Customer Reviews

Citizen Men's BJ8050-59E Eco-Drive Professional Diver Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch

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4 star:		(6)
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Current rage of the internet watch forums - coined a nickname - the Citizen "Eco-zilla" - now taking the watch collector world by storm. A solar powered dive watch with its own zip code!

Ok - ok - when it comes to dive watches - size does matter. Don't wanna' be caught with a puny 40mm Rolex diver? Shamed by a 44mm Breitling or TAG? Want to look like a DIVER? Make no mistake - this watch is a MONSTER - 5/8" thick - 46mm case - 51mm if one includes the crown - puts other collectable diver watches to shame. BIG and bold with a massive stainess steel bracelet- enough blue lume in the hands and off the attractive black dial to light a city block. What more could a diver ask for? Well, how about 1000 ft water resistance? Oh brother!

Let's take a tour of this big chunk of real estate: this brute is THICK - sits on some wrists like a wall clock - the weight is bearable - one can get used to it. Petite ladies and men with thin wrist diameters may have problems keeping the watch from shifting around the wrist with the stainless bracelet that is too loosely sized. Recommend an adjustable neoprene strap model with a deployment clasp for these folks. Screw down crown - massive stainless steel bezel - solid bracelet links around the brushed stainless steel case. A mixed gas (valve) diver (for serious depth)- double clasp on the bracelet- wetsuit deployment clasp - solar powered - 5 to 6 month power reserve on a full charge. OHMY GOSH will be your response when you open the box.

Things to consider:

NOT a dress watch - Wearing a long sleeve dress shirt. Not with this watch. Need to be a pirate to fit it under your cuff! Better with short sleeves - no sleeves - wetsuit, bathing suit, birthday suit (j/k) or golf shirt for land lubbers!

The solar powered quartz movement may dampen the enthusiam of watch collectors who treasure automatic mechanical movements. As a solar powered timepiece - you can do your bit to save the environment. Read about the power system and impress your eco-friends! Should never need a replacement battery - as the "capacitor/battery" holds the solar generated charge.

Eco-zillas' crystal of 6mm (thick!!!) mineral glass will be more prone to scratching than a more expensive (and desirable) sapphire cyrstal - unidirectional bezel will offer the mineral glass watch face some protection however.

For left handers - the watch has a crown on the left side - right handers may wish to ponder a watch crown digging into the flesh of your left wrist. Lefties who wear it on right wrist will be in heaven.

Do you want one? Do you like to have people staring at your watch? "Are you a diver"? Really? Right! Say anything you want - no shame in just liking a massive piece of stainless steel on the wrist. Mostly damage proof - an indestructable timepiece for the diver, adventurer, sportsman or hunter. You cannot hurt this watch! Needs no "break in" period as does a auto mechanical diver - give it a full charge - clomp it on the wetsuit - and off we go!

Short of buying a "Russian Diver" you cannot buy a larger, and more attractive dive watch.

Citizen dealers offer a 5 year warranty. Great value for a HUGE Stainless Steel Diving Watch. Can't go wrong - no way - no how - if you love this watch - BUY IT!!!

For some reason most of the descriptions of this watch talk about Helium gas release. This watch, unlike the discontinued automatic one which did have an He valve, does not. It may be helium safe (I am not sure), but it DOES NOT have a valve. The watch states "for mixed gas diving", which is merely the mixed gas the diver breathes. Duh. Helium safe is needed for about .00001% of divers who are professional divers who must live in a helium dome under the ocean for long periods to avoid constantly decompressing. They live in pressurized Helium rich environment and that is how the Helium enters the watch. the He gas molecules can enter the watch through the seals. During decomp in this dry environment if the crown isn't unscrewed the Helium gas expands and can make the crystal explode. That is why these divers need to unscrew their crown or have a Helium valve on the watch. Regular recreation divers would never encounter this. The people who wrote the marketing hype review were ignorant. Mixed gas diving is just a fancy way of saying that this watch is good for SCUBA diving. You can engineer a watch to not need a valve, if the watch is constructed specifically so that Helium molecules cannot enter the watch. Is this one like that? I do not know. Again, only a professional saturation diver would ever need this feature anyway. Its more a bragging right, kind of like "my watch can go deeper than yours". (even if we only enter a 3 foot kiddy pool) I had a guy say that to me once. My watch at the time was rated for 200m and his 300m. I told him the ill fated Russian submarine Kursk sank in about 100m of water and they couldn't rescue the crew, so what's your point? Food for thought.

