Citizen has now gone high-tech with a new line of solar powered wristwatches. These new Eco-Drive watches will never need to have the battery replaced. And they come in a wide variety of styles for both men and women.
My brother first introduced me to these cool watches, and after researching them, I just had to have one! I chose the Solar-Tech 180 TITANIUM, (model AP0410-58H). It happens to be a divers watch, and is water-resistant to 200 meters. This quartz watch has a one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel, a screw-down crown, and date. (Although the only time that I have taken a dive is in a hockey game, I wanted a water-resistant watch.)
The main selling feature of these watches is the solar construction. It’s best described by this diagram that I downloaded from the Citizen web site. (See below)
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Sunlight and any artificial light are absorbed through the crystal and dial. CITIZEN uses special filters which allow a wide range of dial colors and styles. A solar cell beneath the dial converts any form of light into electrical energy to ECO-Drive’s revolutionary lithium-ion rechargeable battery stores enough energy to |
Ok, so much for the canned science lesson, now let’s review the features. The lithium-ion battery will probably run this watch forever. My watch, a Solar-Tech 180 is designed to run on a full charge for 180 days, (or 6 months). It takes 3.5 hours to charge fully, in sunlight; and 1 minute to charge for one day’s worth of power.
Although I’m not fond of bracelet watches, this watch, being mostly titanium is extremely lightweight and very durable. The finish on the band is very comfortable. I also like the safety clasp they selected.
There is a fluorescent coating on the dial face for the tick marks and the hands. The marks are easy to see in the dark as well as in daylight. There are 27 different men’s styles and 9 different women’s styles. Out of those styles, there are 9 men’s/women’s matched sets.
I’m a bit surprised that it has taken this long for someone to develop a solar watch. I guess that the Lithium-ion battery has made it possible for them to run longer, and recharge to full capacity better. The older technology rechargeable batteries, (ni-cad), had kind of a “memory”, they needed to be almost fully drained to recharge fully. These lithium-ion batteries recharge better when not fully drained.
If you like gadgets and also like watches, you have to check out the ECO-Drive watches from Citizen. As for where to purchase it, you can check web sites like www.wristwatch.com for price comparisons, but be sure to go to a reputable watch dealer. You will need to have the band professionally adjusted, most people will not have the tools to do it themselves.
Price: $395 (retail)
Pros:
Never needs a battery replaced.
Titanium case and band is extremely lightweight.
Resists water to 200 meters.
Cons:
Need to have the band professionally adjusted.
Product Information
| Price: | 395.0 |
| Manufacturer: | Citizen |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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{ 71 comments… read them below or add one }
I need to Citizen Eco-Drive Watch Instructions #U706. Thank you
I just bought a Citizen Eco watch myself. Its a Gold toned / diamond dress watch. The look of the watch is amazing and classy. what sold me on it was the fact that it doesnt need a battery, is lightweight , and very comfortable to wear. I highly recommend these watches because of the variety of watches for men and women.
Hi Julie,
I was trying to figure out how old this watch is, and I see I wrote this review in January of 1999. I still wear this watch every day, and believe it or not, I have never replaced the battery since I bought it! That’s 10 years without a battery change!
Hope you are well.
Don
Hi Don!
Your review still gets viewed and commented on as you can see!
Hi Don.
Your comment DOES still get commented on!
Just came across this. Was looking for possibility of getting new battery for mine. It had stopped, but found watch was only discharged! I bought mine in 1994 !! So the technology was quite old when you bought yours!. Mine has worked continuously up until yesterday. Worn every day – except for the last week – and the second hand was `jumping` when I came to wear it, so I am now fully recharging it to see how it goes. I have a feeling it will last me a good few years yet.
Mine is a full titanium, with original glass.Still looks ALMOST as good as new, and I am sure it is the best watch I will ever buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Mike
I have an identical one, other than gold accents on the bracelet and a gold scheme on the dial and hands. Not the best combination for mixed low-light like in a movie theatre, but I love it. It’s worked flawlessly since 1997 and I’m rough on watches. I’ve surfed, dived (5-10 M) and snorkeled to 40 feet without a leak.
