If you are looking for a military-style watch, this Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E model from the Collection of the Japanese brand is what you were looking for.
It is a simple 3-hand men’s watch that is all the rage for its smooth running, low maintenance (solar charging with Eco-Drive technology), good precision, and low price. We have included it among the best Citizen Eco-Drive.
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3 things that characterize the Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E?
- Quality at a low price: you usually find it around 100 euros.
- It has solar charging… in such a cheap watch!
- Good military design and meticulous manufacturing.
We have been testing it for the last few weeks, and the truth is that it does not disappoint. We are going to give you our opinion and you can leave your comments at the end of the article if you have it or if you want to ask us any questions about its operation.
Citizen offers a really good value for money with this watch. We are going to tell you everything about this beautiful watch from Citizen.
Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E: Features and design
- Solar Powered Analog Clock
- Movement: Eco Drive with a charge reserve of approximately 180 days.
- Steel case with screw-down case back, beige technical fabric strap.
- With calendar (day of the week and date)
- Impermeability: WR 10 bar.
- The case diameter of 41 mm.
- With 3 needles
- Steel case with black finish
- With insufficient charge warning (second-hand moves in 2-sec increments)
- Cristal mineral
- Gauge number E101
- Weight of 76 grams
- Accuracy: ±15 sec/month
- Autonomy of approx. 6 months (from full recharge to stoppage); at least 4 days. (from two-second interval movement to stop)
That being said: it is one of the cheapest Citizen Eco-Drive watches you can find. It has a really nice military aesthetic with large numbers at 12, 3, 6, and 9, white indices and hands, and hour markings in 24-hour format to make everything clearer and to see the time without any problem.
The dial is black… and the presence of the solar cells that capture the energy to start the watch is not noticeable at all.
It does not have a light to illuminate the dial, but the hour and minute hands, the large numbers, and the indices have a fairly good lumen: it lasts all night (although it is noticeable that it decreases in power if you reach 8 hours in total darkness).
The 41cm steel case has a polished black finish that seems to be quite durable. It is very elegant and it looks perfect with the beige strap that comes included with the watch.
On the back they have saved some money in manufacturing: it is also made of steel but it is untreated and the set detracts a bit, but since it is worn on the wrist… well, you forget about it. We are not going to get posh with a watch of this low price either.
It has a normal tone that reflects light a lot and the letters are laser engraved. The typical stuff comes with JAPAN MOV’T, module and box number, WR100, serial number, and the world map surrounded by “CITIZEN ECO-DRIVE”.
The date and day window is located at 3 o’clock (days in English in the version we have tested) and it only has a toothed crown on the right (it is not threaded, that is probably why it does not have greater water resistance).
The strap is made of 22cm beige fabric and is of very good quality (it has a very soft black leather interior area). It excellently accompanies the black case, giving the watch its characteristic military style.
The glass on the dial is mineral (you can’t expect sapphire at this price) and is rated 10BAR: water resistant, but don’t go overboard with it. Also, the strap can be damaged if you get it too wet. You have to treat it with love.
- If you want a Citizen diver, we recommend the Citizen Eco-Drive BN0150-10E Promaster model.
Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E: How it looks on the wrist
The truth is that its design is timeless. It is a very comfortable watch to wear and you don’t notice that you have it on. It weighs very little. You can leave it on at night, it doesn’t bother you at all. The strap is somewhat stiff at first, but it molds to your wrist contour in a few days.
It can be worn both with a shirt and with more casual clothes, and it’s so thin that it comes in and out of the sleeve without much problem… although you should always keep it in sight so that it charges correctly.
Citizen Pilot Super Titanium CB0230-81L: Opinion and review
Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E: Functions
It is not an automatic watch, but it exudes quality on all sides. It is quite accurate despite not having radio control. The secondary battery that stores the charge should last a lifetime.
If you take the watch outside to get sunlight, it should be fully charged in 12 hours. In only 18 minutes it can be started up if it is fully discharged.
If you just charge it under a fluorescent light (20cm away), it will take up to 150 hours to be fully charged.
- Accuracy: Within ±15 sec/month (within a normal temperature range of 5°C to 35°C)
- Quartz Oscillator Frequency: 32,768Hz
- Operational temperature range: –10°C to +60°C
The crown has two positions: to adjust the calendar and to adjust the time. The second-hand stops when the crown is pulled out.
If you see that the secondhand starts to move in 2-second intervals, the battery charge is very low.
It has a quick start and overload prevention function.
- Do you have a problem with the watch? Citizen Eco-Drive watches: use, maintenance, and troubleshooting
Conclusion: Is The Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E worth buying?
Do you want a reliable, beautiful, and cheap watch with military style and solar charging? The Citizen Eco-Drive BM8476-23E is your watch. For a price of around 130 dollars, you are going to get a watch with a timeless design, very comfortable to wear and that will probably last a lifetime if you take good care of it.
It has a solar charge but it is not radio controlled, it does not have a sapphire crystal and its functions are basic: it gives you the time and the date… Does that seem little to you? 🙂
- If you like this style, you might be interested in the AW1361-10H model. It has an excellent black design with orange and yellow numbers and a brown leather strap. It has a military style.
- You also have the Citizen AW5000-16L with a blue dial and strap, large numbers, and a simple but effective design.
A favor:
- Excellent quality price
- Good military aesthetic
- Solar charging with Eco-Drive technology
- Very accurate
- Very good quality strap in beige fabric
Against:
- Not a radio-controlled watch (less accurate)
- The lumen can lose strength after 8 hours of darkness
- The crown is not screwed down (better to be careful when putting it in the water)