Reviews for Citizen Eco-Drive Garrison Mens Watch, Stainless Steel with Nylon strap, Green (Model: BM8180-03E)
People say Citizen is really similar to Seiko.
5.0
The perfect balance - once you ditch the strap
I’ve worn my 8180 most days for a year now, and as a simple, reliable chronograph-style watch it has been great value for money. It’s perhaps the cheapest Eco-Drive watch, yet Citizen’s solar technology has worked just as advertised. The thing runs happily on ambient indoor light and doesn’t stop if you take it off and chuck it in a drawer for a week. This is a small watch - small enough not to look outsized on a small-medium wrist. (Note: I only began wearing a watch again three years ago after 15 years of not bothering, so I missed the whole huge-face trend.) At 37mm this seems nicely sized for my wrist, and at 9.5mm it’s not ridiculously thick. It’s also light, yet it feels very solid. The face style strikes a nice balance: casual enough not to seem fussy, formal enough to wear in any business context. It has overtones of a pilot’s watch, notably with the triangle marker at 12 o’clock (inverted, compared to most such watches). But the skeleton hands give it a lightness lacking in some aviator designs. The face characters are clear and modern, and the elaboration of the outer 0-60 markers keeps it from seeming too plain. I would happily wear a normal pilot’s watch with a suit, but the 8180 seems particularly right for business wear. … That is, as long as you change out the strap. The supplied military-style grey-green woven strap is short, ugly and widely detested. I can’t tell you whether it’s comfortable, as I replaced it immediately with a band better matched to the w... Read More
5.0
Quite Possibly the Greatest Watch in the World under $100 (3 year review)
Regardless of price range, there will always be a seemingly endless amount of watches to choose from. Sometimes it can be daunting, but always fun! This was my very first watch i purchased. I went inexpensive initially in the event watches weren't really my thing. After a good time researching, I pulled the trigger on this little guy after reading the rave reviews. After three years of wearing this watch on and off, hiking in mountains, forests, rocky terrain, water activities, etc., I decided I would give an accurate assessment about this particular little time piece. Brand - I truly believe Citizen is the very best value when it comes to watches under $500.00. One can argue Seiko and Orient. I own all three brands, and feel like my three Citizens are made a bit better. Citizen is well respected among watch enthusiasts, and is a FANTASTIC brand for someone looking to purchase their first timepiece Movement - As you probably know by now, this watch is powered by Citizen's own Eco-Drive Quartz Movement. Needing no battery or servicing, this watch will stay maintenance-free for years on end. And it just charges by light? Amazing cutting edge. Accuracy - No shock here. Being quartz, this watch is supremely accurate. Mine tested out about 1.5 seconds fast a week. No arguments there! Looks - I love the way this watch looks. Everything just works. At 90 dollars, it's important not to try and look like a cheap, ugly homage of another watch. Citizen did a bang up job here with a ... Read More
5.0
Citizen vs Seiko SNK
I purchased this watch and the Seiko SNK803 at the same time about a year ago. Both are fantastic watches for the price, but the Citizen has emerged as my favorite of the two for a few reasons. 1) Accuracy. I set this watch to the atomic clock when I first got it. It's still accurate within a few seconds. The Seiko runs a little fast every day and of course has to be reset if I don't wear it for a couple of days. 2) Visibility. The lume is great on this watch. My eyesight is not great and I can see the time in the dark much easier than with the Seiko. 3) Aesthetics. Although I love the automatic movement of the Seiko, I think the Citizen just looks sharper. Even after a year and a lot of abuse, the polished steel doesn't show any tarnish or scratches. 4) Durability and reliability. Although I haven't had any issues with the Seiko, the Citizen is the watch that I would hope to be wearing if I got stranded or went on a long camping trip. I've worn it swimming, showered while wearing it countless times, dropped it on tile, and it still runs like new. Highly recommend this watch
5.0
Great, everyday watch
I never knew Citizen had inexpensive Eco-Drives like this one. The versions I've purchased in the past have always been $250+. I bought this one, knowing it was a smaller diameter case than the other watches I own, and while it was extremely noticeable upon first seeing it, once it's on my wrist, it looks much more natural. Granted, I don't have very large wrists to begin with. Pros: Inexpensive Eco-Drive VERY easy to read Bright illumination on ALL numbers and hands (given sufficient light to charge) Easy to set up Lightweight Cons: Wish there were options for face and band colour (not necessarily a 'con', but navy blue, black, or cream would have been nice) Notes: I replaced the watch band with an 18mm smoke grey BARTON silicone watch band (pictured) to replace the questionable band the watch comes with. I say it's questionable due to the number of reviews dinging the watch itself because the band's quality. Even upon removing the watch from the box, the band was very rigid, and didn't seem comfortable at all. The Barton silicone, on the other hand, is a dream. I've been on the fence whether I should get this watch or the Seiko 5. That said, I'll likely add a Seiko 5 to my collection soon.
5.0
Citizen, if you're listening - please made more of these!
I've had this watch for 5 years and it's been my go-to watch. I have many more expensive watches, and this is the one I grab most of the time. Because: It's always ready to go (no dead battery or need to reset time w/automatic movement) and it's a tank. I've dropped it, banged it, and done just about everything and it's still good as new. Only problem is this is it. There are no other variants of this classic field watch design. Here's where I'm hoping Citizen actually reads these... PLEASE do this watch like Seiko does the Seiko 5 or Hamilton does the Field Khaki line. KEEP the perfect field watch dimensions w/the 38mm case and 18mm strap. KEEP IT SOLAR. KEEP the dial layout. But ADD other colors, white w/black numbering, silver, blue, orange, red, etc. Add a sapphire crystal option. Make a titanium case, a black case, and a gold one (in addition to the silver). Add different strap options. Price 'em between $100 and $300. Since I've had the Chandler - I've been looking for the EXACT same watch, just in different colors. I've bought a Hamilton Khaki (for silver) and a Vaer. Field watches are great, they are easy to read, and you can pair them with a bunch of different straps. I've spent hundreds more for watches that could have been different configurations of the Chandler. NO ONE MAKES A REASONABLY PRICED FIELD WATCH, except Citizen. Please make these in other options.