I have two ECO drive watches and the second hand was `jumping` so I took it to a jeweler to replace the battery (I was not aware my watch did not require a battery) the jeweler replaced the capacitor with a battery and now neither watch will keep time. Hope I did not completely ruin these watches .
These batteries are not forever. I need replacement. My wath is 9 years old.
There is considerable difference in electrical source/flow in a standard watch battery and the Li-on sort of capacitor used in these watches. You can look the correct one up, using the Caliber (model) number, and quite likely install it yourself ($18-25 retail). (Only need good light, back opener, appropriate screw driver, tweezers & a little lubricant for the seal.) Since a standard battery may have ruined the circuitry, might consider a new jeweler as they should have known. P.S. I am not a jeweler but have replaced these and Seiko Kinetics without difficulty) As for the ‘jumping’ not sure about Citizen but a Seiko kinetic will do that when nearly run down or the “capacitor” is bad. Hope this helps.
Where is this eco made!
Mack
To those of you have had your Eco Drive watches stop working, did you store it for a long time (weeks/months) in a drawer with no light?
I’ve had my Eco Drive watch since 2001 and so far it still works perfectly. I work from home and don’t wear it out in the sun most days, but it does sit on the hutch above my desk soaking in the light from the ceiling fan.
P.S. If you use a Sonicare electric toothbrush, save the old brush heads to clean & polish the crystal & band. Mine really shines after I spend a few minutes polishing it with whitening toothpaste and the Sonicare. (The toothpaste rinses away with no problem.)
I just purchased myself an Eco Drive watch online and I cannot WAIT to receive it in the mail. Glad to hear the glowing reviews and I hope it’s as beautiful as it looks online!
I have an ecodrive watch puchased mid 2005, it now fails to run unless in brightlight. Watch was sent to Citizen for repair and was quoted $250 for the repair…I think in future I will have the normal battery model
I have almost the exact same model that was reviewed. My watch has the gold tone in the links and has a light gold finish in the face, otherwise its the same watch. I have had mine since around late 1997. Over the years this watch has teken quit a bit of abuse, I definately don’t baby it, and the gold plating is starting to wear off the rotating bazel and band links but the watch still runs like the day I bought it. I have bought 2 other watches since but the titanium construction of this watch is very light weight and the matching band makes the watch the most comfortable I have ever ownede, I still wear this one the most.
hey guys n girls,
if you want to charge your eco if they are not working probably, put it under a lamp for a good couple of hours, make sure it sits pretty close to it. a good lamp like a student desk lamp, not a laundroom one, you want the focus to be on the watch. if this doesnt get it kicking, it will need the capacitor changed, make sure its done probably and not changed with an regular battery, this should cost about $70 and most places have to send it away. if this still does not work then it will be the movement, this is quiet expensive to replace ranging around $300. hope this clears up any unanswered questions. p.s the links are easy. jewelers are there to sell you jewellery most of the time they dont even know how to set your watch, take it to an actual watch place and make sure the person knows what there talkin about ie me. cheers
Interestingly, I just got a new EcoDrive watch. The old one still works great, (and I still have not changed the battery.) But I wanted one with gold tones. My brother, who buys old and unique watches and repairs them, told me he had a Citizen Model BL5182-51P sitting in the sun on his windowsill for the past year, and he said I could have it if I wanted it. This is the watch: http://www.princetonwatches.com/shop/BL5182-51P.asp
It’s an amazing watch, with all sorts of functions. But there are a few things I do not like about it, both related to the band. For one, the gold tone finish on the band is already starting to wear off. (Interestingly, the watch is made in Japan, but the band is made in China.) The other thing about the band I don’t like is that the band tends to pinch the hairs on my wrist a lot. I think it is a design flaw because my other watch has a titanium band, and it is also made in China, but it doesn’t pinch at all.
Anyway, these are great watches!