Well, the bracelet model can't go over a wetsuit without an extension which almost every bracelet bound dive watch should have, but if you don't wear a wetsuit or just want a big thick tough watertight watch then that is fine. I don't dive but wear dive watches all the time. It's like driving an SUV to the grocery store. Many of us do it. ;-)

The crystal is thick mineral and the watch is steel, and HEAVY. While mineral crystal scratches easily, the bezel protects it on this watch, unless you contact it with something long and sharp.

Only one of the rubber strap models comes in Titanium. The description is WRONG. This is a heavy Steel watch. On the bracelet model there also is no wetsuit extension. The bracelet does not have this crucial feature, but the rubber strap models come with strap extensions. The bracelet model cannot take the rubber strap and the rubber strap model cannot take the bracelet. The attachments are differnet. I know I have seen how they differ when apart. Too bad they made them different in this regard as the bracelet model is not suited for wear over the sleeve of a diver wetsuit. They could have remedied this with a <.50 piece of folded sheet metal. (bracelet extender)

Other than that a great watch. Solid, Heavy, ecodrive, quartz accurate yet no battery changes needed. The night time lume glow is great and a nice blue color. This is a great watch for the price asked. Basically Citizen does this by putting their Japanese technology into a Chinese manufactured good. The manufacture is very good. Citizen must oversee the manufacture in China or Hong Kong. (which also is China)

The only issue for some is that the seconds hand doesn't always line up perfectly with the dial second markers. Mine did for about half the dial and not for the other half. Hey, its a sub $300 watch. If you want perfection go buy a $1000.+ Swiss diver. ;-) That is a joke as well because even the most expensive Swiss watches are not perfect, but they usually come with sapphire crystals. ;-)

Citizen's US customer service is top rated bar none. I have dealt with them and their 5 year warranty is the best in the business. Buy a Citizen with CONFIDENCE. The Swiss and even Seiko can take a lesson from Citizen USA.

I have a cousin who owns my old one and he likes it better than his Rolex Submariner because it is more accurate, is tougher, and gives him less trouble overall, and all for little money. (and no, he doesn't dive and he drives his SUV to the grocery store as well)

This is a large watch- the actual viewing area is around 42mm but with the bezel and outer edge it is around 48mm- but this is paired with the thickness which is seriously sized mates! this watch is beautiful but large and heavy as well- the nice thing is the left placed turner so it doesnt dig into your wrist- but still it is not a watch that is comfortable in the way of a thinner sleeker watch- you will never forget you are wearing it! it performs amazingly with the eco drive you can charge it with the sun or other light and go- the quality is that of a 450-500usd watch for certain and the band is nice- it does not interchange however witht he rubber one- a shame in my mind-
it does appear to be antimagnetic which is nice and a feature usually foiund in pricier BALL watch etc- all told check out the aqualand as well as the calibre 2100 as other options but this one is a keeper for me!
enjoy

