# Post your 10+ year old Eco-Drive and Solar-Tech watches



## CitizenPromaster

I've been reading a few threads where people say they have 10 to 20 year old Eco-Drive or Solar-Tech Citizens that are still going strong. Let's honour them in this thread!

I will kick it off with my Promaster Sky RC from around 2007 and my Eco-Drive RC from 2000. No service done on the '07 and AFAIK not on the '00 either. Both freshly synced with DCF77 in the picture.

You get bonus points if it has been in a drawer for years and came back to life ^_^ My '07 was dead for a few days last year before I noticed, but after a day in the sun it forgave me my negligence.


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## CitizenPromaster

We need Rocket1991 "I have 20 years old Eco rive which is still kicking and keeps good time (not a radio controlled)."
I'm lazy so mjrchabot and cghorr01 and Vunter and MysteryBiscuits can re-post their watches ;-)


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## Rocket1991

solar tech is more than 20 years old.
Here you go







It's like yours just older. pre smart crown model.


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## Sir-Guy

Here you go. I wore this in the mid-90s. Forgot about it in a box. The windowsill brought it back to life. Still running ~25 years on.


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## Rocket1991

10+ years is really not a big deal as much as 20+


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## rOGERB

Bought this as a travel watch after I blew the seal out of my 100m Casio jumping into the Grand Cenote in mex. perpetual calendar which is still on date and working like a champ since 2001. E760 movement and according to the serial number built June 2001.







Not getting much wrist time anymore

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## jkpa

From 2006. Lost half a second since October and power reserve jammed on full. Wore it today at work.

AV0031 aka Ron Swanson.


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## cbob1912

Skyhawk is approx 16 yrs old on it's original battery.


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## MysteryBiscuits

Receipt from 1997.


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## CitizenPromaster

Some nice classics! I am copying some testimonials from the comment section of a YouTube video on Eco-Drive "The #1 Most Harmful Mistake People Make With A Citizen Eco-Drive Watch"

Rob Bierd: Bought my eco drive in 2000 ......... it still working fine 2019 and it only loses a second a month!

Money Belmonte: Rob Bierd mine stopped working I bought yr 2010 .

Johnny 666: I had a great idea when I bought my 100m citizen Eco-Drive day/date military about 10 years ago. I placed it 50mm above a 40 W bulb for half an hour to charge it up and burned my fingers on it when I thought it had had enough! It’s since been submerged about 50 times since then to a depth of up to 10 m and it’s still going well. A couple of years back, I bought a 200m citizen eco-Drive divers, just in case I ever need to experience 20 bars pressure on my head! Excellent timepieces! Then, in a fit of drunken madness, I bought the 200m military, and rarely using it, left it in my sock draw. It was still keeping perfect time after three months in the dark (which is more than I do!)

Tim Pedersen: I have an Eco-Drive C605 Solar and it seems dead to the world. How does one replace the capacitor? The back of my watch looks sealed and non-removable.

Master Yoda: I bought my first Citizen Eco-Drive watch back in April 2010, which I still wear today. Great watch, it looks good, water resistant to 100 metres (I have swam it several times, no issues).

motaz1975: they are amazing watches. my wife bought me an eco drive dress watch for a wedding gift in 2004. i wore it on our honeymoon then stashed it in a dark jewelry box never to see light again until this year(2018) i charged it fully and its been working perfect. great product!

Sal Scalafani: My watch stopped working because we had a crappy summer. Now I charge it every day and I can’t set the time . Any advice?

Coolride17: hate them ,on 3rd cell, they last about two years, but the original cell lasted 4yrs.. I keep it on my dresser facing the window across the room too.

eyang7: Yeap, I now keep them all by the window now. Had to replaced all of my watches bc I had them in my drawers all these time.

Ian Buchan: I’ve had mine since 2009 with no problems
in reply to Ian Buchan
JaCk: You still have a couple of years id say about 5 more, then you should replace the battery capacitor

Harrish Persad: Had my first eco drive 15 years now it is in top condition works as good same day I bought it an bought my 2nd one 2 months ago

lemon owner Coolride17 again: Im on my 3rd cell on my Eco Drive, I hate it, never buy one on these watches again, give me a good ole battery one, any day.