Don
I have an Eco Drive watch that sat at home for a year while i was gone and now i cant get it to charge. any ideas would be greatly appreciated. thanks
I recently purchased an eco-drive and love it so far. It is bracelet style, which I generally don’t like, but this is so light I hardly notice it when wearing it. I tried on a Bulova that looked almost identical and it felt like a lead weight around my wrist.
Glad to hear from others that their’s has run for 10-12 years.
Thanks
just an info for those who did not know..
guys.. the jumping on the hand is normal for the eco drive.In case no power is generated, an Eco-Drive Thermo movement will save power by moving the second hand in ten second increments until the production of thermo electricity is resumed. so there is no need to go to a watch repair shop… even if you stock it in a box for years… the battery will still keep the time in the background even if the dial is not moving… and when you started wearing it again… the watch will automatically adjust the time.
Had the watch for a year now, so far so good. Only complaint is the bezel is quite loose – turns too easily if it rubs against pretty much anything (like when i stick my hand in my pockets).
have owned a ecodrive for ten years now wr200 ,its certainly a far superier watch compared to my tudor automatic made by the rolex co.no more sevicing cleaning etc. like japanese cars the reliability is hard to beat
Eco-Drives are great watches, and Citizen’s five-year warranty is one of the best in the business. Our company specializes in replacing capacitors and doing movement repairs on out of warranty Eco-Drives. The double clicking (two second intervals) is characteristic of low charge, but is also characteristic of a failing capacitor if the watch has had plenty of time to charge. Our capacitor service starts at $59 and movement replacements at $109 with free shipping. We have repaired many Eco-Drives that have had regular silver oxide batteries installed where the capacitor should have been. If you are not like Don and don’t want to do it yourself, give us a try http://www.stewarttime.com.
The new Eco drive Citizen watches are pieces of garbage. I’ve had 3 this year that just stopped working. The reason they have the 5 year warranty is because they know they are garbage. Don’t buy this over priced luxury item. There are not enough features to justify the price gap.
I’ve owned mine since 2003, and have had zero problems. Certainly not a “piece of garbage”. It has even been stored in no light situations for long periods of time and always recharged and come back to life.
I just received an Eco-drive as a gift. I haven’t had it resized yet.
Is it necessary to have the same number of links removed from both sides of the bracelet in order for it to fit properly?
Also, I’m a stickler when it comes to accurate time. Is there a way to stop the second hand so that I can synchronize it to my radio-controlled clock?
Mark-
I just got an Eco-drive as a gift too and had links removed today. I had 2 taken off one side and 1 from the other. Looks & fits great!
I have one an eco drive as well. The one with the blue face and silver band. My wife, who was a gf at the time she bought it, got it as a gift for me at xmas time. Pardon the pun, but as time passed on, we go married and now have a kid and the watch is still worn to this day. The only watch I have owned that actually still works, and is older than my marriage and first born, LOL. The styling is great and I actually have an alarm tone! I want another watch soon, but with this watch still ticking, I find it difficult to find one that is “better” function wise and appearance wise.
Regarding the links, since they move around on the wrist, I don’t think it matters to remove the same number from both sides. But if you need to remove an uneven number of links, don’t remove them all from the same side.
Regarding the battery life, I don’t know what to do to get a dead watch to come back to life- other than replacing the battery. When my brother and I bought our watches, (a few months apart), he told me that eventually the battery would need to be replaced. I don’t believe he has replaced his battery either.
Regarding the energy saving features, my old Citizen watch, (the one in this review) moves the second hand at two second intervals when the battery is low. My new watch will actually not move the second hand at all when the watch is in the dark, then when the watch is exposed to light, the second hand will swing to the position where it would have been if it kept moving. You can see this is you have a long sleeve shirt covering it and then lift up the sleeve to look at the watch.
Regarding setting the time, I pull the stem out all the way and the second hand stops. Then I use either my cell phone clock, or my computer clock to set the time. I find it interesting that we care so much about how accurate it is. When I was growing up, if you asked me for the time, I would say, “half past”, or “quarter of”. When digitals came out, we gave the exact time, (“It’s 2:13”.) I don’t remember my first watches even having a second hand.
