Citizen

Citizen Men's BL5290-59E Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Alarm Chronograph Watch

• Light powered Eco-Drive Caliber E812 Japanese-quartz movement; charges in natural sunlight or indoor light
• Max power reserve: 120 - 270 days with Power Save; low charge warning: 5 days; charge time from stop state to max charge: Incandescent Light - 43 hrs, Outdoors, Cloudy (10,000 Lux) - 12 hrs, Outdoors, Sunny (100,000 Lux) - 4 hrs
• Durable, hardened non-reflective mineral crystal; case diameter: 44 mm; 1/20 second chronograph measures up to 60 minutes; 12/24 hour time with 24-hour sub dial; dual-time function

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar infuses a black dial and bezel with precise functionality. Features include stainless steel case and bracelet, one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel, which reveals the hours, minutes, and seconds on luminous hands and markers, date indicator, 12/24 hour time, 1/20 second chronograph which measures up to 60 minutes, dual time, alarm and a superior water resistance of 330 feet (100 meters).

Summary of Features:

• Perpetual calendar
• 1/20 second chronograph measures up to 60 minutes
• 12/24 hour time
• Dual time
• Alarm
• Unidirectional rotating elapsed-time bezel
• Non-reflective mineral crystal
• Screw-back case

The Citizen Story

The company was established in 1924. The founding fathers selected the name Citizen so it would be ""Close to the Hearts of People Everywhere"" and soon after adopted the company’s formal name, Citizen Watch Company.

During the last seventy-five years Citizen has expanded its business throughout the world and has achieved recognition as the global brand. The past twenty-five year period has coincided with the company’s dramatic rise to its current position as the world’s largest watchmaker, a distinction Citizen has held every year since 1986.

Beyond sheer size, Citizen is also recognized as a worldwide leader in advanced technology. From the world’s slimmest LCD watch to the first voice recognition watch and the world’s first professional dive watch with an electronic depth sensor, Citizen’s record of ""world’s firsts"" is unmatched.

More recently, Citizen has staked out a new position as the leader in timekeeping with its Eco-Drives watches that are light powered. With models ranging from dress models to sports models to professional dive watches, Citizen Eco-Drive runs continuously in any kind of natural or artificial light for a lifetime of use. Fueled by light, it never needs a battery.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000ZPOWCC
• Item model number: BL5290-59E
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,799 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Citizen Eco-Drive #BL5290-59E - Pretty good watch, January 18, 2008

By 

M. Schmidt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Citizen Men's BL5290-59E Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Alarm Chronograph Watch (Watch)

My husband's review of his new watch:
I have been searching for a reasonable "divers style" watch which incorporates an alarm. I have had several and they usually work well until after the first battery change; follow the battery change with a dip in the pool and watch-death has been the typical result. The Citizen Eco-Drive is a great solution and I am very happy with it; I eagerly look forward to not having to change batteries. The watch is good looking (male opinion) and works well with a few idiosyncrasies:
- the alarm is very quiet; I have not heard it yet, unless I am already awake. This is disappointing, but not unexpected based on reviews from others. Citizen should work on this and consider having the alarm repeat after its first short burst; a second "blast" might help stir one from slumber.
- the crown tends to turn from rubbing on my wrist and change the function from "time" to Chronometer to "Local-time" to "alarm". Easily corrected but can complicate a quick glance to check the current time. Some way of shielding the crown, or making it less prone to accidental turning would be convenient.
- I like the "local time" function that allows you to reset to another time zone; it works pretty well and basically resets the hour hand only. This is handy if you travel, especially to areas multiple time zones away.
- resetting the watch, or changing functions is a bit entertaining, if you are easily amused, as any changes seem to result in extended periods during which the hour and minute hands race around the face of the watch until stopped at the desired point.
- I was not too interested in the Chronometer function as I have trouble reading the small dial on the watch. I have used it and it is straightforward, but would have been happy without that function.
I like my new watch very much; I wish the alarm was louder.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great watch., December 19, 2009

By 

Polish Dude (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Citizen Men's BL5290-59E Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Alarm Chronograph Watch (Watch)

I would love to give this watch 4.5 stars. great not perfect, for 250 i could ask for more but wouldn't get it.
the main reason i got this watch was b/c I wanted a watch that looked good and was reliable. Before this i had a few swatches, all their faces got scratched quickly but worse than that their band kept breaking. They had metal bracelets, but they would only last about a month each. I have had this watch for about 2 months no band problems to report.

Pros: looks like an omega for a fraction of the cost,
Has more functions than omega. its has an alarm and an alt time.
the rotating bezel is a nice touch.
yellow on black is awsome.
Rotating bezel is great as a quick alarm(without the sound)

Cons: The alarm is quiet, tied it both awake and sleeping. could hear awake but wouldn't wake me up.

Other: the picture doesn't do it justice.
Hey Citizen listen up, make the 24 hour clock on the top left tell the alt time. instead of retelling the current time.
on a positive not the crown needs to be pulled out one click in order to change the mode. some people reviewing other perpetual calendar watches said that
their wrist would accidentally change the mode, with this model or (at least the one i got) that can't happen. i don't know maybe Citizen heard the
complaints and changed the watch a bit.
250 is a lot of money in this economy but its less than 3k and the watch itself is better than a guess that would go for about the same price.
I love watching the minute man move a quarter tick for ever 15 sec.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Citizen Chronograph, January 17, 2010

By 

Gerald W. King "Watch man" (Fayetteville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Citizen Men's BL5290-59E Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Alarm Chronograph Watch (Watch)

This Citizen Chronograph is everything it was advertised to be. A great looking timepiece, perfect weight and very, very accurate. The Eco-Drive technology is incredible in that the watch never needs a battery and remains charged primarily on room light. The Amazon service was superior, the item shipped as scheduled and was delivered as promised. All in all, a very plesant experience.