2WhiteAndNerdy: Thanks for the reset tip! Got my defunct Skyhawk back in action after years of being in a box. Thought it was totally dead since I couldn't get it to charge. Did what you said (pulling the crown out to time set position and putting it in sunlight) and boom! Saved me a trip to the watch repair shop. 

David Coleman: I have a Citizen Eco-Drive and never thought of this . I don't wear this watch very often . I just keep it on my dresser with my other watches and it is always running. I think it is over 10 years old .

Raymond Gayle: I had an Eco Drive Minute Repeater some years ago until it went bad on me for some unknown reason. I just sold it for a loss and I have never looked back on the brand again. Maybe one day though ...

Steve Roberts: I rediscovered one of my eco drives that had been in an old watch case completely dark for over 10 years. I put it in the direct sunlight for 2 days without the crown pulled out and it is working great.

Michael McCormick: I’ve had a Calibre 8700 for about 11 years. It still keeps accurate time. I love this watch. It was definitely worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a great watch
in reply to this
Shanis28 B: I have one also. I've had mine since 2004. Still works perfectly and is always at full charge even though I dont wear it as often because I have a couple newer models.

Scott Paris: Yeah. I moved and basically lost an Eco-Drive in a box in the basement for two years. It was dead when I found it and took almost a week to start up again. But it did start. Be patient. Don't throw it away.

Matthew Sharpe: My sister recently gave me my brother in laws 10 year old Skyhawk, which had been sitting in a drawer for the last 5 years since he died. It was totally dead when I got it so I put it in the winter sun for 2 days and it's been fine ever since. It's a decent watch though the face is a bit busy for my taste I still wear it regularly, swapping with my Tissot as my daily.

Rainer Wever: I bought mine in 1998 and today I am still wearing it. It never got service with other words never opened.

Henry II Spencer: Just found my father's eco drive watch in a box today and as i recalled it is 10yrs old watch, with more than 8 to 5 yrs discharged battery.. And was able to revive it without replacing any,, still going to observe it tho if it can still hold ita charge

hoppa haole: I found an old Echo Drive I have that has been in a box over probably a year. I took it out to my car on a sunny but cool day put it on the dashboard, let it sit all day and it's been running ever since more than five years! I have had the watch probably 12 to 15 years. All my light power watches I have in a watch box with clear glass cover under a couple cheap desk lights I bought at Target. Works great!

Zzyzx Zee: mine is over 15 years old. Was in a drawer for 10 years, exposed to light for cpl days now works flawlessly. Remember its light, not heat that charges the cap. Too much heat can ruin the cap


So as you can see, mostly very positive experiences. I have not filtered negative comments! In fact, I saved the most sour ones lol and the replies of a guy who is questioning the validity of these claims

Fungus Foong: All my eco drive watches failed after some years although I placed them on a window sill to get sunlight. Useless watches. Might as well just get automatic ones.
in reply to this
brian buchert: Fungus Foong everything fails after “ some years” lol how many years? You didn’t say! Or can’t you remember ? Now that I’ve asked you’ll remarkably will recall it was about 2 or 3 years lol ! Common man!!!!!!


Gavin Oliver: What a waste of money. I have a Red Arrows £500 watch which stopped working after 2 years. I just tried to get it fixed recently - local watch guy can't do it because Citizen don't release the capacitors so only option is to send to Citizen. Local guy said he's been quoted £190 for a service Ridiculous. Just chucked it in the bin.
in reply to this
brian buchert: Isn’t it under warranty? I just bought one and I’ve gotta to get the paperwork out but I believe I have either a 5 or 7 year warranty on my citizen! You chucked away a possible warranty fix! If not covered why on earth did you buy an ecodrive without a longer warranty?

