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Citizen Perpetual Chrono AT Watch Review

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:05:46 +0000

It is watches like this that cause many people to totally overlook mechanical timepieces altogether. Brands like Citizen, Seiko, and Casio have been offering gadget-lovers watches with heaps of functions for years - functions that most mechanical watches could never dream of. Watches like this don't offer the same type of "haute horology" experience that mechanical watch lovers seek, but are an extremely important flavor of watch in the market. They take timepieces to their logical technical limits, and keep pushing the boundaries further and further.

This Citizen Perpetual Chrono AT watch for instance is light powered (using Citizen's famous Eco-Drive movement), atomic clock controlled, has a perpetual calendar, chronograph, and second time zone indicator... among other functions. This basically means that once you set it up you could go without ever adjusting it again for the rest of your life. The downside, especially as applied to analog watches that do all this is that the system is inherently complicated to learn and set up. Citizen offers a sizable instruction manual along with tutorial videos on their website, and you will need to reference them to figure out how to use a watch like this. Not that this is an issue, but people like me tend to be used to getting watches and figuring them out in a few seconds right out of the box.

The good news, like I said, is that once you setup the watch, most of its features are unnecessary to mess with again (assuming the watch remains powered). That means the time and calendar data is reliably accurate for as long as you need. That makes this watch more or less "set it and forget it" when it comes to most functions. That doesn't apply to things like the chronograph, that you will still need to learn how to use. It isn't exactly as straight forward as the apparent "start/stop" and "reset" pushers might suggest - but it isn't a big deal.

All over the dial are hints of the watch's intense level of functionality. There are indicators for some of the atomic clock radio signal reception features on the flange ring (H,M,L), and what looks like a power reserve indicator as part of the upper right subdial. Many of the settings and features aren't even viewable in the default view. A good example is the perpetual calendar system.

On the dial you'll see a date window and day of the week hand as the only calendar system indicators. There is a mention of "perpetual calendar" on the face of the watch, but you'd be forgiven for being confused as a perpetual calendar usually shows more than that. Basically, the Perpetual Chrono AT watch takes into consideration the month and leap year while setting the calendar. You need the instruction manual to do this, but once it is set, the date will always be correct. Logically speaking, the date and day of the week is what you really want to know. If you forget what month you are in, you have other problems.

By default the dial shows you a number of things. You have the time, date, synchronized 24 hour hand (for AM/PM), date, day of the week, and US timezone indicator. This version of the watch is clearly for the US given indicators such as LAX, DEN, NYC, and well LON. You can change the timezone easily by pulling out the crown and the time easily adjusts for you. Pulling out the crown and turning the crown is also how you access features such as the chronograph and alarm. If you press the pushers with the crown in other settings you'll get other information that you may need the instructions to decipher. Once you learn it though, this watch proves to be nice looking and pretty geektastic.

In addition to having a lot of whiz-bang features and an easy to love convenience, the Perpetual Chrono AT watch represents a type of Citizen watch in terms of quality that you might have not known was around. For instance, this watch has a sapphire crystal - something that until recently wasn't available on most Citizen watches that weren't in high-end categories. The crystal is further AR coated. The case is water resistant to 200 meters, and comes with a warning that only the service center should open it up!

This version of the Citizen Perpetual Chrono AT is the reference AT4004-52E. It is 42mm wide and in a steel case with gold-toned accents. There are currently about eight versions of this watch. Each has a slightly different case color or style, and come on both bracelets and straps. The bracelet for this watch won't have the heft of a high-end Swiss bracelet, but is comfortable and attractive. I have often joked about strange looking bracelets from both Citizen and Seiko in the past - but stuff like this is conservative and comfortable in style and looks. The deployment clasp is clean and offers a nice push-button operation in a relatively flush clasp.

Wearing comfort for the watch is very high - at least on my wrist. I also can say that legibility is quite good given the very busy dial. Rather than look too mismatched, the dial comes across as "cool" for most tastes and is surprisingly easy to read given the properly sized hands and excellent luminant. This isn't just a watch, but a true information center on your wrist disguised as something between sporty and dressy. For fans of high-function Japanese watches that make the most out of quartz movements, pieces like this are a winner. The Citizen Perpetual Chrono AT ref. AT4004-52E retails for $575 - with its sister watches ranging from $450 - $795.

