Series 8 deserves more attention outside Japan
By Kenji Watanabe, Osaka ยท
Citizen's Series 8 is still not well known abroad, and the 880 GMT is a good argument that it should be. The case design is sharp, a little architectural, with crisp brushed and polished surfaces. The caliber 9054 is Citizen's own automatic GMT, with a proper independently set local hour hand, plus date, and the case back shows it off.
Specs: 41 mm by 12.6 mm, steel, sapphire, 100 m, 20 mm lugs, 42 hours of reserve. The reserve is the weakest number. A modern GMT at 1,995 to 2,200 dollars really ought to manage a weekend off the wrist.
Against it, there is the Seiko 5 Sports GMT for a quarter of the price with a caller-style movement, and the Tudor and Swiss GMT world above. The 880 sits honestly in the middle, more refined than the Seiko and quite a lot cheaper than the Swiss.
I like the dial. I like the bracelet. I am less convinced by the case's antimagnetic claims as a selling point, since I rarely meet magnets on my commute that cause trouble. For a frequent traveller who likes Japanese design and dislikes logos, this is the one I would point to.