Wednesday, August 20, 2008

How to set a Citizen Eco-Drive watch

This is English instructions for Citizen Eco-Drive watches one particular model - BL5XXX that probably similar other Eco-Drive watches model on Joho the Blog.

It's instructions include how to Changing modes, Setting the Perpetual Calendar, Setting the time, Setting the date, Using the stopwatch (chronograph) , Using local time and setting alarm.

Here is Link for instructions for Citizen Eco-Drive watches: http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/mtarchive/how_to_set_an_ecodrive_watch_1.html

Friday, August 15, 2008

JY0000-53E CITIZEN Eco-Drive Skyhawk

JY0000-53E
CITIZEN Eco-Drive Skyhawk


Product Features
- Eco-Drive Technology - Charges in sunlight or indoors
- SkyHawk Global Atomic Timekeeping (AT) Chronograph with Radio-Controlled Accuracy
- World Time in 43 Cities, 2 Alarms and 99 Minute Countdown Timer
- Perpetual Calendar 200 meter water-resistant Watch with GMT Display
- Black Dial with Digital Display Light, and Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet

Customer Review

Skyhawk A-T: All the features I wanted

I spent a good three weeks researching various watches to replace the automatic that was failing to keep time. I was looking at the Citizen Calibre line of watches as well as the Seiko Coutura line, but I finally decided that the Citizen Skyhawk A-T was the only watch that had the three features that I really wanted:

- Battery-free operation
- Atomic clock accuracy
- Backlight

Like others, I was a bit concerned about the size and weight, and I did try on the titanium version, which costs $150 more, but I found that it was *too* light. It felt like I was wearing tinfoil. The stainless steel has a "reassuring, solid heft" to it, but it's by no means too heavy. And, the attractive dial is continually attracting comments. Not to mention that the hands and large markers are easy to read against the black dial. It's a very striking watch, and quite noticeable.

Feature-wise, this watch is jammed-pack, which is quite amazing when you consider it's a solar-powered watch: time in 43 cities, countdown timer, chronometer, perpetual calendar, two alarms, and an atomic clock radio receiver??? I was a little concerned about it not getting enough light as I work in an office and wear long-sleeved shirts, but the power gauge never goes below "full charge." Very reassuring, indeed. It was really amazing to pull it out of the box when I first got it, and all the needles starting spinning to put the watch to the correct time.

The only problem I've had was with the daylight saving time feature. As I live in Phoenix, we don't observe DST (who needs an extra hour of 120 degree heat!), and so I set the clock to Denver time and turned the DST off. But, every night, when the watch would receive the signal from the atomic clock in Colorado, I would wake up finding it an hour later than it really was, as the watch would automatically turn DST back on. After pouring through the manual, I found that you had to both turn off DST for the city the watch is set to, as well as turn it off for the atomic signal update. To do this second step, you have to set the sub-dial to RX-S and turn the "SMT" feature to "Ma." This essentially keeps the atomic clock signal from updating the DST feature.

With that figured out, I really found that I enjoy this watch immensely. It is a truly complicated watch--probably one of the most complicated I own, but the instructions are very clear. Also, I hear what other reviewers say about the backlight only showing the date, but you can easily pull out the crown and switch between date and time, so if you put it on "TIME," the backlight will display the time in the LCD. So, generally, I keep the watch on the calendar feature, so I know the date. But if I need to turn on the backlight to see the time, I pull out the crown, turn it one-quarter clockwise to the "TIME" selection, and push the light button. It sounds like a pain, but it really isn't. I find that I could do this quickly and easily, even in a darkened movie theater. The trick is to keep both LCDs on your home time, so that the analog dial and the digital LCD show the same time.

As for the links on the band, I wouldn't recommend trying to remove them yourself. I tried using a thumb tack, as another review suggested, but it seemed that I had to force them out, and it felt like I was damaging the pins. So, I stopped at a local jeweler who sized my watch for $5.

So, in conclusion I've owned many different watches over the years, including a Seiko Kinetic, which I really loved. But this is the first watch that I feel that would actually serve me for many years to come.

By Eric Nanneman

Sunday, August 3, 2008

AT0400-57E CITIZEN Eco-Drive Titanium Watch


CITIZEN AT0400-57E Eco-Drive Titanium Watch


AT0400-57E Information
Model: AT0400-57E
Dial window material type: Mineral
Clasp: fold-over-push-button-clasp-with-safety
Case material: Titanium
Case diameter: 40 millimeters
Case Thickness: 10 millimeters
Band material: Titanium
Band length: mens
Band width: 21 millimeters
Dial color: Black
Bezel material: Titanium
Bezel Function: stationary
Calendar: Date
Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive
Water resistant depth: 100 Feet
Warranty Type: 5-yr manufacturer warranty

AT0400-57E Description
This men's Eco-Drive timepiece is a perfect fit. From the titanium case and bracelet and 1 second chronograph to the 12/24 hour time indicator, the consistent timepiece offers variety with style. Additional features include a date indicator, screw-back case and water resistant to 100 meters.

Customer Review AT0400-57E
I purchased this watch with a specific set of features in mind: thin, lightweight, battery-free, with a chronograph. This is my first Citizen watch and I am already very impressed. Any watch-wearer must understand the difficulty of finding a metal-banded watch that doesn't weigh too much. I personally prefer metal bands; yet I despise over-sized, heavy watches. The titanium construction solves this problem. Moreover, I have smaller than average wrists; here too, the 10mm thickness and 40mm case diameter make for a watch that looks and feels quite appropriate for my small wrists.

The titanium construction also means the watch is free from the gaudy chrome-finished look of stainless steel. The finish is, in fact, slightly darker than the picture. But otherwise the actual look of the watch closely approximates the photo.

And lastly, the price is unbeatable for a watch with these features - even compared with other Citizen watches. There are no qualms from this buyer. Highly recommended!

(I will report back later on its long-term quality).
By T. Simmons

How do Citizen Eco Drive watches work


The secret of citizen eco drive watches is the way that light is absorbed, stored and then released by the citizen eco drive to power the watch.
Dials
- The dial on eco drive watches is made from ceramic or a special plastic. This allows the light sensitive panel that is hidden in eco drive watches to absorb enough light to power the watch.

Light sensitive panel
- In eco drive watches there is a light sensitive photo electric cell hidden right underneath the dial. This panel converts light into electrical energy even in low light. A few minutes of winters dayligh provides enough energy to run a eco drive watch for a day.

Secondary Battery
- The energy that is produced is stored in a lithium battery and then released as necessary to run the eco drive watch. This battery will allow the eco drive watch to run for up to 6 months in complete darkness before it will stop working.

Monday, July 21, 2008

EG2550-59D Citizen Silhouette Eco-Drive Watch

EG2550-59D Citizen Eco-Drive diamond watches for ladies, Stainless Steel case and band, 30m water resistant and Eco-Drive Technology.


