Customer Reviews

Citizen Men's JV0020-12F Eco-Drive 20th Anniversary Aqualand Black Metric Dive Watch

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

 

 

I bought this watch ahead of a trip down to Mexico where I was going to get my Open Water PADI certification. It has a great combination of functionality and style. It is a little on the heavy side but it looks sharp and has plenty of functionality on dry land. Once you get the hang of the button functions it is very intuitive.
When you hop in the water it automatically activates the dive mode which is nice when you are busy holding onto other things like a camera and your regulator. It goes from dive ready 1 to its mode where it records information on your dive. You can set alarms for maximum depth and maximum underwater time - I found it helpful on my deeper dives.
The watch automatically holds information on a ton of dives - it records the deepest depth, the total time underwater (below 1 meter), temperature, time of day at start of the dive, and date of dive - it helped when I was filling out my dive book for the first time. During the dive it shows the depth on the function hand AND in the LCD readout. The minute hand shows the time of the dive which is also displayed in the LCD window. I was surprised at how brightly the watch hands glowed underwater. It was great to be able to watch it and practice my buoyancy - the depth gauge is VERY accurate - I tested it against my dive master's dive computer.
The watch also goes crazy when you ascend too quickly from depth which was scary when I was practicing my emergency ascents but was very helpful when we were ending the dive. It beeps and flashes a red LED and says "SLOW".
The watch does surface intervals as well - it will let you know when 24 hours pass from your last dive for flying... I am certain there are a lot more functions that I just haven't figured out yet - all in due time.
All of the fun stuff above AND the fact that it charges in the sun made this a great purchase for me. This is not a replacement for a full dive computer, but it is a great backup/alternative source of info during your dive.
I can't wait to go diving again - but until I do, I will be sporting the watch...

About some of the complaints about the moisture sensor triggering dive mode - they must be REALLY sweaty people (no offense) - I was down in Mexico and it was totally fine. It didn't even trigger when I was showering off - I literally had to submerge the watch for it to be triggered to the dive 1 mode.

Before heading to Belize for a dive trip, I decided that it would be nice to have a dive watch to give me some basic information during my dives.
My brother already had an Atomic Aquatics dive computer that cost a small fortune, so I didn't feel the need to invest in another dive computer.

I put this Citizen JV0020 Eco-Drive to the test, diving along the Belize Barrier Reef.

The watch worked very well. It logs your dives, up to 20 dives before deleting the oldest log.
I compared the Citizen's depth measurements to my brother's Atomic dive computer and they were pretty much right on. I bought the metric watch and when I converted to feet, the difference was no more than a foot.

The watch automatically switches to Dive Mode when you go in the water (yes, it is somewhat sensitive to moisture above water, but a trivial complaint). It then logs this dive and resets for the next dive.

The log tells you maximum depth, water temperature, and duration of dive. Basically, the essentials. It also marks the date, time zone and starting time of your dive. All the important information you need for your dive log. It does not make any dive calculations such as recommended duration of dive at a given depth, ascent time, safety stops, interval between dives, etc. For this, you need to use your dive computer or dive tables.

It does have a very audible warning beep if you ascend too quickly. Again, a little sensitive but a nice feature too have.

This watch is a great backup instrument for your dive computer. It also looks rugged and handsome. It is large and on the heavy side, but it feels comfortable on my wrist.

One other note. Citizen really took the time to pay attention to small details. For example, when the large hand on the watch (which indicates the total dive time in Dive Mode) passes over the top half of the LCD display, the current depth shows up on the lower half of the display. When the hand covers the lower half, the depth switches to the upper half of the LCD display. This way, the depth is always visible. Fortunately, the small hand on the left side of the watch face also indicates your current depth, so there is redundancy.

Lastly, this watch is light powered, so you'll never have to worry about winding it, changing the battery, or anything like that. In fact, when fully charged, this watch has a power reserve of 180 days, which means even if you used it in complete darkness, it would continue to operate for six months.

It's a great watch, pure and simple. I didn't know if I would like it when I got it, but it's done what it's supposed to do exceptionally well.

I have had one of these watches for 3-4 years.
I love it's easy changes when time zones change when traveling, etc.
The Dive computer functions work great, and it is very rugged.
I have used it diving in Little Cayman, and in Mexico.
I was surprised and pleased how well it announced it's presence when I failed to follow the pre-dive profile entered.
I have found it much more easy to hear than my $700 Suunto Dive Computer
My watch has absorbed crashes into metal doors, walls, and concrete when I fell on it shoveling snow and broke my wrist.
It's case is scratched, but still works reliably.

I plan to buy a replacement, but only for cosmetic reasons.
I was also concerned that the band would not last, but it is still in excellent
condition after lots of use and abuse.

I have five other dive watches, all Citizen, but this one is my favorite.

This watch failed on me in Bonaire last summer. Try to get service from citizen? Good luck. Just try to get them on the phone and don't hold your breath waiting for an email

It is quite hard to read the congested dial underwater, especially when one is working (Case closed!).
When it is hot outside, the watch enters dive mode due to the sweat on your arm.
Very nice shape makes it interesting to look at, but don't bother spending this much, whereas you can buy an elegant/slim dive computer which has many more functionalities.

All I can say. great watch.
Very easy to use, both over and underwater.

Comes with the ScubaTank giftbox, which is a really nice addition.

Good negotiation, good price and fast delivery.

The product is very good, but very sensitive to the wather contact. If you don't have a problem with this, is recommended.