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 Model Number JQ8020-01E Model Name Promaster Navitach Movement Quartz Analog/Digital (Cal. C460) Power Source Battery (SR92W) Accuracy +- 20 Seconds per month. At normal temperature of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F) Hands 3 hands, Hour, Minute, Second. Luminous paint coated. Bezel Stainless Steel, uni-directional ratcheted with detents at 1 minute positions. Size 40mm (Bezel O.D.) - 46mm (lug to lug) Thickness 13.0mm Weight 79.6 Grams (with leather strap) Construction Case Solid Stainless steel. Crystal Domed Glass Crystal Face Black with luminous digits and markers Crowns 1 - Signed crown (4.5mm) Back Stainless Steel signed screw down back. Water Resistance 100 meters (330 feet). Bracelet/Strap Black Leather strap with stainless steel signed buckle Suggested Retail $295.00 Initial Impressions.
The watch was received in Citizen's Promaster packaging with a very attractive black leatherette covered cylinder enclosing the watch all packed in a matching cardboard box. Contained in the box were an instruction manual written in 3 languages and a warranty card. The packaging is excellent and often used in jewelry stores to display these watches. In the box was the watch with 2 tags attached and scratch protection plastic on the front and rear of the watch. One of the tags stated "For Professional Use Only", I sure hope I qualify !I removed the watch from the box and inspected it for scratches and defects. As is usual for this manufacturer none were found.
I checked the bezel and found it to be very smooth and somewhat "notchy" as it is turned. The lack of a marker at the zero position makes it a little difficult to use for raw timing since you have to line up the number "60" with the desired hand.
Comfort
The watch sits perfectly on my wrist with no side to side movement. The strap can be adjusted to fit most wrists and has 8 holes spaced about 5/16" apart. No sharp edges which might catch on clothing were observed on this watch.
Legibility
I bought this watch based upon the agency "beauty shots" in the Citizen brochure. It appeared quite readable in those pictures, but in real life, legibility (both analog and digital) is in my opinion, poor.
The problem with the digital display is that it is a reverse LCD, and unlike other displays of this type the characters are dark, almost Grey-Green instead of Silver. The picture of the front of the watch was taken in full midday sunlight and you can see the lack of contrast.
When the display is illuminated at night it is very readable. This is good since you cannot see the hands at night. The illumination does not work in Chrono or Timer mode since the button used to illuminate is the Stop/Reset button for both these functions.
The analog hands are quite thin and Citizen decided to skeletonize them (as on the Navihawk models) so that portions of the display can show through the hands. The lack of surface area on the hands leaves no room for reflective paint so just a couple of dots glow briefly when you enter a dark room after being outside. The markers and numbers glow much brighter and longer than the hands.
Overall legibility of this watch is poor unless you have the perfect eyes of a 12 year old.Analog Movement
The movement in the Navitach is a plain vanilla quartz movement which is set separately from the digital movement. The second hand does not align with the markers, and when the crown is out for setting the whole movement can be moved in the case.
Overall the movement is OK, for a $20.00 watch.Accuracy
Both movements are quartz and are quite accurate, but do not stay in synchronization. The analog movement tends to be more accurate than the digital (differing by about 10 sec. in a month).Closing Thoughts
This is one of those watches that I bought in the heat of passion based on catalog photos. I urge you to see one of these in person to judge legibility before making a decision. For the time being all my race timing needs will be filled by my trusty G-Shock, at least I can read the display on it.
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Right Side
Left Side
Front
Illumination
BackWatch Setting Instructions Displays and Functions
