Eco-Drive Men's Strap Watch BM8240-11A

Let me start by saying that I love watches. Most of all, I love watches who don't need to be opened up every year or so to change the power supply. It is why my most cherished time pieces are either automatic (they wind themselves up when worn by the use of a half-disc gizmo inside), Kinetic (same half-disc is generating energy when the watch is worn and in turn charges a battery) or the Citizen type solar powered - which is the case here. Solar power charges a cell that should (theoretically) last a really long time (well, at least 5 years that the warranty offers, anyway). I bought this particular time piece because all my other watches have metal straps and are by extension heavy (at least the stainless steel ones) and I needed something to wear that's a bit less flashy. This will go well with a suit or a casual attire. It is also extremely light. The casing is really thin and although it's stainless steel, you will forget you're wearing it. It doesn't have fancy functions like syncing to the atomic clock - so you'll need to set the time and date manually - but on the bright side, you will not need a manual. Pull the crown once - the watch stops, so if you're really the OCD type you can wait until the seconds indicator reaches XII, then set the day and week day by rotating it - pull the crown twice - set the time. Push the crown back - you're done. Extremely easy for anybody who has ever used a mechanical watch. The time keeping is extremely precise so far - I verify all my time pieces against multiple sources - and the watch is a pleasure to wear. The strap could have been less flashy to be quite honest, but it isn't a pain to change if you want to. The roman numerals are "de gustibus". Personally, I like them, since my first ever watch had roman numerals and they also enhance a look that's stylish and classic. About the water resistance of this watch, I found in the Citizen documentation (which you can find here on page 14 - http://c04.coacdn.com/calibersWPC/E101_ebook.pdf ) that if there is no indication then the watch should still be water resist(ant) up to three atmospheres, which means, in this particular case, that you can use it without any problems whilst washing your face and that a little rain will not kill it. However, for kitchen work or swimming, this isn't an appropriate choice.

Looks a lot better than I expected. It did require some fiddeling at the start to set it up, but it is relatively easy once you know what to do. More specifically: Setting up the time is really easy. So is setting up the monthly date. The weekday however, required a great deal of effort to change to the current one when following the instructions as it barely seemed to register with the turning wheel (or maybe it is just me having trouble turning the wheel in the required direction and position). I was however able to work around this by simply first putting the monthly date one day early, before turning the time forward by 1 day in order to make it show Thursday instead of Wensday. The strap currently seems a bit stiff, but will hopefully soften up a bit through use. I have seen some here complain that it was far too short, but for me the smallest setting was perfect for me.

Firstly, I read all the reviews about this watch and quite agree that changing the day is a bit of a faff, unlike the relatively easy date change. It really doesn't help that the crown is so smooth and fiddly, however I managed it just to make sure that the day/date works OK. I never normally bother with this feature on any of my watches. Secondly, the leather strap is OK and perhaps all that can be expected in terms of quality at this price point. I shall probably change it for a better one in due course, but for now I'll live with it. Overall, the watch is very attractive, with nice crisp numerals on the white dial and nicely shaped hands. I doubt that I'd have paid more for this watch unless it had sapphire glass and felt a bit more weighty in the hand, as it is very light weight. Then again this is an ecodrive and is bound to be light weight and so know doubt I'll get used to it. Definitely worth four stars overall.

The watch suits my needs perfectly. It is not too large and cumbersome like so many of the watches on the market today. The face is not cluttered with all sorts of dials and gizmos which are of little use and tend to obscure the real purpose of the watch which is to tell the time. The white face and black numerals make it easy to see in all lighting conditions. I always prefer a leather strap for the sake of comfort and this one fits the bill. For anyone wanting a good watch which is easy to look at, functional, never needs winding or a new battery, this model is well worth considering.

A nice clear face which helps with my poor vision. Excellent quality with a brand which can be trusted.

The watch I ordered was everything I expected of a Citizen Eco Drive watch. Excellent quality and well worth the wait for it. The watch arrived earlier than the date given originally which I was pleased about. I purchased this as a dress watch and it fits the bill perfectly. The watch has a very clear face and has a day/date feature with Roman numerals and the watch strap is excellent quality leather. Really love it and would recommend this watch to anyone.

I'll get the bad over with first, the watch strap. Despite the inner lining of the strap against your wrist being very nice, the exterior is a shiny black and does not look great to me. At the time I bought it price wise, I didn't mind shelling out extra for a new strap. I'm conflicted about subtracting a star for this as it is a part that will wear and be replaced in time anyway, but they could have done better and at this price point, a new strap does represent a fair extra percentage on top of the price. The watch has kept great time so far, it's basic but smart, I like it. Date feature is useable but awkward by modern standards, you do have to keep track of it on the first of each month as it's 31 days and it also tracks the day of the week, so more fuss, but it is certainly better than useless. Mobiles have made me lazy about such things, but it doesn't affect my rating. The only other thing to be aware of is the the roman numeral for 4 is IIII rather than IV. I prefer a IV by choice, but again, it's not like it affects my rating. Time will tell how the solar charged battery lasts and how much fuss it will be changing that when it goes fut, hopefully many years away!

It is indeed a beautiful watch, not overly glitzy. The stainless steel watch is set off by the black leather 'crocodile' wrist strap. The date and time easy to adjust and the Eco Drive removing all worries of fading batteries. A good watch to own.