Timex and Citizen are two watch brands respected all over the world because of their wide range of well-rounded timepieces at an affordable price point. But out of these two amazing watch brands, which one is better? I bet you have wondered this and I have wondered this myself, so I have done an in-depth comparison of Timex and Citizen to see which brand is better.
| Feature Comparison | Timex | Citizen |
| Movements | – Miyota automatic movements – Quartz movements | – Innovative Eco-Drive movement – In-house Miyota automatic movements – Quartz movements |
| Materials | – Stainless steel cases and bracelets – Leather and slip-thru straps | – Stainless steel cases and bracelets – Leather, slip-thru, and sports straps – Titanium |
| Watch Design | – Simple and easy to read | – Intricate and practical designs |
| Average Cost | $99 | $282 |
| Which Is Best For You? | – Those with an extremely tight budget – Those looking for fashionable and reliable timepieces for an affordable price | – Those looking for innovation and functionality – Those looking for a bang-for-your-buck and stand out watch |
| My Overall Pick: | Citizen |
After comparing Citizen and Timex for hours, I have learned that both brands have plenty to offer. Read on to view my full in-depth comparison of Timex and Citizen!
Movement Comparison
When comparing Timex and Citizen, it is great to start by looking at their movements since they’re the heart and soul of these timepieces. Looking at both brands, they both create automatic and quartz timepieces, but Citizen takes the cake in my opinion. Let’s take a deeper look into both of their movements.
Timex Movements
Timex’s automatic movements are sourced from third-party manufacturers, and they use Miyota movements. Miyota movements are Japanese watch movements known to be reliable, accurate, and precise. They’re found in a wide range of affordable timepieces across the world.
But the majority of Timex watches use quartz movements, which explains their price and why they’re so affordable.
Citizen Movements
Citizen has owned Miyota (the manufacturer that produces Miyota movements) for nearly 40 years, which means that they manufacture all of their movements in-house unlike Timex. This shows Citizen’s importance in the watch industry and their dedication to making quality watches. Similar to Timex, Citizen also offers a large number of quartz watches for those on a tighter budget.
But what makes Citizen stand out from all of the other watch brands is their innovation, Eco-Drive. Citizen’s Eco-Drive function powers their watches by any source of light, which makes owning a Citizen watch easy. With Eco-Drive, their quartz watches are more accurate and you won’t have to worry about watch batteries at all and your watch will pretty much always be charged.
Timex movements vs. Citizen movements: Which is Better?
For me, the clear winner in terms of watch movements is Citizen even though Timex offers quality movements for their price. Their innovative Eco-Drive movement is not only reliable and lessens the amount of watch servicing, but it is also good for the environment since it has eliminated the disposal of ten million batteries in North America alone.
Even though Timex offers reliable and durable movements at their given price point, Citizen’s watch movements are, simply put, better. They make their automatic movements in-house, which shows their dedication to their craftsmanship, and their Eco-Drive function has inspired many other watchmakers to innovate.
Material Comparison
Both Citizen and Timex both use materials that make their timepieces reliable and stylish. Let’s take a deeper look into what materials each brand uses to see their true quality.
Timex Watch Materials
- Stainless steel cases and bracelets
- Leather and slip-thru straps
Timex uses stainless steel for their case and bracelets in most of their timepieces. It’s one of the most used metals to create watches because it’s easy to make with watches with it, and it’s durable and stylish. Reviews from Timex owners all across the world admire how reliable their timepieces are even when they’re not treated the best, and their materials play a big part in that.
As for watch straps, Timex predominantly uses leather straps and slip-thru NATO straps on their watches. I think that these types of watch straps give their timepieces a simple and classic look to them, which I am a fan of.
Citizen Watch Materials
- Stainless steel cases and bracelets
- Titanium
- Leather, slip-thru, and sports straps
Citizen, just like Timex, uses stainless steel cases and bracelets in the large majority of their timepieces. It’s durable, fashionable, and helps Citizen keep the cost of their timepieces relatively affordable.
Stainless steel isn’t the only material that Citizen makes their watches out of. They sell their collection of watches made of their very own Super Titanium. According to Citizen’s website, their titanium is 40% lighter and 5 times stronger than steel.
