Citizen Men's BL5250-02L Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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 itagain. 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!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Citizen Men's BL5250-02L Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 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.

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Citizen Men's BJ7000-52E Eco-Drive Nighthawk Stainless Steel Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Sweet watch, I've been wearing mine for 4 months.

I'm an Environmental Engineering Student and I also currently own an Omega Speedmaster ($2100 graduation gift long ago) and a Titanium Pro-Trek Casio Triple Sensor Watch (Compass, Altimeter & Temperature $295.00) that I used for my previous job as an outdoors wilderness instructor.

Both those watches are extreme (the Casio being too rugged, big and bulky the Omega being very freaking expensive) for everyday use and wanted something that suited my keen personality, short budget and modern taste.

I never liked anything in terms of jewelry or watches from department stores or malls, but when I walked into MACY's during Christmas shopping last december at the local mall I saw these Eco-Drive watches for the first time.

It has always been my opinion that Citizen makesvery old fashioned timepieces, yet the Nighthawk Eco-Drive is very different and far more classy than any other Citizen watch on the shelf. Some of the other newer Eco-Drive watches also look edgy and fresher. But the nighthawk captures a boldness with it's appearancethat is very timeless. Needless to say, I tried it on and was sold.

The features are amazing, apart from all the other "timekeeping-based and solar powered-based features you can read about everywhere else on the internet, the Nighthawk also has a multi-functional Slide Rule. This is not really praised or mentioned anywhere else so I will tell you what it is, what it does and why it makes owning this watch very cool!

With the slide rule you can calculate your car's fuel consumption, average speed/velocity and the time you will arrive at your destination, you can also multiply and divide numbers, calculate ratio's into percentages, integers and decimals, covert liters to gallons, pounds to kilograms as well as other metric conversions. The slide rule also performs a few more complicated calculations that involve airplanes and nautical vessels that are beyond my understanding.

At any rate, these calculations can be done by simply rotating the NightHawk's bezel and matching specific arrows at certain points along the dial. (If you don't believe me, you can download the Nighhawk's PDF manual and read up on it for yourself.)

In fact, it is easier than using a calculator and clears up the big mystery of what people used before computers and electronic calculators were invented; they used the "Slide Rule".

Being a grad student, I've read about the slide rules in a variety of classes but I never thought that I would own one on my next watch. I also would have never guessed that the slide rule is so efficient and easier to use than the graphics calculators we use in school.

The only negatives cocerning the Slide Rule feature on the NightHawk are the numbers on the slide rule dial are small and angled inwards so that they are tricky to read without tilting the watch around to get a good view of the numbers. Also the slide rule only approximates and produces whole numbers for some of the more advanced calculations. Overall, I found that the useful geek-features, outdoorsman durability, everyday comfort and eco-friendliness to be well synthesized in the classy steel body of the Nighthawk Eco-Drive.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Citizen Men's BJ7000-52E Eco-Drive Nighthawk Stainless Steel Watch

Product Description:
A serious timepiece for the serious watch collector, the Citizen BJ7000-52E stainless steel men's watch offers powerful timekeeping functions for your favorite aeronaut. The large round watch case measures approximately 43mm in diameter. It has a thin silver bezel the houses a black dial with a pilot's inner rotating slide rule bezel, which is operated by the secondary crown at 8 o'clock. It has large luminous hands and markers for readability and low-light visibility and dual time (GMT) capability. The triple link bracelet band is composed of brushed silver stainless steel pieces, and it's joined by a push-button folding safety clasp. Other features include a water resistance to 660 feet (200 meters), low-charge indicator window, power saver function, and a scratch-resistant, non-reflective mineral crystal.

Summary of Features:

Pilot's slide rule inner chapter ring operated by crown at 8 o'clock position
Non-reflective mineral crystal
Large luminous markers for easy readability
Dual time

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Citizen Men's BN0000-04H Eco-Drive Professional Diver Black Rubber Strap Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:

Citizen's BN0000-04H has something unique. It may not carry the weight of a TAG Heuer, Omega, Rolex, or other sport-dive watch (in cold hard $, "prestige", or actual literal heaviness for sure), but it really has charm.

With this watch you get the superior time-keeping qualities of a high-grade japanese quartz movement (quartz always runs on a battery - yes, there is a specially-engineered titanium-manganese battery in there) but without the need for any battery change, ever (at least 20 years by Citizen engineers' estimates). This movement blows automatics out of the water in time-keeping. It doesn't have the fluid sweep of an automatic's second hand (it ticks in 1-second intervals), but for me keeping time is what counts in a watch, right?

