If "tough" and "durable" are important characteristics to you in a watch, solar power is the only way to go. Solar means that you (almost) never have to open the case on the watch over its entire lifetime. Citizen's Eco-Drive is the leader in that dept., but Casio's Tough Solar is really good as well. I deliberately went with a Promaster Eco-Drive because of this. Ditto for my G-Shock (tough solar).
@@MH-fb5kr Now that Iv'e got the EcoDrive, I'm starting to discover the radio controlled watches that you NEVER have to set. Do you have any like that ?
@@edwardkeeter762 I've just starting looking at tough solar as maybe a way to add a GPS/radio watch to the collection but from a differant brand (and less expensive than a Seiko Astron). There seem to be Casio Lineage watches with radio/solar/10/Sapphire which is kind of the grand slam for me.
Here in the UK I bought this Citizen watch late last week on reduced to clear for £74.50 ($97 approx). Love it. I cannot get over how light it is. My first Citizen watch.
Yeah this was my first Japanese watch, I was thinking of gettkng another like a Casio or Seiko to try another brand but I keep coming back to Citizens...
Man that is a righteous watch! I too am a citizen fan, and have three of them. One for dress, one for casual, and one that's a dive watch. I love citizen. No battery no hassle... It's great. Your new watch looks great!
Here’s a trick - if you keep it charged all the time, they could very well go 30 years without a battery change. I have a Calibre 2100 titanium bought in 1998 - never serviced always kept near a window - still running 100% and it’s 26 years old!
Thinner, Lighter, More precise, basically never need to set or adjust it and if you're over 50 you may never have to change the battery appatently it can last more than 20 years!
I understand why. Some people need to spend $30K to feel good about themselves. Their identity is in what they own, not on who they are. Hence, they go out and buy a Patek or Rolex, even though a cheap Citizen quartz is a better timepiece. It is what it is.
yes. take a look at that elastic french marine strap, there's a link to it in the description of the video, I really love the feel of it compared to the classic nato. it can be snug without feeling tight...
@@WINDINGCROWNS we'll see how this one holds up but case scratches don't really bother me. My kitchen table is pine and my counters wood. They all get sctatches and dents and stains but over time that just becomes part of the aesthetic...
My favorite watches are my three Casio Duros (Pepsi, gold, black) on jubilee bracelets and two Seiko Essentials (dark blue, green). I love those beaters. I also have a Citizen Eco-Drive dive watch that’s fantastic. A lot of fun for not much money. Having said that, the Grand Seiko SBGM 221 is still my grail watch.
Great choice from a wise man. Citizen is a great brand hugely underrated and you nailed it. What's not to live with Citizen, great quality, great design and fairly good finishing.
Two weeks ago i got my first G-Shock, a solar 5600. It had the interesting effect of highlighting my taste for mechanical dress and dressed-up dive watches because it set a very sharp boundary between formal and casual. It's like dress shirts for work and t-shirts for a lazy day at home.
Man, you OWN your own business! You need a Patek! (Just joking with you 😂) You are much wiser than me when it comes to collecting watches! Less money, more enjoyment, and you won’t feel crushed if one is lost, stolen, or broken. Good for you!
Not a Patek, maybe a Baume and Mercier or a recent Omega, but one of my comments turned me on to my new obsession, the Seiko Astron solar GPS... Although unless I get crazy rich somehow I'm never spending a thousand dollars on a watch.
You are a breath of fresh air my friend. Just subbed. You are a true enthusiast, with an honest opinion on some great watches..... You are a real breath of fresh air..... well done 👏 Please continue your channel. We need real people, honest opinions and no snobbery:)
I cannot describe my surprise; I own that watch already! It's a little big for my wrist, but you're right it's a great watch. 100% agree about the straps, thank you for including the links!
Nice! it is big at 42mm and the 22mm strap makes it wear even bigger in my opinion, but it's lighter (titanium) and thinner (solar movement) than my "smaller" automatic watches
Love your watch collection, very cool picks 🎉🎉🎉and that is a beautiful grail watch, love the citizen eco drive. Looks great. I will definitely be looking to get one. ❤
You always have something interesting to say that resonates with me. I, too, have the same sort of unbalance in my watch collection -- and for exactly the same reason: I left the city and no longer wear a suit every day. I have beautiful dress and dressy watches that I love, but I have to stretch for opportunities to use them. So, I wear a mechanical field watch for everyday, a quartz analog watch when I want to spare the mechanical one, and a Skmei 1412 (Casio F91W wannabe, with improved backlight) for night use. That leaves the Submariner, Daytona, Explorer, and Tank Homages with nothing to do -- not to mention the real dress watches! I'll be surprised if this is your last watch purchase; it doesn't work that way.
Oh no, you saw how I ended the video... I just bought a chinese bronze cause I wanted to test it out and it's perty, and one of my comments on this video turned me on to the Seiko Astron Solar Gps................ but it's a bit expensive
Yeah about that, I may have been being a bit click-baity on the title. The idea is that if the watch perfectly fits my needs and desires, it's a grail. Although I am still holding out fot that Alpinist...
@awkwardgenius The Alpinist IS nice! But, I'll warn you, it's also a bit dressy. Not really what I'd choose for a more rough and tumble existence. Of course, if you've got the Garrison, maybe you can deal with the more dressy Alpinist. In my book, the best field watch for the $$s right now is the DuFrane Mabry!
That's a very nice watch . Goes beautifully with the strap. Citizen is a tough brand my eco is so accurate. I set my other more expensive watches by it.
