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Timex vs Citizen

Timex vs Citizen

Two of the first brands people reach for when they want a good watch that costs little. One offers five years of warranty and light power; the other puts sapphire and 200m where you would not expect them.

By Sawyer V. · Published

The short answer

Citizen, for most buyers: a five-year warranty against Timex's one, and light-powered movements that never need a battery. Timex wins on specification in a few places — the Expedition Pioneer brings sapphire and 200m to an automatic one tier down — but it names no caliber, and its warranty excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Timex and Citizen are two of the brands buyers reach for first when they want a good watch that costs little, and they are more different than their price overlap suggests. Citizen's argument is structural: five years of warranty and a movement charged by light, so there is almost nothing to maintain. Timex's argument is specification for its tier in its best watches, and its weakness is everything around them.

The ownership facts, side by side

TimexCitizen
Warranty1 year5 years
Warranty exclusionsCrystal, strap, case, batteryPower cell, case, bracelet, strap
Published service pricesNoneNone
Caliber named, automatics hereNoYes — Citizen 8210
Main power source hereQuartz and automaticLight (Eco-Drive)
Deepest rating here200m200m

On prices: we publish no figure we have not verified today, so every buy button reads "Check price on Amazon". Tier placement is our structural judgment, not a price claim.

How we picked

We have not worn these watches. What follows is what we checked instead, on documents you can open yourself — the same criteria, in the same order, on every roundup on this site. The full method is on the methodology page.

  1. 01Warranty

    Citizen five years, excluding the power cell, case, bracelet and strap. Timex one year, excluding the crystal, strap, case and battery.

  2. 02Power

    Most Citizens here are Eco-Drive, charged by light. The Timexes here are quartz, solar or automatic.

  3. 03Crystal

    Mixed on both sides: sapphire on four Citizens and three Timexes here; mineral on the Promaster Divers, the Chandler and the Weekender.

  4. 04Service

    Neither publishes service prices. Timex also does not publish the caliber in its automatics.

  5. 05Water resistance

    Both reach 200m — Citizen's Promaster Divers, Timex's Expedition automatics.

Disclosure · Some links below are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what goes on this page or in what order — here is exactly how that works.

Quick picks

Ranked on the Keep Score below — six published specifications, weighted identically on every page. The last row is the one we would not buy.

#WatchBest forKeep ScorePrice
1

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Sapphire, 200m, automatic, steel bracelet.

Timex's best argument8.0/10
Check price
2

Timex Expedition Field Post Titanium Automatic 41mm TW2Y90900

Titanium, sapphire, 200m, 41mm.

Titanium and 200m from Timex8.0/10
Check price
3

Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E

Sapphire, Super Titanium, 100m, solar, five years.

Citizen's best field watch7.9/10
Check price
4

Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0150-56E

Sapphire, in-house 8210, five years.

Citizen's automatic7.7/10
Check price
5

Citizen Promaster Diver BN0150-28E

200m, light-powered, five years.

A 200m diver that needs nothing6.8/10
Check price
6

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

37mm, 100m, light-powered, five years.

The Weekender, done properly6.4/10
Check price
—

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Brass, 30m, a battery, and a warranty that excludes almost everything.

Skip this one

Not against a Citizen4.5/10
Check price

Keep Score is arithmetic, not opinion — six published specifications, weighted the same way on every page. The formula is on our methodology page, so you can re-run it yourself.

01

Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400

Best for: Timex's best argument

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Sapphire and 200m on an automatic with a steel bracelet, one budget tier below any Citizen on this site that has both.

Timex does not publish the caliber, so you cannot look up what an overhaul costs, and the one-year warranty excludes the crystal and the case.

Sapphire and 200m for the money is real. What Timex does not publish is the caliber — which means you cannot look up what an overhaul costs before you buy, and that is exactly the number this site exists to check.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Pioneer Automatic 41mm TW2Y87400
MovementAutomatic (caliber not published by Timex)
Power reserveNot published
Case41mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lug48mm
Thickness14mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance200m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2Y87400.

02

Timex Expedition Field Post Titanium Automatic 41mm TW2Y90900

Best for: Titanium and 200m from Timex

8.0/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Titanium, sapphire and 200m on an automatic — a specification Timex has no business hitting at its tier.

A 50mm lug-to-lug on a 41mm case, an unnamed caliber and the one-year warranty.

65 grams, sapphire and 200m is a spec sheet Timex has no business hitting. The one-year warranty is the reason to think about it: everything else here is covered for two to five.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Expedition Field Post Titanium Automatic 41mm TW2Y90900
MovementAutomatic (caliber not published by Timex)
Power reserveNot published
Case41mm titanium
Lug-to-lug50mm
Thickness13.5mm
Lug width20mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance200m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, TW2Y90900.

03

Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E

Best for: Citizen's best field watch

7.9/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Sapphire on a Super Titanium case, with Eco-Drive and five years of cover — everything that makes the Citizen case, in one watch.

Citizen publishes neither its thickness nor its lug-to-lug.