Citizen Eco-Drive Ladies Silhouette Bangle EW9990-54E Watch Review

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:29:35 +0000

Watches for women aren't discussed enough here on aBlogtoRead.com. That is probably due in part to the fact that I don't frequently wear women's watches (but hey, I try to my keep options open!). Nevertheless, I have bought many a watch for women and advised others on the topic. Based on my experiences, this is a timepiece that women will like.

Citizen is the top selling watch in the US from a volume perspective. A lot of that is thanks to their Eco-Drive Japanese quartz movements that are light powered. In fact, all three of the major Japanese watch brands (Citizen, Seiko, and Casio) feature light/solar powered quartz movements. The benefit here to those not familiar with them is convenience. A little light goes a long way for watches that need little to no maintenance when light keeps your watch battery charged. In my experience most women aren't particularly interested in winding and setting watches all the time.

Many women seem to want quartz watches that they don't need to think about. When batteries die sometimes they never end up being replaced at all. So watches that don't need a battery replacement are ideal - enter solar powered timekeeping and a product that is very exciting. Even though Eco-Drive watches have been around for a while, it still surprises me how many people aren't familiar with them.

Light enters through the dial, but Citizen is clever about designing dials that look normal on these watches. On this Eco-Drive Silhouette Bangle watch is a gray-toned dial that doesn't appear to be light permeable - but it is. The dial design is very simple and elegant. It has only the brand and a 12 o'clock hour indicator with broad hands for the hour and minute. It goes well with a crystal decorated bezel and a dainty look.

A timepiece like this is a design combination between a bracelet and a bangle. The steel case has bangle-like segments attached to the case and then a bracelet below that has removable links to adjust the size. It works for both style and comfort. It does however have a clasp style bracelet connector that can be tricky to open and close with one-hand. Overall the look from the case to the bracelet is well-integrated and attractive.

The good news is that this Citizen Ref. EW9990-54E watch can be worn tightly fitted or worn loose like a bracelet, depending on the preference of the wearer. The case is a petite 21mm wide and just 7mm thick. This is not a large watch, and offers an elegant dainty style that many women appreciate. It also makes for a good all-around design suitable for many clothing styles.

The Ref EW9990-54E is marked by the bezel crystals for added character and the elegant dial. Its combination of effortless usage and near-jewelry looks gives this Silhouette Bangle watch broad appeal and makes it suitable for many types of women. As a gift I think most women would enjoy this watch, as well as other Citizen Eco-Drive bangle style timepieces. This model retails for a reasonable $200, and is often priced a bit less at many authorized retailers.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave Watch Hands-On

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:33:05 +0000

Much to the chagrin of Casio and Seiko, one of the most talked about and anticipated Japanese watches of 2011 was this limited edition Eco-Drive Satellite watch from Citizen. Upped to being a limited edition of 990 pieces, this rather pricey timepiece dazzles with design and technology. The future is all about the East while the West seems to be obsessed with the past.

I first discussed this Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave watch here after seeing its debut. With the watch now released I got some hands-on time with one of the production pieces (thanks to Arizona Fine Time, a Citizen dealer). The final watch is rather impressive and very true to the concept version. It was unclear whether or not Citizen was going to actually make too many of these, but due to demand they decided a limited edition run was due. Having said that, I hear murmurs that Citizen will be not only using this special technology in future watches, but the Eco-Drive Satellite Wave will be followed-up with other versions that have different color tones (possibly next year).

So what is this Eco-Drive satellite tech all about? I discussed it more thoroughly in the link above. Basically Citizen has developed a system for having the watch manually connect with GPS satellites to sync the exact time no matter where you are in the world. Previously watches of this theme were only able to connect with the radio signals of atomic clocks. But you needed to be in the vicinity of said atomic clocks - and those don't at all cover the entire world. The idea here is that you will be able to have the precise time, in a movement that is charged by the light, no matter where you are (on this planet).

The idea sounds great but according to some it hasn't quite lived up to the hype. This is due to one critical drawback - that being that the watch will not automatically sync with the satellites. To sync with them you need to manually tell the watch you are ready to receive signals (and you probably need to be outdoors). My guess is that this is due battery power issues and that it doesn't have the power to constantly check for signals. I am sure that this is being looked into and hopefully will be improved in future renditions of the Eco-Drive Satellite movement concept. In this watch is Citizen's H990 caliber quartz movement.

