The Modena - like Natasha Kaplinsky on your wrist (Citizen Eco Drive Solar Watch)

Member Name: RotweilerC

Product:	Citizen Eco Drive Solar Watch
Date:	01/07/04 (6612 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light, Accurate, Solar powered

Disadvantages: Initial cost

For interest, this is about a Citizen Modena Perpetual Eco-Drive watch. Long title, fancy thing for a watch!

I use to have digital watch when I was a lad, but grew out of them fairly rapidly. I liked the look of some analogue watches and bought a Seiko for about £30 around 14 years ago. This was OK, but the leather strap broke. Fix that, replace the battery and I?ve doubled the cost of the original purchase. When the oil reservoir ran out and I would have to treble the cost to get it repaired, I got a watch from Marks and Spencer. Similar deal, lasted a few years and strap went, then the battery.
Moved up market and got a Timberland watch for around £100...(silly me, name like that, you?d think it would last.) The strap went and then the watch started to rust where the lacquer wore off, after less than 4 years. So, I looked around for another watch?
Criteria?no batteries, metal strap, lightweight, dual time zone. I got so frustrated stopping the watch to change time zones, especially when you change time zones on a daily basis at times! Sure way to make sure your watch is inaccurate.
So, I looked around and found the Citizen range of watches. Very nice, very stylish, some very classic, quite expensive. However, there are some redeeming features if you think about the life of the watch. So here goes?.
Weight. The watch is Titanium cased and the strap is titanium. This was a plus, since it co-ordinates with the rods in my back. That apart, it makes the watch strong, corrosion proof (rust free!!) and nice to look at.
Battery. None, part from the rechargeable built into the watch. The watch will run for three years in the dark and a days normal wear will charge the battery up. The watch dial is the solar panel and it will auto detect the lack of light and stop the
second hand. As soon as there is light, off it goes again!
Accuracy. About 2 seconds per two months, from experience so far.
Date ? Perpetual up to 2100. Given I expect to croak it around 2068 (101!) I think that will suffice. Once the month is set, there is no need to set the date again ever, it knows about Leap Years etc.
Dual Time. You can set a second time zone by adjusting the bezel to L.Tim and then pulling the bezel out and turning it. The watch keeps going on your home time, but also remembers the time zone you are in. Simply twisting the bezel a couple of clicks switches between the two zones ? wonderful. Once you pull out and twist the bezel couple of clicks, the hour advances by one then stops ? easy to jump four time zones for example.
Alarm. OK, but wouldn?t want to rely on it for an important meeting. Lasts about 20 secs and is annoying but no more.
Chrono ? no idea, never used it, but it?s there.
Water resistance ? Allegedly 200 meters, so good for about 10-15 meters of diving. Certainly enough to use when bathing the kids.

OK, price. Got mine through the ?Net for about £255. Expensive, but I figured I was spending between £60-100 every four years on ordinary watches and this puppy should last for about another 64..so a nett saving of about £1000! It?s also as pretty as the Gucci I already have, so will double as a dress watch!

Not for everyone, but practical, robust, useful watch that keeps good time and is free to run. I would certainly recommend it to people ? I bought one for my wife!

PS - Why like Natasha Kaplinsky - cos it looks good and tells me what I need to know!!

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