After launching the 1st Satellite Wave (aka the Appleseed XII) back in 2011, Citizen has relaunched the the Satellite Wave technology in a new series of regular production models, as a part of the Promaster series. Debuting at Basel World 2013, there will be 2 new variations coming out in September with some great advancements in technology. We were lucky enough to get our hands on a fully functioning sample prior to its release, and had the chance to put the new piece to the test.
As a brief overview, the Satellite Wave -AIR will connect to one GPS satellite to update the watches accuracy of the second hand. While it does not update the hour or minute hand, this can easily be adjusted by pulling out the crown one click and turning the crown until the second hand points to the desired city. There are 26 different cities to choose from, and daylight savings can also be adjusted by pushing the lower right button while the crown is out one click. It works very similar to their radio control AT models, except this can receive signal anywhere in the world.
In order to manually connect to the satellite, you will need to be outdoors with a clear view of the sky (or near a window with no obstructions) and hold down the lower right button for 2 seconds. The watch will then attempt to connect, taking as quick as 4 seconds or a maximum of 20 to retrieve the updates from the satellite. This time frame is a big advancement in comparison to the original from 2011. The other upgrade is that the watch does not need any ceramic parts of the case to receive signal. The case on these are entirely titanium. You can tell when the watch goes into receive mode when the tail end of the second hand points to the “RX” indicator. If reception is successful, it will point to “OK”, if not, it will point to “NO”. After numerous tests outside, the new Satellite Wave – Air tends to complete the satellite update in 10 seconds or less, and we did not have any attempts where we could not receive signal outside.
Aside from the manual updates, the new Waves will have an auto-connect feature. If the watch does not receive signal in 3 days, there is plenty of energy in the watch, and it is exposed to bright light, the watch will automatically attempt to connect to a satellite. There is also a leap second adjustment for the Wave, but this is required to be done manually.
Aside from these capabilities, it has a 24 hour counter (which will basically display whether you are in AM or PM), date, day of the week, DST setting and a power reserve indicator. If you push the lower right button with the crown close, the watch will show you your current power level. From a full charge, the watch can go up to two years in the dark (if you use the connect feature every two days). The satellite connection feature can also be turned off (for when on an airplane, or just to save power). Without connecting to satellites, the watch will maintain an +/- 15 second a month accuracy rating.
The design of the CC1054-56E is definitely futuristic and intriguing. The dial was inspired by turbine jet engines, and the hollowed out case sides inspired by a jets wing. This model does have luminescence where as the 2011 LE version did not.
The case and bracelet are made entirely of titanium and have both Duratect and DLC coating to make the titanium 3-4 times harder. The Duratect is a clear coating keeping the original color of the titanium, while DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) gives the portions of the case a black finish. The watch is mostly brushed, with some highly polished attributes on the case sides.
The Wave uses a deeply domed sapphire crystal that allows plenty of light to pass through powering the watch. There is also anti-reflective coating to ensure you get no glare. You can also see the Citizen logo is applied to the crystal, adding even more of a 3 dimensional feel to the dial. The electric green accents (which were found on the Appleseed) definitely pay great tribute to the original LE, but still the piece maintains an entirely new look.
The case on the new Waves are going to be 49.5mm wide and 18.8mm thick. For as large as the watch is, it still wears extremely comfortable and light weight. The domed sapphire adds to the thickness, so it definitely does not look as thick as its measurements.
The CC1054-56E is going to have an MSRP of $2,500 and is scheduled for delivery in September sometime. AZ Fine Time is currently taking pre-orders for these as the production quantities will not be high. As I mentioned, these will not be limited editions, but will not be made in large quantities either. Please feel free to contact us at 1-800-486-3996 with any questions.
See our video review below…
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