The Test of Time

Ten years ago TODAY, October 31, 2007, we added the Citizen Eco-Drive TITANIUM RACING CHRONOGRAPH, model BL5250-02L to our on-line catalog on Gem of the Day.  In the world of watches, especially from the large (gigantic!!!!) Japanese Watch Companies, it is rare for a model to continue to be produced for so many years.  Slow sellers are discontinued almost immediately,  In fact Citizen Watch Company discontinues nearly a third of their line every year!

Yet the Eco-Drive Racing Chronograph has endured for all these years and shows no sign of slowing down.  It has always been one of our top best sellers, and I'm betting it's been a consistent best seller for Citizen, too.

The real question is "Why?" Citizen has produced several hundred (you read that right) models with the identical features of alarm, chronograph, perpetual calendar and dual time zones.  These models have come an gone.  Far fewer have had a TITANIUM CASE and that may well be part of the secret.  Titanium is lightweight and stronger than steel. 

The Eco-Drive Racing Chronograph is water resistant to 200 meters or 660 feet below sea level.  It is suitable for deep diving (although not with the racing leather strap).  The key here is the BL5250-02L is incredibly tough and no one is afraid to wear it under any conditions or circumstances. 

Beyond that you quickly get into subjective features of looks, styling and comfort.  I always felt it was (and still is) one of Citizen's best looking watches,  The gray dial and easy-to-read hands and numbers and subdials create an understated elegance.  

I certainly don't want to underestimate the importance of the battery-free Eco-Drive movement.  Combined with the nearly indestructible Titanium Case, the watch never needs maintenance.  It simply runs and keeps perfect time forever!  The Citizen Eco-Drive Quartz Movement, Caliber E820, is one of the most tested and proven watch movements Citizen has ever made. The power reserve is nearly 6 months and recharges in two hours of sunlight.

How long with the BL5250-02L Citizen Racing Chronograph be available.  Obviously we don't know, but if you buy one today you'll have yours forever!

Available from both Gem of the Day and Top Flight Watches just by clicking the links.

Citizen Altichron

The Citizen Altichron is here and it's one of the best Citizen watches to come along in quite some time.  Citizen continues to produce highly technical watches that work fluidly and intuitively.  It an impressive ability and I give a lot of credit to the Citizen engineers.  It's one thing to make a watch with a lot of technical features like digital compass and altimeter but it's something else entirely to make it easy to use.  But that is exactly what Citizen has managed to do and it's the first thing that stood out to me when I first held the watch in my hands. 

The two main technical features of this watch are the Electronic Compass and Altimeter and each is as easy to use as the other.  One of the first things you'll notice is the two color coded buttons on the left side of the case.  One is orange and one is neon yellow.  Then on the face of the watch you will also notice two additional hands.  Once again, one is orange and one is neon yellow.  This is not a coincidence.  Each button corresponds with it's matching hands and automatically launches it's touted feature into action.

Pressing the orange button sends the watch into Compass Mode.  No fiddling required.  Press the orange button and the orange hand starts up and finds true north.  Simple, easy and fast.  No changing modes, no set-up, no fuss.  Just press and go.  Frankly, it's very impressive and intuitive to use.  The big large buttons also mean they are easy to use even if you are wearing gloves or other outdoor equipment.  This is truly a watch you could take into the field and use every day.  And once you are done simply press the orange button again and it goes back to normal.

So, how about the yellow button?  You guessed it.  It operates the other main function, the Altimeter.  And just like the Compass, it's every bit as easy and intuitive to use.  This time by pushing the yellow button, the watch's Altimeter function comes to life and once again does so without any complications.  One press of the button sets the yellow hand in motion and comes to rest on the current elevation displayed by the yellow numbers on the dial.  Simple, easy and efficient.

The watch also features Citizen's now famous light powered technology (Eco-Drive) and come in a variety of light-weight Titanium cases.  Model BN5030-06E is solid Titanium in the standard finish (pictured in the top image) and Model BN5035-02F has a black IP finish.  Both models come standard with a Rubber Strap.  No metal bracelet is available at this time.  Each watch is also 200 Meter Water Resistant and comes with a Power Reserve Indicator on the dial.

Retail pricing starts at $850 for the standard Titanium model and $995 for the Black IP model.  Sale prices are much lower and right now we have a special Summer Citizen Sale going on to make these deals even better!  Simply visit us at one of our sites and enter the Code: Citizen10 to get an additional 10% off the sale price.

This watch is available at both Gem of the Day and TopFlight Watches and the code is good at both sites as well.  As always, you can call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329 with any questions, comments or just to talk watches.  Our watch experts are available to answer any question you may have.  We'd love to hear from you.

Traser Outdoor Pioneer Chronograph

The Traser Outdoor Chronograph

Say hello to the all new Traser Outdoor Pioneer Chronograph.  Its the latest series available from Traser and it does something none of their other watches do.  It's an all new series with all new tricks!  On the surface, the watch looks like another in the ever expanding P6600 series but closer inspection reveals something completely different.  It's true there is a family resemblance but pretty much everything is new here.  It's slightly slimmer measuring in at 44 mm across the diameter and a little thicker top to bottom, measuring in at a chunky 14mm thick. 