As for watch straps, Citizen uses a wide range of leather, slip-thru, and sports bands for their timepieces. Their type of watch straps is classic and sleek.
Timex vs. Citizen Materials: Which Is Better?
In terms of materials, I think Citizen beats out Timex by a good amount. They both use stainless steel in many of their timepieces and both brands are known to be reliable. Even though both watch brands are known to be reliable, Citizen is more durable because of its higher quality materials.
Also, I love the fact that Citizen is using different types of precious metals in their timepieces like Titanium. It shows that they’re going in the right direction by experimenting with using different materials in their watches.
Watch Design Comparison
Another category to compare Timex and Citizen is their overall design and how they look to see which brand is better for you. Let’s take a look at both brands’ designs.
Timex Watch Design
As I’ve looked through Timex’s watch designs, I realized that many of their timepieces have a simple and clean look to them like timepieces such as the Expedition, the Waterbury, and Q Timex just to name a few. Timex keeps this in mind in their designing process because they want to provide watches you can use every day for a long time. So if you’re looking for a reliable, clean, and simple everyday watch, then Timex is the brand to go for.
I am a fan of Timex’s design because of how simple it is. One of my favorite designs of Timex watches is how easily you can read the dial. With many watches with complex dials on the market, I feel like it can be hard to quickly tell the time with them. But an advantage that Timex has is that their timepieces are so easy to read and easy to use.
Citizen Watch Design
Citizen watches are generally speaking on the intricate side and are highly functional. Their most popular selling watches such as the Promaster, PCAT, and Hakuto-R have intricate dial designs, which shows that Citizen’s design is more complex than Timex.
But on top of that, Citizen watches are designed to be highly functional, to say the least. For example, some of their timepieces use atomic timekeeping, which gives the most precise time, day, and date measured by an atomic clock using radio waves. Also, Citizen produces many watches with chronographs, which is one of the most useful and popular watch complications.
Timex vs. Citizen Watch Design: Which Is Better?
I give the slighter edge to Citizen in terms of watch designs. I think that Citizen’s watch design has more going for them and they’re more unique compared to Timex’s watch design. I believe the overall functionality of Citizen watches is impressive at its price.
Even though Timex’s simple and clean watch designs are more my cup of tea, I think Citizen’s overall design and functionality are better than Timex’s.
Average Cost Comparison
Timex is the more affordable brand compared to Citizen. The average cost of a Timex watch on the market is $99, while the average cost for a Citizen watch is $282.
You may be wondering where I got these price points from. I found the prices for Timex and Citizen by looking at WatchCharts.com, which is a platform that tracks the price of over 25,000 watches. WatchCharts found the average selling price for both of these brands
What makes both of these watch brands great is their level of affordability and they let those who are on a tighter budget buy quality watches without breaking the bank. I have put both of these brands on my recommended page for affordable timepieces, and you can check out that page by clicking right here.
But for those looking for the cheapest option possible, Timex is the best brand to go for. Out of all of the watch brands I’ve looked at on the market, Timex is one of the most affordable watch brands right next to Casio. A large portion of their timepieces cost less than $100, which makes them highly accessible.
However, if you’re someone who has a little bit more money to spend, then I think going for Citizen is an excellent choice. They offer higher quality timepieces that look more expensive than they are in my opinion.
Timex vs. Citizen Cost: Which Is Better
Timex is the clear winner in terms of affordability since it is one of the most affordable watch brands you buy on the market. It’s hard to find a better value watch brand than Timex. However, Citizen’s price point is not too far behind them and they offer outstanding timepieces. You really can’t go wrong with either watch at their given price.
Timex vs. Citizen: My Final Verdict
Both Timex and Citizen are great watch brands that are often taken for granted, and I’m a fan of both of these brands. While Timex is one of the most affordable watch brands ever, has plenty of timepieces, and looks good while doing so, Citizen is the clear winner for me. Their innovative Eco-Drive movement and technology, in-house Miyota movements, a wide variety of versatile timepieces, and price point give them a slight edge over Timex.
If you’re on a really strict budget and looking for a nice watch you can wear every day, then I highly recommend Timex. But if you have a little bit more money to spend and you want a very good bang-for-your-buck, you can’t go wrong with getting yourself a Citizen timepiece.