Customer Reviews

Citizen Men's BL8000-54A Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 Watch

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What can I say, I love this watch. My history with watches has not been good. I seem to destroy them after a year with no apparent fault of my own. My luck changed about 8 years ago when I invested in my first Citizen watch. It ran for 7 years before it started flaking out on me, and I couldn't be happier considering my luck with previous watches. Lets face it, after 7 years with the same watch, I was ready for a change anyway. I considered some with automatic movements, I considered some with exotic names and faces, but in the end, I couldn't pass up on getting another Citizen with a 5 year warranty.

My only pet peeve with my last watch was having to set the date every other month. This was not a fault of the watch, just the way MOST watches with manual dates are. So when I learned that Citizen had watches with perpetual dates that stay correct even through leap years, I couldn't pass it up! I was skeptical at first that the function would not work as advertised, but it does! It's flawless. I can now DEPEND on the date feature on my watch rather than have to look at a calendar to verify the correct date.

The watch movement is very accurate. Because the second hand comes to a stop when you're setting it, it's very easy to set the watch to the exact second of an atomic clock. After doing this, and tracking the time, I'm pleased to report that this watch only gains about 1 second per month. It doesn't get much better than that folks!

I also like that this watch shows the day of the week. Very helpful while on vacation when all the days seem to blend together. If you put the watch in "Calendar" mode, the second hand freezes on the proper month. I prefer the second hand to move since I never loose track of which month it is.

This watch has an alarm. I don't use it myself, but I did test it out. The beeping is not overly loud and I doubt it would wake a heavy sleeper such as myself. It would work fine for daytime reminders though. The alarm, since the second hand has to sweep around to arrive at its set time, is really slow to set. I say slow, I mean it might take 30 seconds to a minute to set, but I think that's pretty slow compared to a digital watch. I guess all things are relative right?

One important feature I've only seen mentioned once in the other reviews is that this watch features a second time on it. - Like a travel time if you're in a different time zone. It's super easy to set, and it doesn't throw off the second hand at all. So lets say you get off a plane and you gained 2 hours, you simple put the watch in this alternate time mode, spin the bezel once in the proper direction you want the second hand to move, and it will automatically stop exactly one hour difference. Spin the bezel again and the minute hand takes off a second time and stops another hour advanced. Pop the bezel back in and you watch is perfectly set for this new time zone. This takes all of 5 or 10 seconds. On the trip back, simply take the watch out of this mode, and put it back on "time" mode and it automatically sets itself to your local time! This is an essential feature for frequent travelers.

I chose the watch with the white face mainly because my last watch of 7 years had a blue face, and I wanted a change. Everyone else on this site seemed to go for the blue one, and wanted something a bit more unique. I get lots of complements on this watch, especially from people in the jewelry business who have a keen eye. The white face version does not have as good of contrast as the blue face, but it's not hard to read. The movement in this watch is also available in other, more heavy duty cases. I almost opted for a more rugged version, but didn't like the bands on the watches. This watch measures 39mm across the face, and 10mm high, with no rotating face bezel on it.

The band is a pleasure to use. It's super easy to take the watch off by simply squeezing the side band buttons. I nice improvement over my last watch that had to have a clasp pried off with a fingernail. (How 1990's) The only down side of the band is that it's complex design aids to harboring dirt. Expect to wash the watch with jewelry cleaner every 6 weeks or so, which will really make the band shine like new again.

Lastly, this watch is solar powered and never needs a battery! I put 2 or 3 batteries in my last watch and it really seemed like a chore to get them replaced. Another feature this watch has is a battery saving feature. The minute hand usually moves a quarter notch every 15 seconds. I noticed if you have a sleeve coving the watch, and it's in complete darkness, the movement slows down, and the instant you expose your watch to light, it catches up to current time. I didn't realize this was happening over the first few months, and though I was seeing things occasionally when I would look at my watch. Citizen claims the internal solar battery has enough juice to last 6 months in total darkness. I have no reason to doubt that claim after viewing the way the watch conserves its battery. The watch is also 100 meter water resistant. I wouldn't go scuba diving with this watch, but it's nice to know I don't have to remove it to wash a car, dog, swim etc.

So in short, if you want a pretty snazzy watch that is highly accurate, doesn't need a battery, and never needs the date set, this should be on your short list of watches to consider. I'm very pleased with my watch and I'm sure you will be too.

