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93 of 94 people found the following review helpful.
Brilliant engineering + graceful design = near perfection
By Michael Deats
I’ve had Citizen watches for a long time. My basi Citizen was an Aqualand Eco-Drive with built-in depth gauge. Been on some scuba diving excursions much traveling and still works like a champ. Citizen watches in frequent are rugged, reliable, accurate, and with the Eco-Drive and Perpetual calendar, wholly self-sufficient.
The Calibre 8700 is the uttermost blend of form and function in a watch. This thing is packed full of engineering science with an Eco-Drive system and Citizen’s Perpetual Calendar which is guaranteed exact until Feb. of 2100. The face is perfectly finelooking and comes in a potpourri of colors (white, steel blue, and black). You’d never recognise it was a solar cell except for the tiny words “Eco-Drive” at the 12 position. The steel blue and black versions have a subtle two-tone face with a more highly polished look around the edge where the numbers are located. On my black and sliver model, the numbers are refined and tasteful silver Roman numerals that give the watch a much more classic appearance. The outside edge likewise has tick marks for the seconds, and numbering ever 5 seconds. Further out on the ring are each of the 12 months of the year, with January at the 1 o’clock position and sweeping clockwise to December at 12. The font employed for the months is very legible, but little sufficient that they aren’t obtrusive or distracting.
The inner face has three littler dials in a triangular configuration. The top left dial is the 24-hour clock that stays in sync with the normal 12-hour hand. The outer edge of the 24-hour dial is done in a similar polished steel that contrasts wondrous with the background and main outer numbers. There are tick marks for each hour, and frequent numbering each 4 hours, with the 12 and 24 being somewhat larger.
The top right dial is a multi-function display and is separated into three sections. The biggest is in the semi-circle that depicts the day of the week, starting with Sunday at the top and sweeping clockwise to Saturday at the bottom. A little silver hand points to the current day. The days are labeled with the general 3-letter abbreviations. On the bottom left side of the dial, which is black with sliver lettering, are the words ON and OFF, which will tell you the status of the alarm when the lower button is pressed. The upper share of the dial (also black and silver), tells you how some years past the last leap-year the watch is set to (currently +1 because 2004 was the last leap-year).
The final dial at the bottom tells you what mode you are in: Time, Calendar, Alarm, and Local Time. This dial is done in the same style as the 24-hour dial, but is only semi-circular. An interesting feature is the hand that points to the current mode is double-ended, meaning you may alter the mode (using the knob on the side) by rotating it either clockwise or counter-clock wise to point the rectify mode, in only 2 turns to any mode, even modes that are on the opposite end of the dial. Great feature and makes altering modes much faster.
The last feature of the face is the general date display, which will mechanically adjust to the rectify date depending on the month and leap year.
Time mode is the frequent watch mode showing you the current time in hours, min. and seconds, the day of the week and the date. Day of the week dial will likewise tell you the status of the alarm if the lower button is held. Setting the time mechanically sweeps the second hand to 12-o’clock, so you may sync your watch with the atomic clock very effortlessly and quickly. Switch to Calendar mode, and the second hand now points to the current month, while the watch maintains the time uninterrupted. Change it back and the second hand sweeps around to the current time and begins ticking as if not one thing happened. Holding the upper button in this mode will tell you the year past the last leap year (L.Y, +1, +2, +3). Switch to alarm mode and the hands will move to the time you have the alarm set for. Note that the watch is still sustaining the rectify time, just not moving the hands. Finally, move the watch to Local Time, and you now have a altogether distinguished time display. So if you are journeying and you normally are on Eastern Time, you may set the Local Time mode to the local time and it will keep track of both automatically. Setting it is so easy! Each turn of the knob advances or backs up the time by precisely one hour, so you’ll always be synced. And here’s the best part: Your alarm will always go off at the rectify time, irrespective if you are in Local Time or normal Time mode. If your normal alarm goes off at 7 am Eastern and now you are 3 hours behind in California, setting your local time will make your alarm go off at 7 am California time! Sweet.