Product Details
Brand : Citizen
Model number : EG2550-59D
Designed For : Ladie
Dial window material type : Scratch resistant mineral crystal
Movement : Precise Eco-Drive movement ( 240 Day power reserve when fully charged)
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Dial Color : Pearl dial
Band material : Stainless Steel
Band length : Womens-standard
Water Resistance : 30 M
Warranty : 5 Years Manufacturer

BJ8040-01E Citizen Professional Diver's 300 M Titanium Rubber Watch

BJ8040-01E Citizen's Professional Diver collection water resistant to 300 meters and ruggedly constructed, Titanium case, rubber band and Eco-Drive Technology.


Product Details
Brand : Citizen
Series : Dive Watches
Model number : BJ8040-01E
Designed For : Men
Dial window material type : Curved 6mm Scratch resistant mineral crystal
Movement : Precise Eco-Drive movement
Calendar Type : Date
Case Material : Titanium
Case diameter : 48 millimeters
Case Thickness : 18 millimeters
Dial Color Black
Band material : Black rubber strap
Band length : mens-standard
Water Resistance : 300 M
Warranty : 5 Years Manufacturer

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Review BL5250-02L Citizen Eco-drive Watch

BL5250-02L Citizen Eco-Drive Watch

Product Description
The Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar features a titanium case and deep blue dial. The timepiece features a 1/20 second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, 12/24 time, dual time, alarm, date indicator, and power saver function. Additional features include an inner calendar, which automatically adjusts to the proper date as well as leap years through the year 2100. Independent hour hand adjustment makes changing time zones simple and precise. The genuine leather strap features attractive white contrast stitching and buckle closure.

Product Details
- Brand: Citizen
- Model: BL5250-02L
- Band material: Leather
- Bezel material: Titanium
- Case material: Titanium
- Clasp type: Buckle
- Dial color: blue-grey
- Dial window material: Mineral
- Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
- Water-resistant to 660 feet

Features
- Movement - Eco-Drive 270
- Water Resistant - 200 Meters(660ft) Water Resistant
- Crystal - Anti-glare Scratch Resistant Mineral Crystal

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Watch!
I am what many would call a watch nut and own over 30 ranging from Timex to Rolex. For me to buy a watch there has to be "something there" for me to get excited about. At $240, this is one of the very best buys on a fantastic watch that you can find! I was so impressed with this watch I purchased a second one as a gift for my father in law who by the way, was very impressed with the watch himself.

Before getting into all the things I like about this watch I want to point out one of the other reviewers posted a problem with the buckle on his watch having some "points" on it that dug into his wrist and made the watch uncomfortable to wear. This must be a factory defect as this is not the case with either of the two that I purchased. While the watch strap is not usually covered by warranty I know from 1st hand experience that Citizen has a dedicated and friendly customer service department and I believe if he contacts them he will find a new strap coming to him rather quickly. Also as to the strap, I have been disappointed somewhat in the past when purchasing a watch and the strap that comes with it is not substantial in length. I have a 7.25 inch wrist and this has not caused me a problem but I would readily notice if someone had a larger wrist they would have to go out and purchase a new and larger strap to be able to wear their new watch. The strap that comes with this citizen will allow someone with a larger wrist than mine to be able to wear this watch with the strap that comes on it. This is very good as I believe the supplied strap is very handsome on this watch.

The BL5250-02L is a marvelous little piece of technology at a very good price! At a suggested retail of $400 I have routinely found the watch at local authorized dealers at around $300. My watch was purchased on line for $240 with free shipping and for an additional $5 you could have "next day" shipping.

This watch comes to you very user friendly right out of the box. Along with the user manual also comes a mini disk that when played will have you understanding all the features, time settings and adjustments. You will have your watch set and on your wrist in about 10 minutes. Also, if you lose this information you may go to Citizen's web page and pull up the same info on an interactive video.

The Echo Drive models have a power cell in them that is charged by available light so there is no battery change ever! The perpetual calendar allows you to set the watch once and then it recognizes short months along with leap years so there is no further adjustment for that. Also, there is a duel time zone feature. I use this for setting the second time zone to address the yearly time change of one hour. Doing this with the simple turn of the dial my watch snaps into Daylight savings time mode and then back with another turn when the time comes to go back. It just does not get easier than that.

The rotating bezel certainly may be used for more than just looks. One of the ways I use mine is when I plug a parking meter. I just rotate the bezel so my minute hand moving toward the marker allows me to quickly see when I need to be back at my car. The alarm function works but it is not very noticeable. I have two Seiko's that have a very audible and piercing sound. In this area I have to say Citizen could improve the watch. However, I do notice it if I am awake. I just don't know if it would wake me from a deep sleep.

The finish of the watch is very nice and the strap is very comfortable to wear. The watch while feeling very solid is not as heavy as you may would expect and it wears very nicely on the wrist. The watch is advertised as a "deep blue" face and that is an understatement. For all purposes except in direct sunlight it is black. This does not bother me at all because it looks great and again, in direct sunlight it does have a blue hew that looks good also. Besides great function and price another strong point on this watch is the luminosity of the hands and markers. With over 30 watches my Seiko's seem to have a lock on that area but this citizen comes in a very, very close second. After being outside all day I can read my watch all night long from my darkened bedroom.

Last but not least, this watch comes with a five year warranty and as I stated before, Citizen has great customer service.

I have just touched on the many features of this finely made watch and for you that do not like straps and would prefer a bracelet, Citizen offers the same watch on a bracelet as model number, BL5250-53L. It retails for $500, local price around $400, web price $300.

I rate this watch a solid 4 out of a possible 5 stars. I would have given it 4.5 if the alarm were more noticeable. I am very picky and I did not even rate my Rolex 5 stars. I highly recommend this watch and would but purchase it again. In fact, I did when I purchased one for my father in law. If this watch appeals to your eye buy it! Price, functions, ease of use, warranty, and customer service is just icing on the cake!

BJ7005-59E Citizen Nighthawk Black Watch

Citizen Nighthawk Black

Product Description
Large and in charge, the Citizen Nighthawk men's stainless steel pilot watch will add a soaring accent to business and casual wear. It includes a standard slide rule as well as a pilot's slide rule, which can be used for flying distance and other navigation calculations. The round black watch case has a brushed finished with a thin-edged bezel framing the black dial background, and it measures 42mm (1.65 inches) wide and 12mm (0.47 inches) deep. It's accented by large luminous white hands, thin white baton markers, and Arabic numerals at 6 and 12 o'clock. This watch is completed by a stainless steel link bracelet band with a black finish, which is joined by a push-button fold-over clasp with safety. Other features includes a dual-time function for tracking a second time zone, large date display at 3 o'clock, scratch resistant mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating, and water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet).

This watch is powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. With regular exposure to light, the Eco-Drive continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. This watch's Eco-Drive provides a 180-day power reserve, and it can be recharged with just 1.5 hours of exposure to light.

Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1550 in Watches
- Brand: Citizen
- Model: BJ7005-59E
- Band material: stainless-steel
- Bezel material: stainless-steel
- Case material: stainless-steel
- Clasp type: fold-over-push-button-with-safety-clasp
- Dial color: black
- Dial window material: Mineral
- Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
- Water-resistant to 330 feet

Features
- Movement - Solar Powered No Battery Required Quartz Movement
- Water Resistant - 200Meters(666Feet) Water Resistant
- Crystal - Mineral Crystal

Friday, July 4, 2008

Review : Citizen Skyhawk Eco-Drive Watch JR3060-59F Men's Chronograph


Citizen Skyhawk JR3060-59F Men's Chronograph

The Citizen JR3060-59F titanium flight chronograph digital/analog watch is made for the man who never knows what time zone he'll be in from one hour to the next. It's also powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. The fast-forward timekeeping features include time and calendar in twenty-two time zones, thirty cities, three world time alarms, a 99-minute countdown timer, one-touch interchangeable analog/digital time, and 1/100-second chronograph that measures up to 24 hours. The large round watch case features sleek, modern lines and a bi-directional rotating slide rule bezel. The black dial background features large silver-tone hands and Arabic numerals. It also features a durable, lightweight satin-finished titanium bracelet, water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet), and a scratch-resistant, non-reflective mineral crystal.

Titanium is nearly 50 percent lighter than steel, but 30 percent stronger. It's also particularly resistant to salt water corrosion.

Watch Information
Brand Name: Citizen
Model number: JR3060-59F
Part Number: JR306059F
Dial window material type: Mineral
Clasp: push-button-fold-over-clasp
Case material: Titanium
Case diameter: 46 millimeters
Case Thickness: 14 millimeters
Band material: Titanium
Band length: mens-standard
Band width: 24 millimeters
Dial color: black
Bezel material: Titanium
Bezel Function: Slide-rule
Calendar: Date
Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive
Water resistant depth: 330 Feet
Warranty Type: 5-yr manufacturer warranty

Customer Reviews
Great watch but not perfect
PROS -
- definitely recommend the titanium version. this is a big watch and steel could be heavy. worth the 40$ price diff.
- nice clean look (steel grey) goes with business and casual attire.
- the solar powered battery is great and charging works very well.
- Switching analog dial between time zones is real easy.
- Two alarms, timer, stop watch etc.

CONS:
- An annoying quirk is that you cannot set time zones that are in 1/2 hr intervals. eg: places in south asia, canada etc.
- the UTC dial is pretty much useless. and takes up space on the watch face.
- the time zones are coordinated together. eg: in Italy they have daylight savings a week earlier than the US. but if i set the italian time forward, the US time also sets forward.
- The analog dial CANNOT be set independently. It only follows the digital time set in one of the time zones.

In summary, the waqtch is nice, but some small changes could really make it perfect.

Review Citizen Eco-Drive Watch AT0100-51A Men Titanium



Product By : Citizen Watch Company

Watch Information

Brand Name: Citizen
Model number: AT0100-51A
Part Number: AT0100-51A
Dial window material type: Mineral
Clasp: safety-fold-over-clasp-with-push-button
Case material: Titanium
Case diameter: 45 millimeters
Case Thickness: 12 millimeters
Band material: Titanium
Band length: mens-standard
Band width: 20 millimeters
Dial color: grey
Bezel material: Titanium
Bezel Function: unidirectional
Calendar: day-and-date
Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive
Water resistant depth: 660 Feet
Warranty Type: 5-yr manufacturer warranty

Customer Reviews

nice solar powered watch for the price
By Herman

I just bought this watch last week from a different store after having reveiewed many different watch styles and brands. The key things I was looking for were: stainless steel or titanium, self winding or solar, water resistance to beyond 50m, durability, reliability and a strap that can adjust to fit my boney wrists.

I've checked out the Seiko kinetic watches, which I really liked the idea of. My father has also had one of these kinetic (aka self winding) watches for over 30 years without problems. But the only problem was that I could not find a Kinetic watch that, first of all, could be adjusted to my wrist, and secondly one that was also aesthetically pleasing for both the face and band.

I also looked at the Swiss Army brand, which look nice, are thin and handmade to "ensure" precision. But the kinetic one costs over $1k and the battery powered ones are already in the $400-500 range.

As a last resort, I also considered the Casio G-shock watch with the stainless steel band. The one thing that turned me away was that the sheer thickness of a G-Shock watch prevents it from being worn under a sleeve.

More about the Citizen:

The pictures don't do the watch any justice. First off, the titanium color portrayed in the picture is inaccurate. The actual color is a little darker and has a slightly dulled finish than stainless steel and is two-tone, but not in a bad way, such as a two-tone silver and gold watch. The narrow pieces of titanium that run parallel to each other on the band are of an unbrushed stainless steel color. The face is also noticibly lighter than the band, but matches well.

PROS:
* movement is made in Japan
* titanium is stronger and lighter than steel so the watch doesn't weigh nearly as much as a similar stainless steel watch
* titanium is hypoallergenic so people with allergic reactions to the nickel in stainless steel should be able to wear this without problems.
* the unit uses a lithium ion battery that is stated by the manufaturer to last a "lifetime"
* band is pretty easy to adjust, you can do it yourself if you have a small screwdriver or even a fine finishing nail if nothing else.
* the watch comes with a 3-year warranty if you buy it from an authorized retailer (some retailers through amazon are not authorized also known as grey market, and do not come with a manufacturer's warranty).
* the hands and the hour positions glow bright in the dark and also glow visibly in the light, though they are of a luminescent material and need to be charged (exposed to light) before glowing
* titanium does not corrode and does well in salt water
* release buttons for band make it very difficult for the watch to accidentally unhook and slide
* titanium supposedly does not retain heat well, so if you leave your arm out in the sun then accidentally roll over on it, you won't get scorched like with a stainless steel watch.


CONS:

* titanium scratches easily. I remember my stainless steel watch would also inccur scratches, but because it was brushed steel, it would hide them better. I already have a few very small scratches where different parts of the band have rubbed against each other creating a shinier spot amongs the dullness of the band.
* band is made in China
* glass is made of Mineral Crystal, not Sapphire Crystal, which is much stronger and more resilient to scratches.

WISHLIST:
* I wish the watch used Tritium which would illiminate the hands and the hours permanently (day or night) instead of the light charged luminescent material. Tritium is a radioactive material, however, it is naturally prevalent in the air and water and is not harmful to humans.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Citizen Watch Instruction Manuals

If you're looking for the Citizen watch instruction manual you can find here
http://www.citizenwatch.jp/support/guidhomee.htm
http://www.citizenwatches.com.au/instruction_manuals/

some model have video manual it very easy to understand.

The manual are group by caliber number, it is stamped on the case back of your watch.


Check the back of your watch to find your own calibre number

Instructions on how to find the calibre number on a watch

* calibre number = C050

Citizen Eco-Drive Watches!

These watches are truly unstoppable, they are powered by Citizen's unique ECO-DRIVE. I've encountered many people who are not aware that these watches do not require batteries, many customers walking in to our store are surprised to hear that these Eco-Drive watches are charged by light. And once they own one, they are thrilled.

So what is Eco-Drive and how does it work, for those who've never heard of Citizen's Eco-Drive, let's go over some important points: Eco-Drive watches absorb light, sunlight as well as artificial light to recharge the watch. This is done through the crystal and dial. When the watch is regularly exposed to light, it is continously recharging. Not to worry about those rainy days either! It has a 180 day power reserve. When the reserve depleats, it takes but four hours of ight exposure to be recharged.