UPDATE: I've had this watch for 4.5 years already and it still runs flawless. It's just as accurate as the day I brought it home. My eyes are starting the typical 40's far sightedness issue and I find it hard to focus on the watch as it has very intricate details on the face. The watch band has several scratches in it from normal abuse. It still looks great with a proper cleaning in jewelry cleaner however. The quartz glass face still has zero scratches in it. Overall, I'm still very pleased with my watch and believe I'll have to replace it ONLY because I'll be ready for a change, or because I won't be able to read it but NOT because the watch gives out!

This is the high technology watch. Rolex and Omega cannot generate energy by sun-shine. and cannot calculate leap year. But this Citizen watch knows February has only 28 days. It calculates leap year automatically.

You don't need to adust your time ANY MORE in your life. This is the technology.

i'm sure you know, citizen is a great brand, and this watch validates my opinion towards the company even more. I've gotten countless compliments regarding this watch; men, women, and even kids alike. Some may say it feels a little heavy, but i think it's just fine. My first concern was with the "eco-drive" being solar powered that it'll run out of battery you know, but it maintains its charge quite well, when i'm not wearing it, its usually on my dresser which is well lit by my window. haven't had it die on me yet, the instructions for setting it are easy as pie, and all in all i'd buy another citizen watch again in the near future.

I've owned this watch for about 4 years now. Just some comments on what I've experienced with it.

The dial window, being mineral, scratches easily. I have already replaced it once.

The watch band and case is a combination of a polished stainless steel and a brushed stainless steel. The polished parts tend to scuff and scratch easily. Cost me a pretty penny to get it polished out, so now I don't wear the watch as much as I used to.

Adjusting the time is also a little "odd". When you pull out the side button to adjust the time and you go to adjust, the minute hand moves, but it stops at every minute marker. So changing the time is a bit of a chore. So I usually don't take this watch with me when I travel to a different time zone.

I have the Citizen Men's Eco-Drive Calibre 8700 Watch #BL8000-03A, and adjusting the time on that watch is as you would expect. You turn the button as fast or as slow as you want and the arms move accordingly.

I do have to say, of all of my metal banded watches, this one is the most comfortable. It's a good looking watch, all in all, but just be careful with it, because it easily scratches. If you tend to be hard on watches like I do, might want to look for a watch that's mostly, if not all a brushed stainless steel or brushed titanium.

I'd have to agree with everybody here. This watch was definitely a nice add to the "collection" and I find myself choosing to wear it at least as often as even the most expensive watches I own. I, too, truly appreciate the perpetual calendar with the leap year function.

As can be expected, though, it takes a bit to figure out how to set the time/date/etc and I'll have to keep the manual somewhat handy since it's not necessarily a pull-the-crown-and-adjust-the-time affair like simpler watches.

Overall, it's a beautiful watch and I'm very pleased with it!

This is a very interesting design and looks very good. Provided you keep it charged which is not a problem in normal usage you never have to touch it.Leap years and short months are all automatically taken care till 2100.

Looks a lot more expensive than it is.

Excellent watch. I love it.

I bought this watch a few years ago. I have gotten many compliments on this watch over the years. One person saw it on my hand and thought it was a Rolex. I can't speak for how accurate the watch is. I have not had any issues with it keeping the time, but I wouldn't notice if the time was off a little.

The only issue I had with it was when i dropped it. the minute and hour hand stopped moving. I sent it in for repair, and I got a bill for $115 to fix it (parts, labor, tax and shipping). I did a search for it and came up with around $250-300 to buy a new one. I just think that the price is too high.

If you're undecided whether you should buy this watch or its counterpart with a blue face, here's your answer: Go for this one! I've had a chance to compare this item side by side with the blue face Calibre 8700. The latter is more popular but pales in comparison to the elegance of the black and white faced dial. The black, white and gray contrast each other so well it goes along with any conceivable wardrobe that you may have. The bracelet is equally handsome and distinct. Setting up the watch may initially be cumbersome, but with the help of the included interactive CD guide, it's a cinch even for non-techies. Also compare the price on Amazon with a regular jeweler's and you'll know you're getting a really great deal here.

I purchased this watch as a replacement to my fossil watch I have had for about 3 or 4 years. I always wanted a Citizen watch and decided to get on for my birthday. Out of the box, I loved this watch's look. Vintage, but modern, full of features, and Citizen reliability. Looks good on my arm and looks a lot more expensive then it really is. It takes a little time to set the time, day and calender but once you do, that's it. I highly recommend this watch and I'm almost certain I'll be getting another in about 5-7 years or however long it holds up.

This watch is one of the neatest watches I've ever seen. All the functions are great and I have gotten MANY compliments on it. I love the eco-drive. Just a GREAT watch.