Emma Salgado: I have 2 Eco Drives that stopped working after 5 years. My dad has 3 that haven't lasted over 3 years. They're garbage for the price
in reply to this
brian buchert: My question to you is why did it take the two of you to go through 5 watches before you found this out? Lol!! More holes in your story than a wheel of Swiss cheese 

Now I will leave you with some advice from non-Eco-Drive-owner marta green:
Will never buy no eco drive watch ever!! 
You keep it in the dark for a year, and it is toasted!
Even if it is just a battery, you send it to Citizen repair, and they soppouse to replace the capacitor ( life time warranty) but no they say it is movement , yeah right?
Mechanical or regular battery is the way to go guys
Do not trust these eco drives


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## CitizenPromaster

Also, we will be very inclusive here and allow Pulsar and other brands as long as they are 10+ years old ^_^ First to post their own Junghans solar 1 gets a pat on the back!


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## CitizenPromaster

Just found these early Citizen solar watches for sale, only 40 EUR. What to do? They run in light but battery doesn't hold charge.


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## Rocket1991

CitizenPromaster said:


> Just found these early Citizen solar watches for sale, only 40 EUR. What to do? They run in light but battery doesn't hold charge.


It's possible to damage charging circuitry so watch will work in sunlight but fails to charge. Try it with new capacitor.


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## sticky

Can’t wait to be able to qualify for posting in this thread but all my Citizens are youngsters.


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## aafanatic

J-Class BM8334-52E My wife and I have matching ones. As my vacation beater, this has endured.


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## Mason Delpino

This perpetual calendar model keeps time to a few seconds a month, and was made in 2002. It also has 200m of water resistance and has a pusher on the side to enable the time to be adjusted in hour intervals without stopping the seconds hand (great for traveling or daylight savings time adjustment)


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## CitizenPromaster

Rocket1991 said:


> 10+ years is really not a big deal as much as 20+


True, but the thread will be very empty if we don't include the 10 to 20 year bracket. By the way, 20+ is not a big deal either, since according to lab tests by Citizen Europe, after 20 years the Eco-Drive battery (if kept charged) should still have 80% capacity. Indeed Eco-Drive watches if kept charged will outlive most of their owners. If the movement itself doesn't fail that is, because they will need some love after a while according to Citizen.


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## Kilovolt

Some of my older ones. They all work perfectly well and where present the meter shows a full charge.

All my Eco-Drives live on the shelves of a bookcase facing a window.


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## Nousyd

CitizenPromaster said:


> Rocket1991 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 10+ years is really not a big deal as much as 20+
> 
> 
> 
> True, but the thread will be very empty if we don't include the 10 to 20 year bracket. By the way, 20+ is not a big deal either, since according to lab tests by Citizen Europe, after 20 years the Eco-Drive battery (if kept charged) should still have 80% capacity. Indeed Eco-Drive watches if kept charged will outlive most of their owners. If the movement itself doesn't fail that is, because they will need some love after a while according to Citizen.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think there is a lot of marketing in these battery life claims. Maybe they are true under ideal circumstances, but that rarely happens in real life. And there are other things as well, like the movement parts wear, the solar cell degrades over time, etc... As we see, the movements last quite long, but I don't believe that they will outlast their owner.


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## CitizenPromaster

I don't mean they will all last 80+ years, but I bet many Eco-Drives have already outlived their owner, because the owner bought it when he was 60+ or because the owner died young. Like in one of the testimonials I posted:
Matthew Sharpe: My sister recently gave me my brother in laws 10 year old Skyhawk, which had been sitting in a drawer for the last 5 years since he died. It was totally dead when I got it so I put it in the winter sun for 2 days and it's been fine ever since. It's a decent watch though the face is a bit busy for my taste I still wear it regularly, swapping with my Tissot as my daily.

