I just received this watch and have worn it for one day. I’ll update if there are any reliability issues, but if this holds up like other eco drive watches then it should be fine.
First up, the big selling points:
- Eco drive. You’ll never have to change a watch battery, but you also get the accuracy of a quartz movement.
- Atomic time. Updating every night means that you never have to set the watch. Everything is automatically changed, including the date following months with less than 31 days. If you live in an area that does not follow daylight savings time, you need to change one additional setting, but I think you only have to do it once.
- Chronograph. Not my favorite implementation, but it exists.
- Other complications. In addition to time/date, this watch shows the day of week, a 24 hr sundial, time zone, a tachymeter, and a few diagnostic indicators like power reserve and signal strength. This watch is basically a computer with an analog face. There’s also an alarm.
- Sapphire. The sapphire crystal is tough and nearly scratch proof, so you’ll be able to read the watch long after the case and bracelet are beat up. The anti reflective coating also makes the watch readable.
- Titanium. This watch is noticeably lighter than my comparable steel watches.
- Price. The original MSRP was pretty steep, but it’s a steal if you can wait for a sale under $300. The street price of $360 is fair for what you get.
Here’s my one nit: I’m not a fan of the chronograph implementation. You don’t get atomic time updating if you keep the watch in chrono mode. This means that you’ll usually keep the watch in regular mode, and spend 10 seconds switching to chrono mode when you want to time something. I would have rather had the chrono be accessible from regular mode and have the diagnostic functions be the thing that takes 10 seconds to access.
A note for dudes with small wrists: I have 6.25” wrists (some might call them dainty or womanly) and generally don’t wear any watches past 40mm. This watch is 42mm but the lug to lug distance is fairly small at 48mm, so it still wears okay. This watch has a busy dial and I think it is okay standing out a bit. I did have to take out all but one of the links to size the bracelet. I’d say the smallest possible wrist to fit this watch is 6.125”. Anything smaller won’t work.
A note on titanium: Titanium is light, but not indestructible. Expect to get a few scratches on the bracelet if you wear it outside an office environment.
Overall, I’d say this is a five star watch. You get a ton of tech/features for the money, and it looks cool too. This watch may not be for you if you’re an automatic watch traditionalist, but it will please just about everyone else.
There is a newer style of this item:
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Climate Pledge FriendlyProducts with trusted sustainability certification(s). Learn morePRODUCT CERTIFICATION (1)
Leather Working Group certification promotes more-responsible leather production and is committed to driving positive environmental change.
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
Eco-Drive | Purposeful PowerThe sustainable way to power your watch—no batteries required. Citizen's proprietary Eco-Drive technology powers your watch using the most renewable energy: light. |
Light to EnergyUses a renewable natural resource by converting any natural or artificial light to energy, which is then stored in a permanently rechargeable lithium-ion cell. |
Energy StorageKeeps surplus energy in a rechargeable power cell. Designed to charge not just from the sun, but also from everyday light sources like indoor fluorescents and desk lamps. |
Recharges ContinuouslyRuns for months—even in darkness—with no need for regular battery replacement, so your watch can run forever and you never have to worry about it stopping. |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Synchronizes to an atomic clock in five time zones with a margin error of just one second in 100,000 years. |
Use while swimming and snorkeling at up to 666 feet (~202m). |
Automatically tracks dates for 28-, 29-, 30- and 31-day months, all the way through February 2100. |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for this product
0:30
Click to play video
Citizen Eco Drive Video
Citizen Watch Group
Reviews with images
Great tool watch, lightweight, still works for smaller wrists
I just received this watch and have worn it for one day. I’ll update if there are any reliability issues, but if this holds up like other eco drive watches then it should be fine.First up, the big selling points:- Eco drive. You’ll never have to change a watch battery, but you also get the accuracy of a quartz movement.- Atomic time. Updating every night means that you never have to set the watch. Everything is automatically changed, including the date following months with less than 31 days. If you live in an area that does not follow daylight savings time, you need to change one additional setting, but I think you only have to do it once.- Chronograph. Not my favorite implementation, but it exists.- Other complications. In addition to time/date, this watch shows the day of week, a 24 hr sundial, time zone, a tachymeter, and a few diagnostic indicators like power reserve and signal strength. This watch is basically a computer with an analog face. There’s also an alarm.