Citizen CZ Smartwatch, Black and White Customizable Display

So this is a review for the hybrid watch, not the touchscreen watch. The difference (which really isn't spelled out anywhere very well) is that the hybrid has buttons and actual hands that tell the time. There is a LCD screen under the hands that give the smart watch functions. Also, it is only splash resistant, not water resistant. That said, I think this watch is amazing. 18 day battery life? yes please. Vibration notifications, thank you. Doubletap screen to turn on light? yup...discovered that by accident. Easy to navigate? very much so. The buttons make it very easy. Middle button to go to functions, top or bottom to rotate pointer, then middle button again to select. One user didn't like how small the notifications were on his watch...well, there is an option to increase the font size. Turned that on, and no problem reading them. And the watch is dead sexy. Does it look like a smart watch? nope. I got the brown leather band, the black metal body...and it is gorgeous. I can change the screen underneath to a dozen presets, or build my own with the app. I'm very curious as to how the YouQ feature works. There are two apps to load for this watch. The first is to manage the watch, the second is to manage the YouQ fitness aspect. Both installed easy (do the Citizen Connected app first, then the CZ Smart YouQ) and the watch connected fine the first try. If you are looking for a well built watch that gives you a lot of smart watch features but still looks amazing and also has the best battery life, then the hybrid is for you.

Was excited to see a reliable watch brand offer a smart hybrid watch. When batteries recharged, was mostly what I wanted. A daily use watch that didn’t scream tech jewelry. 2 watch replacements later and no option for $ back because you have to pay to ship it to CA, sit for weeks waiting for any information IF they will fix/ replace and then weeks more if they replace, it may show up. Currently on week 4 after shipping 2nd one in and still no word on status. Cannot recommend this version of Citizens Watch offering.

This hybrid watch gets noticed all the time -- It looks so much like a "real" watch people can't believe it's a fitness device. What I can't believe is that it can run 3 weeks on a single charge. Every once-in-a-while there's a glitch in the online app used with the watch, but, otherwise, it's been a wonderful experience.

Pros: • Great Deal: Bought in “used - like new” condition for under $100—looked completely unworn. • Premium Look & Feel: Stylish design that blends traditional watch aesthetics with "smart enough" features. • Comfortable Strap: Soft leather band with a convenient quick-release mechanism for easy swapping. • Long Battery Life: After 12 days of use, still had 31% battery remaining—no daily charging needed. • Customizable Watch Faces: Some faces allow for info customization; also supports photo uploads. • Easy Visibility Option: Double-tap screen activates a front light for low-light conditions. • Accurate Tracking: Heart rate and step counting appear reliable. • Citizen Connect App: Works smoothly and displays most key health and activity data. Cons: • Hard-to-Read Watch Faces: Most faces have small text, which I find hard to read without glasses (“Digit 2” worked well for me). • Watch Face Sync Bug: “Digit 2” occasionally shows time that’s off by 1–2 minutes—fixable by resyncing, but still a flaw. • Confusing YouQ App: The second app, YouQ, feels redundant and shows incomplete data—ended up uninstalling it. • Sleep Tracking Inconsistencies: Logs incorrect bedtimes. • Outdated Sports Face: “Riiver_Basketball” face displays an old game score from 2024 (photo added) —seems abandoned. Bottom Line: For the price, this is a good hybrid smartwatch—well-built, stylish, and functional. While the software still needs work (especially the apps and a couple of watch faces), the core experience is solid. If Citizen continues to refine the software, this could be one of the best hybrid options out there. 4/16/25 UPDATE - Citizen fixed the bug on the Riiver_Basketball watch face. Hopefully the Digit 2 watch face gets a look over next. Also, having the option to switch that display from 24hr to 12hr would be a good quality of life improvement.

I am not a fan of smartwatches that need constant charging (looking at you Apple), and the hybrid design with a classic watch face adds a touch of class and nostalgia. The battery on this watch lasts me more two weeks, which fits my needs and lifestyle. The complications are a solid set of functionality and links with my phone and the modern world of overwhelming information. The fitness features are solid and fictional, but don't compare to top end offerings. Still for someone looking for a retro hybrid approach to keep one foot in the world of yesterday's timepiece watches and today's smartwatch technoworld, this watch is more than a fair blending of both worlds.

My primary purpose for a smartwatch is to monitor my heart rate after I received a pacemaker. I also wanted a watch that I could tell the time without having to shake my hand or press a button (something I thought was a dumb idea from the advent of digital timekeeping!) This hybrid watch from Citizen meets my needs and has far more capability than I need (or want!). It will track steps (good), various activities (ok), give me text notifications (not used), receive phone calls (from my smartphone (not used), stopwatch and timer (good) and track sleep (ok) and blood oxygen levels (close, but not 100% accurately. It has great battery life (still 53% after 10 days), however I use just minimum functionality (steps HR and health). Things I wish the watch could do: 1) Provide a customized watch face beyond 2 displays; if you try to use 3 items, you get an activity display or day/date available on only 1 face. 2) Provide a choice to use a button to light the watch face. (Currently not available.) You have to tap the watch face to get it to light up and that is hit or miss. You may have to tap for a while and when the light does come on, it barely is on long enough to see the time much less one of the things you want to track. As far as water resistance, swimming and hot tubs are out. Bottom line: it's a good watch for my needs, it's not an Apple Watch . Using more functions will lower battery life. I believe in a few years, hybrid watches will improve is the areas that are marginal now, and I will upgrade most likely. Until then, its a good watch worth the money.

Con, Eink display, unlike OLED, is slow. Less smart tech and less customization compared to touchscreen smartwatches with Google os, yes you can arrange sensor output as you like, but it will only display data numerically. Pro. Long lasting battery, 18 days total in one charge. The watch has the best dial finish, I feel that the finish is some what scratch resistant as well. The leather is really thick, and with quality finish as well. The sensors are inside a glass like cover, makes it very comfortable to wear. Altogether, this is a classic citizen watch, a quality watch with just enough smart technology to keep you updated and less distracted.

Bought a half of a year ago. Positive: - long live time Negative: - couple times in a day disconnecting from phone - activity doesn't sharing with apple health - periodically watches started to show wrong time: wrong hours and minutes. Even after synchronization. Without any notifications. After couple of hours everything ok... - poor customization - useless applications (ex. timer cannot be set to a half of a minute) - awful support - they doesn't think that wrong time on watches is a warranty case.

Failed within seven months. Other than that, OK but quite limited flexibility and uses.