Having inherited some money from my granddad I decided I would like to buy a couple of nice pieces that could be looked after and then handed to my daughter when she was older. I decided on some beautiful ornaments but I also brought this Citizen Expansion Watch.

I chose it primarily because I have quite large hands and wrists and having tried on lots of petite and dainty watches could see that they really didn't suit my shape. This watch is still feminine to look at and certainly would not be mistaken for a man's watch as it is slimmer than practically all men's watches I have seen. Even though it has that delicate and pretty feel to it, it is still large enough to accommodate my wrist shape and therefore I feel very comfortable when wearing it.

The watch face is a very simple design and has the numbers 1 to 12 except number 3 is replaced with a small box holding the date in it. This is no problem as you can still tell when it is quarter past with no intrusion of the date box masking the actual time. I do however have a gripe about the date box itself. It is a simple little design showing the number corresponding to that date, but it assumes that every month has 31 days in it and you have to remember to manually wind your watch forward if the month has less than 31 in order to accommodate for the error in design, and I do see it as an error. Whilst this watch was not remarkably expensive at £95 it was still more than I would ever have been able to pay for a watch had I not inherited the money and I think they could have worked into it something to sort out the month as well.

However, the function I really like about this watch is that it does not take batteries. The mechanism is charged up through solar power and exposure to light as you are wearing it. If you were to put this watch away in a box while not wearing it, or if you only wore it occasionally, you would find it will "go to sleep". Basically if it receives no light it will assume it is not needed and therefore power down so to speak. Once it has been exposed to daylight again it will re-start but you will need to reset it. This again is very simply done by pulling out the winder at the side of the watch and turning appropriately.

I love the expandable strap and this can be adjusted as it was huge when I brought it and had to have about 5 or 6 links taken out. This was done and I cannot see where the adjustment was made which is a credit to the jeweller and the design of the watch.

There is nothing else to say about this watch as it has no bells or whistles and does nothing more than tell me the time which is all I have ever needed in a watch. The gold plate gives it a nice colour and I wear it for daily use as well as if I go out because I think it looks just the right balance of both not to have to change it over. I have had this watch for nearly a year now and it has never lost the time or slowed down. It does not lose time overnight when you are asleep as the dark period of a single night is not long enough to make the watch power down and I have been completely satisfied with my purchase.

Thank you Grandad. x