If you were born before 1950 and you buy an Eco-Drive today, surely the watch will outlive you. We've all heard the trope/idiom: Death and taxes and Eco-Drive ;-p

This Citizen Watch Europe claim was from 2005, and it already has come true for many of us, so I have no reason to doubt it personally.
Sekundär Batterie. 
Die CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE-UHREN speichern die Energie in einer wiederaufladbaren Sekundärbatterie. Diese besteht aus Titian- Lithium Oxid .
Ein Batteriewechsel wie z.B. bei Uhren mit einer Silberoxid Batterie entfällt.
Der Besitzer einer ECO-DRIVE-UHR kann sicher sein, dass während der normalen Nutzungsdauer einer Uhr die Sekundärbatterie nicht getauscht werden muss.
Labortestreihen haben gezeigt, dass noch nach 20 Jahren die Sekundärbatterie eine Speicherkapazität von 80 % aufweist.
Die Sekundärbatterien die von CITIZEN für die ECO-DRIVE–UHREN verwendet werden, beinhalten keine Schadstoffe, die eine gesonderte Entsorgung erfordern.


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## CitizenPromaster

More interesting testimonials from here on WUS:

atlcal: I've purchased dozens of used Eco-Drives, many 10+ years old, and most of them work flawlessly. For the odd one that won't hold a charge, a simple capacitor change fixed it right up. They're readily available online, I've used the same eBay vendor for the past 3-4 that weren't holding a charge, and he had the right one available and in my hand in a few days. So personally, I wouldn't write off an Eco-Drive solely due to age, if the concern is that it may need a new $12 capacitor.

Wirdy about an Eco-Drive Thermo, that was not charged for 16 years, which is about the worst case scenario:
I have this same F910. Original price in Japan was Y40,000 (£268 in today's money). I paid £200 for mine NOS about a yr ago. Was mint condition but after 16 yrs it only held charge for 35 days (should be 180) so needed a new MT-621 rechargeable cell. A bit fiddly to carefully remove the thermo assembly to get to the cell but the manual is available online to show you exactly how to do it. 
If I see another I'd buy it, i have lots of watches but the F910 is one of my favourites & it gets wrist time. When not worn it lives in a watch box with a reptile heating pad. Keeps it fully charged. Not many people even know they exist, I like that.

So that is roughly 20% capacity left after 16 years of not having a charge! And it was a cheap fix too.


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## yankeexpress

21+ years and still going strong...

Have NEVER replaced a Solar battery....The original Tough Solar G-Shock is the Raysman, released in 1998 and all still going strong on original batteries










Guardian Angels DW-9300GA










Raysman DW-9350 MSJ Middle Sea Race










Galapagos DW-9350DJ titanium



















Window sill solars catching rays:


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## Rocket1991

14 years


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## MikeyT

BM8180, ser# 55xxxx May 1995??



The way to keep ANY solar battery charged is not to ever store it in a dark place. All of mine live on a North-facing window sill. Only a few nowadays, but I used to have as many as fifteen at any one time. Nighthawks, Skyhawks, an Eco-Zilla, a couple of Casios, even a Timex or two and a couple Seikos. Never have I ever had a battery fail. Not one.


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## abyssblue

Got this one a few weeks ago, I believe she should be at least around 10 years old:










Her previous owner probably kept her in a drawer for a very long time so she unfortunately can't hold a charge anymore. I do plan on getting a new capacitor though.


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## CitizenPromaster

I hear it's worth a try to pull out the crown and leave it in proper sunlight for a day.


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## abyssblue

CitizenPromaster said:


> I hear it's worth a try to pull out the crown and leave it in proper sunlight for a day.


Yep I've tried that, been trying to charge it under direct sunlight for around two weeks now. Runs perfectly whenever there's light but once it's gone, it stops ticking. A new capacitor should hopefully fix this.


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## CitizenPromaster

When will the Eco-Drive abuse stop?


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## Rocket1991

abyssblue said:


> Yep I've tried that, been trying to charge it under direct sunlight for around two weeks now. Runs perfectly whenever there's light but once it's gone, it stops ticking. A new capacitor should hopefully fix this.


It should but in some cases it is dead parts in charging circuitry often due to "look ma i can fix it" persons fitting them with regular coin cell battery .


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## Rocket1991

Nousyd said:


> Unfortunately I think there is a lot of marketing in these battery life claims. Maybe they are true under ideal circumstances, but that rarely happens in real life. And there are other things as well, like the movement parts wear, the solar cell degrades over time, etc... As we see, the movements last quite long, but I don't believe that they will outlast their owner.