A lot of people are disappointed by the lack of automatic time synchronization in the Eco-Drive Satellite Wave watch. I understand that. The idea that the watch, like your mobile phone would always ensure it is showing the right time, no matter where you are is an easy thing to lust for. It is coming, but we are just not there yet. The issue almost always boils down to power consumption. If you are OK with manually telling the watch to sync the time, then you should be OK with this piece.

At 48mm wide the case is mega-sized with a mega personality. The case itself is beautiful. As I understand it Citizen has developed some special way of doing a ceramic coating over steel. Whatever it is, the shiny gray case material is fantastic looking, especially with all those green inserts. Over the dial is a very dome crystal that reflect a lot of light. I would have liked for Citizen to bathe it in AR coating (especially at this price). One major complaint about the dial is the lack of luminant. For a sport looking watch it is really a shame to have no backlight or lume coated parts on the dial.

Attached to the case is that green and black strap that needs to be cut to size. I tend to not like these, but once properly sized they world out. Citizen will charge you $80 bucks for a new one I hear. The overall fit and finish of the case and watch is impressive. Everyone also seems to like the presentation box it comes with. With some drawbacks that might be serious or trivial based on your needs, the Citizen Eco-Drive Satellite Wave wave is still very impressive and cool. No doubt it signals upcoming technologies and still shows that the Japanese have the total edge when it comes to producing the tech elite of the watch world. Price for the limited edition Eco-Drive Satellite Wave watch is a steep $3,800.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar Watch

admin — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:01:48 +0000

For 2011 Citizen's major new piece is perfect for the American market. If you want to check out their other cool stuff you'll need to take a little trip over the Japan (which would be nice... go support them). Part of their newer Signature collection, this is the simply named Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar, and Citizen Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph. Two watches that each come in a host of styles and colors.

The Signature collection is a higher-end range of watches from Citizen that sits under the Campanola collection. Signature watches all have better cases, sapphire crystals, and more interesting movement. They also have more decorative elements. Some of these look great, others are more a matter of taste. The new Signature Perpetual Calendar watch is a lot going for it. The 43mm wide steel case is attractive, but has some unique decorative elements to it - and let's just get it out of the way now - yes, the rotating diver's style bezel is taken from Tag Heuer's Aquaracer 500M collection.

Citizen uses a double AR coated sapphire crystal and the cases are 200 meters water resistant on the chrono (multi-function) version, and 300 meters water resistant on the three hand version. Attached to the case is a pretty decent metal bracelet, with some versions being two-tone with rows of rose-gold toned links.

On the three-hand Perpetual Calendar watch the dial is nice and easy to read, even though it does have a sort of engraved sunburst pattern dial. Legibility is ensured through large lume-coated hands and applied hour markers. Both watches have light-powered Eco-Drive movements. The three-hand model with caliber E764 has the time, and perpetual calendar with only the date displayed. This means while you only see the date, you don't need to set the date - pretty much ever.

There are at least seven versions of the Signature Perpetual Calendar. Each version of the watch has a different dial and bezel combination - while two versions are done in two-tone. Dial colors include, black, blue, silver, gray, and brown. The Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph comes in five versions. Two of them have crocodile straps - and I really like Citizen's crocodile straps for the price.

The Chronograph model is more than a chronograph, and contains Citizen's popular multi-function Eco-Drive quartz caliber E820 movement. The movement has the time, 1/20th of a second chronograph (measures up to 60 minutes), perpetual calendar, alarm, and a second timezone. It can also displays the time in 24 hour format.

Citizen makes the dials pretty glossy for decorative effect. It takes away from the tool watch style case, but makes it feel like a more high-end timepiece. While not the most innovative timepieces in the world, the Signature Perpetual Calendar collection is a lower priced Signature collection watch and offers a good value. No doubt they will sell, and sit well as a daily wear. Prices for the collection ranges from $795 - $ 850 for the Signature Perpetual Calendar watches, and from $$925 - $975 for the Signature Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watches.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Satellite Eco-Drive Watch: Gets Time From Space

admin — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:01:12 +0000

Atomic clock radio signal syncing watches are so last year. Citizen just decimated the coolness factor of those watches with the Satellite Eco-Drive watch. This timepiece isn't just a concept, but will actually be produced as a limited edition later this year - and may have its tech show up in later watches. In a nutshell, the watch keeps its time super accurate from syncing with the navigational satellites that orbit Earth as opposed to syncing with radio signals that are broadcasted from local atomic clocks.

