I recently purchased this watch and thought that others might like to share my impressions of it.
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Watch Data Manufacturer Citizen Watch Company Ltd. Model Number AI13XXX Model Name Elegance Signature Multi Chronograph Movement Quartz Analog (Cal. 6870) Power Source Button Cell (SR927W) Accuracy +- 20 Seconds per month. At normal temperature of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F) Hands 6 hands, Hour, Minute, Second, 24 Hr., Function minute, Function Selector. Chromed and Luminous paint coated. Bezel Stainless steel non-rotating Size 34.5mm (Bezel O.D.) - 43mm (lug to lug) Thickness 9.5mm Weight 100.7 Grams (with band) Construction Case Solid Stainless steel. Crystal Sapphire Crystal Face Black with chrome plated markers Crowns None - 4 pushers control all operations Back Stainless Steel signed snap back. Water Resistance 50 meters (115 feet). Bracelet/Strap Solid Stainless steel band with invisible closure Warranty 5 Years Suggested Retail $350.00 Initial Impressions.
This watch was purchased from a Yahoo auction as new and came without box or packaging but had the manual and Citizen 5 year warranty. The watch was in as new condition with all tags and plastic protectors in place.
Upon inspection I observed that it was quite heavy for it's size.
I removed the plastic protectors and sized the band by removing one link from each side. Due to the unique construction of the band there are no holes in the clasp to allow perfect sizing. I was lucky that the links I removed let the watch fit perfectly.
The bracelet is solid and very well made. The closure pieces where the bracelet meets the case are very thick (about 3 times thicker than the normal sheet metal pieces found on most watches). The blind clasp is unique, but kind of hard to open since you have to grip it with your fingernails to snap it out of it's spring loaded lock.Setup
This is a complex watch and one of the most interesting complications I have seen in quartz watches.
You start the setup by first using the zero function to line up all the hands exactly with the marker at the 12:00 position. This eliminates one of the most common complaints about quartz watches, the fact that in many models the hands do not line up with the markers.
Next the date and month are set. Since you indicate the month the watch is "Semi-Perpetual Calendar" in that you only have to correct the date in leap years.
Main time (your local time) is set next. It is interesting that the second hand keeps running in this function and when you synch with the time reference, it travels around the dial past the zero position an amount based upon how long it took to get to zero from where it was when you synched it.
Two alarms and a second time zone may be set if desired.
A countback timer may be set also. This is the best function of this watch for me. You set (on the 12:00 subdial) the number of minutes you wish the timer to run (0..60). When the watch is in timer mode and you activate the timer the second hand and timer minute hand rotate counterclockwise for the countback while the hour hand and minute hand rotate clockwise showing the correct time.
You can have running simultaneously, a countdown timer and a count up stopwatch. The hands move to the correct position for each function when the function is selected.Legibility
Unfortunately the legibility of this watch is, in my opinion poor. The sapphire crystal contributes glare in some viewing positions. The markers and legends on the face are all very sharp, but too petite and subdued. The small hands in the subdials are chrome plated and invisible at night. The main hands are skeletonized and where coated with luminescent material, too sparse. Nighttime glow from the main hands is a putrid green-yellow which lasts a half hour at best.
Legibility is the sole drawback of this watch.Movement
The movement in this watch is a prime example of what can be done with quartz. Since stepper motors (which drive the hands) can move in either direction why not implement a countdown timer which works like a real one?
Extensive use of the microprocessor stacks and registers allows the watch to keep track of multiple timing events simultaneously and the mode control circuitry is responsible for moving the hands to the correct position for the selected mode.
In this movement the minute hand moves only every 20 seconds (like many Citizen models). Since there is an active second hand this is no problem, but may prove disturbing to some. The reason why this is done is to extend battery life since the minute hand only draws power every 20 seconds.
Overall the movement is quite unique and comes as close to implementing the functionality of a digital display as an analog movement can.Accuracy
This movement exceeds the manufacturers specifications and has been running about 8 seconds slow per month.Closing Thoughts
If I had it to do all over again I would have purchased one of the other models in this line since the other models have more legible hands and faces.
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Right Side
Left Side
Front
Band Closed
Band OpenSetting Instructions