Finally, for those of you with gold tone watches, have you seen any wear on the finish? Both of my watches have wear in the same places, (probably due to where my wrist is while typing). I notice the finish has completely worn off on the gold tone watch in certain places under my wrist. It’s the same with the titanium watch, but the wear is not noticeable because of the color of the band.
I thought I bought my watch in 1997 but Don’s review makes me think we got them in 1999. This is the model I bought:
http://www.bluedial.com/bn0000-04h.htm
The case is one piece. I don’t know how to access the inside to change the battery or capacitor, I guess it comes out through the front if you remove the bezel and crystal. The only problem I had was that after a year, I tore the strap. Instead of paying $25 for a new band rubber strap, I opted to pay $50 for a stainless steel band made specifically for that watch. After 10 years, I probably would have gone through 5-6 rubber straps by now.
I’m not sure if the new ones are not as well buildt as the older ones. Mine is a tank! Very rugged. I have worked on a few and when I took the backs off of some of them I saw too many plastic gears. They seemed kind of cheap, but I also see plastic gears in some expensive Seikos. I think I just like the idea of a watch needing virtually no maintenance for 10 years.
I still recommend them to anyone wanting a new watch. There are hundreds of styles and the $300 model I bought 10 years ago can be reasonablly purchased today for half that price.
BTW, a few years ago, my watch stopped keeping the proper reserve, and now as long as it is in the light, it works, but put it in the dark and it will stop in a day or so.
Ron
my Eco Drive just arrived and it looks stunning, I cant wait to get it charge and use it..
I’m just now looking at getting my new Citizen BN0055-53E in the next day or two. I’ve been impressed with my reading of the “Eco-drive”, which I’ve had similarly in some G-shocks I’ve kept. It’s called “Tough Solar” in G-shocks. I’ve had Seikos which I’ve loved, and I keep three of them. From what I’ve noticed Citizens are compareable in quality and range to Seikos. I shall follow this up after a little time of use with the new one.
It does seem odd to have such contrasting impressions of the Citizen watch. From what I’ve gathered, it’s the rare exception to the rule to have one crap out with the charging or anything else. Personally I like to stick to the older brands. I think you take fewer chances that way. Seiko and Citizen have been around for a long time, years before WWII. Lots of inovation and precison developed over that time. To me there’s more of a weight on the basic timepiece and less on fashion trends. A good design is supposed to be above that in my opinion. I also appreciate how these brands are reasonably priced. To me it makes more sense to have several really decent looking watches to wear than just one being massively expensive, and still be spending much less. Less pretense is a good thing too.
I’d rather go for a Seiko kinetic. More class.
Bought a Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre BL9000-59F. Beautiful watch but I can’t get the damn thing to hold a proper charge. I’ve set it out in a window on a hot summer day and wake up the next morning to find it dead. This was a brand new watch that cost me $400. It’s about two years old and I got lots of compliments on it when I wore it. I just wish the damn thing would work so I don’t have to rock this Seiko quartz.
I have this exact watch and I love it. I picked it up in late ’98. stored it for a year or more and it discharged. I remember the manual saying not to put it under direct light to speed up charging; ambient light only. the bezel broke about 7 yrs ago and had it replaced- might have been done under warranty. I used to spin it all the time when I couldn’t smoke so I think that wear is reasonable. the rivet on the clasp broke about 4 years ago which was $60 to replace. right now its in the shop getting all the pins replaced because a few are stretched and theirs big gaps and the conecting ‘U’s at the case rotate around the pin freely. I think a lot of my wear and tear is from wearing it around the clock. I really like the dark tone of this watch. Most ti watches now are brighter. When it was new it looked sandblasted or matte which I miss. I think citizen’s quality may have declined just like everything else. I never had an issue with the watch itself.
I’ve had an eco-drive for (?) years and now it stops if I take it off!!! It keeps running fine if I’m wearing it, but as soon as I take it off it stops after an hour or two.
Any advice?
Got a watch just like the one at the top of this page from a freind the other day and the knob that is used to set the watch pushes in and I don’t. Know what its for can some one please help
Guys…
Could you please help to know where i wil get the best deal for any Eco drive wrist watch in paris. and wat would be the cost around?
