If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Will someone tell Ciao!
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Will someone tell Ciao!
Member since:29.07.2007
Reviews:207
Members who trust:103
I once took my battery operated watch to a well known high street jeweller to have the battery replaced, I was told it would only take 5 minutes & cost £4.99, it actually took 30 minutes & cost me £9.99 as they had problems with the battery. When I took it home the small stop watch function wouldn't work & the built in alarm didn't work either. I took it back & explained it was OK before they touched it, but they refused to accept liability so I was left with a watch that never worked properly again. On another occasion another jeweller presented with a different watch stated that the movement was faulty & would cost approx £75.00 to replace, I left the shop & purchased a battery for 99p from Maplin, fitted it myself (this one had a small slot on the back to access the battery) & has worked perfectly since.
To say I have lost faith in jewellers is an understatement, but I was pleased when I heard that Citizen has introduced a solar powered watch range. One of my work colleagues already had one & was very pleased with it. It sounded too good to be true, as long as the watch is kept in natural or indoor light it will work, put the watch in a closed cupboard or drawer & after a few days it will stop, only to restart again when it is taken back into light. The movement is made in Japan, a country that only sells goods to the general public that are researched & developed properly. The reliability of Japanese products such as cameras, watches & cars is legendary so I had no concerns about this new technology. The bracelet is made in China, no doubt to keep costs down. A solar powered watch doesn't tick & unlike kinetic or self winding watches doesn't make a noise when you move it, solar powered watches are silent.
I purchased a Citizen Calibre 8651 watch from an internet site called Timedon for £275.00, about £60.00 less than normal retail price & a further £7.50 from my local Citizen dealer to have the bracelet adjusted to suit my wrist. This was in July 2006 & since then it has worked perfectly. This watch is elegant, features a moon phase dial & instead of a normal view window for calendar function it has two separte small dials within the face to record month & day with an extra hand for date. Sounds complicated but it works well & looks good. It is waterproof down to 100 meters & has a five year warranty on the movement. It keeps very good time, between moving the time forward & back between March & October this year it gained only a mere five seconds. Its luminous hands glow a rather pleasing blue glow in the dark instead of the normal green glow. It's not too heavy & not too light, I prefer a chunky type of watch which I like to feel on my wrist rather than a lightweight one. Best of all I don't have to concern myself about having to change the batteries every so often, so by accident I have probably purchased a very environmentally friendly watch which I would recommend to anyone.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Arguably the best looking mens watch ever. Large clear display, Solar powered,Enough functions to keep you informed/amused forever. (-) Not G-Shock nor Atomic clock (via radio signal) contolled. You certainly need instuctions here as well.
Champagne dial. Gold plated stainless steel bracelet and case with protected crown. Fold ... more
over clasp with push button. Date. Luminous hands and hour markers. Eco drive - powered by light. Water resistant to 50 metres. Gift boxed. Manufacturer's 5 year g...
Postage & Packaging: £3.95 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
(CITIZEN) Ladies Eco-Drive Watch (EW8364-57H)Regular exposure to light, Eco-Drive ... more
continuously recharges itself for a lifetime of use. Eco-Drive's revolutionary lithium-ion rechargeable battery stores enough energy to power the watch for an astonishing...
Postage & Packaging: £3.95 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
(CITIZEN) Ladies Eco-Drive Bangle Watch (EW9222-56DW)Regular exposure to light the ... more
Eco-Drive will continuously recharge itself for a lifetime of use. Eco-Drive's revolutionary lithium-ion rechargeable battery stores enough energy to power the watch for...
Postage & Packaging: £4.87 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Arguably the best looking mens watch ever. Large clear display, Solar powered,Enough functions to keep you informed/amused forever. Disadvantages: Not G-Shock nor Atomic clock (via radio signal) contolled. You certainly need instuctions here as well.
Advantages: Quality, reputation, solid, diving potential, the tests they go through. Disadvantages: Automatics are a nightmare, too expensive, can do a lot better, you wonder if yours was ever tested.