But you don't have to wait for that final source of power to end before you start recharging, Eco-Drive has a great feature, a helpful and very important one which indicates when charge is low. This low charge warning causes the second hand to jump two seconds at a time but don't worry, it is still keeping the right time.

To recharge your Eco-Drive watch, simply place it in direct sunlight. You can also use fluorescent or incandescent lamp, the latter should be at least 22 inches away. There are a few NO-NOs, Never ever use halogen lamp, it will damage your watch. Also don't leave your Eco-Drive on a car's dash board or sitting in front of a window.

And there, a Citizen Eco Drive is a great watch, and I don't say that just because I sell them ;) I like that they will run continously in natural or artificial light for a lifetime without ever needing a trip to the jewelry store for battery! I also love my Citizen watches, because they are attractive pieces!

Why does my watch appear to have lost time, even though it is still running?

A second important feature, Time Reset Advisory, warns that the watch has stopped completely and then been exposed to enough light to start running again. The time shown would likely be incorrect and need to be reset after recharging the watch sufficiently. To indicate this warning, the sweep second hand movement alternates between two, one second jumps and a two second jump (hitch movement) with the following two exceptions: the Eco-Drive two hand models and the Eco-Drive Chronograph.

How long will my watch run after it is fully charged?

Your watch is designed to run continuously and will do so if it is regularly exposed to bright light. Your watch uses very little energy and that is easily replenished during normal use. If your watch is put away where no light is available to it while in a fully charged state, depending on the model, it will run for from 45 days to 5 years (for models with power save feature). Most models have a 180 day power reserve.

For Detail Check Here

How is energy stored in my Eco-Drive?

A special Eco-Drive energy storage cell is used to store the electricity from the converted light energy. The high quality of the cell precludes it from being affected from the regular charge/discharge cycle as with an ordinary battery. With normal care and exposure to light, the owner can be assured of a lifetime of reliable and trouble free power. As an added benefit to the environment, the energy cell contains none of the chemicals used in ordinary watch batteries.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

BL5250-02L Citizen Eco-Drive Watch Perpetual Calendar




Product Description
The Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar features a titanium case and deep blue dial. The timepiece features a 1/20 second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, 12/24 time, dual time, alarm, date indicator, and power saver function. Additional features include an inner calendar, which automatically adjusts to the proper date as well as leap years through the year 2100. Independent hour hand adjustment makes changing time zones simple and precise. The genuine leather strap features attractive white contrast stitching and buckle closure.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #65 in Watches
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: BL5250-02L
* Band material: Leather
* Bezel material: Titanium
* Case material: Titanium
* Clasp type: Buckle
* Dial color: blue-grey
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 660 feet

Features

* Movement - Eco-Drive 270
* Water Resistant - 200 Meters(660ft) Water Resistant
* Crystal - Anti-glare Scratch Resistant Mineral Crystal

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Watch!
I am what many would call a watch nut and own over 30 ranging from Timex to Rolex. For me to buy a watch there has to be "something there" for me to get excited about. At $240, this is one of the very best buys on a fantastic watch that you can find! I was so impressed with this watch I purchased a second one as a gift for my father in law who by the way, was very impressed with the watch himself.

Before getting into all the things I like about this watch I want to point out one of the other reviewers posted a problem with the buckle on his watch having some "points" on it that dug into his wrist and made the watch uncomfortable to wear. This must be a factory defect as this is not the case with either of the two that I purchased. While the watch strap is not usually covered by warranty I know from 1st hand experience that Citizen has a dedicated and friendly customer service department and I believe if he contacts them he will find a new strap coming to him rather quickly. Also as to the strap, I have been disappointed somewhat in the past when purchasing a watch and the strap that comes with it is not substantial in length. I have a 7.25 inch wrist and this has not caused me a problem but I would readily notice if someone had a larger wrist they would have to go out and purchase a new and larger strap to be able to wear their new watch. The strap that comes with this citizen will allow someone with a larger wrist than mine to be able to wear this watch with the strap that comes on it. This is very good as I believe the supplied strap is very handsome on this watch.

The BL5250-02L is a marvelous little piece of technology at a very good price! At a suggested retail of $400 I have routinely found the watch at local authorized dealers at around $300. My watch was purchased on line for $240 with free shipping and for an additional $5 you could have "next day" shipping.

This watch comes to you very user friendly right out of the box. Along with the user manual also comes a mini disk that when played will have you understanding all the features, time settings and adjustments. You will have your watch set and on your wrist in about 10 minutes. Also, if you lose this information you may go to Citizen's web page and pull up the same info on an interactive video.

The Echo Drive models have a power cell in them that is charged by available light so there is no battery change ever! The perpetual calendar allows you to set the watch once and then it recognizes short months along with leap years so there is no further adjustment for that. Also, there is a duel time zone feature. I use this for setting the second time zone to address the yearly time change of one hour. Doing this with the simple turn of the dial my watch snaps into Daylight savings time mode and then back with another turn when the time comes to go back. It just does not get easier than that.

The rotating bezel certainly may be used for more than just looks. One of the ways I use mine is when I plug a parking meter. I just rotate the bezel so my minute hand moving toward the marker allows me to quickly see when I need to be back at my car. The alarm function works but it is not very noticeable. I have two Seiko's that have a very audible and piercing sound. In this area I have to say Citizen could improve the watch. However, I do notice it if I am awake. I just don't know if it would wake me from a deep sleep.

The finish of the watch is very nice and the strap is very comfortable to wear. The watch while feeling very solid is not as heavy as you may would expect and it wears very nicely on the wrist. The watch is advertised as a "deep blue" face and that is an understatement. For all purposes except in direct sunlight it is black. This does not bother me at all because it looks great and again, in direct sunlight it does have a blue hew that looks good also. Besides great function and price another strong point on this watch is the luminosity of the hands and markers. With over 30 watches my Seiko's seem to have a lock on that area but this citizen comes in a very, very close second. After being outside all day I can read my watch all night long from my darkened bedroom.

Last but not least, this watch comes with a five year warranty and as I stated before, Citizen has great customer service.

I have just touched on the many features of this finely made watch and for you that do not like straps and would prefer a bracelet, Citizen offers the same watch on a bracelet as model number, BL5250-53L. It retails for $500, local price around $400, web price $300.

I rate this watch a solid 4 out of a possible 5 stars. I would have given it 4.5 if the alarm were more noticeable. I am very picky and I did not even rate my Rolex 5 stars. I highly recommend this watch and would but purchase it again. In fact, I did when I purchased one for my father in law. If this watch appeals to your eye buy it! Price, functions, ease of use, warranty, and customer service is just icing on the cake!

My first Citizen
I just bought my first Citizen. I love it.

This chronograph looks so nice. The shiny bezel and dark blue face makes it look so elegant. The leather band makes it look fancy and expensive.

The watch's chronograph is easy to use. There is an alarm function and a local time function. Setting the alarm can take a long time, because the hands have to swing around to the alarm time set previously. Setting the perpetual date can also take a few minutes as well. But it's fun to watch the hands spin around doing their thing.