Dude, they last as long as any other quartz watch. Only difference if you keep it facing light you will never change battery. It's light powered after all and these things come with tech. nothing is 100% perfect. 
Mechanical watch of cheap variety after 20-30 years will require complete overhaul due to wear and tear. nothing runs forever. 
Apart from certain reemerging posts on the forum.


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## parv

I had ~38 mm AP0430-51L c. 1998-2000 (bought from Service Merchandise) until 2019 ...










... had sent it to Citizen to have mainly gaskets as a precaution (& while there, battery also) to be replaced, which couldn't be done for being too old; got half-off discount on another instead.


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## allanzzz

Sent from my MI MAX 3 using Tapatalk


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## CitizenPromaster

parv said:


> I had ~38 mm AP0430-51L c. 1998-2000 (bought from Service Merchandise) until 2019 ...
> 
> ... had sent it to Citizen to have mainly gaskets as a precaution (& while there, battery also) to be replaced, which couldn't be done for being too old; got half-off discount on another instead.


I've heard this before, 50% off is probably what they charge the dealers, but I wonder what they do with the watches they keep...


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## helderberg

Be safe all, Frank.


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## CitizenPromaster

Travel back in time to the Citizen website in 1996


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## swanksteak

allanzzz said:


> Sent from my MI MAX 3 using Tapatalk


What reference is this? I love the watch and would like to search for one. Thanks!


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## HorologicOptic

CitizenPromaster said:


> Travel back in time to the Citizen website in 1996


Thank you Wayback Machine :-!


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## drunken-gmt-master

swanksteak said:


> What reference is this? I love the watch and would like to search for one. Thanks!


PMD56-2861. Perhaps there's one for sale on WUS [hint]?


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## dgaddis

drunken-gmt-master said:


> PMD56-2861. Perhaps there's one for sale on WUS [hint]?


Ha, I figured it had to be a PMD56 of some sort, you can certainly see the family resemblance between it and my PMD56-2952. Great looking piece!!


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## CitizenPromaster

Oh I can do my party trick again, 2007 Promaster Land Collection here we come!!!










On a side note, only the PMP56-2912 and PMP56-2911 are MRK (diffusion hardened titanium, rather than a titanium carbide coating)


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## CitizenPromaster

Duplicate


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## Ziptie

CitizenPromaster said:


> Oh I can do my party trick again, 2007 Promaster Land Collection here we come!!!
> 
> View attachment 14887713


Super interesting! Shows how classic the -2951/2 are. I assume the reason they're more expensive than the 2864 etc. is due to the movement with day of week?


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## allanzzz

I think it is more due to inflation?
Pmt56 are nice too. Without radio but still with perpetual calendar. 

Older model always seems to be nicer in design to me. Might still get the 2951 or 2952 in future though.

Sent from my MI MAX 3 using Tapatalk


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## dgaddis

I didn't realize the *2951/2 has been in production so long. Anyone know when the first year was?

Would be super interesting in Citizen (or any other manufacturer for that matter) released sales numbers for each model every year.


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## Sir-Guy

CitizenPromaster said:


> Travel back in time to the Citizen website in 1996
> 
> View attachment 14882305


Brings me back. The styling then seemed normal at the time; it's so very '90s now!


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## Msweat000

College graduation gift from my grandmother in 2009. Never a single issue with it. Calibre 2100. If you’re a fan, you’ll notice it’s the same watch Ron Swanson wears in Parks and Rec. he has the white/black dial.


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## cghorr01

CitizenPromaster said:


> We need Rocket1991 "I have 20 years old Eco rive which is still kicking and keeps good time (not a radio controlled)."
> I'm lazy so mjrchabot and cghorr01 and Vunter and MysteryBiscuits can re-post their watches ;-)


Just saw this! Purchased my first Citizen in July of '08, right after my daughter was born. Still going strong, works absolutely flawlessly. Still wear it in rotation regularly. I wore it everyday for years and surprisingly is still in great shape, but I'm very careful with my watches. This Skyhawk sparked my love of Citizens, now I own 9 in total!









