If you’re the least bit familiar with the timepiece industry or wristwatches in general, you’ve probably heard the name Citizen or perhaps even worn one of the brand’s products at one point or another. But unless you’re extremely knowledgeable about everything that’s going on in the smartwatch market, you likely had no idea that this company is technically a competitor for Apple, Samsung, Garmin, or Google.
What might surprise you the most is that Citizen’s first smartwatch was released all the way back in 2020, costing a then-obscene $395 with a pretty much identical set of features as the Fossil Gen 5. While both Fossil’s 2019 collection of stylish own-brand intelligent timepieces and the first-gen Citizen CZ Smart have received improved sequels in the meantime, there’s a very good reason why you should consider purchasing the latter oldie right now.
We’re obviously talking about a hot new deal, which believe it or not, knocks a humongous $296.31 off the aforementioned list price of a CZ Smart with a 46mm grey stainless steel case and black silicone strap. It almost goes without saying that the Wear OS-based smartwatch is now (much) cheaper than ever before on Amazon, and although the e-commerce giant mentions no expiration date for the unprecedented promotion, something tells us that you may not have a lot of time to act.
This is not what’s known in the industry as a “hybrid” device, mind you, which means that at its core, the Citizen CZ Smart is capable of performing the same tasks as, say, a Pixel Watch. We’re talking everything from heart rate monitoring to sleep tracking, step counting, and keeping an eye on all sorts of other indoor and outdoor physical activities.
The built-in GPS connectivity means that the Citizen CZ Smart doesn’t need a smartphone nearby to supervise your runs, and there’s even a speaker that allows you to conveniently answer a call on your wrist (this time with a handset around).
Perhaps most importantly and most impressively, the circular touchscreen is not only extremely generous in terms of its size, at 1.28 inches, but also as far as resolution is concerned, with a 416 x 416 pixel count ensuring your smartphone notifications and health information will always be shown in perfect clarity. And you can get all that for under a Benjamin. Yes, the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor under the hood is outdated, the battery life pretty weak, and a few “modern” features are missing (like blood oxygen tracking), but the premium Citizen design alone seems worth more than the smartwatch’s entire discounted price.
