New Citizen watch celebrates 100 years of the brand with a cool GMT

It can be really hard to quantify what makes any timepiece worthy of being called the best watch on the market. As a subjective medium, there really is very little to base these matters on – beyond simply finding designs which speak to you.

Still, it's probably fair to say that any brand which has been around for a century or more deserves some recognition. That's exactly what Citizen is celebrating with their latest model.

Part of their Citizen Series 8 collection, this 880 GMT marks 100 years of the brand manufacturing timepieces. Things have certainly changed in that time, though, and this model is the perfect encapsulation of the current moment.

Featuring a range of en vogue appointments like GMT functionality and an integrated bracelet, this is bang on trend. Add in a snazzy blue colourway and a vintage-leaning bezel, and it's not hard to see why this looks set to be a hit.

The signature two-piece case design is present and correct here, as well as some colouration to parts of the bracelet. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you – that really is a blue centre-link! You won't see that everyday.

The dial is a much more eye-catching shade of blue. Crafted from mother-of-pearl and topped with a blue gradation, that's arguably the standout feature on this piece. It's absolutely mesmerising – top marks, Citizen!

You'll find a Calibre 9054 movement inside. That features the aforementioned GMT functionality, which – when combined with the rotating GMT bezel – allows the wearer to track up to three time zones at once.

Limited to just 2,200 pieces worldwide, this is a celebratory model with a definite shelf life. Priced at just £1,495, I'd say this is a relative bargain. It's quirky and cool, but in a more muted way than other edgy pieces. 

More than anything, though, this feels like a time capsule. 100 years after the first ever Citizen watch, the brand has created a snapshot of the current zeitgeist. Maybe the watch aficionados of 2124 will look back at this in the same way we view old pocket watches today.