Citizen Eco-Drive Watches

The Eco-Drive feature of Citizen watches is one of their biggest catchcries, one of their major selling points, and one of their unique selling points compared to other watch companies.

So why is Eco-Drive so hot? To me, it sounded more like something that would help you save a bit of money on your gas costs, like a standby mode for your car. Perhaps it was a tree-hugging chauffer? Anything seemed possible!

When you actually find out what Eco-Drive is, it does make perfect sense – it basically means that the watch is powered primarily by solar power, which is supported by a lithium ion battery. The reason the battery is a lithium one, is to prevent the usual inconvenience of the battery having a charge time and a discharge (or ‘being used’) time.

Sounds like a pain in the rear for those of you who constantly wear long sleeves over your watch, have an indoor job, or live alone in a cave, meditating, doesn’t it?! You definitely need an accurate timepiece to live in a cave, no doubt about it Well, you don’t need to sit it on the windowsill for a certain amount of time each day. Some models will run for about 6 months without being charged, others will run for about 4 years. Not a bad interval between sitting the thing on the windowsill for a little while … or getting out of your cave for a walk! However, if the watches are kept in the dark for long periods, they engage a sleep mode – sort of like the clock in your car, so that it keeps track of the time without any direct battery power. It uses its quartz mechanism to do this.

So, don’t dismiss the Citizen watches, just because you don’t like the idea of a tree-hugging chauffer.