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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 142 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
187 of 193 found the following review helpful:
 Fantastic Watch! Jun 11, 2008
By Charles R. Carroll
I am what many would call a watch nut and own over 30 ranging from Timex to Rolex. For me to buy a watch there has to be "something there" for me to get excited about. At $240, this is one of the very best buys on a fantastic watch that you can find! I was so impressed with this watch I purchased a second one as a gift for my father in law who by the way, was very impressed with the watch himself.
Before getting into all the things I like about this watch I want to point out one of the other reviewers posted a problem with the buckle on his watch having some "points" on it that dug into his wrist and made the watch uncomfortable to wear. This must be a factory defect as this is not the case with either of the two that I purchased. While the watch strap is not usually covered by warranty I know from 1st hand experience that Citizen has a dedicated and friendly customer service department and I believe if he contacts them he will find a new strap coming to him rather quickly. Also as to the strap, I have been disappointed somewhat in the past when purchasing a watch and the strap that comes with it is not substantial in length. I have a 7.25 inch wrist and this has not caused me a problem but I would readily notice if someone had a larger wrist they would have to go out and purchase a new and larger strap to be able to wear their new watch. The strap that comes with this citizen will allow someone with a larger wrist than mine to be able to wear this watch with the strap that comes on it. This is very good as I believe the supplied strap is very handsome on this watch.
The BL5250-02L is a marvelous little piece of technology at a very good price! At a suggested retail of $400 I have routinely found the watch at local authorized dealers at around $300. My watch was purchased on line for $240 with free shipping and for an additional $5 you could have "next day" shipping.
This watch comes to you very user friendly right out of the box. Along with the user manual also comes a mini disk that when played will have you understanding all the features, time settings and adjustments. You will have your watch set and on your wrist in about 10 minutes. Also, if you lose this information you may go to Citizen's web page and pull up the same info on an interactive video.
The Echo Drive models have a power cell in them that is charged by available light so there is no battery change ever! The perpetual calendar allows you to set the watch once and then it recognizes short months along with leap years so there is no further adjustment for that. Also, there is a duel time zone feature. I use this for setting the second time zone to address the yearly time change of one hour. Doing this with the simple turn of the dial my watch snaps into Daylight savings time mode and then back with another turn when the time comes to go back. It just does not get easier than that.
The rotating bezel certainly may be used for more than just looks. One of the ways I use mine is when I plug a parking meter. I just rotate the bezel so my minute hand moving toward the marker allows me to quickly see when I need to be back at my car. The alarm function works but it is not very noticeable. I have two Seiko's that have a very audible and piercing sound. In this area I have to say Citizen could improve the watch. However, I do notice it if I am awake. I just don't know if it would wake me from a deep sleep.
The finish of the watch is very nice and the strap is very comfortable to wear. The watch while feeling very solid is not as heavy as you may would expect and it wears very nicely on the wrist. The watch is advertised as a "deep blue" face and that is an understatement. For all purposes except in direct sunlight it is black. This does not bother me at all because it looks great and again, in direct sunlight it does have a blue hew that looks good also. Besides great function and price another strong point on this watch is the luminosity of the hands and markers. With over 30 watches my Seiko's seem to have a lock on that area but this citizen comes in a very, very close second. After being outside all day I can read my watch all night long from my darkened bedroom.
Last but not least, this watch comes with a five year warranty and as I stated before, Citizen has great customer service.
I have just touched on the many features of this finely made watch and for you that do not like straps and would prefer a bracelet, Citizen offers the same watch on a bracelet as model number, BL5250-53L. It retails for $500, local price around $400, web price $300.
I rate this watch a solid 4 out of a possible 5 stars. I would have given it 4.5 if the alarm were more noticeable. I am very picky and I did not even rate my Rolex 5 stars. I highly recommend this watch and would but purchase it again. In fact, I did when I purchased one for my father in law. If this watch appeals to your eye buy it! Price, functions, ease of use, warranty, and customer service is just icing on the cake!
83 of 89 found the following review helpful:
 Great but not perfect. Apr 08, 2009
By Axel
As others have said, this is a wonderful watch for many reasons. Made of Titanium and steel, it is a proper large size man's watch, but not heavy to wear. The leather band attached to it is heavy duty and will last, and the watch is beautifully designed and eye catching. The bezel (outer ring) is a little loose but easy to turn, and the dial is surprisingly clear and easy to read due to the strong design of the sword hands. The luminosity is brilliant too, as these things go, and will last a decent period. (You will be able to read the watch for the first few hours at night after you switch the lights off. No watch, from any company, luxury brands included, really lasts very long.) It has a perpetual calendar, so once set, you never have to think about it again, as long as it gets enough light.
The watch does have some quirks. You require patience to set it. As others have pointed out, changing the settings requires you often to wait until the hands travel back or forth from whatever time they're currently set at, to the new function you're changing to. Be careful of date setting. Depending on the setting, you have to wait for a few revolutions of the smaller hands before the date window moves, one date. If you're changing the date from the 2nd to the 29th, you'll be there a while. This watch requires commitment! The alarm is not only soft, but SHORT! About 15 seconds at best. The watch is a not really a chronograph. Those extra sub-dials you see don't really function in that way. Yes, there is a limited chronograph function but it is so poorly designed so as to render the watch useless for that function. The second time zone is handy but the alarm is not sychronized to it.
On the plus side, the watch is accurate, never needs to be fiddled with once it's set AND as long as it gets regular light, is very comfortable to wear and gorgeous on the wrist. I changed out my stitching for a Hirsh carbon black strap with white stitching, and it looks fantastic. The lesson is, buy this watch if you'll wear it regularly and don't really care too much about the fiddly details. If you're likely to forget it in closets or cupboards for long periods, beware!