Sent from my LG V50


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## cghorr01

Better shot while wearing the OG today









Sent from my LG V50


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## cghorr01

I haven't set the time on it in I don't know when, probably well over a year, and it's within 2 seconds of atomic time. Not too shabby for 12 years old!

Sent from my LG V50


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## CitizenPromaster

Darn WUS users making me do the work for them 



icevic99 said:


> Bought this one 20 years ago, it is the oldest watch I have owned since new. It's a monocoque case design, probably an early Promaster Tough version. It's all steel, and the perpetual calendar worked flawlessly over the leap year, transitioning from the 29th to the 1st as it should. Solid!
> View attachment 14917827


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## langstang

15+ and still perfect working condition. And Its for sale.


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## Arick

My first Eco Drive is from an Amazon pre-Christmas sale. I took delivery of this watch on December 19th 2009 I paid $80 for it shipped. Except for having to change out the original strap I've done nothing but keep it in the light. The second watch I bought last October I always wanted a Navihawk and had the intention of it being a replacement but I still wear it 3 days a week.









Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


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## Silathedane

Iam now a pround member of the 10+ eco drive group..


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## nursemanit

Traded a SS one for these years ago. It just woke up after a 5 year nap


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## AngryMoose123

my stepdads old work watch- he thought it was dead and bought a new one- didn't know the eco drive has a secondary battery. I got the old one today when we brought it back to life


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## CitizenPromaster

AngryMoose123 said:


> my stepdads old work watch- he thought it was dead and bought a new one- didn't know the eco drive has a secondary battery. I got the old one today when we brought it back to life
> View attachment 15680259


Nice. Be sure to read my other reply about what a secondary battery is and isn't ;-)


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## all41hai

CitizenPromaster said:


> Just found these early Citizen solar watches for sale, only 40 EUR. What to do? They run in light but battery doesn't hold charge.


You will have to change batt (capacitor), around 20-25 USD


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## jkpa

2006


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## all41hai

Dec 1995 and still ticking, nearly immortal. I like this Attesa line with durable, light weight titanium and sapphire glass. As far as I know, you will never have to change batt if you keep it see the sun


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## TJ19

This definitely gives new meaning to the term “perpetual“


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## Chipkins

My first post on WUS. Presenting my "Old Faithful", Caliber 0875, made in Japan back in Aug 2000 & purchased in 2002. Daily driver till Q3 2009 when I purchased a caliber E168 Pro Master (photos to be posted soon).

The 0875 worked without stopping for a second all these years. A bit of neglect i.e. storage in a watch box caused it to stop earlier in '21. A few hours in the tropical Sun and it's back to normal. Citizen Seiko Solar watches are the Toyotas & Hondas of the watch world. Classic examples of Japanese quality & engineering.

Cheers!


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## 1386paul

Late 90s Super Tough


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## Terry M.




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## fish70




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## journeyforce

2007 Citizen Yozo

This was a Japanese radio show promo watch


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## roscoe67

New capacitor at 20 years.


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## roscoe67

fish70 said:


> View attachment 16051253


Which model is this?


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## fmc000

This guy is at least 15 years old and it sat in a drawer for the last decade. A week of sunlight made it start again and it has worked flawlessly since. It's still waterproof (tested by an AD) after all these years even without a single service.


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## CitizenPromaster

fmc000 said:


> This guy is at least 15 years old and it sat in a drawer for the last decade. A week of sunlight made it start again and it has worked flawlessly since. It's still waterproof (tested by an AD) after all these years even without a single service.
> 
> View attachment 16087892


Nice watch, but you are lucky that it survived 10 years of darkness!


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## CitizenPromaster

Looks like Citizen once made a tribute to the Crystron Solar, perhaps in 1998?










































Here is the original.


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## journeyforce

CitizenPromaster said:


> Looks like Citizen once made a tribute to the Crystron Solar, perhaps in 1998?
> 
> View attachment 16094654
> 
> View attachment 16094655
> 
> View attachment 16094656
> 
> View attachment 16094657
> 
> View attachment 16094659
> 
> 
> Here is the original.
> View attachment 16094660


Nice!!

