DougFNJ
November 15th, 2008, 20:19
Citizen BL5373-53E Rose Gold Diver Chrono
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00691.jpg?t=1226725088
I've been meaning to review this watch for a while. The Citizen BL5373-53E is a large Chrono Diver that is constructed of solid Rose gold tone 44mm stainless steel case and brushed and polished stainless steel bracelet. It's got a solid rotating bezel, and features 24 hour time on the 10 O'Clock dial 60 minute stopwatch that measures to 1/10th second on the 2 O'Clock dial, and changes modes on the 6 O'Clock dial. The modes offer the Chrono, 2nd time, and alarm. The date is located at the 4 O'Clock position and is a perpetual Calendar. This is a highly functional watch and is very sharp looking. Eco-Drive charges the battery through the solar powered face and offers powersave mode to conserve the life of the battery. It's got a 270 day power reserve, and gives a low power indicater. The functions are automated, this watch design was very well thought out.
I own 2 Citizen watches, and there is a feature they have in these watches that I really appreciate. You first notice it when the watch wakes up out of powersave mode. The timekeeping springs to life when the hands automatically move to the correct time. You also see this when moving to the alarm and 2nd time. When setting the time, it is not like your normal setting where the hands move with the rotation of the crown. The hands on this watch move a minute at a time when rotating the crown a notch at a time. When you rotate it a couple of turns, the hands automatically move forward or backward until you turn the crown again, then you can set it a minute at a time again. Another nice setting feature is if you are calibrating with another watch, pulling the crown to set it automatically brings the second hand to zero.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00699.jpg?t=1226725228
The right side of the watch gives a protected crown, and a button above and below it. The top button starts the stopwatch on Chrono mode. A long press resets it. The bottom button in Chrono mode has the 2 O'Clock dial display how many tenths of a second.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00694.jpg?t=1226725255
The left side is just nicely polished and you really see the thickness of the watch.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00695.jpg?t=1226725282
It uses a fold over clasp with button release and feels nice and secure. It closes with a nice sturdy click. It is nice and thick, dosen't feel cheap at all.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00697.jpg?t=1226725306
It has a polished mirror finished screwback with Citizen Eco-Drive stamped on the back.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00706.jpg?t=1226725388
For the size and weight, this watch feels very comfortable on the wrist. Like I said, it is solid, its big, but not ridiculously big. It is very easy to read, the lume is ok, not at Seiko standards, it is bright, but it dosent last long.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00703.jpg?t=1226725418
In conclusion, I am very happy with this watch. I can't say it enough....it is just absolutely SOLID. The face is nicely decorated with a rose gold numeric number 12. the 2 O'Clock and 10 'OClock dials and date are outlined with Rose Gold accent, the 6'Oclock dial marking is Stainless Steel colored. The markers are also Rose Gold accented with lume inside.
The interesting thing about rose gold is the coloring is very brass like. The brushed finish does not make it shiny at all, and the polished areas are subtle. Although it is gold, it is not "blingey" at all. The second hand hits the marks spot on, the only negative I could think of is the Chrono dial hand is a little short, so if you need to know precisely the minute it is on, you have to really look. Other than that I have been very happy with this watch.
If gold is completely not your thing, this watch IS also avalable in Stainless Steel with Blue Face, that model is BL5370-51L:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GjNGIPXeL._SS500_.jpg
or a 2 tone version with white face BL5374-51A:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LymMcZ4CL._SS500_.jpg
Thanks for looking :-!
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00691.jpg?t=1226725088
I've been meaning to review this watch for a while. The Citizen BL5373-53E is a large Chrono Diver that is constructed of solid Rose gold tone 44mm stainless steel case and brushed and polished stainless steel bracelet. It's got a solid rotating bezel, and features 24 hour time on the 10 O'Clock dial 60 minute stopwatch that measures to 1/10th second on the 2 O'Clock dial, and changes modes on the 6 O'Clock dial. The modes offer the Chrono, 2nd time, and alarm. The date is located at the 4 O'Clock position and is a perpetual Calendar. This is a highly functional watch and is very sharp looking. Eco-Drive charges the battery through the solar powered face and offers powersave mode to conserve the life of the battery. It's got a 270 day power reserve, and gives a low power indicater. The functions are automated, this watch design was very well thought out.
I own 2 Citizen watches, and there is a feature they have in these watches that I really appreciate. You first notice it when the watch wakes up out of powersave mode. The timekeeping springs to life when the hands automatically move to the correct time. You also see this when moving to the alarm and 2nd time. When setting the time, it is not like your normal setting where the hands move with the rotation of the crown. The hands on this watch move a minute at a time when rotating the crown a notch at a time. When you rotate it a couple of turns, the hands automatically move forward or backward until you turn the crown again, then you can set it a minute at a time again. Another nice setting feature is if you are calibrating with another watch, pulling the crown to set it automatically brings the second hand to zero.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00699.jpg?t=1226725228
The right side of the watch gives a protected crown, and a button above and below it. The top button starts the stopwatch on Chrono mode. A long press resets it. The bottom button in Chrono mode has the 2 O'Clock dial display how many tenths of a second.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00694.jpg?t=1226725255
The left side is just nicely polished and you really see the thickness of the watch.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00695.jpg?t=1226725282
It uses a fold over clasp with button release and feels nice and secure. It closes with a nice sturdy click. It is nice and thick, dosen't feel cheap at all.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00697.jpg?t=1226725306
It has a polished mirror finished screwback with Citizen Eco-Drive stamped on the back.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00706.jpg?t=1226725388
For the size and weight, this watch feels very comfortable on the wrist. Like I said, it is solid, its big, but not ridiculously big. It is very easy to read, the lume is ok, not at Seiko standards, it is bright, but it dosent last long.
http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll254/DougFNJ/DSC00703.jpg?t=1226725418
In conclusion, I am very happy with this watch. I can't say it enough....it is just absolutely SOLID. The face is nicely decorated with a rose gold numeric number 12. the 2 O'Clock and 10 'OClock dials and date are outlined with Rose Gold accent, the 6'Oclock dial marking is Stainless Steel colored. The markers are also Rose Gold accented with lume inside.
The interesting thing about rose gold is the coloring is very brass like. The brushed finish does not make it shiny at all, and the polished areas are subtle. Although it is gold, it is not "blingey" at all. The second hand hits the marks spot on, the only negative I could think of is the Chrono dial hand is a little short, so if you need to know precisely the minute it is on, you have to really look. Other than that I have been very happy with this watch.
If gold is completely not your thing, this watch IS also avalable in Stainless Steel with Blue Face, that model is BL5370-51L:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GjNGIPXeL._SS500_.jpg
or a 2 tone version with white face BL5374-51A:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51LymMcZ4CL._SS500_.jpg
Thanks for looking :-!