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 Citizen Eco-Drive Men's Professional Diver Watch #BN0000-04H By: Citizen Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 15 More Information Excellent Choice  On: 2008-06-11I was looking for a sporty looking watch that I can use every day and that I dont need to take off every time I swim, shower, wash the car, etc... This watch is modest looking, meaning it doesnt have any bells and whistles but stands out by its simplicity. I personally find the eco-drive system sophisticated and I am excited about not having to change any batteries or getting it pressure tested every time I do that. If you are thinking of buying this watch for everyday use, make sure it suits your personality. I think a nice watch on your wrist says a lot about your personality. So be careful how you project your self image! The watch is also characterized by its weight - it is not heavy nor does it feel fake - so it rests well on your wrist. The strap is made of rubber and is comfortable around the wrist. You are going to have to get used to the screw lock mechanism - it is a bit tricky in the beginning, but easy to figure out. Just make sure you play around with it a little bit before your first dive. I am sure you are going to love this watch if you decide to get it. Great Watch On: 2008-03-17Keeps accurate time, bright hands, not too large, comfortable to wear, durable, solid and well-made. The entire case is sealed thus no way to allow water in as long as you keep the crown screwed tight. Would recommend to anyone! Citizen Eco-Drive Men's Professional Diver Watch On: 2008-03-17I got this watch about 5 years ago in Nassau. I am a very active person and I have worn it 24 hours a day since then and subjected it to high abuse. I have only taken it off occasionally to set the date, time, etc. I have used it to scuba dive dozens of times in fresh and salt water, to over 100 feet depth as well as snorkeling, wearing it in the pool, shower, etc. It has been exposed to soaps, detergents, solvents, scraping across concrete and rocks, dropped on a hard surface, etc. It keeps very good time and never misses a beat. The band loops that hold the excess band broke off a couple of years ago. I replaced them with 2 O-rings slid over the strap on the buckle end to secure the excess strap. I have scratched the crystal pretty badly and worn the numbers off the bezel and the dive tables off the strap. The stainless steel case doesnt show much abuse but the rest does. The strap is cracked through the edge to the little holes in the sides a few places and needs to be replaced. The things I really like about it are the durability, maintenance free battery (eco drive), accuracy, and low profile. I have been in the dark for most of a couple of days and never had a power failure from lack of light and never paid special attention to exposing it to light except for holding it under a flash light or aircraft overhead light some times for a few seconds to try and get some more illumination from the hands at night. It seems very thin compared to other watches the same thickness (11 mm)due to the edges of the bezel being rounded and beveled to be unobtrusive. I like the small diameter low profile and light weight that keep it out of the way. My only complaints are: the strap is $45, I wish the bezel had the numbers engraved instead of printed on it (for cosmetic reasons due to wear), I wish the crystal was harder, and the hands more luminous. All these things are pretty much par for the price point. I am looking for a replacement due to the cosmetic wear and the band costing $45 and the fact that I havent had much luck with cheap replacement bands in the past for other watches. I am considering a Seiko or Luminox to get more durable cosmetics on the bezel, maybe a tougher crystal, and better night illumination but they all feel thicker and heavier. If this just had an engraved bezel I would get another one and maybe will anyway. I recommend this watch and rate it highly especially considering the price. Great Watch - Owned for > 6 Years  On: 2008-02-22I have had this watch for more than 5 years, and wear it daily. I purchased it in Cayman Is, and I think I paid a lot more than the Amazon price. I love the Eco-Drive, as it never needs attention. About a year ago, the Eco-Drive mechanism went bad, and I sent it to Citizen. They replaced the mechanism for free, saying it was their issue. Kudos to them on that. I have been able to scratch the crystal, but only after heavy abuse :) The number band around the outside still turns as well as the day I bought it. The numbers on the metallic band around the face have never worn off, but the outside of the band has a nice smooth edge to it now. The lettering wore off the band after about a year, so if you plan to use the dive table that is on the band, dont wear it daily. Else, be smart and carry your own dive table on the old plastic card or on your dive computer. The band has now finally worn out after 5 years (which is how I ended up here). The two small strap holders just broke off in the past 2 weeks (they wore through), and the band is cracking but only in the holes (still holds just fine). I would buy this watch again, and obviously recommend it. Bad Directions On: 2008-01-31The Citizen eco drive DIVE watch is a pretty good watch. Forget the womens model though. I bought it in order to NOT wear my hi tech