Citizen CC7015-55E Review

Limited Editions is one of the main trends in watch world and today we are going to talk about new Citizen CC7015-55E. This watch is completely different from all these “dress” offerings from other brands. I would say new release is strictly masculine because it would be strange to see 47mm case on lady’s wrist. Watch celebrates several important events in history of Citizen and we are going to talk about them first.
Here you can read review with another unusual watch.
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You can buy CC7015-55E in Helveti webshop.

Anniversary Gift

First of all try to remember number 1989. These digits will be suitable for today’s watch in several aspects. First of all, initial release of radio-controlled Citizen chrono happened in 1989. New model celebrates this event and will be produced in limited batch which is equal to…right, 1989! There is also 100th anniversary of the watch brand, so black watch comes as neat gift for these events.

Note that styling mimics original Citizen Promaster Sky released way back in 1989. I have to note the fact that there is no other watch with similar styling in Japanese watchmaker’s product range. Yes, there are several black choronos but they look more bulky and less mean. Now let’s start with case of this watch.

Case

First thought that came to my mind when I first saw this watch was “oh, God, this thing is going to be heavy…”. Well, nope, whole case is made out of so-called “Super Titanium” which is durable and light. Such material reduced total weight to mere 127g. I guess some might be even surprised by such difference between visual and physical info. Good thing is that it is easy to get used to such watch.

There is only one color version – black case and bracelet, so you won’t get anything different. Frankly speaking, I can’t imagine this watch with silver case. Dark color actually helps to hide the actual size, so let’s consider it as a big plus for new timepiece. Some sources claim that watch features DLC-finish, but I didn’t find such info on original web and in the watch manual. Well, if it is there, CC7015-55E should be even more durable against everyday bumps.

Rear cover is a custom made part for this watch. You will find number of your piece as well as overall production number. Water protection is fixed at 200m what should be enough for typical use scenarios. I doubt that somebody will think about diving with such watch. Citizen CC7015-55E should be more often in the sky than under water.

Dial

Some people might get frightened when they see such busy dial, but it is actually very easy to read. Citizen had to cramp all the necessary dials for different functions, so there is no wonder in seeing so many things in one place.

I have to note that time-keeping aspect here is intact and easily legible. Indices are big and handset is easy to notice. Note also special finish on the minute hand which mimics aviation signs. Nice small touch which doesn’t look out of place here.

I like the fact that dial is multi-leveled and can’t even imagine how plain version would look like. Every time you stare at this composition you find new parts to marvel at. This is one good-looking tool and I think it will get its own fans. As long as there are people who like Navitimers, such dials will be popular too. 😀

Bright orange color comes handy too. It is present on the dial as well as on the outer bezel. If you wonder what are these writings for, those are air-to-land codes which might come handy in emergency situations.

Toolwatch would look strange without generous lume coating on the dial. Citizen decided to go all in here and applied bright blue layer on indices and hands.

You can see these parts in dark on the photos and in our video-review. I am happy to see that designers stayed in reasonable borders and didn’t apply lume on everything. Otherwise it would be one shiny mess…

Controls

Well, I decided to name this part in such way because there are several crowns needed to operate all the functions in this watch. Left crown is used for inner bezel rotation. This part features fuel consumption ruler and copies original flight computer which should be familiar to every pilot. “Main” crown is busy with various functions – you can change time, time zone, switch to different functions and all this with one control element. Both crowns are quite big and feature ribbed surface what should make it easier to operate them in gloves.

Two buttons are used for chronograph operation. Note also crown protection on both sides. Such thing always handy on toolwatch.

Movement

“Satellite Wave” inscription on the dial hints on the main feature of CC7015-55E. Time is GPS-controlled here, so you get to have crazy precision on your wrist. All this is based on F990 caliber which is solar-powered. You can forget about replacing the battery because this watch will just replenish its charge when needed.

In my opinion this is one of the main features in today’s watch. It is hassle-free and offers amazing precision out of the box. You don’t have to worry about winders and other things to keep your automatic watch going. Some people would appreciate such feature for its ease of use.

Packaging

Today’s watch comes in special box which presents timepiece together with special metal plaque. It looks nice, but I still wonder why there is no alternative strap included.

Standard bracelet option looks good with large case. Nevertheless, there are some owners who would like to place this watch on zulu strap for more comfort.

In Use

First of all I have to remind about the size of this watch. 47mm is not a joke, so if you have thin wrists it is no-go unfortunately. That being said it is important to note that watch doesn’t feel huge on your wrist. Overall experience is just like with another toolwatch in reasonable size.

I guess the main game changer here is the light case which makes it easier to wear. Citizen somehow managed to pull this off and watch doesn’t feel like big black weight on your hand. Like it or not, but I would rather have light big watch than heavy brick.

Dial legibility is decent here. It is always easy to read the time. It is safe to say there is small “learning curve”, but you get used to after several minutes with new watch. All buttons and both crowns are easy to operate too, so I didn’t find huge disappointments here.

Even though I mentioned textile options for straps, metal bracelet is fine too. It features double clasp, so you won’t lose your watch and styling doesn’t suffer from inconsistency. I would rather keep the standard option for better look.

Citizen CC7015-55E – Price and Availability

Today’s watch should be already available for purchase. Price is set at 3000 USD, what might surprise some fans. I think it is still reasonable considering few credible alternatives on the market. Moreover, this watch somehow looks more suitable in the sky, so if you are a pilot and you need a reliable tool…

Frankly speaking, I have mixed feelings about this watch. From one side we get completely badass design and functions combo which is not repeated in form of “simple edition”. On other hand you have to consider the fact that watch doesn’t feature any complex caliber inside. Well, some might say so because they would expect some automatic movement instead. I guess it is all matter of personal taste. Citizen CC7015-55E is more about ease of use and if you need reliable toolwatch that is special in every aspect – then this might be a perfect pick for you.