The eco-drive recharges the watch daily. No more replacing batteries. The 200 meter water resistance means I can swim or snorkel with it.

I would prefer for Citizen to use a night light (like Timex's Indiglo).

I was worried about buying an expensive watch, because expensive things always gives me buyer's remorse. But I don't regret buying this watch one bit.

This is the best watch I've ever bought.

Nice watch
A nice watch on almost all aspects !!! The look for the leather strap gets better with time since its too shiny when you receive it. Sometimes, when you put your hand into your pocket and take it out the mode sometimes changes from time to alrm. Overall, I'd recommend it and say "Go for it".
Good on features, looks and usability.

AT0270-00E Citizen Eco-Drive Watch WR100 Chronograph




Product Description
Whether you are doing traveling by land or sea, this men's Eco-Drive timepiece is perfect for the occasion. From the stainless steel case and black rubber strap to the 1 second chronograph and 12/24 hour time, this sporty timepiece is superb for your wrist. Additional features include date indicator, water resistant to 100 meters, luminous hands and bold numerals and screw-back case.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #3364 in Watches
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: AT0270-00E
* Band material: rubber-band
* Bezel material: stainless-steel
* Case material: stainless-steel
* Clasp type: Buckle
* Dial color: black;
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 100 meters

Features

* Citizen Eco-Drive 180 WR100 Chronograph Collection
* Case Diameter - 44 MM

Customer Reviews

Just look at it!, it's speaks for itself
I bought this watch on looks alone, I have never owned a Citizen, but I was not disappointed. I own several watches, from Hugo Boss,Gucci,Esq, but this Citizen is my favorite. You can wear it for any occasion. Highly recommended!

Nice looking watch, works great!
My bf loves it, and so do I! It's a nice looking watch, if you don't mind the strap. The material looks a little bit like a tire, but it goes together with the overall look of the watch. Accurate and lighted weight. Highly recommended!

love it!
I love the look of this watch, and the fact that it is solar-powered. Haven't seen anyone else with it - I like that it's a bit unique. It's just what I was looking for.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

EG2344-51A Citizen Eco-Drive Silhouette

EG2344-51A

Product Description

Quartz movement, Dress watch, Solar powered by Eco-Drive, Gold-tone hands, numbers and indexes, Polished gold-tone stainless steel bezel liner and crown, Stainless steel case and caseback, Water resistant

Add a classic look to any ensemble with the two-tone Citizen Eco-Drive Silhouette stainless steel women's watch, which is highlighted by a beautifully lustrous white dial background with horizontal patterning for added texture. Measuring approximately 0.6 inches wide, this slender timepiece offers a decidedly feminine profile. It features a highly polished silver watch case as well as tiny, silver Dauphine hands and thin stick dial markers. It's further accented by a gold outlined bezel. The stainless steel bracelet band shines with its intermingled silver and gold-tone polished links. Other features include a push-button jewelry clasp, water resistance to 30 meters (100 feet), and a scratch resistant mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating.

This watch is powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. With regular exposure to light, the Eco-Drive continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. This watch's Eco-Drive provides a 240-day power reserve, and it can be recharged with just 3 hours of exposure to light.

Product Details
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: EG2344-51A
* Band material: two-tone-stainless-steel
* Bezel material: two-tone-stainless-steel
* Case material: two-tone-stainless-steel
* Clasp type: jewelry-clasp-with-push-button
* Dial color: white
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 10 feet

Customer Reviews

Eco drive ladies watch
Very well made ladies watch with good eye appeal. Looks very smart on my wifes wrist. Very pleased with the purchase.

Great Looking Watch
This is a beautiful watch, my wife loves the fact that it is solar powered, no batteries to replace. I was hesitant about the size of the band, but it is easy to remove links as needed, just go to their web site for directions. I didn't have a special tool for this so I placed the band over a small hole on a bench to push the pins through.

One great watch
I had purchased an Eco-drive watch for my husband about a year ago, and I decided that I would like one as well. For a solar watch they are very nice looking and we have not had one issue with either of them. We only received compliments.

Monday, June 16, 2008

What is Sapphire Crystal Glass?


Sapphire Crystal - the most hardest oxide crystal,which is the basic crystal morphology of alumina (Al2O3) . It posseses the characters of high strength, high hardness, high heat-resistance, wearability, corrosion resistance and light transmittance performance,which is the preferred watch glass material for the luxury watches.

When it is heated, the synthetic sapphire forms round masses that are sliced into pieces with diamond-coated saws. These disks are then ground and polished into watch crystals. (One reason sapphire crystals are relatively expensive is that the tools required to make them are costly.)

Sapphire (whether natural or synthetic) is one of the hardest substances on earth. It measures 9 on the Mohs scale, which is a system for rating the relative hardness of various materials. (Diamond measures 10, the highest rating.) Watch crystals made of synthetic sapphire are often marketed as "scratch resistant", meaning they are very difficult - but not impossible - to scratch. Diamond can scratch them; so can man-made materials that incorporate silicon carbide, with, with a Mohs rating of between 9 and 10, is, like diamond, harder than sapphire. These materials are sometimes used to make simulated-stone surfaces for furniture or walls. The watch wearer should note that accidentally scraping a sapphire crystal against such a surface could cause a scratch.

BT0001-63E Citizen Eco-Drive Twin Date E310



Product Details

* Brand: Citizen
* Model: BT0000-58L
* Band material: stainless-steel
* Bezel material: stainless-steel
* Case material: stainless-steel
* Clasp type: fold-over-clasp-with-double-push-button-safety
* Dial color: Blue
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 330 feet

Features

* Blue Dial
* Perpetual Calendar
* Twin Date Display
* 12/24 Hour Time
* 100-meter Water-Resistant

Customer Reviews

Great Watch... Great Fit
I had been on the market for a little while trying to find a nice casual/dressy watch. I was all over the place looking at Seiko, Bulova, and Invicta, as well as many other brands, but kept coming back to Citizen.

The look and feel of this watch is great. Just enough weight to it to be comfortable. The selling point for me on this watch was that the simple functions yet had the look of a complicated watch. Looks like a chronograph at a quick glance but only has the 24hr clock and the seconds on the small dials. The date Is nice and large and I am excited about the perpetual-calendar and not having to adjust the thing every time Feb roles around (i know, silly to think that it takes such little time to change the date on most watches, but this has just a cool factor to it).

The dial has a nice size to is.

Another plus on this watch was the band. Nice two tone look and a nice size as well. I am not a small guy and often have problems finding watches that are large enough without having to send them out or wait on extra links to arrive. The width is nice and comfortable which doesn't impede hand movement. The clasp is nice and easy to operate and feels pretty secure.

I can't wear watches where I work, or at least nice ones with the risk of being beaten to death and horribly scratched so the Eco-drive was a nice choice over one that was automatic. In order for me to have had an automatic watch, i would have had to purchase one of the watch winders that keep the thing running when i wasn't wearing it. With the eco drive, the watch has a pretty good shelf life as far as charge goes and can be left out on you dresser to absorb light and stay charged while not wearing it.

