Citizen's New Solar Watch Sets Its Own Time When You Travel- Check Out The World Chronograph AT8260-85X

Citizen has added a green dial to its World Chronograph A.T. line in the UK. The AT8260-85X pairs light-powered Eco-Drive with radio-controlled timekeeping, meaning it corrects its own time and calendar when it picks up an atomic clock signal, and it never needs a battery.

Priced at £499, it is available now from Citizen’s UK site and appears to be a UK-only release for the moment.

The Feature That Sells It, And Its Limit

Radio-controlled timekeeping is the headline. Land in a covered region and the watch synchronises itself with a local atomic time signal, adjusting the hands and the calendar without you touching the crown.

The catch is coverage. The H800 movement receives signals in four regions only: North America, Europe, Japan and China. Everywhere else, including India, the Middle

East, Africa, Australia and most of South America, it simply does not receive.

That matters less than it sounds. Outside signal range the watch runs as a conventional solar quartz movement, rated at plus or minus 15 seconds a month, which is perfectly respectable. You just set it manually, as you would any other watch.

The world time function works everywhere regardless. A UTC scale runs around the perimeter with city codes for 26 time zones, so you can read the time anywhere without reaching for your phone. That is independent of radio reception.

The Watch Itself

At 43mm the AT8260-85X sits on the larger side of the chronograph spectrum. The stainless steel case mixes brushed and polished finishing, with a faceted crown and two chronograph pushers on the right flank, and a matching steel bracelet with a push-button fold-over clasp.

Polished Dauphine hands and sharp triangular indices keep the look formal rather than sporty.

The green dial carries three vertically stacked subdials. The chronograph at 6 o’clock measures to 1/20 of a second for up to 60 minutes. A power reserve indicator sits at 12 o’clock, a 12/24-hour display at 9 o’clock, and a date window at 3 o’clock, backed by a perpetual calendar that handles month lengths and leap years without adjustment.

Sapphire crystal protects the dial, and water resistance is rated at 100 metres, enough for swimming and snorkelling.

Specifications

Specification	Detail
Model	AT8260-85X
Movement	Citizen H800 Eco-Drive
Case	43mm stainless steel
Dial	Green
Crystal	Sapphire
Bracelet	Stainless steel, push-button fold-over clasp
Chronograph	1/20 second, up to 60 minutes
World time	26 time zones
Radio reception	North America, Europe, Japan, China
Accuracy without signal	Plus or minus 15 seconds per month
Power reserve	180 days in energy-saving mode
Water resistance	100 metres, 10 bar
Lug width	22mm
Price	£499

Where It Sits In The Range

This is a colour addition rather than a new watch. The AT8260-85X is mechanically identical to the white-dialled AT8260-85A and the dark blue AT8260-85L already in the catalogue, all running the same H800 movement.

Citizen has been busy in this category. Earlier this month it launched a trio of affordable radio-controlled Eco-Drive models with Direct Flight and a UTC bezel, followed by five moonphase watches using atomic timekeeping to sync their moonphase displays. It has also released two further radio-sync chronographs in Hong Kong, the AT8263-87X in green and gold and the AT8268-83E in black and two-tone, with no confirmed global availability.

Availability

£499 from Citizen’s UK website, in stock now. There is no confirmed timeline for the US, Europe or Asia, and the existing blue and white references remain on sale in other markets, so importing is possible if the green dial specifically is what you want.