But there is a reason for this extra thickness.  Firstly, this is a chronograph series and those movements require a little more room than a traditional 3-hand movement but more importantly, there is a little more room in there for it's secret weapon, the Tritium Illuminated Date Window.  That's right!  For the first time ever, Traser has made a watch with a fully illuminated date window.  

This was done by cutting out the numbers on the date wheel and then placing a Tritium tube underneath.  At night the effect is a perfectly readable date just like the rest of the hands/markers.  It works flawlessly and really adds that "X factor" to this series.  Normally this type of feature is only found on the really high end Tritium watch but Traser has done it and managed to keep the cost down too!  At a full retail price of $525, the Outdoor Pioneer Chronograph is a fantastic deal.

The rest of the watch is equally impressive as well.  just take a look at this list of features:

• MOVEMENT: Ronda Caliber 5030D Quartz Chronograph Movement
• 42 Month's Battery Life
• Lightweight Fiberglass Reinforced Polyamide Case
• Blackout Style Unidirectional Rotating Bezel
• K1 Ultra Tough, Scratch Resistant, Mineral Glass Crystal
• Water Resistant to 660 feet / 200 Meters below Sea Level
• Black Silicone Dive Style Strap
TRITIUM ILLUMINATION:

• Green Tritium on Number Markers 1 through 11
• Orange Tritium on the 12 o'clock marker
• Green Tritium Marker on the Time Elapse Bezel
• Green Tritium on the Hour Hand, Minute Hand AND Large Second Hand
• Green Tritium BELOW the Date Window to Illuminate the Date

Robust, durable and ready for anything, the Outdoor Pioneer series lives up to it's name.  It's the perfect watch for any situation and full Tritium illumination means that you will always be able to see the watch no matter where life takes you.  For more information, pricing and ordering information you can call us Toll Free at (888) 243-6329 visit us at one of our stores: Gem of the Day, TopFlight Watches or Time 4 Tritium.  Real watch experts are available to answer any of your questions in a no-hassle, no-pressure environment.  We love to talk watches.  Give us a call!                          

The NEW Seiko Sharktooth Monster

 

As many of our readers know, the original Seiko Orange Monster is a classic staple of watch collectors and divers the world over.  So popular that while originally it was only available in Japanese markets, the demand was so big they brought it to every other market in the world where it continued to sell well for years.  Now there's a new Monster and it is one great looking follow-up.

Featuring a solid black-ion finish and gradient orange to black sun burst dial, the Sharktooth Monster is one impressive watch to behold.  It's roots trace back to the original Orange Monster and you can see the similarities in many aspect of this new model.  First you will notice the case and bezel.  While actually retooled they have a strong resemblance to the original. 

 

Then there is the overall design of the dial and hands.  And once again, while similar, there are slight differences to the new design.  Most notable is the actual hour markers.  The new Monster has sharper angles which lead to it's namesake, the Sharktooth Monster (also referred to as the Sharptooth Monster depending on who you talk to).  This design change coupled with the black on orange color scheme and a few sharper lines end up making this watch a much more aggressive looking design.

 

But the changes don't stop there.  In fact the biggest change is one you can't even see.  The new Monster series from Seiko actually feature a brand new 25-Jewel Automatic/Mechanical movement.  This address the only real short comings of the original series of watches.  You see the original, while legendary for it's durability and dependability, had two flaws holding it back from being an otherwise perfect time piece. One was no stem winding capability and the other was no "hack" feature (where the time stops when you pull out the stem to set the time).  The new movement from Seiko offers both!  You can now fully stem wind the watch as well as the automatic winding from wearing the watch normally and you can also "hack" the time which allows to more specific and accurate timing of event and operations.

What comes as no real surprise is the superior night time illumination.  Now, it's no secret that we are big fans of Tritium watches here on The Watch Guys Blog.  I personally own several and generally preach their superiority at every turn.  But, like many things in life, there is always an exception.  That exception would be the Seiko diver's watches.  Generally speaking these are some of the best illuminating watches available anywhere in the world, at any price.  I mean take a look at the image below.  The effect is so bright you can use it like a flashlight and due to the fact that they apply such a generous portion of paint it can glow all night long.

 

So in the end you really end up with something quite special but what is it exactly?  A new bold design?  The next generation of a legendary series?  The evolution of a true classic?  Yes, yes and yes...  But also so much more. This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Seiko and the future looks bright.  This watch is really an amazing time piece and one of the few times that you get something even more special that the sum of its parts. You really own it to yourself to find one of these and see it in person.  Hold it in your hand and really feel it.  Wind the stem and feel the turn of the movement.  I'm telling you, this watch is special.  Don't miss out.

For more information, pictures and pricing info please visit us at either TopFlight Watches or Gem of the Day.  In stock now and available for immediate shipping.  You can also call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329.  we love watches and we love to talk.  Call us for more information or to just talk watches.  Real experts and real world experience is just a phone call away.