Mine was stored in a box for a few months and stopped working. I put it in sunlight all day for two days. It’s back to keeping great time today
after sitting all night. Don’t give up on it. Just keep charging until it keeps time.
citizen is a sleazy company. i bought the titanium eco-drive and after about a year noticed fogging on inside of crystal–sent it in and they supposedly repaired it. a year later moisture was back–deepest dive had been 3 feet in swimming pool. sent it back (still under warranty ) and they claimed someone had unscrewed crown and damaged it–they were the only ones who had ever serviced the watch but they wanted approx $200.00 to repair it. i threw it in a drawer and make it a practice to alert everyone i can to their outstanding customer non-support. i previously had a citizen dive watch that cost close to $600.00 and when it quit working after about 5 years ,i sent it to the company–they said they no longer serviced that model ??? but would give me a discount on the eco-drive—so i foolishly bought it.
I recently purchased a Citizen Eco-drive watch. I would never have been able to figure it out without good directions. It is absolutely accurate regarding how well it keeps time. I synchronized it with the atomic clock online and it has been perfect for the 2 weeks I have had it.
My Eco-drive watch is a chronograph which allows me to use it as a stop-watch. It also keeps track of a second time zone and keeps leap-year information stored.
After using the chronograph to time an event, when I switch it back to regular time function, it automatically adjusts back to the correct time without any further setting.
This is an amazing watch by any measure. Considering it will run forever just on the light in an average office, it is even more amazing! I am definitely a fan of this technology.
I just sent this to Citizen customer support. Waiting to see their response.
Subject:Once a loyal Citizen Customer
I have had 3 Citizen Titanium Eco-Drive watches over the past 10 years and am very disappointed. While I love the styling, accuracy, perpetual calendar, and water resistance quality, the bands are horrid and you should be ashamed of the quality.
The first one broke while I was in the car and fell out the window. Lost forever. Bought another one and after 3 years the band broke as well and not on an adjustable link. E710-H26188 TA 060418 Japan GN-4-S. Went to Sears as they are an authorized dealer. They said the band is repairable and new band is over $150. Bought another E760-H30211 TA 240073 Japan GN-4-S. Within 3 years the band has broken in an repairable location.
I cannot afford to be replacing a watch every 3 years. I am limited to a stock band with the way the casing is made as an aftermarket band will not fit. Watch might be made in Japan, but noticed on both bands that I have that have broken were made in China. A Timex would hold up better than this.
Just wanted to advise you on the low quality of your bands produced in China that makes your good watches useless.
Bad support after sales
I sent to repair the EcoDriver of my wife, it has moisture inside (Even if it is water resistant), not only they charge us to clean and replace gaskets, now after another splash it has moisture again.
I am really deceived.
Amen to the problem with the lousy bands on these nice watches.
China makes crap………………..period. Citizen, using bands made in China, makes me wonder about the future of the Japanese watch market.
I never expected to buy a Citizen watch and end up with a cheap, piece-of-crap Chinese watch band.
I have the same model as the main article which I bought in 1998 and the thing just wont give up. I swear this thing is bulletproof. Gotta love that it’s titanium and weighs close to nothing …
Can ANYONE Help me here?
I bought one of the Eco-Drive Citizen Watches last year sometime – But the stupid Crown KEeps MOVING on me – I never know if the ‘time’ is really the Time, or if the Crown has moved a hair and It’s now showing me The Alarm Time, or the L-TM (different time zone time) – - It’s been like this since The First Day.
mw September 11, 2009 at 5:24 pm – - Said the ‘bevel’ was moving, and if that’s the samething as The Crown, – and I’m betting it is since I am NOT the first person with this problem.
And Citixen MUST know about this issue since:
1.) the date MW posted was around the same time I got mine… and I did see other reviews Before I bought it (I know, I know) but I was “hoping” mine would be Different! (ya, right)
2.) AND the review I left of MY Watch has been added to Another Eco-Drive Citizen Watch – The one “I” reviewed by name they no longer are selling or showing – I JUST NOW saw that after someone posted a reply and I noticed the picture had changed.
odd, right??