This is a set-it-and-forget-it watch. It will keep on trucking about 6-months in total darkness from a full charge. And if it does stop, it'll come out of it to full accurate time-keeping with just 15 minutes in the summer sunshine. It will run a whole 24 hour time-cycle with only 4 minutes of light exposure. Eco-Drive is the new deal in watch movement. [EDIT: Not to mention the battery inside is specially made non-toxic. It's a green machine.]

As to its pedigree, it's a real ISO-rated dive watch. There's an easy way to tell with Citizens: if there's an M after the depth rating on the face, it's ISO-rated. This isn't just my theory, this is from Citizen's own product info. This watch wants to see dive time.

The watch face, which some call cramped, feels to me like looking through a porthole in a submarine or something. It's a little deep. I can tell the time just fine. The hour dots are legible in all kinds of light situations. The lume is about as good as Seiko's lumibrite, which is to say, pretty darn good. But it's no Luminox to be sure. [EDIT: The lume, in my tests, lasts well over a 12 hour cycle in total darkness from just 15 seconds of direct charging with a flashlight. Don't think it's bright at all after those 12 hours, though. But it does have a really nice greenish glow when charged.]

The mineral-crystal is domed, but you can see the time even at a pretty sharp angle. I like the dome, goes with the porthole feel. The face also bears a really nicely done little pyramid-shaped grid pattern. That might be the solar cell, but either way, it's beautiful the way it picks up light.

With the hands, some say they're "phallic" but I think they look more like lit candles. Haven't seen hands like them anywhere, and I get bored with all the pointed-arrow and straight-line designs. And they're nice, fat and visible in the dark. Furthermore, everything's outlined in chrome. Has the look of quality engineering.

[EDIT: The second hand lines up almost perfect with the little markers on the beveled inside edge. It's perfect, spot-on precise 50-59 seconds out of a minute on mine, but it isn't perfect every single time. And it varies from minute to minute which 1-10 markers it misses (but it always nails 30-60 for some reason). You'd never notice, however, unless you put the watch right up to your face and stare at it like a crazy person like I did before writing this. That's a very small amount of play in the movement, and for this price, is impressive. You get the same movement in even the more expensive Eco-Drive divers, by the way (for example, the one with the bright blue face, and the famed "Eco-Zilla"). The minute and hour hands, however, are exact on this, every time.]

As to the date window, I like it small. Generally I know what day it is. I don't need that information taking up half of my watch face. But I even like the font used on it. Looks like it could be used on a Navy decompression table.

The bezel is 60-clicks, compared with Seiko's 120, so it feels a little rough. But I like having it at 60. It's more precise. I'm not going to need to time a half-minute of anything with the rotating bezel, ever. [EDIT: I make perfect pasta by using the bezel, by the way. Impresses the girlfriend. Thumbs up here. Also times parking meters. No more tickets for me. Furthermore, the bezel "breaks-in" after a little while and the spring doesn't feel so choppy.]

The band is really soft. It's not hard or stiff, like others say. It feels like high-grade dive rubber. But I have smaller wrists, it could press into some bigger guys'. The watch looks great on smaller wrists, by the way, due to it's smaller size. Doesn't make me look like a wuss. Big plus there. [EDIT: And due to the friction grid-pattern on the back of the band, it doesn't move around on the wrist at all. It's planted on there now.]

And did I mention the case IS ONE SOLID PIECE OF STAINLESS STEEL? I can't get over that. I haven't seen that on any watch in any price-range. [EDIT: The case is specially cast in a mold from molten steel, not machined.] Just cool. Citizen is so confident in their engineering, they make it that much harder to open. And for water to get in, remember, 300M = 1,000 ft.

Cons:

The screw-down crown. Don't get me wrong, it has a quality feel (doesn't wobble when pulled out) and does it's job. But I'm not going to lie, it's hard to get it screwed down and hard to get it unscrewed because of the steel lip that surrounds it. Seiko's design on the classic SKX007K, for example, is better. However, remember that quartz movement? You'll only need to unscrew that crown about 5 times a year, to set the date for the months without 31 days.

The bezel has printed numbers. These seem pretty durable, whatever they're made of, and I haven't scuffed them yet even after some direct hits. But how much harder would it have been to have the numbers pressed into the bezel?

The crystal is not recessed in the bezel much at all. It'll pick up dings/surface scratches. But hey, it's an affordable watch. It deserves some character. Do not get that crystal anywhere near a brilo-pad though, say, when washing dishes. You'll regret it. It ain't sapphire. [EDIT: And it ain't 2K so who's complaining?]

