Even though it appears to have a lot of different knobs and dials, a Citizen watch is fairly easy to set. The only knob you need to use to set the date and time is the crown knob, which is in the middle of the right side of the watch. The crown knob can be pulled out to two different distances. If you pull it out all the way, the watch is in time set mode. If you pull it out halfway, it is in date set mode.
Wait until the second hand is at zero (the top of the dial). Then pull the crown knob out as far as it will go to set the time on your watch. Turn the knob in either direction and look at the three additional hands on the time dials of your watch: the minute hand, the hour hand and the 24-hour hand.
Stop turning the knob when all minute and hour hands are pointing to the correct time. Pay special attention to the 24-hour hand so that you have a.m. or p.m. correct.
Push the knob back in exactly when a new minute is starting so that your second hand will be correct. Use another clock you know to be accurate as a reference, such as the government clock available online.
Pull the knob out halfway so you can set the date. Turn it counterclockwise until you notice the date on the watch changing. Stop it and push the knob back in to its starting position once you reach the correct one. Try to set the date before 9 p.m. If you set it after that time, it may not register with your watch that it should switch the date at midnight. If this happens with your watch, just fix it the next day.
Set the chronograph, or big dial, on your watch. It works like a stopwatch to let you time activities for up to one hour. Push the top button on the side of your watch to start it. Push it again to stop it. Push the bottom button on the side of your watch to reset it.