I have for you a watch that I’ve only recently picked up but have been keeping an eye on for some time, this is the Citizen Corso AO9000-06B.

I first saw this watch a few months back but decided not to pull the trigger on it because I wasn’t in the market for such a watch. But, this piece recently went on sale for $81.99 and at the price, I just had to pick it up. That being said, the price of this watch is constantly changing. If you’re interested in this timepiece, check this link to get the most up to date pricing.

Upon first impressions, this is a very typical and straightforward watch. This piece features a 42mm stainless steel case and a silver tone dial. To contrast the dial are black Arabic numerals and blue hands. Siting at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions are two sub-dials which indicated the day and date. This particular watch comes on a black alligator print leather strap but if this color-way doesn’t suit you, there is a rose gold version with a black dial and brown leather strap.

This watch features the Citizen 8635 movement. I’m not going to lie, I have no frame of reference for this movement. This is actually the first Citizen watch that I’ve ever purchased. That being said, Citizen is an absolute powerhouse and is known for making quality quartz movements, even in a low end watch like this. I have no doubts that this watch will last for years to come.

One thing that I do appreciate about this particular movement is the inclusion of Citizen’s Eco-Drive. To keep it simple, this is essentially Citizen’s proprietary light-powered watch technology. This just means that the watch is able to generate power by converting light into energy, whether it’s natural or artificial. Citizen’s Eco-Drive advertising is “A watch that never needs a battery.” That is not completely true because there is a battery in this thing and the battery will eventually die even with the Eco-Drive but we are talking years and years.

With this watch, there are a few things that can possibly be considered as negatives. First, Citizen only advertises that this watch is “Splash Resistant”. They don’t even both to put a meter rating. This likely means that you should not get this watch near water. Sure, the occasional splash from washing your hands will be fine, but this should not be something that you swim with. I don’t consider this to outright be a negative because this watch is in no way advertised for any real physical activity. Just looking at it, it is obvious that this is meant to be a dress watch. A watch that’s slim, minimal and will look good with a dress shirt and suit. Wanting to dive with it would be asking more than it’s purpose.

The second possible negative would be the use of a mineral crystal. For watches, the standard for the crystal is of course sapphire. Sapphire is among the hardest materials and is extremely scratch resistant, second only to diamond. This just means that a mineral crystal is not as good. I find that this is a valid concern, but one hard to make considering the price of the watch. Strictly speaking for myself, because this is a relatively cheap watch, it will likely take some abuse. This is a watch that I’m more inclined to wear on days where I’m doing physical activities. Activities that may damage a watch and scratch the crystal. This is simply because of the price. If I were to damage a watch, I would rather damage a watch that cost me $82 than one that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Even though I don’t want it to damage, I think subconsciously I’ll be a bit more careless with it. Because of this, I would’ve definitely preferred a sapphire but again, I can’t really complain considering how relatively cheap this watch is.

With a quartz watch, it’s somewhat difficult to say that a particular piece is of good value because quartz watches can be had for so little. That just means that the value is in the eye of the beholder. For me, this watch is absolutely worth it. It’s very elegant and, in my opinion, looks like it costs more than it actually does. If you’re looking for a simple dress watch under $100, I think that you should seriously consider this timepiece.