So if Citizen KNOWS they have a problem with their turny-things, i.e. the Crowns or Bevels on some of their eco-drive perpetual calander watches (mines got the alarm, T-LM, etc on the bottom round circle at the 6 – Between 12-3 is a White-Circle 2,4,6,8,0 to set the leap year for the perpetual stuff – and at the 9 circle is military time. All Good features! Plus great blue face And Chronographed. With solid clicks even, goes just the one way. All Good – In fact I LOVE This Thing!!
If it could Only TELL The TIME when I look at it, it’d be the best watch ever! I explained it’s details since I’ve forgotten now what it’s Citizen number/name is.
So The Question if it got lost or too long:
Sincre I bought it online someplace – I’m screwed, right?
OR.. Since Citizen MUST know about these bad batches of Crowns, turning when your hands in your pocket.. watch just ‘touches’ the wrist – put a jacket on it moves 2 functions over! It might turn if I blew on it hard enough it’s a real Problem! Is there a Place I can go – Like when a Car has a Recall – Anything like that with watches – or over 300$ Citizen watches??
Appreciate ANY Help here, Please.
I have a picture of it, but hard to find them for sale Now, 10 momnths later Someone has gotten the point – so That Should mean THEY know, yes? But are ‘They’ the right theys that will fix it for free – or am I looking at a 100$ out of pocket crown -work?
I tried glueing the crown once, losing every Extra function just so I could use it as a Watch! – But the clear glue came off in the water.. plus when I would look at it i still didnt know for sure if it was The Time or if the glue rubbed off. This Sucks. I have an expensive (to me its a huge amount!) watch with lots of Great Features but I never know if the time on it is even close. Ridiculous. My first ‘non walmartish’ watch too. First try at something worth while.
Anyone Know What I Should or Could Do Here?
and thanks in advance.
But it LOOKS Great!
I saw
I have had my ecodrive for about 15 years and I love it but now the capacitor needs to be replaced and it costs $89. New ecodrive? $107 . Ok there is no battery, but the capacitor that replaces it does and it’s expensive. And a new crystal is $70.
If anyone knows of a less expensive repair, please let me know as I am sentimental about this excellent watch.
I took my generic watch to the local pawnshop today to replace the battery and band (decent pawnshops are good for this). The nice lady said it would take a couple of days, would I like a loaner in the meantime? Sure. She led me to their $20 case. A nice watch in the case seemed to fit, so I took it back to the office. For fun I googled it and found it is a 10 year old Ecodrive that originally retailed for $375. Walked back down the street to the pawnshop and told the nice lady that it seemed to fit real well, I’d like to buy it for the $20. She was happy she made a sale! So am I!
Reynard, I’m in the same boat. I bought this back in 2007: http://www.princetonwatches.com/shop/AP0250-52A.asp and the watch was beginning to run slow recently, so I sent it in for repair. Citizen just quoted me $80 plus shipping to overhaul the movement; nothing about a bad capacitor.
I have a 27 year old Seiko Speedmaster that still runs like a champ, so I’m very disappointed with the longevity of the Citizen. While I never believed that the Citizen would be maintenance free for life, I expected the movement to at least last a bit longer.
So do I toss the Citizen and buy a Seiko Black Monster for an extra $120, or pay for the repair cost? Since the repair cost only amounts to less than $7 for each of the last 14 years I’ve used the Citizen, maybe it’s not such a bad tradeoff.
Just purchased a new Citizen Eco-drive ladies for my wife EW9010-54A. I wanted to give her something that would be trouble and maintenance free, and look great. Well, it was keeping perfect time when I opened the box, but overnight it quit and it won’t start again. This after exposing it to hours of daylight, mostly cool, direct sun. (It’s winter here.) So on top of all the complaints written here about the cheap bands, I have to say the watch is pretty cheap too, having quit after less than a day!! Glad she didn’t have a chance to re-size it yet.
