Citizen Calendrier – Would You Wear It?

Yesterday, our man Klosoff complained about watches that go big to go home. “I’m one of those hidebound traditionalists who thinks 34mm is the right size,” Oscar asserted. While 34mm might be a tad petite for most male readers, there are plenty of sub-39mm watches from which to choose. A lot of them are “ladies’ watches.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t wear one, right? Case in point: the new 37mm Citizen Calendrier . . .

Like many timepieces marketed to the fairer sex the Calendrier has diamonds. Citizen isn’t saying if the sparklers were lab grown. Given the $475 price tag, we can assume they’re manmade. Given the parade of celebrities wearing iced-out Rollies and Pateks we can also assume that it’s “safe” (i.e., “manly”) to wear a diamond-encrusted timepiece.

Only the Calendrier isn’t “encrusted.” The diamonds are tastefully arranged as hourly indices – except where the equally-sized month, day and moonphase subdials intercede. Speaking of lunar complications, the Calendrier’s designers took the brave and I’d say correct decision to display the moonphase on the bottom of the lower subdial, avoiding visual clutter.

Placing the date indicator on the outer rehaut, Citizen’s created a balanced, symmetrical dial. With a light-powered Eco-Drive quartz movement motivating the hands, the Calendrier is nearasdammit a perpetual calendar. Whether or not you’re down with the pink gold-toned steel bezel and two-tone bracelet is another question. That brings us to the money shot: would you wear it?

OK, what about the Patek Philippe Ladies’ Nautilus Blue Dial Stainless Steel reviewed by Mr. Chaudhry? Clocking in at 35.2mm it’s not a “Jumbo” Nautilus, but it’s still a fraction above Mr. Klosoff’s preferred 34mm diameter. The gray market wants $43,500 for the watch – a significant hike from the $26,755 retail price. But it’s available and costs nowhere near as much as the now discontinued Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 ($125k).

Truth be told, there’s a world of women’s watches with subdued spizzarkle for men who’ve decided that bigger isn’t necessarily better (horologically speaking). I’m particularly taken by the $12,750 Sedna Gold and diamond 38mm OMEGA Aqua Terra 150M above. Note: there is no equivalent bi-metal man’s Aqua Terra.

Mr. Klosoff dismisses Sinn watches as insipid. Maybe he didn’t scan their ladies’ collection.

The 434 St GG S hits his 34mm sweet spot with Sinn’s [Q] technology. It minimize the stepper motor’s electromagnetic impulse because quartz watches emit weak electromagnetic radiation. “Since some people are highly sensitive to such radiation and a watch is worn directly on the body for an extended period of time, we offer shielding.”

Some people? That wouldn’t be gender specific would it? ‘Cause this is Sinn’s only line with the shielding technology.

Anyway, as my youngest daughter says, watches don’t have gender (topic explored here). And in these days – where some people consider gender identification separate from chromosomal gender, where men wear watches with enough bling to light up Times Square – men (however you define them) are free to wear women’s watches.

Bottom line: if you don’t mind downsizing to go back to the past, the world is your Oyster. Perpetually? We shall see.