Atomic clocks lose one second of time every 100,000 years or something like that. Maybe even longer. The point is that you'll be long dead before they are off by even a fraction of a second. Your standard quartz watch movement is accurate to within about 15 seconds a month. Syncing to an atomic clock is a good idea, and has traditionally been done in watches that do this by relying on radio signals that atomic clocks emit. However, there aren't atomic clocks all over the world, and neither are there such signals. If you live in the US, much of Europe, China, and Japan you can get atomic clock radio signals, everywhere else you are screwed. Even if you are in range the system to capture the signal and sync with it is quirky at best. I have a few atomic clock radio signal syncing clocks and am really never sure if they are getting signal or not. Navigational satellites that orbit the Earth do however get the signal.

What Citizen has done with the new Satellite Eco-Drive watch is create a system that receives signals not from radio towers but from the satellites. The main advantage here is that now your watch can be hyper accurate anywhere on the planet - not just regions where the radio signals are present. The watch also has an Eco-Drive quartz movement that receives power from the sun. Your "stranded on a deserted island" choice of watch just got upgraded.

The only drawback is that the watch cannot receive a signal indoors. Think of it like a GPS unit. To receive a signal from the satellite it needs a clear line of site. The watch can receive information from one of 24 navigational satellites the are going around the earth. These satellites bounce the atomic clock information to each other so that are each all accurate. In addition to the time, the signal also has the calendar information. What amazes me the most is that the watch has enough power to do all this.

Citizen gave the watch a spacey conceptual look to go with the Satellite theme. The dial is open and is mixed with black, white, and green colors. The flange ring is a green coil, and Citizen admits that the design is meant to make people think of satellites and spaceship engines. Not stopping there Citizen went so far as to partner with makers of the upcoming Appleseed movie sequel "Appleseed 13." It is actually the third move in the franchise... The watch in animated form will be in the movie.

Not sure about the case size, but it is nice and large. The case will be in steel and ceramic (very cool). The crystal is also sapphire while the case is water resistant to 100 meters. Inside the watch is a Citizen Eco-Drive calibre H990 quartz movement that offers the time, satellite syncing all over the world, a perpetual calendar, second timezone, and world time. The watch will be limited and in the $3,000 price range I believe. Finals specs on price and production amounts will come later when the watch is due for release in the Fall of 2011. Very cool and I love to see the revolutionary technology from Citizen.

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Alterna Pilot Eco-Dive Watch

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 07:17:32 +0000

With a name like "Alterna," you'd think there is something very alternative looking about these watches. There isn't. Just another one of those soft sounding names that Citizen likes to give to theirÂ sportier timepieces. My favorite so far is the "Atessa" watch. Which isn't nearly as feminineÂ a watch as the name might suggest. Actually, the Atessa is a very powerful and durable timepiece. Citizen Alterna watches make up a really large family of timepieces, most of which aren't available in the US. I wrote about another Citizen Alterna watch here a while back. If you Google Citizen Alterna, you'll find a wide range of some really cool stuff. Problem is that non of them seem to fit a "family mold," and you'll be gouged a bit when buying them online as they are not officially for the US market. Also, the name "Citizen Alterna Pilot" doesn't narrow this collection down completely, as there are other models with this same name. You'll need to use the reference numbers which are: VO10-3831T, VO10-6833T, and VO10-6832T.

I have a feeling that this watch is gonna come to the US market. It is part of a series of Japanese watches by both Citizen and Seiko that are thematically similar to watches popularized by brands such as Sinn, and Bell & Ross. It has all the bits and pieces that make a watch popular in the US. Being easy to read, sporty, "activity themed," and not very expensive. Not sure of the exact price yet, but from the Yen conversion, they would cost about $250-$300.