I love this watch
this watch was a gift from my wife. it is an awesome time piece. it keeps precise time. it feels good on my wrist. and so far every where I go, I get compliments on it. It is just luxurious enough to go with any suit I own, and sporty enough to hang out with a pair of jeans. And looks great any where in between. I own a few other fancy watches and sport watches, and this is by far my favorite. And since I am at the age of needing reading glasses, with the large dial, hands and date, it is very easy to read. Setting the perpetual calendar was a bit confusing at first, but ended up being simple enough.
I hope to never have to, but I would buy another one if I had to.

EG2380-57E Citizen Eco-Drive Silhouette Bangle Watch



EG2380-57E Citizen Eco-Drive Silhouette Bangle Watch


Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #1818 in Watches
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: EG2380-57E
* Band material: stainless-steel
* Bezel material: stainless-steel
* Case material: stainless-steel
* Clasp type: jewelry-clasp
* Dial color: black
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 10 feet


Product Description
Add a graceful complement to your most stylish couture with the silver-tone Citizen Eco-Drive Silhouette Bangle stainless steel women's watch. This thin profile watch will sit demurely and lightly on your wrist, and it features Swarovski crystals encrusted into the rectangular bezel as well as the bangle-style band. It has a spare black dial that's accented by thin silver stick half-hour markers and tiny hands. Other features include a jewelry clasp, water resistance to 30 meters (100 feet), and a scratch resistant mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating.

This watch is powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. With regular exposure to light, the Eco-Drive continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. This watch's Eco-Drive provides a 240-day power reserve, and it can be recharged with just 3 hours of exposure to light.

Customer Reviews

Elegant Watch for a Reasonable Price
I just bought this watch and I am quite happy with it. It has a nice look and feel to it, without breaking the bank. I highly recommend this watch and this brand. This is my second Citizen Eco Drive watch.

very beautiful bracelet
This watch is more an expensive bracelet then a quality watch. Being a citizen eco drive and a beautiful bracelet in one and the same product and also at such a reasonable price is the best deal. Recommended for every beautiful women. it is very attractive. i love this watch

GREAT BUY ... I recommend it for everyone
I love it. I bought it as a gift for my fiance and it's perfect. I just love it.

BM6060-57F Citizen Eco-Drive Titanium Bracelet Watch WR100




Product Description

Quartz movement, Dress watch, Luminous hands, markers and numbers, Solar powered by Eco-Drive, Analog date display, Brushed titanium bezel, Polished titanium case sides and crown, Brushed titanium bezel and screw-in caseback, Mineral crystal, 100 meters/330 feet water resistant

Classic styling at its' best. From the smooth, titanium case and bracelet to the date indicator, this Eco-Drive timepiece is the perfect everyday watch. Additional features include a date indicator, three-hand function, water resistant to 100 meters and fold over clasp with push button.


Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #847 in Watches
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: BM6060-57F
* Band material: Titanium
* Bezel material: Titanium
* Case material: Titanium
* Clasp type: push-button-fold-over-clasp
* Dial color: black;
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 100 meters


Customer Reviews

Excellent Watch
This is an excellent watch. Looks great and keeps good time. It does not have any sort of back lighting so it might be hard to see at night but the hands glow so that helps a lot. I like the fact that I don't have to worry about changing batteries with this thing.

AWESOME WATCH
5 PLUS STARS.THIS WATCH LOOKS GREAT,KEEPS ACCURATE TIME,IT IS TOUGHER THAN NAILS.THE CASE APPEARS TO HAVE A BIT OF A WORN APPEARANCE TO IT WHICH IS CHARACTERISTIC OF TITANIUM JEWELRY,KIND OF AN OLDER LOOK.I SOLD ONE TO SOMEONE AND THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE METAL PROPERTIES OF TITANIUM AND GAVE ME A BAD RATING,BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE THESE WATCHES WILL LOOK THE SAME TEN YEARS FROM NOW AS THEY DO WHEN PURCHASED BRAND NEW.

Classic, not overly-fussy watch. Value is in the price/performance
I bought this watch at Sears during a black-Friday sale, and got a good price on it, and I am very happy with the watch. The picture doesn't the watch justice. The watch has a very restrained, uncluttered, two-tone look with a nice contrast between the gray, brushed titanium and the polished titanium, and the integrated watch band gives the watch a rich appearance.

Previous reviewers have said that you can see the solar cell behind the face. I cannot. I agree with whoever it is that said that the calendar window is too small. I can read it, but I would be willing to bet that many can't. As for the fragility of the formed (hollow) links, I can not tell if they are formed or not, but they appear to hold up up well, without scratches or dents. If they make the watch even lighter than it is or otherwise would be, then I'm not complaining.

I have relatively small wrists, the jeweler had to take out three links, but I don't find the watch-face too large or 'clunky looking.' Over-all, I love the watch and I think it looks elegant and rich.

BM8180-03E Citizen Eco-Drive Canvas Strap Watch


Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #28 in Watches
* Brand: Citizen
* Model: BM8180-03E
* Band material: Cloth
* Bezel material: stainless-steel
* Case material: stainless-steel
* Clasp type: Buckle
* Dial color: black
* Dial window material: Mineral
* Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
* Water-resistant to 330 feet

Features

* Movement - Eco-Drive
* Water Resistant - 100Meters(333 Feet) Water Resistant
* Crystal - Scratch Resistant Mineral Crystal

Customer Reviews

Love my Citizen Eco-Drive #BM8180-03E
I love this watch. I bought it based on internet research only, never saw one in person before. It looks a lot better live than in the pictures. It's got a great weight and feel to it, even if the crown is a tad bit protruding, although the fine polish makes it seem less so than the pictures. Adjusting the time, day & date is very straight forward. The band is darker than all the pictures I saw, for which I'm glad, and it's comfortable and tough looking. So far no mechanical defaults whatsoever. My only real complaint about this sharp, well-made watch is that the seconds hand does not align with the minute markers on the face. Even so, I'm very satisfied with this watch.

Excellent Watch for Classic Casual
This has absolutely everything I was looking for in a casual watch. It has a timeless - classic look. You can wear it in the pool/shower. It has the day/date function. It's not a "fat" watch (width or depth).

Of course, it's also an Eco-Drive (my third). No idea why I find this power source so cool - but I definitely do! I've read quite a bit about the wrist band in reviews. Frankly, I tried to live with it, but even though it's made of quality stuff, I couldn't live with the over-sized metal eyelets - looks WAY too 70s for me. I replaced with a black leather/nylon field wristband (Speidel) from Walmart that looks & feels outstanding.

Holy cow, did I really only pay $81 for this beauty? That's a Timex/Casio plastic price for a really nice casual watch.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Citizen Eco-Drive TV Commercial



Citizen Eco-Drive technology never needs a battery change and will run forever.