For those of you out there who are looking for a BIG impressive-looking watch that's not too busy but grabs everyone's attention...then look no further! This watch is awesome. The watch housing is nice and clean with a backwards crown orientation...meaning instead of the crown (the knob you set the watch with) being on the right side of the watch, its on the left. I personally measured the diameter of the watch from one side of the metal casing to the other and measured it to be exactly 2 inches in diameter. If you include the crown, the watch has a diameter of 2 1/8 inches. Most other big watches barely have a 1.5 inch diameter. This watch is also VERY heavy and VERY thick. The thickness is probably the most impressive dimension. It is about the thickness of 12 quarters stacked on top of each other...that's right twelve. I am not kidding. I measured it myself. I've owned numerous watches and none have even come close to being as heavy or as thick as this watch. The watch also has a HUGE bezel with deep number indentations. Between each indented number there is an even deeper decorative indention. These six decorative indentions have a high plolished look almost like they've been chromed. I feel that the presence of these indentions are what really make this watch pop. In my opinion this is the most manly looking watch that can be worn for both sport and business that you can buy for under $10,000. I looked at Jared's Gallery of Jewelry, Ben Bridge, Bailey Banks and Biddle, Helzberg Jewelers, Gordon's Jewelers, Zales, Friedman's Jewelers, and Mark's Jewelers...and none of their Rolexes, Omegas, Tissots, or Breitlings could compare. The only watch that gives this watch a run for it's money is the $10,000 IWC Big Pilot's Watch. Everwhere I go (especially when I wear short sleeves) I catch people staring at my watch. I also get numerous people asking me where they can get one. Trust me when I tell you, You Will Absolutely Love This Watch!!!

Being a fan of dive watches in general -- heavy, luminous, and indestructable -- I purchased the Citizen BJ8050-59E. Wow!
When you read reviews and the phrase 'This is a BIG watch.' is used, they're not kidding. Be forewarned, this is a very heavy and bulky watch. If you like watches that play quietly on the wrist, this is NOT for you. My first impression was that this is truly a diver's instrument -- even though I don't dive. People will stare at your wrist when you wear it. Although some women may like to wear men's watches, this is truly a man-size watch.
I love the simple dial. The luminous dial is equal in brightness to my Seiko monster -- which is saying alot. The markers glow a beautiful aqua blue.
If what I've written so far appeals to you, buy the watch. You won't see too many people sporting it.

I needed a less expensive "beach beater" to replace a Seiko diving watch that had seen better days. I was really impressed with the quality (and price) of this watch.... make no mistake, it is large, and very beefy. I have two Omega "Seamaster" automatics, but I do not dive with them, they are too expensive. Certainly for the money, this watch is built like a tank, and looks the part.

If you want a well made, large, uni-tasking watch for diving, this is the one. I was blown away by the quality of this watch for the money. I have no doubt that it will last many years, and take everything that comes it's way.

If you are even considering any dive watch for under $ 1,000; give this one a hard look. You really won't be disappointed!!

One note of caution, this is a very heavy watch to wear on a daily basis. If you want to dive with a wetsuit, get the one with a rubber strap as there is no divers extension on the metal band. This does limit the watch to warm water diving. To the best of my knowledge, no one currently makes an adapter to retrofit the SS band version with a rubber strap. The only criticism of this watch is the inability to remove the metal band and use a nylon "Zulu" divers band, which I prefer on a true diving watch.

The accuracy of this watch is outstanding, even for a quartz movement. I've had this watch for almost a year now, and am still pleased with it.

Wow is all I kept saying when I opened the package. This is truly a mans watch. It has exceeded all my expectations. It is definitely huge and heavy. The largest watch that I have yet to come across. I guess I"ll have no reasons for being late anymore. I have had Tag's,Movado, Casio, ESQ, Omega etc. and this blows them out of the water. I am a diver and this is just what an analog dive watch should be. I also have a citizen promaster digital dive watch that is equally impressive and they are definitely the best dive watches on the market. I don't recommend this if you have small wrists or are afraid of wearing 1.5 pounds on your arm. If smaller watches don't feel right to you, then this should do the trick. I don't forsee any problems with this, as it seems that it can withstand anything you can throw at it. Durable stainless steel and huge display. Citizen has a great service dept. and 5 year warranty, so you are covered. Plus, no batteries to worry about. You can spend thousands on Panerei, Breitling, Rloex etc. and still not equal the commanding nature of this beauty. Thumbs up Citizen.