The Alterna Pilot comes in a series of colors (perhaps more than shown here), in an IP black or brushed steel case that is 42.5mm wide. The strap is Nylon, and is sort of a mix between a stand strap and a NATO strap with some contrast stitching. Very sport oriented, I like that. Crystal over the dial is mineral (OK for this price), and luminant is Citizen's Lumibrite lume that comes in different colors. Case is water resistant to 100 meters. Movement is the Eco-Drive caliber 8637 quartz movement that is light powered. Very interesting choice on Citizen's behalf to leave off the "Eco-Drive" label on the dial.

At first look the dial looks like it has a chronograph, but then you realize that those are an AM/PM (synced 24 hour hand) and calendar indicators (day/date). Some people are gonna like that, others simply aren't. No chronograph is OK, but I would have gladly traded the day of the week indicator for a subsidiary seconds hand. Overall I really like the watches -though ideally I would want Citizen to offer a black case with white colored hands and numerals. The blue is quite compelling though. Hands are well rendered in the style they are trying to emulate, but are too short. An interesting design component is the crown. It looks like a interpretation on modernizing the turnip or onion style crown that classic mechanical aviator watches have.Â For the price, these aren't too bad, and might end up at your local Citizen retailer soon. Otherwise look online.

See Citizen watches on eBay here.

See Citizen watches on Amazon here.

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Eco-Drive World Perpetual AT Watches

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 08:51:10 +0000

Citizen's featured mainstream new watch collection for 2010 is this Eco-Drive World Time Perpetual AT line of timepieces. Based on a newly developed movement, the collection comes in a large range of styles, in various price brackets. From sporty to sleek, there is a World Perpetual AT watch for everyone. They are based on the new H144 Eco-Drive quartz movement that has a lot more features that it might suggest at first glance.

For me, this watch is about offering the functionality and feature set excepted in Citizen and other similar Japanese watches, but in a very classic, simple looking design. A major philosophy in Japanese tech watches like this is the "set it and forget it principle." Which is actually a bit different than the European ideal of constantly attending to your watch. Actually, I think the same philosophy exists in the respective cars made by the Japanese and the Europeans. After being initially set, and given the availability of light, the World Perpetual AT watch should pretty much always have power, accurate time, and the accurate date.

The watch has a perpetual calendar. When you set the time, you also set the month and the leap year. According to Citizen, given continuous operation of the watch, the calendar doesn't need to be set again until the year 2100. So you know that at least that calendar will be accurate aside from your other watches and ones around the house. In addition to the light power generation in the Eco-Drive movement, the watch receives signals from various atomic clock radio signals around the world. It syncs with these regularly to keep the time accurate. It even does this when you are traveling. In addition to the auto syncing you can manually sync the watch time. This is another great feature to have and gives you assurance that the time is most always correct. Even if the watch isn't able to sync with an available signal, the quartz movement is still quite accurate.

And then there is the world time function. You'll notice the list of reference cities around the dial.Â Those are used when selecting different timezones. On the fly, you can easily switch to any of the major timezones without losing accuracy on the watch. Citizen makes it pretty simple to adjust, thus allowing for a great traveler's companion, or timepiece for people who like to easily know the time in lots of other timezones. Remember, the trick here isn't just the functionality - that has been done. But rather the relatively svelte layout and simple dial.

The little "SMT" indicator on the dial is for turning on and off day light saving time by the way. The other area is part of the manual sync functions for the atomic clock synchronization. Otherwise the dials are pretty clean, and with the large hand and applied hour numerals (both coated with luminant) this is a very legible, sensible looking high-function timepiece!

While each version of the watch is a bit different, they are each in steel cases (some in gold tone), and about 43-44mm wide. Actually, there is one model in a titanium case. The cases are relatively thin, and thankfully all have sapphire crystals. Citizen has offered certain pieces in other countries with sapphire crystals that the US only saw mineral crystal versions of, but the World Perpetual AT watches all have sapphires crystals in the US. The images above show a lot of the range of styles, but not all of them. You can see the different case shapes and styles, along with the various metal bracelets. There are also leather straps available in most collections. In addition to the standard models, there are two limited edition World Perpetual AT watches available. Both in steel (one is gold tone), they come in limited editions of 2,500 pieces each, have really nice crocodile straps with deployment clasps, and come in nicer wood boxes.