It looks like somebody bought it to wear. Shame about the crystal but that happens to watch crystals that peak over the bezel.

I did not know this re-issue watch existed. i know that they released a 1974 Prototype re-issue a bit ago


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## CitizenPromaster

I didn't know it existed either, until I saw it on... where else?
CITIZEN シチズン エコドライブ ソーラー デイデイト 腕時計 メンズ B800- S051479 /【Buyee】 "Buyee" Japanese Proxy Service | Buy from Japan! bot-online


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## Wolfsatz

After a Bulova... this was the 2nd nice watch my wife gave me... can't remember the exact date... it is probaly right around the 10+ year mark... as you can see... it is 6 days off.. I don't wear it often 'cause it is too dressy.. I like more of a Tool or casual pieces. NightHawk !

Citizen by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Citizen by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Spuz Zard

This was really rough looking, I mean I kinda put off wearing it because the bracelet was so scratched up. It was really showing its age.
I took a scotch brite pad to it, and now it looks so much better! I kinda feel like I have rekindled the desire I have to wear this awesome timepiece.


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## Spuz Zard

This watch is titanium and it is really scratched up just as much, if not more than the other one. I will try using the same trick this evening to smooth out the scratches.
I hope it works and really can't see why it won't be just as effective here as well.


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## CitizenPromaster

Spuz Zard said:


> View attachment 16097921
> 
> 
> This watch is titanium and it is really scratched up just as much, if not more than the other one. I will try using the same trick this evening to smooth out the scratches.
> I hope it works and really can't see why it won't be just as effective here as well.


We've speculated about refinishing Citizen's titanium (I think your watch is TIC) here: The definitive Citizen Titanium Thread / Super Titanium / Ti + IP / Duratect / MRK / DLC | Page 28 | WatchUSeek Watch Forums 
So we will be interested to hear about your experiment.


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## Spuz Zard

Well I finally got around to working on my heavily scratched up bracelet.

These are the before pictures...


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## Spuz Zard

It took quite a bit more time and effort to get rid of the majority of the scuffs and scrapes as compared to the stainless steel bracelet. 
I definitely could have kept going but the results thus far are satisfactory.


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## CitizenPromaster

Well I guess as long as you don't mind losing the polished surfaces and if you are looking for a more uniform brushed finish, I guess scotch brite is an option. I will link to your post in the Titanium thread.


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## BSD_1972

December 2010. Still going strong though a little beat up. Was my daily wear for.many years.


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## oiram

Alive and still kicking from 2003/2004-ish, never even had to change the capacitor.


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## Spuz Zard

oiram said:


> Alive and still kicking from 2003/2004-ish, never even had to change the capacitor.
> View attachment 16155811


Wow! What a beauty of a timepiece, that was my first real watch. I really do miss it... 😢


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## oiram

Spuz Zard said:


> Wow! What a beauty of a timepiece, that was my first real watch. I really do miss it... 😢


Thanks, man. It was my first real watch as well : )


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## will_atl

I recently picked this one up, it has a 0 date on the serial number, and based on the condition that it was in, I don't believe that it was 2020, more likely 2010 (some research leads me to believe that this was the start of the run on them).
The crystal was scratched, the case was dirty and scratched, and the after market strap was nasty!









I got the scratches out of the crystal, brushed the whole case, and added a new strap. The case could use some more love, but I am happy with the fact that it's running and functioning!


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## mobi

15 year old - runs fine. No service done whatsoever. In fact back of the watch never opened.


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## aafanatic

Classic purple-ish early eco drive. No problems here BM8334-52E J-Class


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## DavidEk

This is my Skyhawk Blue Angels titanium model. Bought it about 20 years ago and wore it daily for most of those years. Never serviced and still going strong. Probably time for a bit of a cleaning, though--the buttons and crown are a bit wonky. Battery seems just fine, though.


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## thorn79

I got this Pulsar watch in early 2000s and wore it every day until 2019. I still wear it now and then and it's about 12 secs/month fast. I bought a eco-drive a couple of years ago and like it.