Summmary:

All in all, great watch with a lot of character. Keeps great time. Comfortable = Not one sharp edge on the thing. Not heavy = forget it's even there. No battery change! One piece of steel! Eco-Drive is fail-safe technology. This watch will give you at least 20 years of maintainence-free time-keeping. And look good doing it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Citizen Men's BN0000-04H Eco-Drive Professional Diver Black Rubber Strap Watch

Product Description:
The men's Eco-Drive Professional Diver contains a screw-down crown on a solid one-piece case, for a fantastic water resistance of 300 meters. Enjoy the use of a one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel, luminous hands and markers, and date display, all on a comfortable black polyurethane strap.

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Citizen Men's AT0200-05E Eco-Drive Chronograph Canvas Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I upgraded to the eco-drive from a watch that recharged by wrist motion. So far I'm a lot happier with the eco-drive. It holds a charge a lot longer, so it's not a problem to leave it unworn for a day or two. I didn't like the green military style band on this one, but it was easy to swap for a leather 20mm band. The stock band was a tad small for my wrist. I would expect a lot of men would need to swap it. The numbers look big in the picture, and they're big on the watch. I like the big numbers, others might not.

May 2008 Update:
I still like this watch as much as the day it arrived! It works perfectly, never runs out of battery and looks good. For those of you who haven't paid for a decent watch, you might not realize you're missing out on a good quality glass / crystal face. Mine still is scratch free. The watch looks pretty much brand new, even though I wear it every day.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Citizen Men's AT0200-05E Eco-Drive Chronograph Canvas Watch

Product Description:
Keep time with military precision while adding a unique edge to your wardrobe with the Citizen Eco-Drive Men's Chronograph Canvas Watch. Featuring the clean look and the rugged dependability of a stainless steel case and bezel, this timepiece relies on the unique Citizen Eco-Drive movement system, so you never need to replace its battery. Eco-Drive is an advanced, technical system that uses a thin solar panel under the dial to convert light energy from any source into electrical energy used to run your watch. Also playing a key role in this unique system is a special energy storage cell that greatly increases the efficiency and dependability of using light as a power source. As an added benefit, Eco-Drive power doesn't utilize the harmful chemicals contained in traditional batteries, so it's an excellent environmental choice as well.
The watch features a black dial with easy-to-read Arabic numerals in white, a convenient date window at four o'clock, a slim second tracker on the outer dial, and three subdials that provide chronograph functionality along with the ability to track hours on a 24-hour scale. The dial is further offset with luminescent minute and hour hands and a sweeping red seconds hand. Even the cool canvas band on this watch offers ultra-detailed construction. In addition to featuring a sturdy buckle clasp that relies on steel-reinforced eyelets, the band is backed with leather, which provides added durability and results in a pleasant feel against your wrist. This versatile men's watch is water resistant to 330 feet.


*Charging information: Functions of this watch may not work correctly if the watch is not charged, or charged properly. Please see the full Technical Information. To set the time *(refer to full-setting instructions here: Manual ):

Pull the crown out to the time correction position when the second hand has reached the 0 seconds position.
Turn the crown to set the time. The 24-hour hand moves in conjunction with the hour hand. Pay attention to AM and PM when setting the time.
Securely return the crown to the normal position in synchronization with a telephone or other time service.

To set the date:

Pull the crown out to the date correction position.
Turn the crown to the right to set the date. The crown turns freely and the date does not change if the crown is turned to the left.
If the date is set while the time on the watch is between the hours of about 9:00 PM and 1:00 AM, the date may not change on the following day. If this happens, set the date after temporarily moving the hands to a time other than between the above times.

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Citizen Men's BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Canvas Strap Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I ordered this watch from Amazon and it arrived before the estimated delivery date. I love the watch, and it looks much better in person than in pictures on the web. Quality is very good and the hands line up perfectly. The luminova is evenly applied and lasts longer, actually all the way through the night, which I didn't think would be the case. The only feature I don't like is the canvas band, which I found uncomfortable.I'm sure it's fine for others, but still a black leather band for less than (...)(any jewelry store or online store) compliments the watch very well, and it no longer looks like a 'weekend watch'.One small point about the Eco-drive that some other reviews I've read overlooked: Citizen Eco-drive models DO have a battery.The solar cell stores energy in a rechargeable mangenese-titanium battery.The battery should last a very long time according to Citizen engineers who project that even after 20 years the battery should retain 80% of recharge capacity (on their website), but only time will tell... no pun intended.Speaking of time, the watch is pretty accurate.I've had the watch for one month and during that time it has lost less than one second when compared to the US national time (www.nist.gov).In sum: this is a very well constructed watch that I feel is worth the money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Citizen Men's BM8180-03E Eco-Drive Canvas Strap Watch

Product Description:
You will never run late with this men's sporty, Eco-Drive timepiece. From the stainless steel case, green canvas strap and 12/24 hour time indicator, the bold details never end. Additional features include a day/date indicator and water resistance to 100 meters.