I like that and your video. I own a couple of Citizen Eco-Drive watches. They both needed capacitor (battery) change at about 15 years. They were easy to change myself even though the case back says "Do not open, not consumer serviceable." I have a Nighthawk that is large and busy but very easy to read with great lume. I also have a Gold dress watch. Fortunately I always save my bracelet links because after 20 years I needed to expand the bracelet. I guess I have expanded.
Nice, I looked all over the internet to find out how long the batteries last, thanks for the info. So I'll basically be retired when that watch finally stops!
Eco-drives are light powered. Exposure to 2 hours of fluro lighting is enough to run for 24h. I have a "Ray Mears" version and i hang it near the bath window. Not stopped in 21 years. When the power runs low it will jump 2 seconds at a time and run pretty slow. But you need to pull the crown out and push back in to re-set it back to normal running ( after light exposure )
Yeah I'm at 7" and this watch is alot. It wears big but thin and light, plus the tapered lugs really help it take the shape of my wrist. Not sure why the Japanese brands don't make 38mm bangers...
I still wear (occasionally) my late father's Citizen Eco Drive Dress/chrono watch, circa 1990s. It's over 30 years old, still runs flawlessly, never been serviced/no battery issues, etc. So, while people say that you eventually have to get a new capacitor/battery on an Eco-Drive, this has NOT been my experience at all. They seem to last forever. Cheers!
@@awkwardgenius I never went out of my way to keep it charged. Just wore it sometimes, occasionally set it in a sunny window, etc. But once, I forgot about it and did leave it in total darkness for a LONG time. When I found it, it was dead - I was panicked. I put it in the light for a while & it still didn't work. But then I placed it in a sunny window for several hours & it came right back to life! That was about 2 years ago, and it's still going strong. I only wear it once in a while because it's gold-tone & not really my style, but of course it has great sentimental value ❤️❤️❤️
May I recommend the Casio mrw200h, an all resin dive watch, it’s actually resistant up to 100 meters in which I’ve used for scuba diving, a quartz movement which is very accurate and a friction movement bezel. All of this for roughly $20.00. Absolute steal!
I wanted that one instead of this one as the Ultimate over-engineered tough guy watch but I liked the styling a bit less and it's like, twice the price! If it was just the money I orobably would have saved up but I'm not a huge fan ofcthe dial. Somehow just turning that triangle around makes a differance. And the hour hand...
I have about a dozen watches. (The only “expensive” one is a Hamilton Ventura.) I purchased the exact same Citizen about a year ago and it’s the one I seem to gravitate towards the most. Good choice.
It s sooo wearable, light and thin and with three bracelets locked and loaded I can change it up whenever I want. Sometimes I notice I've worn it into the shower, not a problem. Sometimes I forget to take it off at night and I sleep with it on.
I have a sub $200 field watch from Kingsbury that I love more than any swiss I own. It's not about price, it's about personal value. Great US maker, check them out, the MS4 is brilliant.
OK I just spent a minute going down that rabbit hole. Love that watch, but with the specs (sapphire, Seiko Auto, 200m...) it,s not made in America at that price! If it was it would be mentionned somewhere but there is absolutely nothing on their site about where it's made. No bother though, the chinese are making some great watches now (as long as you stay away from Chinese movements).
Yeah, cost me 8 bucks and I had to come back because their 'watch guy' wasn't there and the girl behind the counter couldn't get it open. Apparently that Mondaine is a pain to open. Do you have one and you know what you're talking about?
Citizen are a great marque. We have the luxury of getting bored with things and changing them, so a watch has to do more than tell the time, it has to entertain. Wtf is that all about eh 🤣 If I'm honest, the best watch I ever had was my first Seiko SKX007. It doesn't 'Wow' you, and it could almost be considered boring, but it gets under your skin by being so damn capable, reliable and tough as nails. I regulated that thing to about +1.5 seconds a day and the battery never died because it didn't have one. I like your choice there. Nice job!👍
Thanks for the insights. Also our taste chages as we grow and discover what's out there. I never thought about applied indices or textured dials, I didn't know much about complications (now I want a power reserve - talk about entertaining!), I just barely learned to change a strap that's not a Nato....
@@awkwardgenius I totally get the interest in the power reserve..ok, it's far from necessary but quite practical. I've not had one on a watch yet, but like the idea. Regarding straps, clumpy NATOs have always been totally off my menu, like wearing a rolled-up towel beneath your wrist, I can't be doing with all that😆 ; these days the strap criteria is easy-fit spring bars on a super-comfortable strap of some kind... no easy-fit, no buy :)
Thanks. It took me awhile to discover Japanese watches and I think I undetestimated Citizen at first. But once I realized what I really wanted in a watch I found that it was exactly a Citizen
Amusant, j'avais failli l'acheter. Ma montre Day-to-day c'est aussi une citizen, la promaster NY0040, que j'aime beaucoup! Merci pour tes vidéos au top!
Ha, moi je voulais prendre justement un diver Citizen ou Casio au début mais je n'en trouvé pas avec du Sapphire et je voulais une montre je pourrais abuser, du coup j'ai tombé sur le Garrison... En plus ill parait que j'ai eu un super prix! Merci pour la commentaire
Get a little tube of Polywatch and you can buff out those scratches in your Timex glass. Take your Vaer to a watchmaker and you can get it demagnetized, or you can buy a demagnetizer yourself for about thirty bucks. Don't store the Citizen in the dark, and the battery could last over twenty years. Cool watch!
Thanks for the info! I was planning to get a demagnatizer it's just a bit of a pain, and thanks for the tip on the Polywatch. I had heard this was possible but I didn't know how
I have the gray dial bracelet version of the Garrison. Where did you get those extra straps from? I could see myself swapping the bracelet for those in Summer!
