is fitted with a display case back.

Alongside a bi-directional 48-stop blue and red GMT bezel, the Series 8 GMT has a full steel bracelet with a push-button fold-over clasp. For this specific reference, the Pepsi bezel is matched by a bright blue dial with a carbon-like texture inspired by the Tokyo skyline. Finally, we find a date at three and a mostly subtle GMT hand with an orange arrowhead tip.

Citizen also offers two additional colorways: a "Batman"-like option with a black dial and a blue/black bezel or a limited edition version in gold tone with a brown/white bezel (this model is limited to 1,300 pieces worldwide). All three come on the steel bracelet and use Citizen's 9054 movement.

Automatically wound and offering a power reserve of 50 hours, the 9054 ticks at 4 Hz, is anti-magnetic to 16,000 A/m, and is stated to keep time within a range of +20 to -10 seconds per day.

While only anecdotally valuable, I put this loaner Series 8 GMT on my timing machine and found that it ran at +12.8 seconds/day on a full wind.

The 9054's calling card is that it's part of a range of relatively new movements from Citizen that effectively democratize the once premium function of the "flyer" GMT. The flyer complication offers a travel-friendly feature that allows the wearer to quickly update their watch for a new time zone. Just pop out the crown and you can adjust the main hour hand, jumping it forward or backward to display the time in a new time zone. If you cross midnight, the date adjusts as well. If there is some interest in a simple guide for using a 24-hour GMT, let me know in the comments and I can put a little guide together.

Regardless, once the bastion of watches like the Rolex GMT-Master II, the function has been on a path of outright democratization as the price ceiling has fallen from the heights of Rolex to the Tudor Black Bay GMT. More recently, both Swatch and Citizen established a new playing field that brings the functionality not only into the very low four-figure but even into the three-figure range with watches like the lovely Lorier Hydra SIII.

With the Series 8 GMT, Citizen takes that functionality and wraps it in a more premium and specific packaging, one that leverages the continued popularity of both everyday GMT watches and integrated bracelet sports watches (aka IBSWs).

On wrist, the Series 8 GMT is anything but short on presence. The brutalist case design is accented by the deep taper of the steel bracelet (from 22.8mm at the widest link to 18mm at the clasp) and the array of colors and textures on and around the dial. The case doesn't look all that big on my 7-inch wrist – I think it's quite nicely sized – but it wears like a proper chunk of steel. Sized for my wrist, this Series 8 tips the scale at a commanding 169 grams.

The weight is underscored by the sharply faceted case design, but the bracelet integrates nicely, wears well, and looks great. That said, I have some notes...

First, at the asking price of $1,695, I think it would be great to have single-sided screws for the links (vs. the deeply annoying pin-and-collar setup currently in place). Furthermore, while not always expected at this price point, some micro-adjust in the bracelet would underline the push for a more premium and luxurious offering. Aside from these relatively small suggestions, I really enjoyed the case and bracelet for the Series 8.

Legibility is strong, with large luminous hands indicating against applied polished metal markers with luminous accents. The lume is good but not as intense as you'd expect from a dive watch, and the touchpoints feel solid and well-executed. The crown is easy to use, and the 24-hour bezel doesn't click across its travel, relying on 48 nearly silent detent-style stops to align the hours for the GMT hand. 

That said, I have to admit that I never really warmed up to the dial design and coloring of this blue/red take on the classic Rolex-derived Pepsi colorway. I'm not sure if the complicated dial texture is a move toward the Grand Seiko aesthetic, but that, combined with the orange of the GMT hand, didn't manage to wow me in the metal. 

It's not that I think it's bad; it just isn't to my taste, and I'd love to see a version that was a bit more muted. Keep the blue/red bezel, but maybe opt for a flat black dial or match the blue to that of the bezel. This is, of course, deeply subjective, and I am the first to admit that, at times, I can lose the plot between carpeting the world or just putting on some slippers. Maybe one of the other two versions would hit a little closer to home. 

To be clear, for $1,695, I think Citizen has found a great way to add some functionality and enthusiast appeal to the Series 8 line, and I remain a huge fan of what is currently happening in the travel watch space.

Thankfully for us consumers, competition abounds at almost any price point. While I'd say that the Series 8 GMT feels more premium than the Seiko SPB381 (a "caller" GMT-equipped diver that sells for $1,500), Seiko is likely not the core competition. Why? Well, the brand does not offer a flyer GMT at this price point – but Swatch (via ETA) does. In a world where the ETA movement enables watches like Oceanstar GMT LE, which we made with Mido for $1,390, the Citizen leans on the continued appeal of the IBSW.

As a premium offering from the Citizen range that feels distinct from the brand's usual fare, the Series 8 works well. It feels great on the wrist, has excellent travel functionality, strong legibility, and a versatility that is hard to match if you're the type who prefers a bracelet for their everyday watch.

Just as I've said that, I'm excited to see what Citizen does in the future with the 9054 – as the Series 8 expands into new territory, it's an appealing combination of functionality, recognizable aesthetic, and value-driven watchmaking.

For more information about the Citizen Series 8 GMT, visit Citizen online.