# Review: Citizen EP6040-53E Excalibur Diver



## Vivian886

I've been looking for a mid-sized women's professional dive watch for the longest time, a modern diver that had the same case dimensions as the vintage Seiko 2205 series, and was estatic to find Citizen's Promaster 'Excalibur' series available in 33mm diameter. It fits me perfectly: not too big and not too small. I purchased the EP6040-53E model online a couple weeks ago, and am very impressed so far (the Japan-Domestic version, EP6041-51E, is much more expensive for pretty much the same watch). This is my first solar-powered quartz, as well as my first Citizen (but won't be my last!).

The bracelet version which I bought has a very solid weight and feel -- seems much more expensive than its under-$200 price would suggest. Excellent quality for the dollar. Brushed stainless steel, with solid bracelet links + solid end-links, along with a heavy-duty double locking fold-over clasp:

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Normally I would not consider a quartz watch, but the grab-and-go, perpetual nature of an Eco-Drive capacitator seemed like it would make a good beater. I am not disappointed, and will likely purchase more Eco-drive quartz models in the future. Knowing that your watch is always accurate is quite refreshing after a multitude of mechanicals. Perhaps the greatest stand-out for me, however, is the ISO 6425 certification. This is a guarantee that it is a "true" diver, and not simply a diver-styled watch (though not all functional divers are ISO-rated, as some companies don't see the point in paying extra to get their products rated). The ISO 6425 covers more than just water-resistance -- it sets standards for everything from underwater visibility, to magnetic-resistance, to end-of-life power indicator, etc. Getting the certification also means they are individually tested for these criteria. Once certified, the text "Diver's ___m" is indicated either on the dial or the caseback of the watch.

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The screw-down crown feels very durable, screwing and unscrewing the crown feels flawlessly smooth. I've owned some watches with screw-down crowns before, and none seem to compare to this one in smoothness and solidness. I also really like that the hour markers, along with the minute markers between each 5-minute mark, are applied rather than merely painted. I've always prefered applied over painted dials/markers -- they add an interesting 3D depth to the dial. I'm quite impressed that Citizen took the effort to have even the tiny minute markers applied -- very detailed-oriented.

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I also like that the minute hand is coloured and lumed differently than the hour hand; it makes reading time at a glance very easy and convenient.
And speaking of legibility, the flat crystal is coated with anti-reflective coating (though not sure if it's one or double-sided), which almost makes the crystal seem invisible. The coating on this watch has been very nicely applied -- I've seen some poorly done AR coating on other watches before, and their crystals always had a bluish-purpley hue at certain angles. The AR coating on this Citizen has no such fault as I can see.

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The (superluminova?) lume is very decent as well -- the hands and hour markers are blue while the bezel dot at 12 o'clock is green. An interesting contrast with a cool look. 
The uni-directional coin-edged bezel also turns very solidly, with precise 60-minute clicks around the hour which lines up perfectly with the minute markers on the dial.

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Possibly the only real complaint I have is that the second hand on this particular watch does not line up to the minute markers accurately. This is, however, most likely a problem of this specific watch, and does not apply to this series in general. I reckon an error like this may be more likely in an "international" model (whose movement is made in Japan while the watch is assembled elsewhere like China or Taiwan), which is the version that I purchased, rather than the more expensive Japanese Domestic model entirely manufactured in Japan, which is arguably held to higher quality-control standards.
I also wish that the lume was a bit more longer-lasting, but I guess this probably goes for many other watches in general. All in all, these are minor quibbles, and personally does not bother me. Been wearing it daily as a beater for the past month and loving it.

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Cheers!


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## Popoki Nui

Very good review! Thanks for posting. I note the comments about the second hand not hitting the minute markers precisely; this is a common complaint I have seen throughout WUS and other watch forums, regardless of the brand or quality/cost of the watch! 

This is a very smart looking watch; hope you enjoy it for many years Thanks again for an informative review!

~Sherry.


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## hukes

I got mine a few weeks ago, "international" model too. Love it so much that I got both the stainless steel bracelet and rubber strap versions. I agree with you in everything, though both mine have the second hand aligning with the markers. Additinally, I am very pleased with the accuracy. In over a month they have gained around one second.

Great review.


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## PsychoPilot

Where did you purchase it? What's the lug width? Does the second hand stop when setting the time?


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## Vivian886

PsychoPilot said:


> Where did you purchase it? What's the lug width? Does the second hand stop when setting the time?


Oops! Forgot to mention the lug width: it's 18mm. It was purchased on Ebay, and being essentially a quartz watch, the second hand of course hacks when the crown is pulled out to set the time. Sorry for these omissions.

Anyways, thanks for the feedback folks. I'm going to do more reviews soon. :-!


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## okiesdoki

Thanks for the review! I'm about to place an order for one now!


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