As a general rule of business, it pays to be first or best.

Citizen has certainly chosen not to rush into the market for full digital display smartwatches, but will be hoping that the on-brand look and feel of its CZ Smart, which launches this week, will cut through with its retail partners and customers.

Citizen has offered Bluetooth connectivity since 2012 as a way of ensuring its watches are always telling the precise time.

CZ Smart goes much further by adopting the Wear OS by Google software platform and Snapdragon 3100 hardware.

It has a familiar pre-loaded suite of Google Assistant, Google Pay, Google Fit with functions like workout tracking, heart rate measurement and goal-setting; plus other features like Agenda, Alarm, Calendar, Contacts, Stopwatch, Timer, Translate, Smart Battery Modes, Enhanced Phone Dialer App, Wellness Apps with Sleep Tracking, Battery-Optimized Activity Mode and Cardio Level Tracking.

Citizen is also including pre-approved installation of third party apps Spotify, Noonlight and Strava on CZ Smart.

It is connected through WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS.

“CZ Smart is our first entry into wearable tech. The combination of Citizen design and powerful technology brings our unique point of view in this category,” says Citizen Watch America president Jeffrey Cohen.

“This smartwatch is sure to excite our existing Citizen customers as well as attract today’s smartwatch consumer. CZ Smart is a statement on your wrist that embodies Citizen’s commitment to excellence and the drive for continued innovation.”

The 46mm steel watch, with or without black PVD coating, is waterproof to 30 meters.

It is on sale now for £349.