Traser P6600 Sand Collection

The Watch Guys are please to bring you yet another new design from Traser.  This comes once again from the ever expanding P6600 series of watch.  This has proven to be a winning design and as such, Traser continues to expand and create new designs in this catalog of watches.  The newest design is the all new TRASER P6600 Sand Tactical Tritium Collection.


Based off of the popular P6600 Type 6 series of military watches, the P6600 Sand is highly stable, shock resistant, highly visible day or night, water resistance and ready for any adventure.


The new P6600 Sand is also the latest in a long line of top notch military watches featuring a lightweight double case construction, with an all steel case housed in a lightweight carbon-fiberglass outer shell. This design allows for a true screw down crown and case back, superior water resistance and overall durability.


Of course the new Traser P6600 Sand Watch has Traser's famed Trigalight(r) Illumination system, providing the best readability in all lighting situations.


But what sets this series apart is the new color design AND the inclusion of a Sapphire Crystal.  That's right, this is the only collection in the series (apart from the P6600 Automatic for nearly twice the price) to come with a Sapphire Crystal.  So when you combine the legendary durability and performance of the P6600 Type 6 with all new "Sand" design AND a Sapphire Crystal you get a truly special collection.  One that is on our short list of watches to keep an eye on.  This one is going to be HOT!

Check out more details, pics, prices and specs by visiting us at Time 4 Tritium and TopFlight Watches.

Scuba Fin Diver

Citizen Watch Company is setting new depths of excellence with their Eco-Drive Light Powered Professional Diver's Watches. For the serious diver there is really only one choice: Citizen Dive Watches. Why?  Because the Eco-Drive technology is just the best available for the modern diver.  Eco-Drive technology means you get a perfectly accurate quartz watch and still NEVER have to change the battery!  It doesn't get any better than that for a diver.  Never having to change the battery means never having to open the seals on the back of the watch, which any diver will tell you can be the kiss of death for a watch.  But with the Citizen Eco-Drive dive watches you never have to worry about it.  You get a perfectly accurate watch you can wear in and out of the water.  It's ready to go anywhere, any time.

Using the most advanced technology in watch making, the Citizen Eco-Drive Professional Diver's Watches harnesses the power of light (natural or artificial) and converts it into energy which is stored in a permanently rechargeable lithium-ion cell. These dive watches recharge continuously and has a power reserve that lasts up to 6 months without recharging.

This particular watch we are talking about today is part of Citizen's ALL NEW Scuba Fin Diver Series.  Depth tested to 200 Meters, this watch is the real deal.  This is a series of watches that will never disappoint you. A rugger, heavy duty, rubber (polyurethane) dive strap is integrated right into the case. The time elapse bezels are unidirectional for control and accuracy. The dial has over-sized luminous hands and markers for perfect night and low light visibility!

Notice the attention to detail in the workmanship of the Scuba Fin Diver Watch.  The dial has a light pattern, the rubber strap is integrated and matches the style of the watch completely making this one of the best looking dive watches on the market today.  The case is solid stainless steel and the fit and finish are impeccable.

Take a look at all these great features:

• Polyurethane strap features a tang buckle
• Luminous hands
• One-way rotating elapsed-time bezel
• Date window at the 3 o’clock position
• Screw-back case
• Screw-down crown
• Mineral glass crystal
• Eco-Drive solar-power technology never requires a battery change, 180 day power reserve
• Water resistant to 200 meters (660 feet)
• Case width 46mm (approximately 1 7/8 inches)

Retail pricing starts at $299.00.  Fall 2012 availability.  Feel free to contact us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329 with any questions or ordering information.

Seiko Solar Chronograph Collection

Introducing the ALL NEW Seiko Solar Chronograph! That's right! Seiko has gone Solar and in a big way. These new watches are absolutely amazing. It's the perfect watch for any occasion. 

The Seiko Solar Chronograph collection has a built-in stop watch with 60 minute and 24 hour subdials, suitable for timing long events. Yet the watch is 200 meter water resistant thanks to a screw down crown, screw down case back and very rare screw down stopwatch pushers. The pushers must be unscrewed for the stop watch to be engaged. This is an exceptional feature and will prevent costly accidental pushes when underwater.

The SOLAR POWERED Calibre V175 Quartz Movement has a 6 month power reserve when fully charged. You will never need to replace a battery or open the case back and break the water resistant seals. Plus the watch continuously recharges in any light. Indoors or outdoors this watch is ready for action. The case is entirely made of stainless steel and the crystal is the very tough and durable Hardlex Crystal, developed and perfected by Seiko.

The model SSC017 has Steel Bracelet is solid, not hollow and the attachment uses a new, extra thick steel spring bar for extra durability. The bracelet itself has a double-locking 3-fold clasp with a dive suit extender. The model SSC031 has the traditional Rubber Dive Band.

For more information, watch features and purchase information please visit us online at Gem of the Day or call us Toll Free at 1-888-243-6329.