Jiří Bareš Everyone who knows me knows that I love mechanical watches above all else. They also know, however, that my absolute favorite watch brand is Citizen—paradoxically, mainly because of its technologies, such as the Eco-Drive solar-powered system, Super Titanium™, and radio-controlled time.
And the Citizen Worldtime Radio Controlled Super Titanium AT8238-84A model combines all of these features. Thanks to Goldtime, the distributor for the Czech Republic, I’ve had the chance to wear it on my wrist for a few months now, so it’s time to take a closer look at it 🙂.
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When we at Helveti were given the opportunity to try out one of the Citizen models thanks to our excellent collaboration with the distributor Goldtime, I was thrilled. I already own a few Citizen watches, but you can never have too many 🙂. In fact, my Citizen CB5010-81L is one of the watches I wear most often. And that’s exactly why this time I went for something less rugged, yet still very versatile and comfortable. I already have plenty of blue and black dials, so I settled on the beautiful “panda” Citizen AT8238-84A.
Versatile athletic shoes with a touch of comfort
I’ve had my eye on various versions of the AT8238-84A model for quite some time. I like their barrel-shaped case with a retro touch, as well as the integrated crown. But what surprised me when I first held this watch in my hand was how slim it is. The case is only 10 mm thick, but on the wrist, I’d say it looks even thinner. Personally, I’m not a big fan of that, but I have to admit it’s a nice bonus.
The links of the integrated bracelet aren’t unnecessarily bulky, but they’re also not so flimsy as to look cheap. The whole thing is secured by a folding clasp, which—unlike my other Citizen watches—lacks a safety catch. I don’t consider this a problem, though—while this is a sporty watch, it’s also quite versatile for everyday wear. It won’t be subjected to any truly rigorous conditions, so a clasp without a safety catch is sufficient for the urban jungle. A major advantage of the clasp, however, is its micro-adjustment feature, which can be operated by hand without tools. And that’s not a given in this price range!
A joy to wear!
Once you put it on your wrist, you’ll feel (or perhaps not feel) its weight of just 90 grams. This is due to the use of Super Titanium™ as the material for both the case and the bracelet. This not only results in a lightweight design and complete hypoallergenicity. It also means increased scratch resistance—approximately five times better than steel.
Based on my experience with my other Citizen watches, I’ve found that they’re noticeably less prone to scratches than steel watches (I’m not talking about some “ordinary” titanium models), and that’s no different here. But back to the weight and how it feels to wear. There are many times during the day when I don’t even notice I’m wearing this watch, and I can definitely say it’s one of my most comfortable pieces.
Panda, Packed with Features
What caught my eye at first glance on the Citizen Worldtime Radio Controlled Super Titanium AT8238-84A was the so-called “panda” dial—that is, a white dial with black sub-dials. In my opinion, the black bezel complements the design perfectly, and I don’t find the city abbreviations used to set the time zone distracting at all. This combination of black and white isn’t just pleasing to the eye—it’s also, in my view, extremely easy to read. The sub-dials, as is typical with Citizen, are used to display various parameters. The top and bottom ones are used for the stopwatch, but also for other functions.
On the upper sub-dial, we can read the battery charge level or the daylight saving time setting. On the lower sub-dial, we’ll find the day-of-the-week indicator or the indicator showing whether the last radio signal reception was successful. The 9 o’clock position features a 24-hour sub-dial. It’s essentially a second hour hand in 24-hour format, which lets you tell whether it’s morning or afternoon. I’ll admit that, for me, this is the most unnecessary feature, but at the same time, I have to acknowledge that it fits visually into the “panda” design.
And while we’re on the subject of features, we can’t forget the date window at the 3 o’clock position. It stands out beautifully thanks to its black background and really complements the “panda” style. More importantly, the date is automatic and requires no adjustment until the year 2100, regardless of whether the watch successfully receives the radio signal. Set it once—and it’s set for life!
Technologies That Work!
