Welcome To The Marvel Universe! How To Cosplay With The Citizen x Marvel Collection

Fanboys and girls rejoiced when Japanese watchmaker Citizen announced its partnership with Disney and Marvel at Baselworld 2018. The brand then teased us with a sneak peek of its crime-fighting character watches at New York ComicCon last fall.

And now the release of Avengers: Endgame is near. You can expect movie theatres to be packed with people dressed up as their favorite Marvel characters, but if you want to pay tribute in a subtler way, may we suggest wearing one of the following timepieces.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

One of the most interesting things about the eight watches in the Marvel collection is that while they all start with the classic Citizen Eco-Drive silhouettes, they also have unique materials and graphic cues that give them a personality of their own.
 

For example, this Avengers timepiece is designed to illustrate the unity and strength of the team. It features a prominent, gold-tone ‘A’ for Avengers logo in the center of the dial. And the 45mm piece is predominantly black with red and gold accents to recall the character's costumes. Both case backs are finished with the signature Marvel logo. When you wear this watch you will be proudly proclaiming your love of comics (without having to squeeze into tights).
 

WAKANDA FOREVER

A subtler style of sports watch, this chrono features Wakandan inspired tribal patterns on the dial and claw-shaped, silver-tone indices. Highlighted with violet accents, this timepiece features a 42mm case with black ion-plated stainless steel with black chroma finishing, black ion-plated stainless steel bracelet, black tribal print dial, and date. You could definitely get away with this as an everyday wearer.
 

And as a tip of the hat to Wakandan advanced technology, the Black Panther Chronograph is powered by Citizen’s light-driven Eco-Drive so it never needs a battery.

MASKED AVENGER

The second of Citizen’s Black Panther-inspired watches, this time and date model takes a more abstract interpretation of T’Challa’s super suit. This version also has Wakandan-inspired tribal prints and violet accents, but the dial designer is more representative of the super hero’s mask. And delightful details such as a 47mm case with black ion-plated stainless steel with black chroma finishing, black silicone strap will remind you why Black Panther won the 2019 Oscar for Best Costume Design. If you’re gonna cosplay T’Challa, this is definitely the watch for you.

GOOD SOLDIER

Of all the Citizen X Marvel watches, this is one that could also pass as a non-character driven timepiece. Kind of like a super hero’s secret identity.
 

Captain America is, of course, the oldest Avenger, and this timepiece has many hallmarks of a heritage military watch with its black dial, 45mm black ion-plated stainless steel case, and double layered Cordura and polyurethane camouflage strap. The signature Captain America shield is nicely balanced by the date display and 24-hour military time track.

SPIDER SENSE

Another stealth style chronograph, this Spider-Man centric watch takes its cues from the architecture of a web. The modern-day Spider-Man logo placed inside one of the chronograph sub-dials This version is offered in stainless steel with blue chroma-finish 44mm case and bracelet. The vibrant blue dial with red accents with date recalls Spider-Man’s suit. And the “Pepsi” bezel lands the whole timepiece a strong presence on the wrist.
 

Basically, the watch to wear if you are channeling both Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

WITH GREAT POWER

A much more direct tribute the web-slinger, this three-hand with date version of Citizen X Marvel’s Spider-Man watch features the Spider-Man logo at the 12 o’clock position and a white web spread splashed across the dial.
 

With its black ion-plated stainless steel 44mm case with blue chroma-finish, black silicone strap, vibrant blue dial with red accents with date it’s pretty unmistakable as a piece of comic book memorabilia. This one is sure to be as popular with the comic con kids and collectors alike. And did we mention that the Marvel collection watches are all packaged in specially designed themed boxes featuring unique artwork?

HULK SMASH

From a design point of view, this incredible, 43mm Hulk-themed timepiece stands out as a piece of pop art. The dial is illustrated with the Hulk’s famous green fist. It also features oversized, acid green Arabic numerals. A strong black, Buffalo grain strap with green contrast stitching pays homage to the Hulk’s power.
 

Even if you aren’t one to dress up and comic book characters aren’t your thing, the look of this Eco-Driven watch is a real conversation starter.

SIMPLY MARVELLOUS

Captain Marvel is Marvel’s most recent blockbuster, and to tribute to her success, Citizen has introduced three variations on a theme. While smaller in size (they range from 37mm to 40mm) they still pack a lot of power with embellishments such as Swarovski crystals and spherical crystals.
 

This trio comes with either an elegant golden mesh or silvertone bracelet or a blue silicone strap. All use Captain Marvel’s starburst logo as a dial design motif. These three watches are understated enough that you could easily wear it from the office to the opening night of Endgame without causing too much code-switching confusion.

PANEL SHOW

Marvel Heroes collects the rich history of all Marvel Super Heroes in one watch. This novel, graphic time only timepiece pictures panel artwork from vintage comics on the dial. With its grey ion-plated 43mm stainless steel case, navy Cordura strap and blue dial it really summons up the retro look of the original artwork and bold typography of the original comic books. A great timekeeper for fans who want to proclaim that they were into the books way before the movies.
 

We can’t wait to see what the Citizen X Marvel partnership will produce next. I am picturing what can be done with Iron Man’s iconic mask. Or something inspired by Okoye’s warrior armor. Just putting it out there Marvel Universe.

The current collection of timepieces are in stores now and available at citizenwatch.com, priced from $275 to $625.

(Photography by Liam O'Donnell)