Citizen watches?

DavidWhite

DavidWhite

Final Approach
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
7,132
Location
Olympic Peninsula
Display Name
Display name:
DW
Anyone have any experience with them? I recently purchased one on an impulse without doing much research and like it - but do they last? Seems to be a functional and affordable watch (I've never owned a watch before) and it looks good with the uniform.
 
DavidWhite said:
Anyone have any experience with them? I recently purchased one on an impulse without doing much research and like it - but do they last? Seems to be a functional and affordable watch (I've never owned a watch before) and it looks good with the uniform.
Click to expand...
Show us a photo of yours.
 
I have one, two actually. One is 20 years old and the other is an Eco-Drive which is about 7 years old. (Don't really remember) Both are still going strong.
 
Last edited:
Citizen Black Eagle. Had it for maybe 8 yrs. Always liked Citizen pilot watches. Inexpensive, they look nice and they last long.
 
Compared to a Tag, Rolex or Brietling, yeah they're inexpensive. But the Eco-Drive was about $550 or so. Depends on your definition of inexpensive I guess.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Compared to a Tag, Rolex or Brietling, yeah they're inexpensive. But the Eco-Drive was about $550 or so. Depends on your definition of inexpensive I guess.
Click to expand...

I think I paid around $400, and yes it was in comparison with those brands.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Compared to a Tag, Rolex or Brietling, yeah they're inexpensive. But the Eco-Drive was about $550 or so. Depends on your definition of inexpensive I guess.
Click to expand...

Well, inexpensive compared to a watch I saw in an advert in the current Flying mag. The Bell & Ross HyperSteller is $19,900. Maybe for Xmas. :D
 
I remember seeing a SWA pilot with a Rolex Submariner on his wrist at LAX. He either was doing very well for himself or he just finished a trip from NYC-china town. :rofl:
 
Nothing but good things to say, some have a little bit much going on on the face though.

Had one of these before I got my automatic.

citizen-eco-drive-chronograph-men_s-strap-watch-at0200-05e_1.jpg
 
James331 said:
Nothing but good things to say, some have a little bit much going on on the face though.

Had one of these before I got my automatic.

citizen-eco-drive-chronograph-men_s-strap-watch-at0200-05e_1.jpg
Click to expand...

I really like that, but I noticed that most of the watches with the busier dials not only had a thick case, but were way too big for my small frame (small wrists) and looked pretty goofy.
 
I think Citizen watches are, generally, very well-made. The one you have is a little metro, for you, though.

So sell it and buy a Breitling. You're a starched-shirt, shoulder-board kinda guy. Splurge a little.
 
DavidWhite said:
I really like that, but I noticed that most of the watches with the busier dials not only had a thick case, but were way too big for my small frame (small wrists) and looked pretty goofy.
Click to expand...

Those subdials are just the chrono, a function I use quite a bit to time flights, my automatic I have now, and have had for some time, has more or less the same dial layout.


Have always removed the factory bands and used NATO bands, keep you from loosing a watch even if you loose a spring bar and they look more professional and less wannabe compared to other bands.

msn2.jpg
 
Last edited:
I destroyed the crystal on mine within a month. I'll never get another watch unless it has a sapphire crystal.
 
I've had an old Navihawk Blue Angel. Kind of bare bones but OK.
 
I also have a Navihawk Blue Angel & several other Citizens. They are great watches. I've got few nice Seiko's too.

They've all been tucked away in my gun safe ever since I bought my Apple watch. It does it all. I even downloaded Foreflight on it.

My Apple watch was $1,200. I had a hard time spending that amount. I never understood the need for a $5,000+ watch.
 
coloradobluesky said:
I want local and zulu time, date and day of week and a stop watch.
Click to expand...

I bought a Torgoen for around $250 that I really like. It has local/Zulu/day, but it doesn't have a stopwatch. I went barebones because I have small wrists and hands even for a woman, and the midsize cases were as big as I wanted to go.
 