Skyhawk JY0010-50E Citizen Eco-Drive Titanium Watch



Skyhawk JY0010-50E Citizen Eco-Drive Titanium Watch
By Citizen Watch



Product Description

NEW CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE TITANIUM SKYHAWK AT

The new, fully loaded 3rd generation Skyhawk redefines atomic timekeeping with radio controlled accuracy and Eco-Drive technology. Radio signals are received both automatically and on-demand by the fully loaded Skyhawk A-T. . . . . Atomic Timekeeping with Radio Accuracy . . Eco-Drive Technology (Solar Powered so you never have to change a battery) . . World Time for 43 Cities . . 2 Alarms . . 24 Hour 1/100 Second Chronograph . . Perpetual Calendar to the year 2100 . . Analog/Digital Displays . . 99 Minute Countdown Timer with Alarm . . Water Resistant to 200 Meters (660 Feet) . . 3-Day Low Charge Warning (Will notify you 3 Days before the watch completely stops) . . 180 Day Power Reserve when Fully Charged (Approximately 2.5 Years with Power Save Function - 150 Hours to fully charge in average lighting) . . Power Save Function . . Power Reserve Indicator . . Titanium Case and Bracelet . . Fold-Over Clasp with Double Hidden Push Button Release . . 45mm Case Width without Crown (Approximately 1 3/4") .

REVIEW

Excellent Watch-Extensive Features

I have had several Citizen Eco-Drive watches. This is the best one yet because of the addition of being able to syncronize with the atomic clock, along with having a Eco-drive light powered battery.

AS far as I can tell, my watch is sycronizing with the atomic clock automatically each night--because when I compare times to my atomic clock table radio, they are both in perfect sync. I have manually synced several times and have experienced no problems in my Southern Cal location.

The watch has a lot of capabilities, sone of which I find valuable and some not:
Valuable--99 hour timer and chronometer, digital display, different time zones, and the UTC time
Less valuable to me--24 hour clock (I can usually tell if it AM or PM by looking through the window),the alarms (you almost have to be awake and have the watch next to your ear to hear them) and the dial "computer" (looks pretty complicated).

Setting up the watch and using the tools is fairly complex but generally intuitive. The UTC pointer is pretty hard to see when the need to align all hands to the upright position is required. Switching time zones is not too hard, but unless you have a good memory, you will want to have the instructions close.

The face is huge and you look like you are wearing a computer--I wear mind with the face inside, so passers by usually only see the back of the band.

The titanium is fairly light but I would guess that the steel version could be a bit on the heavy side.

The luminosity looks the same as any other watch--it would really be nice if it had teaser luminosity, like the Luminox.

The crystal is mineral but not sapphire--but I ultimetly manage to scratch any kind of crystal, anyway.

The band is a single clasp unlike the double clasp that I had on my previous Eco-drives. However, I used a single clasp Rolex for many years and never experienced any problems--so probably not a big deal.

If this watch has the features you want, this is the watch you can just put on and never take off.

It's not cheap.

I personally love it!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Citizen Eco-Drive Aqualand Titanium Watch BJ2060-58E

Citizen Eco-Drive Men's Aqualand Titanium Watch #BJ2060-58E

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #10194 in Watches
  • Brand: Citizen
  • Model: BJ2060-58E
  • Band material: Titanium
  • Bezel material: Titanium
  • Case material: Titanium
  • Clasp type: fold-over-clasp-with-double-push-button-safety
  • Dial color: black
  • Dial window material: Mineral
  • Movement type: Citizen Eco-Drive
  • Water-resistant to 660 feet

Features

  • Movement - Solar Powered No Battery Required Quartz Movement
  • Water Resistant - 200 Meters(666ft) Water Resistant
  • Crystal - Scratch Resistant Mineral Crystal
Product Description
The Citizen Eco-Drive Aqualand titanium men's chronograph watch will make a powerful statement when worn with both business and casual dress, but it's made to take the punishment of deep-water diving with its 200 meter (660 foot) water resistance. It also features a depth sensor that provides an accurate reading to 125 feet and will also record your maximum depth into memory. The large, round watch case and bracelet band are both made from solid titanium, which is nearly 50 percent lighter than steel, but 30 percent stronger. It's also particularly resistant to salt water corrosion, as well as hypo-allergenic--perfect for those with metal allergies.

This watch has a large, round silver stainless steel watch case--which measures 52mm (2.1 inches) wide including the crown and 15mm (0.6 inches) deep--that's topped by a unidirectional rotating bezel with black engraved elapsed time markings. The black dial background features three subdials (for the 50-minute chronograph, 24-hour display, and seconds), large luminous dial markers, luminous white-tipped hands (with red seconds hand). Other features include a large date display at 3 o'clock, scratch resistant mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating, and screw-back case, screw-down crown.

This watch is powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. With regular exposure to light, the Eco-Drive continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. This watch's Eco-Drive provides a 60-day power reserve, and it can be recharged with just 2 hours of exposure to light.

Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 2100 AV0031-59A




Product Specifications
Watch Information
Brand Name:Citizen
Model number:AV0031-59A
Part Number:AV0031-59A
Dial window material type:Mineral
Clasp:fold-over-clasp-with-safety
Case material:stainless-steel
Case diameter:46 millimeters
Case Thickness:15 millimeters
Band material:stainless-steel
Band length:mens-standard
Band width:23 millimeters
Dial color:white
Bezel material:stainless-steel
Bezel Function:Tachometer
Calendar:Date
Movement:Citizen Eco-Drive
Water resistant depth:660 Feet
Warranty Type:5-yr manufacturer warranty

Product Features
  • 1/5 Second Chronograph Measures up to 12 Hours
  • White Dial
  • Alarm and Date
  • 200-Meter Water-Resistant
  • Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet
Customer Reviews

By Eric Townsend "Eric Townsend"
My favorite watch!
I am a collector of watches, to my wife's dismay... But, this is a beautiful watch that I am very proud to own. This is my third Citizen watch (among many others), but my favorite of the bunch. It is a bit on the thick & heavy side, but that is what I was looking for; something with substance. The luminescent hands are very bright and long lasting. The watch takes a good amount of sunlight to fully charge, but even in a partially charged state, it works just fine. Once fully charged, it rarely, if ever moves off of the fully charged indicator.
I have the stainless steel band and it has proved to be durable and attractive. The titanium is tougher but has a satin finish rather than a glossy finish.
I tend to be hard on my crystals and so far, so good. This one has a flat, hardened crystal and looks great.
Get this one, you will love it! Amazon has a great price on it and Citizen stands behind their products.

By Thoreau Russ
A nice looking watch
I had looked at this watch at neighborhood stores and liked it as soon as I saw it. Its a large watch, which I was looking for.I debated with myself for some time trying to decide if I should get the one with the black face or the one with the light face. Since I have a nice seiko chronograph with a black face, I decide to go for the other one. These are the things that I don't like about the watch. Its very hard to see the hands on the watch.Its actually a little difficult to tell time as the hands blend into the face. Maybe its my eyes, but its difficult to see the date.I think that could have been larger or magnified. I also wish it had a day setting. Setting the date at the end of each month is also a pain. In spite of all this, I still like wearing the watch. I like the weight and and feel of the watch. Although, maybe the model with the black face would have been a better choice.

Eco-Drive Frequently Asked Questions?