- Sapphire. The sapphire crystal is tough and nearly scratch proof, so you’ll be able to read the watch long after the case and bracelet are beat up. The anti reflective coating also makes the watch readable.- Titanium. This watch is noticeably lighter than my comparable steel watches.- Price. The original MSRP was pretty steep, but it’s a steal if you can wait for a sale under $300. The street price of $360 is fair for what you get.Here’s my one nit: I’m not a fan of the chronograph implementation. You don’t get atomic time updating if you keep the watch in chrono mode. This means that you’ll usually keep the watch in regular mode, and spend 10 seconds switching to chrono mode when you want to time something. I would have rather had the chrono be accessible from regular mode and have the diagnostic functions be the thing that takes 10 seconds to access.A note for dudes with small wrists: I have 6.25” wrists (some might call them dainty or womanly) and generally don’t wear any watches past 40mm. This watch is 42mm but the lug to lug distance is fairly small at 48mm, so it still wears okay. This watch has a busy dial and I think it is okay standing out a bit. I did have to take out all but one of the links to size the bracelet. I’d say the smallest possible wrist to fit this watch is 6.125”. Anything smaller won’t work.A note on titanium: Titanium is light, but not indestructible. Expect to get a few scratches on the bracelet if you wear it outside an office environment.Overall, I’d say this is a five star watch. You get a ton of tech/features for the money, and it looks cool too. This watch may not be for you if you’re an automatic watch traditionalist, but it will please just about everyone else.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2019
First up, the big selling points:
- Eco drive. You’ll never have to change a watch battery, but you also get the accuracy of a quartz movement.
- Atomic time. Updating every night means that you never have to set the watch. Everything is automatically changed, including the date following months with less than 31 days. If you live in an area that does not follow daylight savings time, you need to change one additional setting, but I think you only have to do it once.
- Chronograph. Not my favorite implementation, but it exists.
- Other complications. In addition to time/date, this watch shows the day of week, a 24 hr sundial, time zone, a tachymeter, and a few diagnostic indicators like power reserve and signal strength. This watch is basically a computer with an analog face. There’s also an alarm.
- Sapphire. The sapphire crystal is tough and nearly scratch proof, so you’ll be able to read the watch long after the case and bracelet are beat up. The anti reflective coating also makes the watch readable.
- Titanium. This watch is noticeably lighter than my comparable steel watches.
- Price. The original MSRP was pretty steep, but it’s a steal if you can wait for a sale under $300. The street price of $360 is fair for what you get.
Here’s my one nit: I’m not a fan of the chronograph implementation. You don’t get atomic time updating if you keep the watch in chrono mode. This means that you’ll usually keep the watch in regular mode, and spend 10 seconds switching to chrono mode when you want to time something. I would have rather had the chrono be accessible from regular mode and have the diagnostic functions be the thing that takes 10 seconds to access.
A note for dudes with small wrists: I have 6.25” wrists (some might call them dainty or womanly) and generally don’t wear any watches past 40mm. This watch is 42mm but the lug to lug distance is fairly small at 48mm, so it still wears okay. This watch has a busy dial and I think it is okay standing out a bit. I did have to take out all but one of the links to size the bracelet. I’d say the smallest possible wrist to fit this watch is 6.125”. Anything smaller won’t work.
A note on titanium: Titanium is light, but not indestructible. Expect to get a few scratches on the bracelet if you wear it outside an office environment.
Overall, I’d say this is a five star watch. You get a ton of tech/features for the money, and it looks cool too. This watch may not be for you if you’re an automatic watch traditionalist, but it will please just about everyone else.
Great tool watch, lightweight, still works for smaller wrists
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2019
I just received this watch and have worn it for one day. I’ll update if there are any reliability issues, but if this holds up like other eco drive watches then it should be fine.Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2019
First up, the big selling points:
- Eco drive. You’ll never have to change a watch battery, but you also get the accuracy of a quartz movement.
- Atomic time. Updating every night means that you never have to set the watch. Everything is automatically changed, including the date following months with less than 31 days. If you live in an area that does not follow daylight savings time, you need to change one additional setting, but I think you only have to do it once.
- Chronograph. Not my favorite implementation, but it exists.