The watch band is a tasteful steel-link design that mixes utterly with the watch body. The clasp is very secure and easy to detach; just squeeze the sides and it pops right off. The band is likewise very smooth and rounded, so the steel never irritates your arm. The joints are so precisely engineered that they never catch your arm hair and cause that painful hair-tugging that so numerous cheap metal bands do.
There is only one real negative to this watch and one minor feature I’d like, even though neither are anything that most other, more highpriced watch don’t suffer from. First, only the minute and hour hands glow in the dark (not the 24-hour hand). And it is only the normal glow-in-the-dark paint variety. I would have liked to see tritium gas illumination for the hands and perhaps for the 12, 3, 6, and 9 positions, as well as for the 24-hour hand and some of the numbers on that dial. But the paint is very high quality, glows very brightly for various hours, and maintains a low level of luminescence all around the night. The second is that there is no mode to indicate the current charge level of the reserve battery. It does have a low power warning mode that causes the second hand to only move each 2 seconds (yes it moves two ticks 
) to indicate the charge is low. But the face is so perfectly laid out I don’t know where they would place such an indicator and the Citizen engineers probably decisive it was unnecessary, and they are rather right: If your watch is ticking normally, it has sufficient charge and that’s all you need to worry about.
This watch is utterly the best watch I have ever owned. It’s beautiful, functional, accurate, self-sustaining, comfortable and rugged. Once set, you’ll most likely never have to set it again for as long as you own the watch. The battery never needs to be substituted and the date always rolls over to the rectify day. And ought to you take it off and leave it someplace dark, it will keep the rectify time for up to 6 months on a full charge. It is also water immune to 100 meters, even though this actually means that normal actions such as washing your hands, showering or swimming will not pose a problem, just don’t use the controls under water. Don’t scuba dive with this watch! 
This has everything you need unless you’re a gadget freak. And even at the MSRP of this watch, it’s an perfectly terrific deal!
109 of 113 people found the following review helpful.
My firstborn Eco-Drive,
By Alexander E. Paulsen
This review can’t be altogether comprehensive since I’ve only had this watch for two weeks now, but it sure is attractive, comfortable and easy to use.
I quintessentially timid away from quartz watches except as cheap work knock-abouts. My best watches are all automatics. I have various Omegas, 3 Rolex’s, and 2 TAG’s and a Breitling. All Automatics. I also have a Luminox as my “cheap” quartz knock-about. I feel that it is foolish to have an costly watch and it be reliant on using a battery. A good watch must be self-sufficient.
Citizen has performed an amazing technical breakthrough with the Eco-Drive movement. It is powered by light through a solar cell underneath the face. The cells are so effective that they are invisible and it is inconceivable to tell it is there. They seem to have win a victory over any limitations of face design, and they now come in a multitude of colors and configurations.
The watches are claimed to never need a battery. The solar cell keeps a capacitor charged and the watch needs amazingly little light exposure. A few minutes a day is all that is needed. Not only that but the power reserve on galore Citizen models is meaured in years. I’m not sure regarding this one but I think it is at least 6 months. AND, the watch may go into a power save mode where the motion is disabled and still keep time. Take the watch into the light for a minute or so and the motion resets and you’re back in business.
This watch has a perpetual calendar that knows the month, date and leap year status so the date calendar is always right. This is a terrific touch. There is a little dial that tells you the day of the week, as well as 24 hour dial. Mine the two tone model, gold on a black face and looks terrific.
It has an alarm that while low in db is at a frequency that seems to be competent to wake any person from a deep sleep.
Did I mention that this watch is classically finelooking and may hold it’s own quality-wise with any of the high dollar contest from Switzerland. Most persons when they see it think it’s a Breitling.
The bracelet is heavy and is in my sentiment superior the the Rolex Submariner bracelet in terms of feel, ease and heft. Plus, the clasp has these two little tabs on either side for a nice positive lock similar to the Omegas. Both watches make the normal Rolex Sub bracelet and clasp look cheap, flimsy and despicable of the price.