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## Skimax

20+ years old and fired right up after being in some light for a while!
Haven't worn this in probably 10-15 years or something!


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## journeyforce

A few JDM Skyhawks that I recently moved on

PMV65-2241 from 2008 (this one came with a stamped warranty card for 2008)










Couple of JDM Skyhawks that were mislabeled and thus sold for super low. These were bought for their bracelets and then sold with rubber straps.

The black one (PMV65-2242) is from 2010 from the serial number and the silver one (PMV65-2241) is from 2011 according to the serial number










A 2006 Citizen Skyhawk Blue Angels (I wore it for 2 years and then let it hang out in the box for years (the watch did see light the entire time so it never went dead). I finally got around to selling it because I did not need it.


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## zentempo

Got this in 2003 (BJ2004-08E). Wore it every day for almost 10 years - dove, snorkeled, swam with it - worked like a charm, with no issues … then l forgot about it in a drawer until late 2021 … it came back to life but wouldn’t hold a charge for more than a couple days. Sent it in for service at an authorized service center … cost me a couple hundred bucks to replace the cell, all the gaskets, and pressure test and certify … worth it to me, love this watch …


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## Daruba

These 2 watches are +12 years old. Both die completely on me because they were in the dark on a long time.
Nothing some hours of sunlight could not fix.



















Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## Wolfsatz

SkyHawk by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Aero2001

This is my beach/beater/dive watch, which I believe I bought in 2006, but it may have been earlier. Capacitor has never been changed. It just keeps going. The dial produces lots of glare, but my newer Eco-Drives don't have this issue.


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## aafanatic

Here’s some 2010 Signature models I have. Check the old style solar dials

AV1016-57E



The perforated dial on this one got me into Signature in the first place: my gateway watch BL8070-08A on Cinturini


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## RawDog

Noob here. Found this forum while looking for a new Citizen. I would like to have one of the limited editions, thinking the Promaster Skyhawk AT Blue Angels JY8097-58L

here are my two eco-drives, both are well used by me

hand assembled August 2007









May 2010


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## Russ1965




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## Fountain47




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## Mark.O

Russ1965 said:


>


Strap swap?


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## Russ1965

Mark.O said:


> Strap swap?


Nope. 

Original strap.


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## Mark.O

Russ1965 said:


> Nope.
> 
> Original strap.


Interesting!

I have a newer watch that has a black strap and silver case.


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## jaf2976

2011 BN0085-01E and a 2007 BL5280-52W. Both are still going strong, and the lume on each lasts over 8 hours. I'm wearing the 2007 today. 

Thanks to the serial number decoding thread for helping me get the manufacturing month/year.


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## helderberg

Be safe all.
Frank.


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## HerrSavage

I’m not sure exactly, but I think the one on the left is about 24 years old and doesn’t really work anymore, and it’s replacement on the right I guess I got about 10 years ago? Maybe only eight though…

I had corona in March and was laid out for about 10 days, and fell down the youtube watch video rabbit hole. Then I went and got myself a Citizen Promaster 086-something-or-other automatic - Pepsi. I love the looks, but I am skeptical of the automatic element. Because I am such a fan of the Eco Drive. Set and forget - doesn't get any better. I have since gotten an Orient Ray II and a Casio G-shock 2100 silver metal version. And a bunch of nato straps ha ha...

What I really want is a Seiko SKX, so think I will get one eventually. But that "really want" is for the collection. But I am finding that I also really want a new, fancier Eco Drive. I really just like being able to wear a watch and not think about having to mess with it. For 20+ years I had those two watches in the pic and basically only took them off to replace the band once they rotted away... I want a new Eco Drive now, but with Saphire glass.

BTW, over they years I would ask in the department store if they could replace the glass. For the older one they did it, but it was gone for like three months. Now I have been watching modding videos, and am wondering if I could revive these two. The reliability and durability is just awesome. Except for the glass getting scratched....

edit - adding a picture of my new automatic Citizen just because… just had to wind it for the first time in about six weeks or so. Which is annoying frankly…


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