Citizen Eco-Drive
Light-powered analog watch
I’ve been wearing a Citizen Eco-Drive watch for about four years. The watch is solar powered. It doesn’t require sunlight exclusively, and can create power even from artificial lighting. In the four years I’ve owned it, it’s never stopped running. When I was shopping for a watch I wanted an analog face, and I wanted solid water resistance for surfing, and other wet outdoor pursuits. It needed a basic timer function and a date. And I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. At about $130, with water resistance to 100 meters, the low-end Citizen Eco-Drive fit the bill perfectly.
It’s the most basic men’s model, which comes with a cheap canvas strap. In fact my only complaint is this cheap watchband. It’s a faux military canvas that was too small for my wrist. I tried a few different bands, but finally settled on the previously reviewed Zulu watchband. The best thing about the Zulu band, which wasn’t mentioned in the original review, is that the buckle can be adjusted to rest on the inside of your wrist, rather than the traditional underside of the wrist. This allows me unrivaled comfort while working at the computer.
I’m an occasional rock climber, and the face of the watch has sustained a couple of very minor scratches. The special glow-in-the-dark hands of the watch works wonderfully all through the night. Combined with the Zulu band, it’s likely the combination I’ll continue to use until they quit making one or the the other.
03/17/10Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Chronograph Canvas Watch #AT0200-05E $130