ceramic Chanel sports watch diving and smash up the bracelet on a coral head (I know! I know!) The womens model is so teeney its embarassed to be a dive watch. About the size of the Rolex Womans Date Just without the Rolex cachet...and the Rolex isnt a sports watch. Nobody would want to read the crowded hour dots for time, or the teeny bezel numbers underwater...it looks like a toy...and you cant read the date at all...so I ended up with the Mans version. The mans is not too huge,not overbalanced with too many gizmos that it hangs lopsided and bruises your wrist-- like so many. But the directions? If you followed them faithfully, you would spend a lot of time trying to pull the crown straight up. On other sites, people swore their crowns were shipped "broken". I think it is just bad directions. You have to unscrew the stem counter clockwise first then pull up...just like practically every other sports watch. I wore it diving, kayaking, and snorkeling in Hawaii, knowing that if I got "Lost" the watch would still keep great time on the perpetual solar battery. Nice idea amd very luminous and easy to turn bezel too. Who needs battery down time? good basic diver watch On: 2007-12-26classic design and accurate time keeping are great features of this watch, not to mention being an eco-drive never needing to replace the battery. The only downisde to this watch would be the raised logo on the back of the watch body. While most watches are smooth on the back, the raised logo tended to scratch during the first few days wearing this watch. It did not leave a mark, but at times would be slightly uncomfortable. I persevered and after a time no longer noticed it. Simple, bullet proof watch On: 2007-11-24Simple watch that seems to be bullet proof, accurate w/ no maintenance needed. Very simple, clear lines. Only improvement would be to have the date indicator a little larger. Good, not great On: 2007-11-17This is a good all around watch. It keeps excellent time, the lums are bright and long lasting. Its smaller than I like and the stem is real small to the point of being sharp. It stabs me from time to time. I replaced the rubber watchband with a Zulu strap, so it wears a lot better now. Excellent watch - only one drawback... On: 2007-10-02I bought this watch for water-sports and other outdoor activities. It may feel a bit heavier on the wrist compared with other watches - but thats a minor inconvenience for the unsurpassed toughness and durability you get in return. There is only one drawback - The first time before the month changed, right after I got my watch, it went to 31 days in a 30-day month. I figured I could simply adjust the date. Unfortunately its impossible to determine what month the watch is preset to as the date display can always be set from "1" through "31," and you cant roll it backwards. Otherwise, the timepiece itself is extremely accurate. Good, but a bit screwy  On: 2007-08-30Ive had this watch for a little under two years, I paid $145. Overall it has kept good time, and it has never run out of juice. I find the date display small and I have to constantly change it each month, I never do and the date is always wrong. I have dove with the watch several times and it has usually preformed well up til now. On my last dive I swear I had the screw lock locked and water got in at a depth of only 40ft. I sent to citizen for repair (it is still under warrenty) and they want almost $100 to fix it and were not very friendly. Still debating on whether to pay them or just buy in something different. Works great On: 2007-08-02Ive previously owned an Aqualand that I needed to replace but no longer needed the features since buying a dive computer. The watch keeps very good time and Ive had no issues with it under water. My main concern was the fact that I have a smaller wrist and my Aqualand was a reduced sized Analog and I wanted the same size, but that version of the Aqualand isnt available anymore. The size works great for me, its not a bulky instrument. JC Penny gets full pop for these guys while Amazon had them at 50% off. Compared to Invicta Pro Diver On: 2007-07-22How does a quartz compare to an automatic? Early in my investigation I have concluded that Invictas $80 Pro Diver #8926, while highly rated, is a curiosity. Self-winding is for collectors. They are heavier, annoying, the bracelet scuffs constantly and adjusting it is more complicated. Even if you set the time and wear it for 3 days straight so as to keep it self-wound, it will begin gaining on you. Mine accelerates about a minute a day. Invictas glow in the dark function was bright and useful until I compared it to Citizens. I can charge the Eco-Drive dial and use it as a flashlight. It stays bright twice as long as Invictas. Invicta successfully copied the style, heft and look of a Rolex Submariner, however they neglected to include any of the quality. The links and clasp are durable and dependable but they show scuffs so quickly that I prefer Citizens urethane just because it never looks damaged. I found an online tutorial which demonstrates how easy it is to buff out the scratches and refinish the brushed steel look, but the Invicta is more suited to be a faux dress watch. As far as I can tell, nobody knows the longevity of the Eco-Drive battery, nor the lower limits for charging. Mine never runs out. One minute in daylight charges it for three days. I expect the watch and band to wear out