It’s easy to forget that with so many smartwatches available, there are still plenty of people who simply want to wear a watch that looks good and tells the time. But finding that watch doesn’t mean you need to give up your geeky edge; the Citizen Eco-Drive Watch line manages to roll true greek-credibility into a beautiful not so “dumb-watch”.
Citizen recently offered me my choice of several Eco-Drive watch styles to review. I chose from the Sapphire line; they offer a 44mm mens watch, and I went with the 28mm ladies version. I have to admit that although I had heard of Eco-Drive watches in the past (Kev owns one of their titanium models), I didn’t know much about them, much less what made them “Eco”. I was about to get an education, though.
My first hint that this wasn’t simply a quartz watch came when I opened the outer box. The flap inside had a diagram briefly explaining that Eco-Drive watches convert “any light into energy.” The energy is then stored in a power cell, and that power cell is enough to keep the watch working for at least 6 months, even if the watch is stored in the dark.
Let’s take a look at the ladies Sapphire Eco-Drive watch, and then we’ll dig more into what being an Eco-Drive watch actually entails.
The ladies Citizen Sapphire watch comes in a nice gift box that showcases the silver-tone stainless steel watch. My watch has a charcoal gray dial with rose gold accents and a sapphire crystal.
The Citizen Sapphire is water-resistant up to 333 feet, which means you can wear it while swimming, showering, snorkeling, or when doing anything else that involves water.
There is no need to slip a nail under the clasp to lift it up and no need to fumble with latches; you just push the buttons on both sides of the clasp, and it opens. Since you have to press both buttons in order for the clasp to deploy, this closure system is very secure.
Being made of stainless (rather than titanium) the watch has a nice heft to it, but it is not too heavy at all; this watch weighs 2.4 ounces, which is enough that you will feel it (or feel it missing), without it weighing your wrist down.
Perhaps my only complaint about the watch face is the small size of the date window: I’m almost 50 (and fighting wearing cheaters), so I sometimes have to squint a little to see the date. 😛
The bracelet uses multiple links which not only makes it more visually appealing than a chunkier link, it also makes it feel more fitted to your wrist. No pinched little arm hairs, either.
The Citizen Sapphire Eco-Drive watch looks good, keeps excellent time, and it feels great to wear. How let’s get into the geeky part … the Eco-Drive system!
I’ve worn quartz and self-winding (or automatic) watches in the past; both have their positives and negatives; for instance, quartz watches keep great time, but you usually have to replace their battery after a year or two. Automatic watches also keep great time, but if you don’t wear them for a couple of days they wind down; it’s always best to keep a self-winding watch on an automatic watch winder when you aren’t wearing it, so you don’t have to keep resetting it.
Eco-Drive, however, is an interesting mix of light power and a battery. Citizen invented the first light-powered analog quartz watch in 1976; “this technology, now known as “Eco-Drive,” can generate power from any light source, artificial, natural and even dim light to keep watches running without ever replacing batteries.”
I find it fascinating that any light source can power the watch; it doesn’t have to be solar. The light source doesn’t even have to be that good!
Eco-Drive is designed so that any light source, no matter how dim, will generate the energy needed to power the watch.
When I first received the watch, I posted a picture of it on my social media networks. Interestingly enough, several friends let me know that they also own and enjoy their Eco-Drives. Here’s my friend David’s Eco-Drive collection; he has one watch (not shown) that has been running for over 10 years.
After I mentioned on Facebook that “the box for this [watch] says that the watch will keep working for 6 months even if stored in the dark,” my friend Drew said, “Yes that is what’s great, I’ve left mine in a box for a month at a time and picked up right where I left off. I usually leave them on the window sill to get a good charge. It’s really low maintenance, I’ve had every kind of watch and this one is the simplest and easiest to have.”
On Instagram, my friend Mike posted a picture of his collection and had this to say:
So there you have it. The Citizen Sapphire Eco-Drive watch is a good-looking, well-made watch that anyone would be proud to wear or own; it would also make an excellent holiday or graduation gift! The fact that you don’t need to worry about changing the battery or keeping it wound just adds to its cool factor. Eco-Drive watches have a great reputation among my friends who’ve been buying and wearing them for years (in some cases multiple models), so that’s an added bonus.
The Citizen Sapphire Eco-Drive Watch retails for $295, and it is available directly from Citizen or from other retailers.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: The Citizen Sapphire is a lovely watch that doesn’t require winding or a new battery; The women’s Sapphire has a nice weight to it; Eco-Drive watches last for a long, long time
What Needs Improvement: The date window on the Sapphire watch is a little small for easy glancing (for me, anyway)