- Other complications. In addition to time/date, this watch shows the day of week, a 24 hr sundial, time zone, a tachymeter, and a few diagnostic indicators like power reserve and signal strength. This watch is basically a computer with an analog face. There’s also an alarm.
- Sapphire. The sapphire crystal is tough and nearly scratch proof, so you’ll be able to read the watch long after the case and bracelet are beat up. The anti reflective coating also makes the watch readable.
- Titanium. This watch is noticeably lighter than my comparable steel watches.
- Price. The original MSRP was pretty steep, but it’s a steal if you can wait for a sale under $300. The street price of $360 is fair for what you get.
Here’s my one nit: I’m not a fan of the chronograph implementation. You don’t get atomic time updating if you keep the watch in chrono mode. This means that you’ll usually keep the watch in regular mode, and spend 10 seconds switching to chrono mode when you want to time something. I would have rather had the chrono be accessible from regular mode and have the diagnostic functions be the thing that takes 10 seconds to access.
A note for dudes with small wrists: I have 6.25” wrists (some might call them dainty or womanly) and generally don’t wear any watches past 40mm. This watch is 42mm but the lug to lug distance is fairly small at 48mm, so it still wears okay. This watch has a busy dial and I think it is okay standing out a bit. I did have to take out all but one of the links to size the bracelet. I’d say the smallest possible wrist to fit this watch is 6.125”. Anything smaller won’t work.
A note on titanium: Titanium is light, but not indestructible. Expect to get a few scratches on the bracelet if you wear it outside an office environment.
Overall, I’d say this is a five star watch. You get a ton of tech/features for the money, and it looks cool too. This watch may not be for you if you’re an automatic watch traditionalist, but it will please just about everyone else.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2012
Top reviews from other countries
K.A.
an excellent compromise of all the features I want
Reviewed in Canada on March 10, 2013
Matt Mackinnon
Another great watch to add to the collection
Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2016
Matt Mackinnon
Reviewed in Canada on November 29, 2016
My first Citizen watches were a traditional Titanium and a stainless steel AT chronograph. This watch sort of covers the best of worlds in it's shell is titanium so it looks great and doesn't weigh as much, but it also has the AT radio atomic time correction, perpetual calendar and sort of world time (though it is limited to 4 time zones in North America and London England). But as I spend about 99% of my time in North America and occasionally visit England, I don't see that limit as being a problem. The AT and perpetual calendar along with auto daylight saving is an under-appreciated feature that I have grown to simply rely on.
I am not one of those people who have a smartphone attached at the hip and carry it around with me wherever I go. I prefer to wear a watch and use it to tell the time. Having it auto-set the date removed the problem that just about every other watch I have owned has that you forget to reset the calendar on months with 30 and 28 days. When you remember, you need to not only change the date to the correct number, but also need to turn to clock hands to 12:00 to get the mechanics inside to advance properly, then reset the clock to the correct time. Three steps that are a hassle to do 5 times every year just to have your watch work right. This watch does it all automatically for you so it truly is a watch you can put on and never have to worry about.
The black tachymeter dial band on the watch does not rotate (or mine does not anyway) that is great for me. I don't even know what anyone would use them for in the first place. I think this is there for cosmetic reasons and not for real use. It would have suited me for it just to be a black band without numbers on it, but you get what you get.
When I first got the Amazon package, I noticed that although the watch said it had synchronised with the atomic clock in Boulder Colorado, the time was about 1 1/2 seconds out of syn with my other AT watch. I forced it into re-sync but from my location it didn't want to work. I waited until it got dark and at 8:00pm I re-tried. It failed for the next 3 attempts until I rotated the watch 90 deg so that the 6:00 marking was pointing pretty much East and then the signal strength jumped from none to high. Now both watches are within a 1/4 of a second sync with each other.
Of technical bug me's with the watch:
If you pull out the crown to change modes, for example to set the alarm, chronograph or zones, the watch reports that it is no longer synchronised with the Atomic Clock. The watch will automatically try and sync every morning at 2:00am and again at 3:00am.
To use the chronograph, you have to pull out the crown one click and rotate the dial to CHR, then push back in. Then you can press the top function button to start/stop and the lower to reset. This is not really intuitive and is different from my Stainless Steel AT8010 watch that doesn't require those extra steps.
Images in this review