The limited editions top out the range with a retail price of $650 -$675. The World Perpetual AT range starts at $399, and goes up in increments. Most steel models are about $500, while the titanium version is $650. I believe the World Time Perpetual watches should be out now, or very soon, and will be part of Citizen permanent collection for a while.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Eco Drive Dome Limited Edition Watch

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:38:44 +0000

My love of interesting Japanese watches is greatly enhanced by my love of Japanese anime and related Japanese pop culture. Many people who design Japanese watches are likewise influenced by such media, so it is inevitable that once in a while the brass at the top will allow them to release watches with a techno-cool vibe from a very well established brand such as Citizen. This watch will likely never see the light of day officially in the US, but it is going to be offered as a limited edition of 500 pieces (250 pieces of each style) in Japan (and maybe a few places around there). Price is pretty high for a Citizen watch, but within Campanola standards though.

The inevitable comparison people are going to make to a watch like this (especially the white and black one) is to Star Wars (storm troopers). That is the easy answer, and unfair given that the watch is Japanese. I see it more as a statement on types of organic looking anime characters and robots that have more curves than sharp angles. The skeletonized/open dial is not only trendy, but a comparison to the exposed robotics and electronics that many beloved anime mechanical creations are known to exhibit, from time to time. For comic style technologists, it isn't just the theme which is interesting, it is the plausible form that fantasy technology takes, which is so intriguing.Â So to compliment the Citizen Eco-Dive Dome watch, I am placing an image of the Guyver, as well as robot character from Ghost in the Shell called Tachikoma.

The Citizen Eco-Dive Dome started as a concept watch in 2009, and was green-lighted (ins slightly different form) for production in 2010. The first of the watches should be available when you read this, and come in reference number BY0030-04E ( in titanium with white "pearl" coating) and BY0039-00E (in titanium with black DLC coating). One thing I can't say for sure is the exact size, but I believe it is 49mm wide. Big, but Japanese watches are getting bigger. Even domestically in Japan, young people like larger timepieces.Â While the dials are around, the cases are sort of tonneau shaped with a very interesting look to them. Fashionable, hi-tech, and futuristic all at the same time. In fact, being futuristic is a main goal of the Dome watch. From a technology standpoint, there is nothing new, just the audacity of the concept showings its face to challenge contemporary design.

At its core, the Eco-Drive Dome watch has a Citizen light-powered Eco-Drive quartz movement that is atomic clock radio controlled (not sure how many bands, I would guess 5-6). Functions include the time, date, 1/5 of a second chronograph, alarm, world time indicator plus GMT time indication, and a power reserve indicator for the battery. The fun is all in the design and the case. Strap is a polyurethane black that is like rubber and uses a push-button butterfly clasp. Probably fine, but I hate straps like this where you have to physically cut it to size.

With a case in titanium, the Dome is flanked by black or white plates that are very slick looking. The black one is DLC coated titanium with a fascinating finish that looks like meteorite. Never seen anything like that. It glistens beautifully, and represents one of the most sophisticated DLC applications around. Each particular watch is said to have a slightly different look to it. The white model is also amazing. While not DLC, it has a 5 layer white coating that looks as pure as white enamel. Only here the multi-layer look glistens a bit and is called "pearl" to its shine and deep luster. Crystal is sapphire, and I believe there is more sapphire in the multi-layer dial, though I am not sure. Citizen calls the dial "mirror silver" in tone. Even will all that is going on, the large high-contrast hands and hour indicators make the Eco-Drive Dome easy to read. There is gonna be one of those "oohh... look at THAT watch," timepieces in Japan. I am sure a few of them will reach our shores as well. I would totally wear one of these beauties. Price is up there, at close to $2,900 for each of the 500 pieces in this limited edition collection. Good to see more interesting stuff like this from Citizen and not sure Seiko.

See Citizen watches on eBay here.

See Citizen watches on Amazon here.

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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Citizen Eco-Drive Chrono Time AT Watches

admin — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:14:42 +0000

Functions! Functions! Functions! This is the newer line of Citizen Eco-Drive Chrono Time AT watches. Pictured are two of the models with the all steel version up top, and the limited edition gold-plated version below. Though other models are available.Â Breitling proved to the world that men like busy dials. With the advent of the Breitling slide-rule rotating dial, very world of busy pilot watches was born. I have yet to meet people who actually use the slide rule bezel, but they do succeed in making the wearer look more important. This isn't the first Citizen watch with a slide rule, but it may be of the nicest. One thing different about this Citizen Chrono Time At watch compared to a Breitling, is that the Citizen has many more functions.