@@awkwardgenius Thanks! Sorry I probably should have read the description before commenting. Great watch though. For the most part I like it, but it's the 42mm size that keep it from being a true daily. (I have a small 6" wrist, which means 36-40mm tend to fit best).
I live in a tropical country so I sweat all the time so I avoid leather straps or they will rot, also because I want to swim with my watches. I don't think you can wash them, better to buy a new strap, like the options he mentioned in the video.
Is that the 'tough,' the one with no case back and 300m of water resistance? THAT's the watch I wanted if I 300€ more to spend! I really wanted that over engineered indestructible blue dial teflon strap for my edc but I just couldn't swing the budget. Good for you!
I have an Eco-drive, the original Ray Mears Tough. Great watch, and my first with a saphire crystal. I would wear it more often, if it wasn't so small on my 8-inch wrist. Not trying to be funny, but having seen your collection, I have no trouble understanding that the Citizen is your grail.
For a second, when I saw the thumbnail, I thought I was looking at Alton Brown's horology channel. 😎 Great video! I liked and subscribed. I love and collect mechanical watches, both vintage and modern, but at the low-end because that's what I can afford. That doesn't mean that I dislike quartz. For me, they're for different purposes, like when I traveled overseas on vacation I took a quartz watch so I didn't have to worry about winding it (manual) or having it stop if I didn't wear it for a day or two (auto). I have several Seikos, both modern and vintage, including two quartz which were gifts. I don't have any Citizen watches. That's by happenstance, not design. I've always thought Citizen watches were great! Frankly, I think they're ahead of Seiko when it comes to quartz technology. The quartz watch I'd like to have (the type, don't know the specific models) is a Citizen Eco Drive with radio controlled time setting.
Glad ypu found my channel, I do alot of stuff besides watches because I am totally still figuring this thing out. Hope some of my more terrible videos don't scare you away!
@@awkwardgenius no worries. I'm in no position to criticize since I have exactly zero videos on YT. We're all our own worst critics. I love watches but I only know so much about them. I'm certainly no expert. Glad I found your channel and will look for more of your videos.
I appreciate the moment you said, 'upset the purists' when it comes to solar. I've been following the community for some time now, and it seems the better the technology and the convenience, the more it 'upsets the purists'. I reached a point whereby I realised that I prefer not to fiddle with my watch, and I like quartz accuracy way too much to bother with what the purists think. My daily driver now is the Seiko Astron, which is not only solar but uses GPS to sync the time. It has a perpetual calendar, and it is one of the only non-smart watches that auto adjusts for daylight saving time! I am sure that the purists would be upset. But you know what? I'm OK with that, because I love it! In conclusion, solar is amazing tech, and there's very, very little about watchmaking that Citizen, Seiko and Casio don't know about, so enjoy your Citizen.
Ok that might be a 'proper' grail watch at 1700€. Absolutely fantastic watch with sapphire 10atm and only 11mm thick in titanium. AND, I don't have a metal bracelet sports watch...... have you tried it on other bracelets?
@@awkwardgenius The model I have (SSH-123) has an integrated bracelet, so it doesn't really lend itself to swapping straps or bracelets. There were a series of limited edition Astrons that actually shipped with a titanium bracelet as well as a rubber strap, but aside from that, they are mostly integrated now. The good news is that they also have a tool-less, on the fly microadjust - very comfortable and light!
@@michaelbarry9848 thanks for the info. I did say my collection needed a steel (or preferably titanium) bracelet sports watch... good to know for the micro adjust, I'm always afraid a bracelet will just fit weird.
You do understand that once you're hooked on watches your collection is only going to grow? Expressions such as ’’this completes my collection’’ sound odd to me... Now please, someone, come and burn my computer and my smartphone, so I cannot access AliExpress!!!!!!!! 😭
I know, it's a compromise I'm not thrilled about but at least I got sapphire, titanium and 10mm thin. The Ray Mears is the spec monster I wanted (screw down crown and 300m!) But alas, I don't love the looks of it and it's EXPENSIVE!
All your watches are beat up so I think you pick the right watch. I'm of the opinion that an Alpinest would be too pretty a watch for how hard you are on your watches.
Yeah I wear em alright. Thinking I should just get the Citizen Tough Ray Mears and call it a day, although the Seiko Aston is starting to look pretty tempting. But you're right, I don't need a pretty watch, it's not my style.
Yeah Citizen needs to tone it down a bit, they tend to be BIG and for me this one would be better at 40. They make their own movements you'd think they could size it down a tad, although for me I don't mind the 42 diameter if they can do 10mm thickness. I'm so over 13 to 15mm thick watches bulging off my wrist.
That's the bracelet it came with. I would highly recomend the elastic nato 'french paratroopers' strap in khaki. Super confortable strap, lightweight, you don't even feel the watch is there.
5 in the box (my official collection) plus the Timex Weekender, an erikson quartz tank my dad got me, a fake Mont Blanc I got in China in the early days and my grandfathers automatic Timex from the 50s that doesn't really keep time anymore. Oh and I just got a bronze Boderry Seaturtle for an upcoming video, so.... 10. When you say it like that it sounds like alot....
Have the watches you like, fini. My tastes expanded to Vostok Scuba Dude; with Seagull 1963, plus. 1 caveat, to look @ watch, think it will fit into the parameters, only to find the actual watch better in your minds eye. Fact is there are such watches, where minimize that experience.
@@orflanch couldn't find an affiliate link for this watch so I just put a link to the Citizen site and they don't like share their cheddar. I just make these videos to start these enthralling conversations with people like you. And for the girls. Fame is an aphrodisiac.