How can you tell if the Eco-Drive watch is getting enough light? In normal use, the watch displays the time and the sweep-second hand moves in one second intervals. A very important feature of Eco-Drive is the Low Charge Warning Mode which as a result of low battery voltage, causes the second hand to jump two seconds at a time (while still keeping correct time).

How long will an Eco-Drive watch run after it is fully charged?
If your watch is put away where no light is available to it while in a fully charged state, depending on the model, it will run for from 45 days to 5 years.

How can the Eco-Drive watch be recharged?
Besides sunlight, it can be safely charged by exposing it to a fluorescent desk lamp, with the dial (face) up and within about 8 inches or an incandescent lamp (regular light bulb) no closer than 20 inches. Never use a halogen lamp since the heat generated by it can cause damage to your watch. The most efficient and the quickest is in direct bright sunlight (not windowsill) and never on the dashboard of a car.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

CITIZEN PROMASTER CYBER AQUALAND


Citizen's new PC-compatible dive computer watch allows easy management of dive data and customized settings via a PC.

PROMASTER CYBER AQUALAND
is a dive computer watch capable of two-way communication with a PC, permitting analysis of dive data and customization of settings via a PC. It combines the features of a diver's watch (such as depth sensor, thermometer, water resistance to 200m and high-visibility EL backlighting) with the functions of a dive computer (including calculation of residual nitrogen in the body and calculation of no-fly time), all in a watch-sized format.

Two-way data transfer between CYBER AQUALAND and a PC is possible via a wireless infrared link or using a special communication unit with USB cable.

Depth, temperature and other diving log data, also dive profile data, are measured and recorded during a dive. The data can then be transferred to a PC after the dive is completed.

Furthermore, it is possible to set alarm sounds, individual dive alarms, world time (inputting the name of any city), time to destination, and other functions from a PC. Information can also be displayed as a BMP file (e.g. for illustrations) on CYBER AQUALAND 's full-dot LCD.

Thanks to its infrared data port, CYBER AQUALAND can communicate with other CYBER AQUALAND models, too. This feature can be used to synchronize time and alarm settings, set dive alarms and commemorative dates such as birthdays.

Citizen Eco-Drive Aqualand Watch

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Citizen Eco-Drive Aqualand

Citizen Eco-Drive Black Skyhawk JR3155-54E



The Black Eagle is a dramatic new addition to the famed Citizen Skyhawk Collection of professional pilot's watches. Only the Skyhawk's have Citizen's amazing ECO-DRIVE technology that allows the watch to operate virtually forever without ever changing a battery! The Black Eagle runs on the power of light!! A few hours of light from any source (indoors or out) will keep the watch running for many months.

JR3155-54E The exciting new Black Eagle is Black Ion Plated for a tough black finish over stainless steel. And the Black Eagle has a slightly smaller diameter (42.5 millimeters) than the other watches in the Skyhawk series, an often requested feature. Although it is still a large watch, it is more comfortable to wear.

The Skyhawk is the world's most advanced flight chronograph. The watches have WORLD TIME at the simple touch of a button. Thirty different cities are preprogrammed in 22 world time zones. Plus there are three different world time alarms. And the chronograph is accurate to 1/100th of a second. Naturally the watch has the pilot's rotating slide rule bezel. In short, it's everything a pilot could possible want!


Citizen Black Eagle Skyhawk Technology

WATCH FEATURES:
o New! White on Black Reversed LCD Digital Display is easier to read
o Time and Calendar in 22 Time Zones (30 Cities)
o Three World Time Alarms
o 1/100 Second Chronograph Measures up to 24 Hours
o 99 Minute Countdown Timer
o One-Touch Interchangeable Analog/Digital Times
o Day and Date Display

CASE AND BRACELET FEATURES:
o Black Ion Plated Stainless Steel (tough & durable midnight black case color)
o Rotating Pilot's Slide Rule Bezel
o Non-Reflective Hardened Mineral Glass Crystal
o Screw Back Case
o Water Resistant to 100 Meters (330 feet)
o Three Fold Safety Clasp (on both Steel Bracelet and Polyurethane Strap)

ECO-DRIVE TECHNOLOGY:
o 4 Year Power Reserve
o Recharges in Any Light
o Time Reset Advisory
o Low Charge Indicator Window
o Power Saver Function

DIMENSIONS:
o Width 42.5 millimeters (45 millimeters with crown)
o Depth (thickness) 14.5 millimeters

Monday, June 2, 2008

Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 Watch Collection






More than just pretty face, the Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 stainless steel men's watch also has a perpetual calendar that automatically adjusts for odd and even months and leap years through 2100. It features a perfectly round silver-tone stainless steel watch case and bezel that's complemented by a supple black leather strap with crocodile-like texturing.

The silvery white dial background is accented by day-of-the-week and 24-hour subdials, as well as a mode subdial that displays the selected function (local time, calendar, alarm). It also offers luminous, black-outlined hands (with seconds hand), a date function at 4 o'clock, and Roman numeral dial markers. Other features includes a dual-time function for tracking a second time zone, scratch resistant mineral crystal with anti-reflective coating, and water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet).

This watch is powered by Citizen's unique Eco-Drive, which absorbs sunlight and any artificial light through the crystal and dial to recharge the watch continuously. With regular exposure to light, the Eco-Drive continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. This watch's Eco-Drive provides a 180-day power reserve, and it can be recharged with just 4 hours of exposure to light.

Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 Watch Collection

[Review] Citizen Skyhawk Chronograph Titanium Watch Y0010-50E






Customer Reviews

I have had several Citizen Eco-Drive watches. This is the best one yet because of the addition of being able to syncronize with the atomic clock, along with having a Eco-drive light powered battery.

AS far as I can tell, my watch is sycronizing with the atomic clock automatically each night--because when I compare times to my atomic clock table radio, they are both in perfect sync. I have manually synced several times and have experienced no problems in my Southern Cal location.

The watch has a lot of capabilities, sone of which I find valuable and some not:
Valuable--99 hour timer and chronometer, digital display, different time zones, and the UTC time
Less valuable to me--24 hour clock (I can usually tell if it AM or PM by looking through the window),the alarms (you almost have to be awake and have the watch next to your ear to hear them) and the dial "computer" (looks pretty complicated).

Setting up the watch and using the tools is fairly complex but generally intuitive. The UTC pointer is pretty hard to see when the need to align all hands to the upright position is required. Switching time zones is not too hard, but unless you have a good memory, you will want to have the instructions close.

The face is huge and you look like you are wearing a computer--I wear mind with the face inside, so passers by usually only see the back of the band.

The titanium is fairly light but I would guess that the steel version could be a bit on the heavy side.

The luminosity looks the same as any other watch--it would really be nice if it had teaser luminosity, like the Luminox.

The crystal is mineral but not sapphire--but I ultimetly manage to scratch any kind of crystal, anyway.

The band is a single clasp unlike the double clasp that I had on my previous Eco-drives. However, I used a single clasp Rolex for many years and never experienced any problems--so probably not a big deal.

If this watch has the features you want, this is the watch you can just put on and never take off.

It's not cheap.

I personally love it!

Citizen Skyhawk AT JY0010-50E Titanium