It’s straightforward to know the attract of ultra-thin watches, just because it’s tough to think about how a totally useful timepiece can measure simply a number of millimeters thick. Whereas shockingly skinny mechanical watches are sometimes accompanied by shockingly excessive costs, you don’t really need record-setting ranges of thinness (or perhaps a mechanical motion) to benefit from the novelty and magnificence of an ultra-thin timepiece. An ideal instance of an reasonably priced strategy to the ultra-thin expertise is the Citizen Suratto, which affords a solar-powered motion and a sapphire crystal with a complete peak of simply 4.71mm, all for the modest worth of only a few hundred {dollars}.
Reasonably than being produced from Tremendous Titanium just like the model’s extra premium fashions, the Citizen Suratto is crafted from chrome steel with contrasting brushed and polished surfaces, and it’s case measures 38.4mm in diameter by 4.71mm thick, with huge angular lugs which can be set 21mm aside and prolong to create an total lug-to-lug profile of 44mm. A flat sapphire crystal protects the dial and palms, whereas a tiny unsigned crown is positioned on the three o’clock aspect of the case, and the reverse aspect of the watch is fitted with a strong caseback that’s secured on the corners by 4 small screws. Water resistance for the Citizen Suratto is listed at 50 meters to guard towards every day contact, and the all-in weight of the watch (together with its leather-based strap and chrome steel buckle) is available in at a complete of simply 32 grams.
A peak of 4.71mm leads to an objectively svelte presence on the wrist (particularly when unfold throughout a 38.4mm diameter), however the Citizen Suratto is hardly even throughout the realm of record-setting ranges of thinness. It’s price rapidly contextualizing its proportions relative to the true ultra-thin fashions that exist throughout the trade. Citizen’s personal Eco-Drive One watches measure simply 2.98mm thick, and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC boasts a totally mechanical chronometer-certified motion with a complete peak of just one.7mm. Nonetheless, ultra-thin timepieces can begin to really feel a bit too delicate as soon as they attain under a sure level, and the Citizen Suratto strikes a pleasant steadiness of being remarkably skinny on the wrist with out feeling fragile or under-built in any capability.
One other benefit of not venturing too near record-setting ranges of thinness is that the Citizen Suratto continues to be in a position to have a standard crown. Beneath a sure case peak, an ordinary crown/stem setup ceases to be a risk, and whereas Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Extremely COSC has two small gears extending from the underside of its case, different watches just like the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari and Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing require the usage of specialised instruments or separate attachable case modules to interact their actions. Even at 4.71mm thick, the Suratto already has a fully minuscule crown, and making the watch thinner would have solely harmed its wearability and the general person expertise.
A number of well-considered particulars on the Citizen Suratto assist encourage confidence in its sturdiness, equivalent to its use of a sapphire crystal as a substitute of mineral glass and the choice to safe the caseback with screws, relatively than by merely having it hooked up with a pressure-fit design. Equally, the thick angular lugs add power to its notably slim case structure, and Citizen’s official web site even lists the Suratto as being able to “nonetheless water swimming” with its 50-meter depth ranking, which is pretty spectacular for a watch that’s thinner than many leather-based straps. Realistically talking, the Suratto isn’t going to be anybody’s go-to timepiece for demanding actions, though it’s nonetheless reassuring to know that it’s completely able to being worn as an on a regular basis watch.
On the time of writing, the Citizen Suratto is on the market in three completely different colorways, and alongside a two-tone mannequin with a grey dial (ref. AR3124-07H) and a rose gold-finished model with a pink dial (ref. AR3123-00X) is the complete chrome steel mannequin featured right here (ref. AR3120-08L), which pairs its monochromatic case with a metallic blue dial. The refined sample that adorns the dial’s floor works with its utilized mirror-polished hour markers to create visible depth in what’s objectively a relatively restricted quantity of area, and regardless of showing as a strong textured construction, the dial is definitely semi-transparent to permit mild to cross by means of its floor and attain the photo voltaic panels which can be mounted under it.
Powering the Citizen Suratto is the model’s Eco-Drive Caliber G872 photo voltaic quartz motion, which affords an ultra-thin design because of its easy time-only show that consists of nothing greater than a pair of centrally mounted palms for monitoring the hours and minutes. With that in thoughts, similar to all of Citizen’s trendy Eco-Drive actions, the Cal. G872 includes a extremely environment friendly solar-powered design that’s able to charging itself with both pure or synthetic ambient mild. Some collectors could also be barely disillusioned that the Suratto doesn’t function any luminous materials on its dial or palms, though I personally discover the shortage of lume to be relatively applicable for the mannequin’s comparatively dressy aesthetic.
From a useful standpoint, the Suratto’s solar-powered quartz motion will provide a considerably extra drama-free possession than any ultra-thin mechanical caliber. That stated, it’s simple that the Eco-Drive Cal. G872 is essentially much less horny than an ultra-thin mechanical watch that manages to suit a complete concord of interconnected parts into an area narrower than a coin. A part of the enchantment of ultra-thin watchmaking is marveling on the technical achievement, and that is one space the place the Suratto doesn’t ship the identical expertise as an ultra-thin mechanical piece. Nonetheless, the motion performs a background position within the expertise of a watch as soon as it’s in your wrist, and the usage of a solar-powered caliber permits Citizen to supply the Suratto at an exponentially extra accessible worth.
Even Citizen’s most entry-level fashions are sometimes outfitted with straps of a reasonably first rate high quality, and the strap for the Suratto is not any exception. Crafted from pebbled leather-based and tapering from 21mm on the case right down to the 18mm on the underside of the wrist, the strap affords a comparatively skinny design to stay proportional with the Suratto’s svelte profile, and it’s accomplished by a easy polished chrome steel pin buckle that’s signed with Citizen’s brand. The strap paired with the chrome steel Citizen Suratto AR3120-08L seems in a deep blue shade to enrich the hue of its dial, and the fabric used for its building is kind of delicate and supple with none break-in time required.
Simply on its deserves alone, the Citizen Suratto represents a relatively compelling choice for many who are out there for an reasonably priced ultra-thin watch. Nonetheless, arguably probably the most engaging facet of the Suratto is its worth, and the mannequin solely prices barely greater than what somebody may in any other case spend on the newest iteration of the MoonSwatch. The usual chrome steel Citizen Suratto that’s featured right here (ref. AR3120-08L) has an official retail worth of $375 USD, which already makes it a relatively robust worth proposition. With that in thoughts, Citizen regularly affords gross sales and promotions all year long, and at the same time as I write this text, the Suratto AR3120-08L is at present listed on Citizen’s personal web site with a 25% low cost in celebration of Earth Day. For extra info, please go to the Citizen watches web site.
