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 JN3000-51E Model Name Eco-Drive World Time (SkyHawk) Movement Quartz Analog/Digital Cal. C650 Power Source Eco-Drive solar cell powered with rechargeable secondary battery.With overcharge protection and charge level display. Runs for up to 4 years on full charge. Accuracy +- 15 Seconds per month. At normal temperature of 5°C to 35°C (41°F to 95°F) Hands 7 hands - Hour, Minute, Second, UTC Hour Minute, 24 Hour, Mode selector. Main Hour and Minute hands luminous paint coated. Bezel Circular Slide Rule. Watch Dimensions L - 48.5mm
D - 40mm
C - 5mm
T - 14.4mm
B - 19mmWeight 158 Grams (with bracelet) Construction Case Solid Stainless steel. Crystal Glass Crystal Face Black with semi-luminous markers Crowns 1- Crown, 2 - Push Buttons Back Stainless Steel signed screw down back. Water Resistance 100 meters (330 feet). Bracelet/Strap Solid link stainless steel bracelet with 9 removable links and 3 adjustment holes in the clasp. Double locking clasp with flip lock lever and dual pushbutton release. Suggested Retail $395.00 Initial Impressions.
The watch was received in Citizen's Eco-Drive packaging with an attractive dark green 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 rear of the watch.I removed the watch from the box and inspected it for scratches and defects. As is usual for this manufacturer none were found.
Band and Case
I proceeded to remove links to size the watch for my wrist. This band does not use the familiar split pins found in most Asian made bracelets.
CAUTION The split pins have been replaced with a solid stainless steel pin which is held in place with a stainless steel split tube inserted in the center of the link. I discovered this when I found one of the tubes laying on the work surface. Apparently they are free to come out of the center link once the solid pin is removed.
Tilting the link causes them to drop out of the center link.
These tubes are very small and easily lost. If the tubes are missing the pin will not stay in the link.
To put the tube back in I had to resort to using a watchmaker's tweezers (no. 3) to pick it up and slip it back in the link.
Once the band was sized I found that the watch sat on my wrist very well with no tendency to move around. The band links interlock with each other and cause the band to always assume an elliptical shape. Even with the clasp open the watch will stand "on its own".
The case is a solid stainless steel screw back unit which moulds nicely with the other components of the watch.Bezel
The bezel is an E6B rotary slide rule primarily used for aircraft flight computations. It turns in both directions with little or no detent or resistance. Originally I thought that the microscopic markers and calibrations were engraved into the metal, but upon closer inspection they appear to be silk screened. Durability and rub resistance of this method will only be found over time.Legibility
At first the face of this watch seems very busy and not particularly readable. When used in good light the first items seen are the hour, minute and Yellow second hands followed by the digital display. The SkyHawk has a shiny face and highly polished crystal both of which conspire to cause reflections under certain lighting conditions rendering the watch unreadable.The digital displays are very small and unlike the NaviHawk series of watches, difficult to see without reading glasses. The skeletonized hour hand is painted a bright white an stands out well in daylight. The minute hand has white paint on its last quarter of length, the second hand is entirely covered in Yellow paint and tends to be the dominant hand.
The U.T.C., 24-hour, and mode hands are painted bright white and are easily readable, but the markers that they line up with are smaller and more subdued so glasses may be required.Nighttime readability is, in my opinion very poor. The thin hands do not have enough surface area to hold a lot of reflective coating so they are initially hard to see. None of the markers glow strongly at night (except the triangle at 12:00). The glow is a beautiful neon blue but has a very short life and after about a half hour the watch is completely dark.
The digital display has no backlight and is unreadable in the dark.Overall legibility of this watch is good in daytime and poor at night.
Movement
The movement in the SkyHawk is similar to the NaviHawk series in that the digital and analog portions are integrated. This allows perfect timing synchronization and changing time zones is a breeze.Unlike the NaviHawk, the ability to "park" the hands at 12:00 to read the digital display is missing in the SkyHawk.
Switching modes (by turning the crown) is not as convenient as the push button on the NaviHawk. You can, however switch modes in both directions in the SkyHawk.
The Eco-Drive system and it's power management make the SkyHawk a long lasting watch which should not require a lot of service.
Overall the movement is great and makes it easy to use the many built in functions.
Accuracy
The movement is quartz and is very accurate, exceeding the manufacturers specs. My observed accuracy has been running about 4-5 sec. per month.Closing Thoughts
This is a good watch for those who travel a lot, have good eyes, and need the excellent timezone functions.
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Right Side
Left Side
Front
Back
BandWatch Instructions Displays and Functions of this Watch Setting Instructions
