Citizen BM8475-26E Review

About Citizen

Founded in 1918, and producing timepieces since 1924, Citizen holds the distinction of being the world’s largest watchmaker (since 1986). With annualized revenues of over $2 billion (operating year 2010) Citizen is a world leader in quality and innovation.

Known for precise quartz watches, Citizen is perhaps most famous for its “Eco-Drive” line of movements.

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Review Summary

I really like this Citizen. The orange and black color scheme is a great combination. At night, the lume is so bright that you will have no problems easily telling time. The Eco-Drive movement inside is rock solid. This watch is a great buy, especially if you can find it for anything under $175. The BM8475-26E is a regular part of my watch rotation.

Citizen BM8475-26E Technical Specifications

• Model Number: BM8475-26E
• MSRP: $215
• Case Diameter: 42mm
• Alternate Models: BM8475-00F, an all-black variant
• Movement: E011 Eco-Drive
• Complications: Day/date display
• Battery Life: Indefinite (solar powered)
• Water Resistance: 100m/330ft
• Crystal Material: Mineral

Operating the Watch

The Citizen BM8475-26E operates with a standard day/date complication. Thanks to its accurate solar powered E011 Eco-Drive movement, you won’t need to mess with the day/date or time settings very often.

Read the complete user manual here.

How To set the time:

• Pull crown to the furthest position (position 3). Turn the crown clockwise to set the time. Note that the day and date displays will rollover at midnight, indicating AM time.

How To set the date:

• Pull the crown to the middle position (position 2) and turn clockwise to set the day, counter-clockwise to set the date.

Citizen BM8475-26E Aesthetics & Design

The design language that Citizen has chosen for the BM8475-26E really appeals to me. The orange used for the hour markers isn’t something you see on a watch very often, and I find the color scheme overall to be quite fun to play with. You can wear it with almost anything that isn’t formal.

The tan leather strap is easy to change. Right now I’ve got the BM8475-26E rocking a black nato strap (specifically, this one) and it looks great.

The black ion plated stainless steel case has a semi-mat finish, so it reflects some but not much light. It makes for a great effect, because the black textured dial has a similar finish. This makes the orange really pop off the face. At night, the lume is quite bright.

It’s a thin watch thanks to the Eco-Drive movement. It doesn’t need a rotor, just a solar cell (which doubles as the dial) and it’s good to go. This thinness makes it easy for you to dress it up, down, or however you like it.

I think Citizen did a great job with this one.

Citizen BM8475-26E Build Quality

I expect the BM8475-26E to hold up well over time. The stainless steel case is ion plated, and so far it has been quite durable. I put a small nick in the bezel after I accidentally smacked it on a steel bar (oops), and the black color didn’t scratch away (in fact, it hides the little dent quite well).

Crystal, Case, and Dial

The mineral crystal is pretty standard. If it is anything like other Citzens that I have reviewed I expect it will hold up just fine over time. I have never had any kind of problems with the crystals used by Citizen on their entry-level watches.

One thing that I was initially concerned about with the case was that it is ion plated. Stainless steel is a pretty standard material to use for watch cases, but I find that at the sub-$250 price point that the coatings used on colored ones can wear easily. Thankfully, this does not appear to be the case with the BM8475-26E.

Overall, I feel that this is a well built watch.

Strap and Clasp

The tan leather strap that comes standard with the BM8475-26E is good quality. It doesn’t show obvious wear despite me stretching and tugging at it. This is partly due to the fact that it’s a synthetic leather stra, which does feel a little rubbery compared to genuine leather (but not so much as to be offensive).

The clasp is a standard buckle, also black plated. A few stern tugs failed to release it, and it has held up fine during regular wear.

I personally didn’t find the strap to particularly comfortable to wear so I replaced it with a nato strap, which I find matches the watch better and is more comfortable. This is personal preference, so don’t let that discourage you if you’re otherwise interested in the BM8475-26E.

More About the Citizen BM8475-26E

Movement

Citizen is most famous for its Eco-Drive line of movements, which are solar powered and thus never require you to change a battery. The E011 movement inside the BM8475-26E has a six month power reserve, meaning that it can go six months without requiring exposure to light to charge.

Citizen says that wearing the watch on a bright sunny day for 11 hours is all you need to charge it. However, it also receives a charge from just about any light source so this is something that may be difficult to properly test.

In my experience, the E011 movement has been accurate to within a few seconds per day. Once I initially set it, the watch has never required me to adjust the time. It has always been charged and been ticking every time I pick it up.

Value for Money

I feel that the BM8475-26E is good value at it’s $215 MSRP. At that price you’re looking at watches that should be a step or two above a Timex Weekender (our benchmark for sub-$100 quartz watches), and the Citizen BM8475-26E is very much a solid competitor in its price range.

It’s biggest advantage is the E011 Eco-Drive inside. It gives the BM8475-26E a massive six month battery life, and to completely charge it you simply need to wear it for a day or two. I really love how set and forget the watch is, and I think a lot of people see value in a watch like that.

While its looks are subjective, I’m a fan. Of all the 28-odd watches I own, this is the one that I have the most number of straps for (five to be exact). Changing the strap is simple, and the black ion plated case is very forgiving of scratches and minor wear.

However, the fact that you can easily find this watch on Amazon for well under its $215 MSRP is probably the best thing about it. I’d be happy with my purchase if I paid $215- I’m even happier if it only costs me $160 (which is what I paid on Amazon).

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Summary

Reviewed By

Cameron Martel

Review Date

2014-06-27

Reviewed Item

Citizen BM8475-26E

Rating

5