I just bought this watch last week from a different store after having reveiewed many different watch styles and brands. The key things I was looking for were: stainless steel or titanium, self winding or solar, water resistance to beyond 50m, durability, reliability and a strap that can adjust to fit my boney wrists.

I've checked out the Seiko kinetic watches, which I really liked the idea of. My father has also had one of these kinetic (aka self winding) watches for over 30 years without problems. But the only problem was that I could not find a Kinetic watch that, first of all, could be adjusted to my wrist, and secondly one that was also aesthetically pleasing for both the face and band.

I also looked at the Swiss Army brand, which look nice, are thin and handmade to "ensure" precision. But the kinetic one costs over $1k and the battery powered ones are already in the $400-500 range.

As a last resort, I also considered the Casio G-shock watch with the stainless steel band. The one thing that turned me away was that the sheer thickness of a G-Shock watch prevents it from being worn under a sleeve.

More about the Citizen:

The pictures don't do the watch any justice. First off, the titanium color portrayed in the picture is inaccurate. The actual color is a little darker and has a slightly dulled finish than stainless steel and is two-tone, but not in a bad way, such as a two-tone silver and gold watch. The narrow pieces of titanium that run parallel to each other on the band are of an unbrushed stainless steel color. The face is also noticibly lighter than the band, but matches well.

PROS:
* movement is made in Japan
* titanium is stronger and lighter than steel so the watch doesn't weigh nearly as much as a similar stainless steel watch
* titanium is hypoallergenic so people with allergic reactions to the nickel in stainless steel should be able to wear this without problems.
* the unit uses a lithium ion battery that is stated by the manufaturer to last a "lifetime"
* band is pretty easy to adjust, you can do it yourself if you have a small screwdriver or even a fine finishing nail if nothing else.
* the watch comes with a 3-year warranty if you buy it from an authorized retailer (some retailers through amazon are not authorized also known as grey market, and do not come with a manufacturer's warranty).
* the hands and the hour positions glow bright in the dark and also glow visibly in the light, though they are of a luminescent material and need to be charged (exposed to light) before glowing
* titanium does not corrode and does well in salt water
* release buttons for band make it very difficult for the watch to accidentally unhook and slide
* titanium supposedly does not retain heat well, so if you leave your arm out in the sun then accidentally roll over on it, you won't get scorched like with a stainless steel watch.


CONS:

* titanium scratches easily. I remember my stainless steel watch would also inccur scratches, but because it was brushed steel, it would hide them better. I already have a few very small scratches where different parts of the band have rubbed against each other creating a shinier spot amongs the dullness of the band.
* band is made in China
* glass is made of Mineral Crystal, not Sapphire Crystal, which is much stronger and more resilient to scratches.

WISHLIST:
* I wish the watch used Tritium which would illiminate the hands and the hours permanently (day or night) instead of the light charged luminescent material. Tritium is a radioactive material, however, it is naturally prevalent in the air and water and is not harmful to humans. 4 stars

The picture really doesn't do the watch justice. The band has thick links of titanium, which are stiff at first, but eventually loosen to an extremely comfortable fit. The chrono buttons do not stick out too far which is nice, it prevents accidental pressing. All together, its a durable, lightweight, classy looking watch. 5 stars

I generally like the watch and wear it as my dress watch now. It is light and handsome. My only issue is that, at age 50, the date is too small for me to see without my glasses on. 4 stars

I have owned an eco-drive for over a year and love it. I bought this one as a gift because the titanium watches are light and very durable. Then design is classic and attractive. 5 stars

THIS WAS A GIFT FOR MY HUSBAND. IT'S A VERY GOOD LOOKING WATCH VERY LIGHT WEIGHT AND NOT CLUNKY. I HAD TO RETURN IT BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO READ THE DATE.

3 stars