Odd, I find it much better than my Vaer and I tested a (Chinese) Boderry Dive Watch and THAT was absolute crap! Readable Lume only on the hands, the indices and everything else completely dissapeer...
My 20 year old Citizen Nighthawk has great lume. I can read the time all night long if I hold the crystal to my eye. I can't say about their newer offerings. I also have a Casio Wavecepter Tough Solar that I can read all night if I push the light button. And it sets itself every midnight so it is always accurate to 1/10th of a second.
@@CCPwillfall01 that's also why I only buy spec monsters now. If it's not AT LEAST 10ATM with a saphire crystal I'm out. Starting to prefer solar to automatic because it's less fragile. Luckily you can get alot of nice watches with these specs that don't look like a Gshock! I also like sub 40 diameter and 10mm thick max but that's harder to find...
I'm getting there, baby steps dude. I'll let you in on a little secret, I've been trying out a bronze and blue Boderry Seaturtle this week for an upcoming video. It's wonderfully garrish and a blast to wear...
Kevin, you make a good point. I just got back from London and Scotland. It was a lot of fun. True, I can't flex a trip, but I went there because I wanted to go there, not to impress other people. I have 4 timepieces. Apple, Seiko, Mavado, and my cell phone. I like my cell phone the best and don't use the others. That said, I don't feel cheated out of life. I believe I am living "a little". But that's just me. Glad your non-boring watches add something to your life. That said, I like his timepieces. I can easily live a little with his collection. AG for the win!
It served me well, but in the end I kind of hated wearing it so it's out, into a shoebox until I give it to my kid and he doesn't say thank you he says, "I wanted the Omega"
Citizen Eco-drive watches are hard to beat as a practical watch.
Absolutely!
If "tough" and "durable" are important characteristics to you in a watch, solar power is the only way to go. Solar means that you (almost) never have to open the case on the watch over its entire lifetime. Citizen's Eco-Drive is the leader in that dept., but Casio's Tough Solar is really good as well. I deliberately went with a Promaster Eco-Drive because of this. Ditto for my G-Shock (tough solar).
i have a dozen eco-drive watches… various styles… all working, no problems
@@MH-fb5kr Now that Iv'e got the EcoDrive, I'm starting to discover the radio controlled watches that you NEVER have to set. Do you have any like that ?
@@edwardkeeter762 I've just starting looking at tough solar as maybe a way to add a GPS/radio watch to the collection but from a differant brand (and less expensive than a Seiko Astron). There seem to be Casio Lineage watches with radio/solar/10/Sapphire which is kind of the grand slam for me.
Here in the UK I bought this Citizen watch late last week on reduced to clear for £74.50 ($97 approx). Love it. I cannot get over how light it is. My first Citizen watch.
Yeah this was my first Japanese watch, I was thinking of gettkng another like a Casio or Seiko to try another brand but I keep coming back to Citizens...
Man that is a righteous watch! I too am a citizen fan, and have three of them. One for dress, one for casual, and one that's a dive watch. I love citizen. No battery no hassle... It's great. Your new watch looks great!
Citizen Stan!
The ecodrive battery cost is $100 cdn in 2024.
That Seiko Alpinist is also a dream watch for me. I need a plan to get it. Nice Citizen
@@jesusgarcia9351 start saving they keep getting more expensive!
Here’s a trick - if you keep it charged all the time, they could very well go 30 years without a battery change. I have a Calibre 2100 titanium bought in 1998 - never serviced always kept near a window - still running 100% and it’s 26 years old!
Great info, that would be amazing. Thanks
Solar quartz is a giant leap beyond mechanical movements. The technology is under appreciared. Hard to understand why its so.
Thinner, Lighter, More precise, basically never need to set or adjust it and if you're over 50 you may never have to change the battery appatently it can last more than 20 years!
That's a great mustache by the way
I understand why. Some people need to spend $30K to feel good about themselves. Their identity is in what they own, not on who they are. Hence, they go out and buy a Patek or Rolex, even though a cheap Citizen quartz is a better timepiece. It is what it is.
Because there's something magical about an automatic watch.
You are all talking about apples and oranges.
I have the same watch for my weekend beater on a fabric strap.
Perfect for that role.
yes. take a look at that elastic french marine strap, there's a link to it in the description of the video, I really love the feel of it compared to the classic nato. it can be snug without feeling tight...
@@awkwardgenius I got a cheap Barton Strap- light and I can get it dirty from motor oil or fish guts or tree sap etc. without caring.
@@gordtulk Sounds perfect. Just like the wath, perfectly adapted to the task at hand
I have a lot of Citizens. Super Titanium still scratches easily but still a awesome watch
@@WINDINGCROWNS we'll see how this one holds up but case scratches don't really bother me. My kitchen table is pine and my counters wood. They all get sctatches and dents and stains but over time that just becomes part of the aesthetic...
My favorite watches are my three Casio Duros (Pepsi, gold, black) on jubilee bracelets and two Seiko Essentials (dark blue, green). I love those beaters. I also have a Citizen Eco-Drive dive watch that’s fantastic. A lot of fun for not much money. Having said that, the Grand Seiko SBGM 221 is still my grail watch.
Love that collection
Great choice from a wise man. Citizen is a great brand hugely underrated and you nailed it. What's not to live with Citizen, great quality, great design and fairly good finishing.
Thanks. Totally agree about citizen, high quality and dependable.
You have a very cool functional collection without pretense. The Citizen is the cherry on top!