long before the battery and eco-drive does. If you wish to synchronize the Invicta there is no way to stop the second hand. I can see why this watch is in no danger of passing the chronometer standards. You can pull the crown on the Citizen and stop the second hand. I found through experimenting that you should set the second hand to two seconds past, then the time. When your atomic clock source changes to the minute, the time lag in pushing in the crown is taken up and your watch is in sync. The Citizen will stay in sync with atomic clock time indefinitely. Invicta rattles a little and Im not sure if the Miyota movement is loose. The movement is fun to view but nevertheless it is no more than a curiosity. I advise choosing a Citizen, Seiko, or Orient if you are looking for an affordable diver. Some of these comparisons are organic to the quartz-vs-automatic argument and should not dissuade anyone from collecting automatic watches for their engineering. However, if you wear a watch so you will know what time it is accurately, avoid the automatics. I like SeaHunt too, but if there was a Citizen quartz in the 60s, Mike Nelson would have opted for function over style. excellent dive watch On: 2007-07-11I have had this watch for several weeks and I love it. The most amazing thing about it is the degree of accuracy. I also have a Casio G-Shock Atomic Watch which sets itself every day to the atomic clock in Colorado and is accurate to the second, well I synchronized my Citizen and Casio on June 1 and as of today (June 11) they are still synchronized to the second. The Citizen Eco is that accurate! I have not taken this watch diving yet, but will soon, it should be fine. I have 6 dive watches and this has all the necessary features: depth rating (300 meters), one way ratched bezel, crown protection, strap that fits over a wetsuit, etc. My only criticisms, and they are minor, are that the date is way to small to read, they should have just not had a date and it would be better with a more anti reflection in the crystal, that aside. This is a beautiful watch and I highly recommend it! Citizen dive watch On: 2007-06-08The watch looks great. It is very durable and keeps great time. Citizen dive watch On: 2007-06-07The watch looks great. It is very durable and keeps great time. It keeps on ticking!!!! On: 2007-01-02I have owned this watch since 1997 and it has never failed in all that time of continuous/discontinuous use. Because it is powered by ambient light sources it never needs winding so it is really reliable as long as it is exposed to as little as ten or fifteen minutes of indirect light. This is good enough, if memory serves me correctly, for at least 3 days of operation, and since its pretty unlikely your going to go three days without some ambient light it runs without batteries or winding. This is a watch that is solidly built and handsomely austere/spare in its aesthetic. While Im no diver its design does seem genuinely functional for scuba as it machined from a block of stainless steel, has an excellent bezel and a luminous hands and face and is water resistant to 300m. I wear it in the ocean all the time when I swim and its case stainless-steel looks as good as the day I purchased it. There are some, seemingly minor, shortcomings: 1.the face could be a bit larger as I think divers might find it easier to read, 2.while it has a date indicator it could us a magnifying element to make reading it easier, 3. my crystal starting to show some wear and tear, mostly surface scratches from bangs and bumps but this is my fault although a non-reflective crystal would be great. In summary, for the price this watch is a real bargain and, dare I say, one even a diver could wear with confidence. As a fashion time piece, which I figure is what most people who purchase this kind of watch buy it for, it is an excellent value. It keeps on ticking!!!! On: 2007-01-01I have owned this watch since 1997 and it has never failed in all that time of continuous/discontinuous use. Because it is powered by ambient light sources it never needs winding so it is really reliable as long as it is exposed to as little as ten or fifteen minutes of indirect light. This is good enough, if memory serves me correctly, for at least 3 days of operation, and since its pretty unlikely your going to go three days without some ambient light it runs without batteries or winding. This is a watch that is solidly built and handsomely austere/spare in its aesthetic. While Im no diver its design does seem genuinely functional for scuba as it machined from a block of stainless steel, has an excellent bezel and a luminous hands and face and is water resistant to 300m. I wear it in the ocean all the time when I swim and its case stainless-steel looks as good as the day I purchased it. There are some, seemingly minor, shortcomings: 1.the face could be a bit larger as I think divers might find it easier to read, 2.while it has a date indicator it could us a magnifying element to make reading it easier, 3. my crystal starting to show some wear and tear, mostly surface scratches from bangs and bumps but this is my fault although a non-reflective crystal would be great. In summary, for the price this watch is a real bargain and, dare I say, one even a diver could wear with confidence. As a fashion time piece, which I figure is what most people who purchase this kind of watch buy it for, it is an excellent value. |