The Satellite Wave F900 case is more-or-less the same as the F100, and it’s still fantastic. Produced from Citizen’s Super Titanium, the F900 will be available in both a DLC-coated black titanium case and in natural titanium. Citizen shared with us what Super Titanium is, and it appears to be a specially coated version of titanium that is very scratch resistant. A demonstration with a wire brush proved that… The coating is a version of Citizen’s Duratect process which I’ve enjoyed on some of their high-end steel watches for years.

Detailing on the 45mm-wide modern-style case is really good. A close inspection of the details reveals a surprising level of finish and polishing. The watch is still considered thin at 13.1mm thick, which is just a bit more than the thinner F10 which is 12.5mm thick. On the wrist with the matching bracelet, and the F900 has a very sharp, modern, yet, classy look to it that I think many people will enjoy.

Going back to the important differences between the F100 and the F900 watch, the upgraded GPS functionality is worth mentioning. The Satellite Wave F900 watch is now able to actually use GPS signals to help the watch determine the time zone it is currently in. This was a missing feature in the F100 as you needed to tell the watch what time zone you were in and then it was able to update the time using GPS signals. The Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave F900 GPS is now able to update the location of the wearer using global positioning satellite signals, which means that it is truly a GPS watch.

More so, Citizen claims that the Satellite Wave F900 can pick up a GPS signal in as little as three seconds. So, putting all this into context, we have a timepiece that doesn’t need to be charged, updates your time and location automatically, and offers a range of useful travel features. It also looks pretty cool and has a durable case. For me, this makes the F900 not only a competitive timepiece but one that is still very relevant today. No smartwatch is nearly as “independent” as the F900. Anywhere in the world, without any added accessories, the F900 watch will be useful… just don’t stray too far from a GPS signal line-of-sight!

The two current versions of the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave F900 watch are the reference CC9000-51A in titanium with the white dial, and the reference CC9004-51E in black DLC-coated titanium with the black dial. Price is $2,400. citizenwatch.com