Citizen Just Released Four New Moonphase Watches

Short version: Citizen has put its H874 Eco-Drive radio-controlled moonphase movement into four new 42mm stainless-steel watches. The choice is really aesthetic: grey on leather, white and two-tone, all black, or a blue dial with black and rose-gold-tone bits. The movement is the clever part; the four colourways make it easier to pick one without pretending they are four totally different watches.

Citizen Hong Kong has listed the BY1033-01H, BY1034-59A, BY1035-56E and BY1036-53L as new models. They share the same 42mm by 10.7mm format, sapphire crystal, 10 bar water resistance and H874 calibre. So this is a colour and finishing launch, not Citizen quietly hiding four different movements behind the same busy dial.

What the H874 actually does

The H874 is an Eco-Drive movement, so it takes its charge from light rather than asking for a regular battery change. Citizen quotes around six months of normal use on a full charge.

Then it adds almost every function Citizen could reasonably fit into a 10.7mm case:

• radio-controlled time reception
• perpetual calendar to 28 February 2100
• world time across 24 time zones
• automatic moonphase calculation, with Northern and Southern Hemisphere display switching
• day, date, 24-hour display and power-reserve indication

One important reality check: “radio-controlled” does not mean satellite GPS. The H874 manual lists terrestrial signal stations in Japan, the USA, Germany and China. Reception depends on where you are and the conditions around you, so do not buy one assuming it will automatically sync everywhere on Earth. The perpetual calendar and the rest of the watch still work, obviously. It just will not magically hear Frankfurt through a building in Dubai.

The four versions, without the brochure language

Those are Hong Kong list prices, not UAE prices or an indication of WristBear availability. At the time of writing, these exact references are not in our catalogue.

Which one makes the most sense?

The BY1033-01H is the cleanest choice if you want this movement in something slightly less executive-boardroom. The grey dial and black leather strap calm down the amount of information on the dial, even if the rose-gold-tone case does not exactly whisper.

The white BY1034-59A is the classic option. It will suit somebody who wants the moonphase complication to feel dressier, with the bracelet keeping it more practical than a dedicated formal watch.

The all-black BY1035-56E is probably the most polarising. It has the most modern, stealthy look, but an all-black case and bracelet can hide the nice details that make the moonphase display interesting in the first place. Good if you want the gadgetry to stay low-key. Less good if you actually want strangers to notice the moon at 6 o’clock.

The BY1036-53L makes the strongest first impression. Blue dial, black bracelet and rose-gold-tone bezel, crown and pushers is a lot on paper. In the official images it works because the blue keeps the dial from becoming a black-and-gold theme watch from 2014.

Our take

This is Citizen doing what Citizen does well: taking a complicated set of practical functions and packaging it at a relatively sensible Hong Kong list price. The moonphase is not just there for decoration either. The H874 calculates it automatically, and the radio-controlled system keeps the time and calendar side of the job in check where signal reception is available.

The 42mm diameter sounds substantial, but the 10.7mm thickness matters here. This is not a chunky ana-digi sports watch. It is a thin-ish, busy, full-metal calendar watch with a moon in it. The dial earns the space.

If you want the safe choice, take the white BY1034-59A. If you want the interesting one, the blue BY1036-53L is it. The black is for people who do not want the office to know they own a moonphase, which is a very specific lifestyle choice.

For current Citizen stock at WristBear, browse the Citizen collection. We will update this article if these exact BY1033, BY1034, BY1035 or BY1036 references reach the store.

Sources: Citizen Hong Kong BY1033-01H; BY1034-59A; BY1035-56E; BY1036-53L; Citizen H874 support.