Thanks mate
Two weeks ago i got my first G-Shock, a solar 5600. It had the interesting effect of highlighting my taste for mechanical dress and dressed-up dive watches because it set a very sharp boundary between formal and casual. It's like dress shirts for work and t-shirts for a lazy day at home.
Yeah I like that. I was basically doing the same thing but with a blurrier boundary.
Man, you OWN your own business! You need a Patek! (Just joking with you 😂) You are much wiser than me when it comes to collecting watches! Less money, more enjoyment, and you won’t feel crushed if one is lost, stolen, or broken. Good for you!
Not a Patek, maybe a Baume and Mercier or a recent Omega, but one of my comments turned me on to my new obsession, the Seiko Astron solar GPS... Although unless I get crazy rich somehow I'm never spending a thousand dollars on a watch.
Love it. This watch always catches my eye whenever it pops up.
Yeah something 'bout that green dial and huge numbers...
Great review.
Thanks!
You are a breath of fresh air my friend. Just subbed.
You are a true enthusiast, with an honest opinion on some great watches.....
You are a real breath of fresh air..... well done 👏
Please continue your channel. We need real people, honest opinions and no snobbery:)
Wow thanks, that's kind of the point of my channel is just to be real, glad you enjoy the content
I cannot describe my surprise; I own that watch already! It's a little big for my wrist, but you're right it's a great watch. 100% agree about the straps, thank you for including the links!
Nice! it is big at 42mm and the 22mm strap makes it wear even bigger in my opinion, but it's lighter (titanium) and thinner (solar movement) than my "smaller" automatic watches
Love your watch collection, very cool picks 🎉🎉🎉and that is a beautiful grail watch, love the citizen eco drive. Looks great. I will definitely be looking to get one. ❤
Thanks, happy watch collecting!
Solid reasoning yields an excellent choice and a fun beautiful watch! Bravo and thank you.
It's the journey. The watches I'v owned and researched and discovered along the way lead me to this simple, cheap, perfect watch.
Citizen Promaster’s are the way to go for your new lifestyle 👍🏼
If (when) I get another watch it will be an atomic time/solar/titanium with a bracelet. I'm liking the textured dial on that citizen CB0260-81L ....
You always have something interesting to say that resonates with me. I, too, have the same sort of unbalance in my watch collection -- and for exactly the same reason: I left the city and no longer wear a suit every day. I have beautiful dress and dressy watches that I love, but I have to stretch for opportunities to use them. So, I wear a mechanical field watch for everyday, a quartz analog watch when I want to spare the mechanical one, and a Skmei 1412 (Casio F91W wannabe, with improved backlight) for night use. That leaves the Submariner, Daytona, Explorer, and Tank Homages with nothing to do -- not to mention the real dress watches! I'll be surprised if this is your last watch purchase; it doesn't work that way.
Oh no, you saw how I ended the video... I just bought a chinese bronze cause I wanted to test it out and it's perty, and one of my comments on this video turned me on to the Seiko Astron Solar Gps................ but it's a bit expensive
I have a Garrison, and you're right it's a great beater and a great everyday watch!
It's hardly a grail, though!
Yeah about that, I may have been being a bit click-baity on the title. The idea is that if the watch perfectly fits my needs and desires, it's a grail. Although I am still holding out fot that Alpinist...
@awkwardgenius The Alpinist IS nice! But, I'll warn you, it's also a bit dressy. Not really what I'd choose for a more rough and tumble existence. Of course, if you've got the Garrison, maybe you can deal with the more dressy Alpinist.
In my book, the best field watch for the $$s right now is the DuFrane Mabry!
That's a very nice watch . Goes beautifully with the strap. Citizen is a tough brand my eco is so accurate. I set my other more expensive watches by it.
Me too! It's kind of turning me off automatics, just for the no fuss grab it and go
Vaer is beautiful. BTW the Citizen is nice too.
Yeah I'll come back around to the Vaer, it's a great peice. I just need to break out of the 'classic' mold for a bit....
I wear my Rolex Subby quite a bit. However, I love my Citizen and Bulova too and wear them often.
I hear alot about Bulova, I'll have to take a look at them....
I like that and your video. I own a couple of Citizen Eco-Drive watches. They both needed capacitor (battery) change at about 15 years. They were easy to change myself even though the case back says "Do not open, not consumer serviceable." I have a Nighthawk that is large and busy but very easy to read with great lume. I also have a Gold dress watch. Fortunately I always save my bracelet links because after 20 years I needed to expand the bracelet. I guess I have expanded.
Nice, I looked all over the internet to find out how long the batteries last, thanks for the info. So I'll basically be retired when that watch finally stops!
Eco-drives are light powered. Exposure to 2 hours of fluro lighting is enough to run for 24h. I have a "Ray Mears" version and i hang it near the bath window. Not stopped in 21 years. When the power runs low it will jump 2 seconds at a time and run pretty slow. But you need to pull the crown out and push back in to re-set it back to normal running ( after light exposure )
Wow thanks for the tip. The Ray Mears is the 'Tough' with no case back?
@@awkwardgenius my local watch maker says to pop the crystal out you pump compressed air into the crown tube - scary
@@petermincher4063 Damn, best if that thing is never opened ! Love that watch though. 21 years with no fuss amazing.
Great watch - I have a 6.3" wrist, sadly.
Yeah I'm at 7" and this watch is alot. It wears big but thin and light, plus the tapered lugs really help it take the shape of my wrist. Not sure why the Japanese brands don't make 38mm bangers...
I still wear (occasionally) my late father's Citizen Eco Drive Dress/chrono watch, circa 1990s. It's over 30 years old, still runs flawlessly, never been serviced/no battery issues, etc. So, while people say that you eventually have to get a new capacitor/battery on an Eco-Drive, this has NOT been my experience at all. They seem to last forever.