Ive had the solar tech 180 blue dial TT since they came out ! It got lost in a drawer here for iam not kidding 12 yrs I stuck it under a light for a few days and the thing is back running just fine ! I own 2 Citizen Eco Drives and have never had either one not charge back up but I guess it could happen !
I have the 180 and the new Calibre 2100 that they claim is hand assembled !
I would also like to add one more thing the 20 yr old soloar tech bracelet is made in Japan and the new Calibre 2100 bracelet is made in China but both are very well made high quality and I doubt I have a problem with them in my life time . Thats just my 2 cents ymmv of course . I always have my watch dude check any new watch I buy for bracelet problems and he told me the new Calibre 2100 bracelet was solid as a rock and there was no need for him to do anything . I have on other watches had him put in bigger pins and things but the Citzens are rock solid .
I know another post :O) but I have a ? I bought my Echo Drive solar tech 180 close to the day they were first released and it does not say Titanium on the dial BUT it is TT I can tell by the weight ! Anyone ever see one like that and does anyone know what yr these came on the market I would kina like to know . I bought it to replace an expencive Omega Seamaster someone stole out of my wife purse she was taking it in for a cleaning for me . My 180 is a tank of a watch . For that matter so is the new one a Calibre 2100 Echo Drive I bought a couple yrs ago .B U T ful watch IMHO . I love the power meter on the new one . I also recomend having any watch you buy at any price taken to a watch dude and have him ck the bracelet pins even some $10.000 watches can and do have bracelet problem now and then even new ones . Just have him or her make sure the pins are secure and clasp and you should never have a problem he can put wider stronger pins in if needed fairly cheap osmetimes it only requires him to use a punch set to secure them better and that way you will never have one fall of your arm from a lose pin .
Nice watches, company doesn’t stand behind product! I wouldn’t recommend!
I have 2 eco drives and had them stored for 6 months after my house flooded…there is a reset function that I had to preform on one of them because it was “jumping” also. Go to the Citizen website for details…perpetual calender models are model specific and all others are quite simple…just pull crown out to time adjustment for 30 seconds and reset time. Worked on mine…hope this saves some of you some time and money.
Citizen couldn’t guarantee their servicing would fix my problem because they no longer have a replacement movement. They were going to try to refurbish using cannibalized parts from other watches. I decided against the repair, and instead invested the money in a new Seiko automatic mechanical watch. No more issues with batteries, capacitors or any other electronic components. I won’t buy another solar-powered watch ever again.
“Never needs a battery replaced” is not true. My Titanuim eco drive is 9 years old and now it do not retain charge. I should replace secondary battery and the distributor charge me more than one hundred dollars for repair it.
Mine is the Titanium Solar Tech 180 and I obtained it from a friend 10 years ago and it had been used I believe a couple years. Never had an issue with it. Time is not dead on but few watches are and if it is a minute or so fast, all well and good. Before I obtained this watch, I had been unable to wear a watch for a few years as the “gold” on most watches — straps/frames– would cause a rash and itching. Titanium being inert does not cause any issue so hopefully this watch will last many years still. I wear the watch daily and am generally indoors and the watch is off my arm when sleeping and no issues with charging at all. Would search out a replacement if I ever need to but hopefully that will not be necessary.
I’m one of those people you may have heard about who seem to generate an unusually strong electromagnetic field. Over the years I have killed countless spring-driven and battery-powered wristwatches within months just by wearing them, and had almost given up on watches altogether when I bought an Eco-Drive to celebrate my son’s birth. He’s almost 14 now and the watch has performed perfectly until just a couple of weeks ago when I saw the “jumping hand” for the first time. If I leave the watch lying around in a cool room overnight it seems to affect the capacitor and the watch sometimes stops (it’s only happened 3 times so far), but starts again as soon as I put the watch on and it absorbs my body heat. My watch is stainless steel, yet still lightweight and completely comfortable. I had 2 links removed from the band when I bought the watch, and have had no problems whatsoever with it. In fact I love the locking mechanism the band uses. I have worn this watch almost constantly for nearly 14 years in all situations, including outdoors doing yard work and on camping trips. My Eco-Drive is one of the best purchases I have ever made and I wouldn’t give it up for any other watch. If I ever lose it, I will immediately buy another.