Sapphire is the upgrade the 37mm Chandler never got, on a Super Titanium case with Citizen's five years of cover. Citizen publishes neither the thickness nor the lug-to-lug, so try it on before you commit to 42mm.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Garrison BM8560-53E
MovementCitizen E101 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case42mm super titanium
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width22mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance100m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BM8560-53E.

04

Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0150-56E

Best for: Citizen's automatic

7.7/10

Keep Score

Crystal
2.5/2.5
Serviceability
2.5/2.5
Water resistance
0.6/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
0.2/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

Where Timex does not name the calibers in its automatics, Citizen names this one — the 8210 — and puts sapphire over it with five years of warranty.

The 9.1mm integrated lug width means the bracelet is the watch, and it is rated 50m.

Sapphire and an in-house automatic for the money is genuinely rare. The catch is structural: Citizen lists the lug width as 9.1mm, which means the bracelet is the watch. When it wears out, no strap shop can help you.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0150-56E
MovementCitizen 8210 automatic, hacking, 42-hour power reserve
Power reserve42 hours
Case40mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width9.1mm
Crystalsapphire
Water resistance50m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, NJ0150-56E.

05

Citizen Promaster Diver BN0150-28E

Best for: A 200m diver that needs nothing

6.8/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.5/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

A 200m diver that never needs a battery or winding, with Citizen's five-year warranty.

Mineral glass, and 44mm across.

The strongest argument for this watch is the one Citizen makes on its own page: nothing to replace, five years of cover. The argument against it is the mineral crystal, which will scratch where sapphire would not.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Promaster Diver BN0150-28E
MovementCitizen E168 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case44mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width20mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance200m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BN0150-28E.

06

Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E

Best for: The Weekender, done properly

6.4/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.4/2.5
Water resistance
1.1/1.5
Warranty
1.5/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.4/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The direct answer to Timex's best-known watch: a 37mm field watch on nylon, but light-powered, in steel, rated 100m and covered for five years.

A mineral crystal, like the Weekender's.

37mm, 18mm lugs, 100m, no battery, five years of cover. There is very little here to go wrong and almost nothing that will date.

Manufacturer specifications for the Citizen Chandler BM8180-03E
MovementCitizen E101 Eco-Drive, light-powered
Power reserveNot published
Case37mm stainless steel
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width18mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance100m
Warranty5 years

Citizen's five-year limited warranty excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap.

Specifications read from Citizen Watch product page, BM8180-03E.

Skip this one

Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647

Best for: Not against a Citizen

4.5/10

Keep Score

Crystal
1/2.5
Serviceability
1.6/2.5
Water resistance
0.3/1.5
Warranty
0.35/1.5
Strap standard
1/1
Cost-to-keep transparency
0.2/1
Check price on Amazon

#ad Affiliate link · We publish no price we have not verified today

The Weekender is the Timex most people know, and as a strap-swapping toy it earns that.

Against the Citizen Chandler it loses on every line that decides how long a watch lasts: a brass case against steel, 30m against 100m, a CR2016 battery against light power, and one year of warranty that excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery against five.

If you are choosing between the two brands at the bottom of the range, that comparison is the whole answer.

A brass case at 30m, with a warranty that excludes the crystal, the strap, the case and the battery — which is to say almost everything that fails. Buy it as a strap-swapping toy, not as a watch to keep.

Manufacturer specifications for the Timex Weekender 38mm T2N647
MovementQuartz analog, CR2016 battery
Power reserveNot applicable
Case38mm brass and llb
Lug-to-lugNot published
ThicknessNot published
Lug width20mm
Crystalmineral
Water resistance30m
Warranty1 year

Timex's one-year warranty explicitly excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Specifications read from Timex product page, T2N647.

Which to buy

If you wantBuy
The longest warranty and nothing to maintainCitizen — Eco-Drive, five years
Sapphire and 200m at the lowest tierTimex Expedition Pioneer
An automatic with a named caliberCitizen Tsuyosa NJ0150
The cheapest watch of either brandTimex — but read the warranty first

Each brand ranked on its own: Timex and Citizen. Citizen against Seiko is here, and Timex against Seiko here.

Questions people actually ask

Is Citizen better than Timex?

For a watch you intend to keep, usually: Citizen's five-year warranty against Timex's one, and light-powered movements with no battery to change. Timex's best automatics bring sapphire and 200m to a lower tier, but without a named caliber.

Which has the better warranty, Timex or Citizen?

Citizen, at five years against one. Citizen's excludes the power cell, case, bracelet and strap; Timex's excludes the crystal, strap, case and battery.

Are Timex automatic watches good?

The Expedition Pioneer and North Titanium have sapphire and 200m, a strong specification at their tier. Timex does not publish the caliber, so you cannot look up what a service will cost.

Do Citizen watches need batteries?

Eco-Drive models do not need disposable batteries; they charge a rechargeable cell from light. Citizen's warranty excludes that cell.

Sources

Every specification and figure on this page came from one of these documents. Where a manufacturer does not publish something, the page says so rather than filling the gap.

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