Cheers!
Wow that's great to know. Did you keep it constantly charged or did it spend long periods of time in a drak drawer?
@@awkwardgenius I never went out of my way to keep it charged. Just wore it sometimes, occasionally set it in a sunny window, etc. But once, I forgot about it and did leave it in total darkness for a LONG time. When I found it, it was dead - I was panicked. I put it in the light for a while & it still didn't work. But then I placed it in a sunny window for several hours & it came right back to life! That was about 2 years ago, and it's still going strong. I only wear it once in a while because it's gold-tone & not really my style, but of course it has great sentimental value ❤️❤️❤️
May I recommend the Casio mrw200h, an all resin dive watch, it’s actually resistant up to 100 meters in which I’ve used for scuba diving, a quartz movement which is very accurate and a friction movement bezel. All of this for roughly $20.00. Absolute steal!
Thanks for the tip!
Don’t stop there! Get the Citizen Tough “Ray Mears”.
I wanted that one instead of this one as the Ultimate over-engineered tough guy watch but I liked the styling a bit less and it's like, twice the price! If it was just the money I orobably would have saved up but I'm not a huge fan ofcthe dial. Somehow just turning that triangle around makes a differance. And the hour hand...
That is a really great looking daily! Love it!
Thanks!
I have about a dozen watches. (The only “expensive” one is a Hamilton Ventura.) I purchased the exact same Citizen about a year ago and it’s the one I seem to gravitate towards the most. Good choice.
It s sooo wearable, light and thin and with three bracelets locked and loaded I can change it up whenever I want. Sometimes I notice I've worn it into the shower, not a problem. Sometimes I forget to take it off at night and I sleep with it on.
I have a sub $200 field watch from Kingsbury that I love more than any swiss I own. It's not about price, it's about personal value. Great US maker, check them out, the MS4 is brilliant.
OK I just spent a minute going down that rabbit hole. Love that watch, but with the specs (sapphire, Seiko Auto, 200m...) it,s not made in America at that price! If it was it would be mentionned somewhere but there is absolutely nothing on their site about where it's made. No bother though, the chinese are making some great watches now (as long as you stay away from Chinese movements).
Did I hear you say - “I had the battery changed?”😂😂😂
Yeah, cost me 8 bucks and I had to come back because their 'watch guy' wasn't there and the girl behind the counter couldn't get it open. Apparently that Mondaine is a pain to open. Do you have one and you know what you're talking about?
Citizen are a great marque. We have the luxury of getting bored with things and changing them, so a watch has to do more than tell the time, it has to entertain. Wtf is that all about eh 🤣
If I'm honest, the best watch I ever had was my first Seiko SKX007. It doesn't 'Wow' you, and it could almost be considered boring, but it gets under your skin by being so damn capable, reliable and tough as nails. I regulated that thing to about +1.5 seconds a day and the battery never died because it didn't have one.
I like your choice there. Nice job!👍
Thanks for the insights. Also our taste chages as we grow and discover what's out there. I never thought about applied indices or textured dials, I didn't know much about complications (now I want a power reserve - talk about entertaining!), I just barely learned to change a strap that's not a Nato....
@@awkwardgenius I totally get the interest in the power reserve..ok, it's far from necessary but quite practical. I've not had one on a watch yet, but like the idea. Regarding straps, clumpy NATOs have always been totally off my menu, like wearing a rolled-up towel beneath your wrist, I can't be doing with all that😆 ; these days the strap criteria is easy-fit spring bars on a super-comfortable strap of some kind... no easy-fit, no buy :)
I love Citizen watches, but the vintage side. Anyway, great watch.
Thanks. It took me awhile to discover Japanese watches and I think I undetestimated Citizen at first. But once I realized what I really wanted in a watch I found that it was exactly a Citizen
Amusant, j'avais failli l'acheter. Ma montre Day-to-day c'est aussi une citizen, la promaster NY0040, que j'aime beaucoup! Merci pour tes vidéos au top!
Ha, moi je voulais prendre justement un diver Citizen ou Casio au début mais je n'en trouvé pas avec du Sapphire et je voulais une montre je pourrais abuser, du coup j'ai tombé sur le Garrison... En plus ill parait que j'ai eu un super prix!
Merci pour la commentaire
@@awkwardgenius oui malheureusement son seul défaut c'est que c'est un verre minéral !! Le cristal saphir c'est top 👌 !
Get a little tube of Polywatch and you can buff out those scratches in your Timex glass. Take your Vaer to a watchmaker and you can get it demagnetized, or you can buy a demagnetizer yourself for about thirty bucks. Don't store the Citizen in the dark, and the battery could last over twenty years. Cool watch!
Thanks for the info! I was planning to get a demagnatizer it's just a bit of a pain, and thanks for the tip on the Polywatch. I had heard this was possible but I didn't know how
i like Citizen; wish they made more sub 40 mm watches. Can you say what the third watch is in your box? Looks familiar.
The watch in the middle is the star of my collection, a 1972 Omega Geneva...
This has always been my issue with Citizen; so many of their watches are larger than I like to wear.
@@HappyGuy11 yeah, over 40 starts to get too big. I agree!
I have the gray dial bracelet version of the Garrison. Where did you get those extra straps from? I could see myself swapping the bracelet for those in Summer!
Amazon, the links are in the description of the video
@@awkwardgenius Thanks! Sorry I probably should have read the description before commenting. Great watch though. For the most part I like it, but it's the 42mm size that keep it from being a true daily. (I have a small 6" wrist, which means 36-40mm tend to fit best).