Thank you, ME. Resetting the watch by adjusting the date and time got the watch working properly again. Since I left it in the light and the second hand still kept skipping, I thought it was the capacitor.
Can anybody tell me what is battery life of ECO drive watches.
Because Citizen eco drive website claims that that battery will go fo 22 years.
I just got a eco drive for my b-day i love the watch but the second hand stops at 12 every few hrs or so..the time stays correct ..how do i fix.
I also purchased this watch 9 years ago and have never changed anything but the time ,,Great watch…….
the hubby has this exact same watch, bought in 1997. he has been wearing it everyday since then and thanks to the sapphire glass which makes it scratch-proof, it still looks like new to this day. battery has never been replaced!
love these watches; i own 3 ladies eco-drives. the one i bought in 2002 stopped recharging in 2010 but its working like new again after a capacitor replacement. great watches!
Can’t believe this article is still viewed.
I have 2 Citizen Eco-Drive watches. The one I chose for my 21st in 2007 (it’s also titanium, similar to the one in the article…just a “newer model” you can say; it’s an e100-s011922). And I just had to get another so that I could choose which I’d like to wear for the day. So I got the BT0001-55L just 4 days ago, which has a perpetual calender and just has a different look to my other.
I’ve never experienced low charge or anything, and hope for many many years still. Lovely, quality watches.
Me and my husband received a Citizen eco drive each as wedding presents nearly ten years ago and both are still going strong!
I wear mine more for special occasions and just make sure it as some light when not being worn and it as worked fine and kept fantastic time. My husband as worn his almost everyday, as a result some of the gold finish as worn off, so have just ordered this new one for him
http://www.goldandtimes.co.uk/mens-citizen-ar1124-59e-eco-drive-two-tone-black-dial-stainless-steel-watch-1381-p.asp
Hopefully he will get as much use out of it as his old one
Great until you have to change the time/date then completely impossible to set. How difficult can it be. Rubbish.
Hi! I just bought a Citizen CA0080-03E, it is a gift so I am not taking it out of box (transparent). The long, thin second arm is not moving though, while the two others are, same case with the little arrow on the bottom of the watch. is it just due to empty battery, or should I get it replaced? Thanks!
I have a Men’s Blue Angel Skyhawk that I purchased about 9 yrs ago… This watch was a favorite as it was great for both diving and travel. unfortunately It’s been in for repair ($150) and gradually was not keeping acurate time and finally about a year ago stopped working all together (I tried charging in sunlight, lamplight & flashlight) LOL… I really like the watch but don’t want to spend another $150+ getting it repaired… For me replacing a battery (I have another nice watch that has lasted longer and the battery has been replaced 1 time @ a watch repair shop for $30)… I think I’ll stick to the more traditional watched that need batteries… :^(
Got Citizen eco as gift 2 years ago, has laid in drawer and not worn much. Now after sitting in the sunlight and lamp light it won’t stay running for any length of time. The second hand jumps 2 minutes at a time, odd? How long is the warranty? It still looks like new but won’t stay running. What a shame. What to do?
I have had three now in the past 6 years (last two were presents). The first was only worn for special occasions and lasted about a year and then the adjustment pin came off when I adjusted the time. It still worked for about 6 months after that (with the wrong time) and then quit completely. The second lasted about a year and quit. The third stopped last week after about 2 years of fairly steady usage. I would not buy another and wanted to let others know they are nice to look at but are problematic. Bulova Precisionist will be my next watch.
I bought an eco-drive for my wife for Christmas. I can’t say how dissapointed I am. It does NOT work. We have had it under my piano light for several hours and it does NOT work. The hands will not move. I have changed the time several times, pulling the setting button in an out several tmes. It simply will not go. I buy cheap watches from WalMart because I migt damage them at work. I have never had one that didn’t work. The first time I buy an eco-drive, it doesn’t work, right out the box. WHAT a Huge dissapointment, especially for Christmas.