ⓘ Citizen

Citizen has quietly announced four new Classic Eco-Drive chronographs, offering a generous dose of old-school sports-watch attitude in large 44mm cases, with busy multifunction dials and a few flashy finishes for good measure.

The new lineup is part of the Classic collection and includes four references, namely, BL5630-52H, BL5632-57E, BL5640-59L, and BL5644-58E. The BL5630-52H comes in brushed stainless steel with a gray dial, while the BL5640-59L pairs a silver-tone case and bracelet with a deep blue dial and matching bezel. For those looking for something dressier, there's the BL5632-57E with an all-gold-tone treatment, and the two-tone BL5644-58E, which combines a silver-tone stainless steel case with gold accents and a black dial.

Citizen doesn't list the full dimensions and weight on the product page, but it does confirm that all four watches share the same 44mm case that's paired with a five-link stainless steel bracelet and a mineral crystal on top. On the blue-dial and two-tone models, you get a tachymeter bezel surrounding the dial that can be utilized to calculate average speed, and it gives them a distinctly motorsport-inspired edge. The other two models opt for a 60-minute bezel with engraved numerals instead.

We have three sub-dials handling different functions, with the 10 o’clock register displaying the second time zone on a 24-hour scale, while the 2 o’clock subdial handles the 1/20-second chronograph. Down at 6 o’clock, another subdial manages the watch’s various modes, including time, chronograph, alarm, and local time, with a small date window sitting at 4 o’clock. It’s a lot of information to take in at once, but that visual complexity is part of the watch’s old-school sports-chronograph charm.

At the heart of each timepiece is the brand's proprietary caliber E821, a reliable light-powered movement that draws juice from any ambient light source—meaning you will never have to deal with annoying battery replacements again.

The new Eco-Drive Classic lineup is currently exclusive to the Canadian market, and there’s no word on when they’ll make their way to other countries. The BL5630-52H and BL5640-59L are priced at CAD $795 (~$575), while the gold-tone BL5632-57E and two-tone BL5644-58E command CAD $850 (~$615).

• Models: BL5630-52H, BL5632-57E, BL5640-59L, BL5644-58E
• Case: 44mm stainless steel
• Case finishes: Silver-tone, gold-tone, and two-tone
• Dial colors: Gray, black, and blue
• Bezel: Fixed 60-minute bezel on BL5630-52H and BL5632-57E; tachymeter bezel on BL5640-59L and BL5644-58E
• Crystal: Mineral crystal
• Bracelet: Five-link stainless steel bracelet with fold-over clasp and push buttons
• Movement: Citizen E821 Eco-Drive
• Power: Light-powered; no regular battery replacement required
• Chronograph: 1/20-second, measuring up to 60 minutes
• Functions: Perpetual calendar, dual time, 12/24-hour time, alarm, and date
• Water resistance: 100 meters / 10 bar / 333 feet
• Price: CAD $795 (BL5630-52H, BL5640-59L); CAD $850 (BL5632-57E, BL5644-58E)

Citizen Canda (lined in the article)

Kristen Spradlin - Tech Writer - 274 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

Kristen is a technology writer based in Toronto. He's primarily interested in smartphone hardware, Android, Apple ecosystem, audio gear, and the intersection of technology and climate change. His first smartphone was the HTC Dream, and while he regards himself as an Android loyalist, he doesn’t mind using an iPhone as a secondary phone. When he’s not scouring his RSS feed for the latest tech news, you’ll likely find him glued to his Kindle Paperwhite reading his favorite non-fiction titles. He has also traveled extensively, having visited Australia, England, Nepal, and India.