I find closely not one thing to fault with regards to this watch, but I would have liked to have luminous markers, but the hands glow well and last all night. This watch gives up not one thing to a $2000 Breitling.
I am not a watch chauvenist by any means, but I have always like the autos better knowing I am not reliant on an outside thing such as a battery without which my pricey watch is not one thing better than a imagination paperweight. I am satisfied with the Eco-Drive concept.
Like most watch guys I value accuracy and this watch has it. I have all my autos tuned to be within a few seconds a month when worn. Wearing an automatic watch in the dissimilar arm positions allround the day averages out the mechanical constituents that lead to inaccuracies. In reality and normal use even the best quartz watches in general can not keep time like a well-tuned automatic.
If a quartz motion is +3 seconds it will always gain no matter if worn or in the box so the time drifts. With an automatic, it may be +3 sec up, but -2 down and +1 sideways etc. When worn a lot the averages stay at near zero variation.
Maybe I got lucky with this one, but I set it to my atomic clock 2 weeks ago. As of this writing it is to the second with the atomic. Your results may vary but I suspect that Citizen has done their homework in the QC department.
This watch is inexpensive yet looks very expensive. The quality of the watch is what I have come to suppose from a watch in the $1,000 – $2,500 range. Fool your friends. This watch is a bargain at $475. At the Amazon price of $235 it a steal. I may buy another of a dissimilar color. Yes folks this is that good.
Buy one and see for yourself.
116 of 124 persons found the following review helpful.
Doh! Should have come to Amazon 1st — would’ve saved $ 100
By Alan Wortman
Bought this watch at syndication and remunerated $ 350. Should have come to Amazon basi and saved $100.
Watch keeps time, never needs a battery change, is easy to read, has a calendar, an alarm, and looks cool…what more could one want?
This watch likewise has a “perpetual” calendar that is preset at the factory. Watch knows month length and leap year so you won’t have to reset date for short months. It is a little perplexed to set the date — so it is a good thing it is preset at the factory. Best thing: I will never have to reset the date until February 28 2100 when there is no leap year! I ought to live so long!
The Amazon description fails to mention that this watch likewise has two time zones. “Time” and “Local Time”. Unfortunately, you may only display one time-zone at a time. To switch time zones, you need to pull the crown out, turn it slightly…and then wait. The hands will spun around to the new time, the day hand will spun around to the new day, and then the calendar will flip. This is actually cool to look at and handy when you are flying from one time-zone to another. To go 15 hours from PDT to China time This whole routine takes more than a minute. So it is not utile for quick lookups. This is perchance the watch’s biggest drawback. If you need a watch to simultaneously display multiple time zones, Seiko alarm chronographs or else the Bulova Millenia with 4 time zones are good alternatives.
The alarm is easy to set and works for local time as well. If you set it for 7am while in the main time zone and then switch to Local time, the alarm rings at 7am in the local time.
Citizen’s “Eco-Drive” solar powered scheme is pre-charged at the factory. Power reserve is 180 days!!! It only takes when it comes to a Norwegian summer day of sunlight to fetch the watch from empty to totally charged. The watch will also charge from normal indoor light. Citizen ships the watches entirely charged from their factory. If the watch is on display at your local jeweler, it must be totally charged when you buy it. I guess that full charge is what I salaried $ 100 extra for by buing at retail.
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Update after with regards to one-year of ownership:
There are a few things that bug me a little regarding this watch.
1) The knob does not lock in place and may pop out easily. This happens to me in regards to once a month. Usually, I discover it when I look at my watch and discover the hands spinning around wildy resetting the time.
One time the calendar got set. Resetting the perpetual calendar is actually complicated. Fortunately, Citizen has a fantastic on-line audio-video tutorial that walks you through the process. Takes in regards to 20 minutes to reset.
2) The clasp on the band may pop open. This commonly happens when my hands are full of hot coffee cups.
3) The watch is gorgeous heavy.
I think I would rate this watch 4 stars after one year. But Amazon doesn’t let you change the stars when you edit.
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