I have one I wish to sell... I'll get some info and photos put together and put a post in Classifieds.
 
ircphoenix said:
YES. Both of those. Incredible amount of stuff on the watch face.
Click to expand...
The nighthawk isn't bad. My suunto has a WAY busier face.
The thing I don't like really is that the e6-b bezel rotates by turning the knob on the left. Make it cumbersome enless you take the watch off.

The skyhawk is pretty crowded, but I like that style. Again my suunto is still worse I think.
 
I had an eco drive...got to the point where it wouldn't run very long. Sent it in, & $180 later they said it just needed cleaning. Still didn't work. They said send it in again & we'll let you know what it'll cost this time around.

Threw it away. Great watch while it worked, but I'll never own another Citizen product.
 
Citizen makes decent timepieces for the pricepoint they are at. But qualitywise, no point to compare to the Swiss brands.
Me? I'm happy with my AP 15202.
 
I gifted myself a SkyHawk AT when I was selected for flight school 9 years ago. I have worn it on every Army flight I've ever done. I beat the hell out of that watch and it still works as advertised. That watch and my little teddy bear pilot are the only two things I can say have every hour I do.
 
Haven't worn a wrist watch in nearly 30 years now. I quit wearing one when my Seiko exploded one day while working on a bird at work. 70$ to ship it back to Japan to have the crystal replaced and 250$ for the crystal, and I decided that I didn't need to wear one anymore. I carried a pocket watch until I had to start carrying a pager, and have had something that had a built in clock since.
 
9 Citizen's watches. The first was the first Blue Angels back in the early 90s I think. I put it in the drawer when I got the next one. It came out a few weeks ago, new battery, and runs like it was new. Last was a couple of months ago. It's another Blue Angels ecodrive. I guess now I have 5 BAs. The others are various other models, one I won in a raffle.
I do have several non Citizen's pocket watches and a Hamilton.
 
silver-eagle said:
9 Citizen's watches. The first was the first Blue Angels back in the early 90s I think. I put it in the drawer when I got the next one. It came out a few weeks ago, new battery, and runs like it was new. Last was a couple of months ago. It's another Blue Angels ecodrive. I guess now I have 5 BAs. The others are various other models, one I won in a raffle.
I do have several non Citizen's pocket watches and a Hamilton.
Click to expand...

I have Citizen" Eco Drive" Titanium Skyhawk/Blue Angels , had it for 4 years and it is flawless.

https://www.amazon.com/Citizen-JY0050-55L-Skyhawk-Titanium-Eco-Drive/dp/B001QFYKTA

Cheers
 
I have 4 of them and love them all. When I catch the crystal I have it replaced with sapphire. Best upgrade for them but other than that they last.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Compared to a Tag, Rolex or Brietling, yeah they're inexpensive. But the Eco-Drive was about $550 or so. Depends on your definition of inexpensive I guess.
Click to expand...
Quality is no where near Breitling either.
 
Both of my Tag Heuer watches are parked in a drawer. With a cell phone I rarely need a watch but I sure do enjoy having my Apple watch as a handy extension of my pocketed cell phone. I'll never buy another conventional watch. The only time I'd put a Tag back on would be as jewelry or if I was going into the field for several days and wouldn't want to charge an iDevice.
 
flyingron said:
I've had an old Navihawk Blue Angel. Kind of bare bones but OK.
Click to expand...

I don't know about "bare bones" but my Citizen works fine and has a feature (ability to change time zones easily) that is vary handy with all the travel I do. My wife gave it to me for Christmas in 2008 and it is still going strong.
 
My brother gave me a Seiko quartz watch for being his best man, the watch lasted longer than the marriage.
 
I bought my citizen watch, used, off eBay two years ago, for about 30 percent retail. I've worn it more or less 24x7 since then. Haven't done anything to the watch other then set the time once and wear it. Time is still within a minute.

When the Apple Watch was received I had more then one techy laugh at me for not having one. Funny thing is, I'm still wearing mine, and they quit wearing their smart watch long ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top