To set the time *(refer to full-setting instructions here: Manual ):

Stop the second hand by pulling the crown out to the 2nd click (time setting position).
Turn the crown to set the time.
The watch will start after the crown is firmly pushed back into its normal position

To set the Calendar*:

Pull the crown out to the first click (calendar setting position).
Set the desired date by turning the crown counterclockwise.
Set the desired day of the week by turning the crown clockwise.
After you have set the calendar, be sure to press the crown back to its normal position

*Do not adjust the calendar when the watch is reading between 9:00 pm and 4:00 am, otherwise the movement may become damaged and the calendar may not change correctly

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Casio Women's BG169-6V Baby-G Purple Jelly Shock Resistant Sports Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've only been wearing it for 2 days so far, but this watch has made it through two days gardening and banging around handwashing dishes no problem. I really like that this watch feels heavy-duty. I am no longer worried about dropping my watch or forgeting it's on when I jump in the shower. I am a big Disney fan and have bought countless watches disney themed only to be buying a new watch a few months down the road. I don't do much sporty stuff, but I needed a watch that wasn't gonna kick the bucket a few months down the road. As somebody else stated on the blue version of this watch, the color in the pictures aren't true to what the color actually is. The band is alot more sub-dued in color, kinda like a lavender/gray color see through jelly band, very pretty and more adult like than other sport watches with color on them. It does take a bit getting use to have a big face on the watch for me, but if it stays alive for me, I'll deal( I prefer more petite watches). If anything happens to it, I'll revise my review. :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio Women's BG169-6V Baby-G Purple Jelly Shock Resistant Sports Watch

Product Description:
Keep your most important contact information with you while jogging or mountain biking with this Casio Baby-G women's sport digital watch (model BG169-6V). It features a 20-page databank that allows you to store phone numbers and other valuable contact information (8 characters for name and 12 characters for telephone number). Delightfully stylish with a light purple translucent jelly resin case and strap, this shock-resistant watch also offers a 1/100-second stopwatch (up to 24 hours), daily alarm, 12/14-hour formats, world time from 40 cities, and an hourly time signal. You can automatically count down the days from the current date to a target date with the five day counters (each featuring 8 input characters for identification). It will also stand up to the rigors of recreational scuba diving, with water resistance to 200 meters (660 feet). Other features include a scratch-resistant mineral crystal, AfterGlow LED electro-luminescent backlight, and accuracy to +/- 15 seconds per month.

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Casio Men's AW80-1AV Forester Ana-Digi Databank 10-Year Battery Watch Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this watch for work and exercising and after using it for a day I'd say it performs admirably; one certainly cannot complain about the price. Shipping wasn't particularly cheap, but Fed Ex 2 day never is. Stopwatch and timer functions work perfectly, but appear limited to 23:59:59 at max. The daylight savings toggle is handy, and Casio allows a one or two button combination to rapidly set the analog dial in increments of about twenty seconds. The alarm is moderately loud, on par with every other Casio I've used. 30 cities to choose from for world time is a nice bonus if you care.

Some annoyances:

The 'illuminator' light ring is VERY poorly designed and appears to consist of two yellow LEDs embedded in a clear plastic ring under the outside edge of the 'crystal'. When in use, analog time is just visible but the recessed LCD screen is totally unusable. If low-light or nighttime use of the stopwatch or timer is important to you buy something with an electroluminescent face instead of this.

The 30 entry data bank function is probably very handy in a pinch, but entering letters and numbers by using the two watch buttons is incredibly slow. Use your cell phone or a little black book.

The numbers on the outside of the dial are redundant with the ticks on the inside of the dial. One or the other would be preferable for aesthetic reasons.

The battery will probably not last nearly ten years if the analog time is adjusted often or the 'illuminator' is used too often.

I prefer leather bands over resin, but that can always be swapped out at a drug store or mega mart.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Casio Men's AW80-1AV Forester Ana-Digi Databank 10-Year Battery Watch

Product Description:
The Casio Forester Sports Thermometer men's watch is the perfect accessory to keep you on time and in style. Featuring a 40-millimeter stainless steel case and resin bezel held securely to the wrist with a black resin band, this quartz-powered timepiece also includes a durable mineral dial window to protect its sleek black face. The dial face is punctuated by silver-tone Arabic numerals at every hour, silver minute indexes, and an easy-to-read day, date, and month display between four and eight o'clock. In addition, this versatile black watch is water resistant to 165 feet.

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