Nice field watch!
Thanks, that the Vaer (A5? I think), I got it on their Kickstarter campaign for like 300 bucks when they first introduced it around 2020.
Nice lil banger 👍 cheers
Thanks!
I like the leather bands, but they always end up smelly. How you wash them?
Don't .. unless it's winter as he says, wear an elastic or rubber strap
I live in a tropical country so I sweat all the time so I avoid leather straps or they will rot, also because I want to swim with my watches. I don't think you can wash them, better to buy a new strap, like the options he mentioned in the video.
Great advice. I do wonder about burrying it it baking soda for a few days though...
It used to come on a titanium bracelet as well a couple of years ago.
@@gabormetzker5270 option is available, just a lil pricey because the bracelet is also made of Ti
Excellent. I have a Ray Mears and won't give it up for anything 🎉
Is that the 'tough,' the one with no case back and 300m of water resistance? THAT's the watch I wanted if I 300€ more to spend! I really wanted that over engineered indestructible blue dial teflon strap for my edc but I just couldn't swing the budget. Good for you!
you got a very good deal.. 160$ is a no brainer for this. May I know what your wrist size is?
Yeah apparently. I was shocked when I went back and it was 300... Looks like 17cm or 6 1/2 inches
I have an Eco-drive, the original Ray Mears Tough. Great watch, and my first with a saphire crystal. I would wear it more often, if it wasn't so small on my 8-inch wrist. Not trying to be funny, but having seen your collection, I have no trouble understanding that the Citizen is your grail.
Yeah that Ray Mears Tough is a beast, would fit my 17cm wrist perfectly I'll bet I would wear it all the time.............
I was not familiar with the "eco-drive" system, that's amazing technology considering you can't even see the solar panel
Yeah I love that, a solar watch! When I started to understand how it works I was like, that's definately my next watch.
For a second, when I saw the thumbnail, I thought I was looking at Alton Brown's horology channel. 😎 Great video! I liked and subscribed. I love and collect mechanical watches, both vintage and modern, but at the low-end because that's what I can afford. That doesn't mean that I dislike quartz. For me, they're for different purposes, like when I traveled overseas on vacation I took a quartz watch so I didn't have to worry about winding it (manual) or having it stop if I didn't wear it for a day or two (auto). I have several Seikos, both modern and vintage, including two quartz which were gifts. I don't have any Citizen watches. That's by happenstance, not design. I've always thought Citizen watches were great! Frankly, I think they're ahead of Seiko when it comes to quartz technology. The quartz watch I'd like to have (the type, don't know the specific models) is a Citizen Eco Drive with radio controlled time setting.
Glad ypu found my channel, I do alot of stuff besides watches because I am totally still figuring this thing out. Hope some of my more terrible videos don't scare you away!
The Citizen is basically my vacation watch if everyday is vacation! That radio controlled one sounds perfect.
@@awkwardgenius no worries. I'm in no position to criticize since I have exactly zero videos on YT. We're all our own worst critics. I love watches but I only know so much about them. I'm certainly no expert. Glad I found your channel and will look for more of your videos.
This takes a bit of courage as I have felt that my grail watch is an indicator of my own status and standards. 😅
No it's OK, I'm a garbage person with garbage dreams. Or maybe I'm just poor and would rather pay off my mortgage... 6 of one
I appreciate the moment you said, 'upset the purists' when it comes to solar. I've been following the community for some time now, and it seems the better the technology and the convenience, the more it 'upsets the purists'.
I reached a point whereby I realised that I prefer not to fiddle with my watch, and I like quartz accuracy way too much to bother with what the purists think.
My daily driver now is the Seiko Astron, which is not only solar but uses GPS to sync the time. It has a perpetual calendar, and it is one of the only non-smart watches that auto adjusts for daylight saving time!
I am sure that the purists would be upset. But you know what? I'm OK with that, because I love it!
In conclusion, solar is amazing tech, and there's very, very little about watchmaking that Citizen, Seiko and Casio don't know about, so enjoy your Citizen.
Ok that might be a 'proper' grail watch at 1700€. Absolutely fantastic watch with sapphire 10atm and only 11mm thick in titanium. AND, I don't have a metal bracelet sports watch...... have you tried it on other bracelets?
@@awkwardgenius The model I have (SSH-123) has an integrated bracelet, so it doesn't really lend itself to swapping straps or bracelets. There were a series of limited edition Astrons that actually shipped with a titanium bracelet as well as a rubber strap, but aside from that, they are mostly integrated now. The good news is that they also have a tool-less, on the fly microadjust - very comfortable and light!
@@michaelbarry9848 thanks for the info. I did say my collection needed a steel (or preferably titanium) bracelet sports watch... good to know for the micro adjust, I'm always afraid a bracelet will just fit weird.
You do understand that once you're hooked on watches your collection is only going to grow? Expressions such as ’’this completes my collection’’ sound odd to me...
Now please, someone, come and burn my computer and my smartphone, so I cannot access AliExpress!!!!!!!! 😭
It's just that, an expression. You'll notice how I ended the video... HInt, I already have another one. Oops
Collection will never be complete. Just accept that and life will be easier.
Truer words
Garrison thing doesn't have a screw down crown = fail to me.
I know, it's a compromise I'm not thrilled about but at least I got sapphire, titanium and 10mm thin. The Ray Mears is the spec monster I wanted (screw down crown and 300m!) But alas, I don't love the looks of it and it's EXPENSIVE!
All your watches are beat up so I think you pick the right watch. I'm of the opinion that an Alpinest would be too pretty a watch for how hard you are on your watches.