As you may have guessed from other reviews, this is a really big watch. If that's your goal, you won't find anything better. The EcoZilla is a stainless steel battleship, but it sits well on my 7-inch wrist. Surprisingly comfortable. Serious lume on the hands and hour markers, a nice Citizen aqua blue, with a contrasting green dot at 12 on the bezel. The lume is bright, almost on a par with Seiko's benchmark, but still can't hang with the Ball tritium.

I know tastes differ, but I think this is an attractive watch. The pictures don't do it justice: basic, uncluttered black face; classic hands (love the orange minute hand); unobtrusive date at 3 o'clock. The engraved diver's helmet on the caseback is a nice touch. The steel band is well done, clasp is solid. The 60-click bezel has a sturdy feel, lines up perfectly, and turns easily - better than my Aqualand, but not as smooth as the 120-click Seiko Monster or Omega SMP. And the cross-hatched finish on the screw-down crown and the edge of the face is just one more touch that makes this watch one of my favorites.

Compares favorably to watches that cost 5-6 times as much. Just don't wear it while exercising - you'll end up with one arm larger than the other. If you want a lighter version with the same commanding presence, go with the titanium/rubber. I'm just a sucker for stainless steel.

Enjoy it.

this watch is without a doubt a tank of a watch . its huge and heavy and definately an attention grabber everytime u wear it. the only other watch i have that rivals in size or weight is my invicta subaqua noma 2 . this citizen watch almost seems unbreakable. i have not ever really been a fan of citizen watches prefering swiss automatic watches , but when i came across this watch i knew it was a must have watch added to my collection. citizen definately got this one right. if u are looking for a good diver watch thats huge and heavy and that can take a beating look no further u found it here. believe me u wont be dissapointed with this watch its a tank of a diver watch that will get u lots of looks and comments . a must have diver watch if u are looking for a big sturdy heavy duty watch !!!

I work for a high end jeweler that sells Rolex, Graham, Omega, IWC and so forth. I have acquired a few of the watches since I work there, but I wanted something that I could beat up threw on when I was hoping to the store without the need to wind up. Most of my watches are automatics and I keep them in the watch winder to keep them going. Sometimes I have to wind them up because I only have 4 watch winders for 6 watches. A few weeks ago, my brother cracked a joke on the way to the pawn shop and said you paid all that money(not really..EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT) for those watches and you have to wind them the hell up..you need an old fashioned Citizens!! Okay soyeah my 6 watches are a pain sometimes, it's like I'm juggling eggs..this one today..that one goes in tommorrow..! Anyway, we are shopping the pawn shops for lose diamonds...dont ask! And I see this massive watch in the case. I said "Excuse me sir but you have got to let me try that on!" I loved it as soon as it was on my arm! I will admit its a huge watch compared to all my others, but for some reason it looked cooler than all my other watches!I wanted it right now! The pawn shop owner said it was $250. I was like wait one minute..its a little scratched and used..no box..ummm..wait..gotta love the iPhone..typed it in my Amazon app..oh theres an APP for that! And whhaaah laaa 2 hundred seventy freaking dollars brand spanking new on Amazon! I said whats ya best price...he said $240..I said nevermind. I pressed the one click order on the phone at the pawn shop..ya gotta love Amazon for that..and the quick ship..I had this baby the next day! I was like yeahhh baby! I'm wearing it to my buddies the cookout! Some of my friends are real watchheads, and all in the watch business..sometimes a little stuck up as they can be..could not stop talking about how much they loved the watch! First they were like "Man that's a hunk of massive steel!" Then it was..ummm can I see it..were did you get this from! I have had the watch for several weeks and I love it, it turns heads at counters..ordering food..you name it. Before you buy it go somewhere and try it on, cause its not a small watch, but surprisingly its light on the arm.