AT2566-88E Citizen's solar racing chrono stays slim at 10.7 mm

What is new about the Citizen AT2566-88E?

The AT2566-88E is one of three tachymeter chronographs that Citizen Europe added to its line-up in January 2026. Its siblings are the AT2565-05E, with a black-coated case and rubber strap, and the AT2569-04L, with a blue dial on rubber. This one is the steel bracelet version, with a black dial and a bezel insert split between black and red.

It is not a new platform. Citizen already sells the Sporty Aqua chronographs, such as the AT2560-84L, on the same H500 movement and in the same 43 mm size. What changes here is the look. The red section of the tachymeter scale runs from 12 o'clock round to about 3 o'clock, and the chronograph seconds hand and markers pick up the same red. It reads more like a motorsport watch than a dive-style sports watch.

Citizen lists the AT2566-88E at a higher price than those Sporty Aqua models on its European site, so you are paying a little extra for the new design rather than any new function.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Citizen gives the case as 43 mm across and 10.73 mm thick. That is a large diameter but a slim profile for a chronograph, and most of the visual size comes from the fixed tachymeter bezel, which frames a smaller dial. Citizen does not publish a lug to lug figure, so check that against your wrist before you buy if you have a smaller wrist.

The whole watch weighs 153 g on its bracelet, according to Citizen. That is noticeable but not heavy for a steel chronograph of this size. The bracelet closes with a folding safety clasp and a double push-button release.

The layout is a standard tri-compact. There is a 24-hour sub-dial at 2 o'clock, the chronograph counters sit at 6 and 10 o'clock, and the date window sits at 4 o'clock between the lower pusher and the crown. Citizen says the hands are luminous, which helps at night.

What movement does it use, and how accurate is it?

Inside is Citizen's calibre H500, a light-powered Eco-Drive quartz movement. Any light source charges it, and Citizen quotes a power reserve of 150 days from a full charge. In practice that means you can leave it in a drawer for months and it should still be running. There is no battery to replace in the usual sense.

Citizen rates it at plus or minus 15 seconds a month, which is normal for a standard quartz watch and far better than any mechanical chronograph at this price. The chronograph times up to 60 minutes in one-second steps. If the charge runs low, the seconds hand jumps in two-second steps as a warning, so you know to put it in daylight.

How well is it built?

The case is stainless steel with a screw-down caseback, and Citizen rates it to 10 bar (100 m). That covers swimming and showering, but it is not a diving watch, and Citizen does not describe the pushers as screw-down, so avoid pressing them under water.

The crystal is mineral glass. Citizen calls it scratch-resistant crystal glass, but it is softer than sapphire and more likely to pick up marks over years of wear. The bezel is fixed, so the tachymeter scale is for reading speed over a known distance rather than for timing a dive.

Citizen's European listing describes the bracelet as solid steel. The dial uses simple line indices, which keeps it clean and easy to read against the busy bezel.

Is it good value against its rivals?

A UK authorised retailer lists the RRP at £294, and Citizen's European site lists it at €279. That puts it near the top of the £100 to £300 band.

The closest rival is the Timex Marlin Chronograph Tachymeter 40mm on a steel bracelet, which Timex UK sells at £190. It is smaller and more vintage in style, but it uses a battery quartz movement and a domed acrylic crystal. The Citizen wins on solar power, water resistance and modern sizing. The Timex wins on price and on a more compact case.

Inside Citizen's own range, the new Racing Chronograph CA4714-55A sits at £369 on the UK site, Notebookcheck reports. It is smaller at 39.9 mm, uses the B620 movement with a 270-day reserve and times to one fifth of a second. If those details matter, it is worth the step up. If not, the AT2566-88E does the same everyday job for less.

What is the catch?

The main one is the mineral crystal. At close to £300 RRP, some buyers will expect sapphire. The second is the one-second chronograph resolution, which is fine for timing a pizza or a lap of the park but not for anything precise.

The 43 mm case will also be too big for some wrists, and without a published lug to lug figure it is hard to judge from specs alone. Finally, this is a new reference, so there is no long-term owner feedback yet. The H500 movement itself has a long track record in Citizen's existing chronographs.

“A solar chronograph that you can leave in a drawer for months and pick up still running.”