Citizen’s technologies often mean that you don’t have to do anything at all with the watch, and it still works perfectly and with absolute precision. In the case of the Citizen Worldtime Radio Controlled Super Titanium AT8238-84A, this is specifically thanks to the Eco-Drive power source and radio-controlled timing. The Eco-Drive system means the watch does not have a traditional battery, but rather a light-powered rechargeable battery. In this case, it has a power reserve of 6 months. In power-saving mode—which the watch switches to in complete darkness—that reserve is as long as 10 months! The battery’s lifespan is approximately 10–15 years, but we know of cases where it has easily lasted 18 or even 20 years.
During this entire time, there’s no need to replace the battery. As for the battery running out, that’s a very rare occurrence—one I’ve never personally experienced with my Citizen watches. And if it did happen, I’d just put them under a lamp for a few hours, and they’d be good to go again. To be honest, though, I’ve never seen my Citizen AT8238-84A at any charge level other than the fourth—the highest. And that’s despite the fact that I’ve mainly been using them during the winter months, when there isn’t as much light.
Atomic Clock
Another key technology that makes the device maintenance-free is the reception of signals from radio transmitters. The AT8238-84A model receives signals from five transmitters—in Germany, the U.S., China, and two in Japan. It does not receive a signal from the transmitter in England, but that transmitter covers nearly the same area as the German one near Frankfurt. When the signal is received, the time is set with atomic-clock precision. The date is set at the same time and will remain accurate without correction until the year 2100.
Another major advantage is the automatic adjustment for daylight saving time and standard time, since the signal from the European transmitter includes this information. All you have to do is set the time zone you’re in, since radio-controlled watches can’t do this automatically. This is as simple as a quick twist of the crown, so it’s no big deal, even when you’re on the go 🙂 The signal is received automatically overnight, and you can check whether it was received successfully by pressing the bottom button.
Just out of curiosity, I checked this success rate a few times in the morning, and out of about ten attempts, all the receptions were successful—regardless of whether I was at home in Kladno or elsewhere. I’ve had a similar experience with my other radio-controlled Citizen watches—failed signal reception is truly rare, and I’ve observed it about once a month. However, this also depends a lot on where you are and in which part of your apartment or house you have the watch set up for the night. In general, though, there’s nothing to complain about when it comes to radio signal reception with Citizen watches.
If it’s a stopwatch, it’s for soccer. If it’s a radio signal, it’s Germany!
There’s often debate among watch enthusiasts about whether stopwatch functions on watches are actually useful. Anyone who’s read any of my reviews or articles knows that I use the stopwatch function during soccer games. That’s because, in professional leagues, the time remaining after regular playing time has expired isn’t usually displayed at stadiums, so the referee is in charge of determining the added time.
But they won’t fool me—at the end of the 45th or 90th minute, I start the stopwatch on my watch so I can keep track of how long extra time lasts. And to do it in style, I took my Citizen Worldtime RC AT8238-84A to a soccer game in a country where they receive the radio signal in Europe—Germany. It kept me company at the Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Mainz.
Everywhere on Time
As you can probably guess, my Citizen watches didn’t let me down in Bavaria. During my three-day trip, I didn’t take them off my wrist for even a second. Thanks to them, I didn’t miss a single bus or U-Bahn, and I used them to keep track of the time I spent sipping a “Tuplák” in Munich’s beer halls. Of course, I didn’t miss the game itself either. In overtime, I stared intently at the running stopwatch, hoping in vain that the Munich powerhouse would pull off a victory against lowly Mainz, but to no avail.
I witnessed a 2-2 draw and Bayern’s first loss of points this season. But that’s just how sports go—it was still a great experience! I hope I’ll get to Munich for a soccer game sooner than in ten years—after all, I didn’t get tickets to see Bayern until my thirtieth birthday, and then not again until my fortieth. One thing is certain, though. When it happens again, I’ll probably be wearing some Citizens on my wrist once more, because if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s a Citizen 🙂
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