29 of 31 found the following review helpful:
 Date setting discrepancy Mar 01, 2010
By G. Wolfe
First off, I got the watch a couple days ago. The look, feel, and accuracy are all spot on.
However, it appears that Citizen has changed a few things about the setting of the watch, and NOT changed the documentation. I had to experiment in order to figure out how to set the date, it was nothing like the instructions. In order to change the MODE (time, chrono, alarm, local time) you now have to pull the crown out to the first position, then rotate it. This means that the first position can no longer be used to set the date! (like the instructions say) Now, in TIME mode, with the crown pulled out to position two (where the time is set) the "A" button toggles between all of the time AND date settings (the selected hand does a little dance to let you know it's selected), and twisting the crown adjusts it.
Personally I LOVE this change (once I figured out how to set it). Other reviewers had complained about inadvertently changing the mode when pulling their hand out of a pocket, etc. Now, clicking the crown in the zero position does NOTHING. Which is how it should be. It looks like Citizen listened to user feedback, which speaks miles about them. They now need to update their documentation to match.
Great watch, we'll see how it does with more time on the wrist, but I wanted to let everyone know about my findings ASAP!
22 of 24 found the following review helpful:
My favorite watch Jul 06, 2007
By Joel M. Poppleton
I have many watches that I really like, but I hate to wear them to work for fear that the crystal or case will get scratched. I decided I needed a watch with no sentimental value to worry about. In looking for a watch the criteria I was looking for included solar power movement, perpetual calendar, and a bezel. I also wanted something that would be comfortable to wear. The fact that the case is titanium (and therefore quite light for its size) s just a bonus.
This has been just a terriffic watch, and I'm extremely satisfied. It has exceeded my expectations in all particulars!
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
My first Eco-Drive watch. But wow !! Jan 10, 2009
By A. Dimas, Jr.
"K-Droop"
I can honestly say that I have a small number of watches in my collection, and believed that I had reached my peak on finding watches that really caught my eye. But this was one watch that I had already been eyeing for quite a while. I had to buy it, and I did. And it is stunningly beautiful. One of the most attractive watches that I have. Citizen however, has always made some of the nicest watches I have ever seen. But this was one that I was hoping it looked as great as it did on the website. Powered by light and being perpetual, I believed I would have a difficult time setting it to the correct date. But nevertheless it was a breeze. Now it will never need a battery. One of the most power robbing features of any watch would be the alarm which I use constantly. But I certainly will not worry about this one. I can use it all I want since it will recharge itself again, and again. Just a typical day at the office (or outdoors), will recharge it to operate for several weeks, if not months. Unbelievable !! And at a 200 meter water resistance, I can use it swimming, snorkeling, and it may work just as well for scuba diving. It will look great whether you are relaxing by the side of the pool, at a classy dinner, or at a formal business meeting. Several people have already told me to take it off so they can look at it. I feel great whenever somebody says that. Its a really beautiful watch. Worth the price. Maybe it is my love for watches with brown leather bands. I don't know. But if you do so, I would highly recommend it.
See all 142 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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The
Importance Of Lighting In Interior Design
by Jessica Ackerman
Everyone knows how important
paint color, furniture choices and artwork are to
interior design. One aspect of design that is often
overlooked, however, is lighting. Lighting not only
affects the brightness of the room, but it can also
change the way a paint color looks, cast shadows in ways
that make the room seem smaller and have an impact on
the presentation of art work.
There is no light like
natural light. If you are buying, building or
remodeling, opt for as much natural light as possible.
Oversized windows and skylights are two ways to get the
most natural light. Of course, not everyone is in the
position to be able to do that, so you'll have to work
with what you have.
How much natural light do
you get in your room? If the room in question faces
north, you won't get as much natural sunlight as you
would in a southern facing room. Rooms that face south
get bright, natural light throughout the day. Rooms that
face east will only have good natural light in the
morning hours and western facing rooms will have the
most light during the afternoon.
Once you are familiar
with how much natural light is in each room, you'll be
able to make informed choices about what additional
lighting may be necessary. Keep in mind that rooms with
little or no natural light will need artificial lighting
- even during the day - in order to look their best.
Here are some types of lighting to consider.
1. Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is
perfect when you want to showcase a piece of art or a
special piece of furniture or other item. Since light
draws the eye, it will bring attention to the features
in your room that you wish to highlight.
2. Hanging Light Features
Chandeliers and smaller
hanging lamps can be beautiful as well as functional. A
trip to the local home improvement store will quickly
show you how overwhelming the choices can be. You'll
want to select lighting that blends in with your
existing dÃÂécor. For example, a crystal chandelier in a
country themed dining room probably isn't the best
option. If you don't choose carefully, your lighting may
stick out like a sore thumb and become more of an
eyesore than a lovely accent.
3. Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting is a
good choice for a room that needs extra light throughout
the day. Because the lighting won't interfere with the
existing decor, it can work in almost any room. It
provides abundant light without taking up a lot of space
or interfering with other aspects of the room.
4. Lamps
Using lamps are a way to
add not only additional lighting, but also punches of
color. If possible, see how much light the lamp gives
off before leaving the store. Many lamps serve as
decoration more than as a light source and give off very
little light. If you love the lamp, but it doesn't give
off quite enough light, consider changing the shade
which will usually solve the problem.
When decorating your
home, remember how important lighting is, and give it
the same thought and attention you give to the other
details of decorating your home.
About the Author
Jessica Ackerman is the
featured author at Wall DÃÂécor and Home Accents. Shop today
for great deals on
metal wall sculpture ,
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accents and more unique wall dÃÂécor products.
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