To get an idea of what they are all, see the little diagram with arrows showing what areas on the watch are meant to indicate. I am sure that simply looking at the dial didn't have you thinking it did all that. At first I assumed that it had the time, which was atomic clock based, picking up the radio signals, that it had a chronograph, a 24 hour hand, the inner rotating slide rule bezel, date, and was a world timer. Then you begin to notice other features that are less obvious. Just as a battery charge indicator for the light powered Eco-Drive quartz movement, alarm, a system for telling you whether you are in day light savings time, an indicator telling you what atomic clock radio signal you are picking up, as well as more information about the radio signals, that the watch is a perpetual calendar, oh, and that the watch kick's ass.

The watches are big, being 46mm wide, but don't feel as big on your wrist. Crystal is thankfully sapphire. The colors on the dial look nice, but not silly looking. The hands do stand out enough, so the watch isn't too difficult to read. One thing you'll notice is the large flatter crown. It has a nice inlaid Citizen Promaster logo in it. Most of the functions need to be read about to be used, but once you learn how to use the watch, it isn't that complex. When you have the nice looking timepiece on your wrist, it is nice to know that it never needs a battery replacement, and doesn't need to be set because it is atomic clock controlled. That and the easy to use world-timer function make it a perfect travel watch, or everyday watch. Plus the watch is sophisticated enough to keep you interested in it for a while.

I like the steel version with the metal bracelet the best, but you can get the watch with leather straps (blue or black dials). Prices for those are $650-$750 retail, while the limited edition (of 2,50 pieces) version is gold plated and on a crocodile strap, that goes for $895 (not too bad for a limited edition over the standard watches).

Citizen AT1180 05E Mens Eco Drive Black Leather Strap Chronograph Watch
$86.00 (8 Bids)
Time Remaining: 12h 41m
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Citizen AT2090 51E Mens Watch SS Black Dial Eco Drive Quartz Chronograph
$186.70
Time Remaining: 1d 9h 27m

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Citizen AT2060 52E Mens Watch Chronograph Black Dial Round
$270.00
Time Remaining: 1d 9h 38m
Buy It Now for only: $270.00
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Citizen AT4009 08L LTD EDITION ELI MANNING Perpetual Cal SS Sapphire Watch
$286.00 (19 Bids)
Time Remaining: 1d 17h 43m

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Citizen AT0880 50E Mens Eco Drive Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch
$66.01 (21 Bids)
Time Remaining: 1d 18h 8m

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CITIZEN AT4008 51E Perpetual Calendar AT Chronograph Watch Authorised Stockist
$519.75
Time Remaining: 2d 2h 15m
Buy It Now for only: $519.75
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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

My Japan’s Watch Revival: The Lexus Effect Article On AskMen.com

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:32:26 +0000

This was an important article for me to write as the concept of luxury Japanese watches has been on my mind a lot lately. I think you'll find it an interesting read. It rather well accumulates my dispersed thoughts on this topic of global sold Japanese luxury watches and our perception on them.

See my Japan's Watch Revival: The Lexus Effect article on AskMen.com here.

Citizen Campanola Minute Repeater Watch AH7050 06W
$2,350.00
Time Remaining: 4h 39m
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SEIKO SPRING DRIVE Caliber 5R66 GMT Power Reserve Model No SNR009 BNIB
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Time Remaining: 1d 17h 33m
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CITIZEN CAMPANOLA Mens Stainless Steel Minute Repeater AH7000 04A
$2,750.00
Time Remaining: 3d 11h 27m
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NEW Citizen Campanola Minute Repeater Mens Alarm Regulateur Watch AH7000 04A
$2,695.00
Time Remaining: 3d 18h 22m
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SEIKO SPRING DRIVE SNR003 POWER RESERVE MENS WATCH NEW 2 YEARS WARRANTY
$3,959.00
Time Remaining: 4d 7h 47m
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Mint Original Poster Watch Citizen Campanola Minute Repeater Grand Complication
$1,600.00
Time Remaining: 6d 10h 38m
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Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.