5.0
My first non-mechanical watch.
The title says a lot...I collect watches and have sold Panerai ($20-30k) homage ones. Quartz movements are $10 cheap, and cheapen a good watch, IMO. And this is a good watch, and not cheap...so why? The solar function convinced me, for a daily wear watch. I tend to do extreme things, like spend the winter in the desert, and would not take kindly to a battery crapping out. Plus my whole camp is solar. Plus mechanical watches are tyrannical, demanding to be worn or else quit. This solar motor seems like a good compromise. The watch itself is nicely finished, and looks fine on my 8-1/2" wrist. It replaces a Seiko 5 of the same size. Not ostentatious, but rather a poor man's Hamilton Khaki military...chosen for quality and function rather than bling. Good enough for D-day, good enough for me. I'm concerned about water resistance...note, the crown DOES NOT screw down as advertised on Amazon, but a screw down crown is not advertised on Citizen's website. I sent a message asking for an explanation. As long as they tell me that it will perform to 100' water proof, I'm good. Now let's have a conversation about the strap. Any good watch, any watch, is always enhanced by a good strap. What you get from a manufacturer is a courtesy strap that might as well be cardboard, and just about is. Throw it away, folks, and make your expenditure really shine with something as decent as the watch, at least. I've spent in excess of $100 for several straps, and they were all well worth it, but fo... Read More
5.0
Great small watch and overall value.
I have small wrists and it can be challenging to find watches with a case diameter of less than 40mm. Some people complain about the band. It works for me and some of my outdoorsy outfits. Looks aside, I don't have any complaints. I plan on getting a few bands, but only to match certain clothing better. The contrast makes it very easy to read. Like others have said, it doesn't glow particularly long. Other watches might glow longer, but will likely cost 2-3x as much. My only gripe is that the day takes until 4am to change. This is slightly annoying since I sometimes work the graveyard shift and it's not hard to forget what day it is. This probably won't be an issue if you sleep at night. They recommend against trying to force the day to change since it can damage gears. Current articles suggest the solar cell and battery should last 20 years. My other solar watch by Seiko is about 10-15 years old and seems to be going strong.
5.0
Nice watch
Between my Citizen Titanium and my Seiko Solar, I'm hooked on Eco/Solar drives. I bought this here Citizen for knock-around because I'm trying to save the other two, wear and tear that is. While the band is pretty stiff, the third notch is perfect. The accuracy is to the second over a couple or three days' usage, but that's a given with these. The watch is well proofed against the shower, the band drys quickly with no bleeding of color onto my skin and if I beat it up a little as things go along, well that's why I bought it. I hate batteries, so this watch is just what I needed. It's easy to read, save for the date/time, but I don't really depend on date/time anyway. Overall, and given the comparisons to the Seiko 5 automatic, I'd take this for accuracy's sake.
5.0
Clean and elegant design!
I am a fan of clean and elegant design. Before stumbling on to this watch, I was considering Seiko's automatic watches. But this watch of Citizen wins hands down. First of all, I like the weight, diameter and thickness of the case - it is just perfect. The hour numbers are bigger than the minute numbers. That is how I like a watch to be. Seiko and Citizen's own other watches have it the opposite way around. Reading time requires more effort and practice. I also like the size of the hour and minute hands. It is easier to recognize which one is which. The numbers and hands glow in dark. The date and day have black letters on white background and the one can chose English or Spanish for the display of the day (it was a nice surprise as this was not listed among the features). I really don't like the strap. It is a bit hard and could have been a tab wider. The water resistance info on the dial could have been restricted to the backside of the case making the watch dial even cleaner.
5.0
I compared to the SNK809 Seiko 5 and kept this one. UPDATED
I was looking for a nice but not too expensive watch with a military look. After some research I had two candidates: this one and the SNK809 Seiko 5. Both are nice looking watches, and have a similar price (the Seiko is cheaper). I ordered both from Amazon with the intention of returning the loser. I returned the Seiko. The Seiko is a really nice watch, with a great auto mechanical movement, and cheaper. I preferred the Citizen because: 1. The face was a lot easier to read the time. The Seiko face has the seconds in large type on the outer edge, with the hours and minutes in an inner ring in smaller type. The Citizen has the seconds on the far outer edge with a very small font AND the hour markings are still on the outer edge in a big font. I want to tell the time not the seconds! 2. I preferred the shiny metal finish of the Citizen to the brushed/mat finish of the Seiko. 3. The Citizen has a better water rating, enough for swimming (10ATM). The Seiko is rated only for a quick swim (3ATM). The Citizen is a really nice, sturdy looking watch. It is not large. I have a 6.5 inch wrist and its a perfect fit (I'm not Flavor Flav!). The strap is fine. I noticed a lot of complaints about the strap, but I like it. I would have preferred black. I did remove the strap and I am using NATO bands. The solar feature is great. You only notice the panel on the watch face if you look really hard in sunlight at just the right angle. The lumination is a bit "hit and miss". I've had the watch... Read More