Yeah I wear em alright. Thinking I should just get the Citizen Tough Ray Mears and call it a day, although the Seiko Aston is starting to look pretty tempting. But you're right, I don't need a pretty watch, it's not my style.
I cried after watching this about this watch
Emotional stuff finding the perfect watch...
Now you just need a Gshock
Yeah, maybe. I'm not quite converted yet.
If it came in a 38mm, I’d be on it.
Yeah Citizen needs to tone it down a bit, they tend to be BIG and for me this one would be better at 40. They make their own movements you'd think they could size it down a tad, although for me I don't mind the 42 diameter if they can do 10mm thickness. I'm so over 13 to 15mm thick watches bulging off my wrist.
Yes
HA! You can hear the weekender ticking through the entire video
Exactly, stupid Weekender. Yet anotjer great reason to get just one more watch!
I got the same beast….and for more or less the same reason…i need to find a new bracelet though…the leather one you have looks nice….
That's the bracelet it came with. I would highly recomend the elastic nato 'french paratroopers' strap in khaki. Super confortable strap, lightweight, you don't even feel the watch is there.
So - how many watches do you have now, in total - ?
5 in the box (my official collection) plus the Timex Weekender, an erikson quartz tank my dad got me, a fake Mont Blanc I got in China in the early days and my grandfathers automatic Timex from the 50s that doesn't really keep time anymore. Oh and I just got a bronze Boderry Seaturtle for an upcoming video, so.... 10.
When you say it like that it sounds like alot....
@@awkwardgenius thanks for info.
For me, it might be a Ball or Marathon.
Are Ball watches rugged?
Nice choices
The citizen cell rechargeable battery should last nearly 20 years before needs to be replaced.
Thanks for the info. My eight year old will be a man by then. I can make him change the battery for me.
I regret not buying the Citizen Promaster Tough BNO211. Grrrr🤦♂️
Yeah I actually wanted a blue dial "Tough" instead of this one, just didn't have the budget...
Thumbnail looks like James Hetfield.
Yeah, gave myself a bad haircut just before doing the video... so that's just what I look like now
Have the watches you like, fini. My tastes expanded to Vostok Scuba Dude; with Seagull 1963, plus. 1 caveat,
to look @ watch, think it will fit into the parameters, only to find the actual watch better in your minds eye. Fact
is there are such watches, where minimize that experience.
Love the look of the seagull, not loving the janky chinese movement.
You are better off with that watch than an Alpinist.
Probably, it's too dressy gut I love the compass bezel!
Sorry but for a grail watch, a boring numbers dial timex look a like is not it. :(
Are you hating on my new watch? then I don't think you get a cookie. NO COOKIE FOR YOU.
@@awkwardgenius You only like it because you are making money off of it.
@@orflanch Oh snap, you think I'm making money over here. That's cute. Sad, but cute.
@@awkwardgenius so if someone uses your link to buy it you don't get any money?
@@orflanch couldn't find an affiliate link for this watch so I just put a link to the Citizen site and they don't like share their cheddar. I just make these videos to start these enthralling conversations with people like you. And for the girls. Fame is an aphrodisiac.
drawback of this watch (and most other Citizens) - the lume is absolute crap
Odd, I find it much better than my Vaer and I tested a (Chinese) Boderry Dive Watch and THAT was absolute crap! Readable Lume only on the hands, the indices and everything else completely dissapeer...
My 20 year old Citizen Nighthawk has great lume. I can read the time all night long if I hold the crystal to my eye. I can't say about their newer offerings. I also have a Casio Wavecepter Tough Solar that I can read all night if I push the light button. And it sets itself every midnight so it is always accurate to 1/10th of a second.
You are on this earth only so long just wear your watches they won't stay perfect forever I wear my most expensive like it's a gshock
Exactly. We've got this idea that things last forever... I like that, the Omega G Shock!
@@CCPwillfall01 that's also why I only buy spec monsters now. If it's not AT LEAST 10ATM with a saphire crystal I'm out. Starting to prefer solar to automatic because it's less fragile. Luckily you can get alot of nice watches with these specs that don't look like a Gshock! I also like sub 40 diameter and 10mm thick max but that's harder to find...
@@awkwardgenius same
Give up on your hair and embrace baldness, you’ll look better and it will lift a huge weight off your shoulders
Oh I have given up, I very much do not care but I probably will shave it off at some point. I definately agree it looks pretty bad like this 🤣
There's a billion watches out there dude, live a little, get something that isn't boring.... Your collection hasn't even started...
I'm getting there, baby steps dude. I'll let you in on a little secret, I've been trying out a bronze and blue Boderry Seaturtle this week for an upcoming video. It's wonderfully garrish and a blast to wear...
Kevin, you make a good point. I just got back from London and Scotland. It was a lot of fun. True, I can't flex a trip, but I went there because I wanted to go there, not to impress other people. I have 4 timepieces. Apple, Seiko, Mavado, and my cell phone. I like my cell phone the best and don't use the others. That said, I don't feel cheated out of life. I believe I am living "a little". But that's just me. Glad your non-boring watches add something to your life. That said, I like his timepieces. I can easily live a little with his collection. AG for the win!
Well, you do seem awkward…
Oh my gosh I'm a pro now by comparason, you should go back and watch some of my older videos! Thanks for stopping by Jerry
Mate, the way you threw this Timex on the table without any respect 🤌
Not very nice...
It served me well, but in the end I kind of hated wearing it so it's out, into a shoebox until I give it to my kid and he doesn't say thank you he says, "I wanted the Omega"