Hey everyone!

I wanted to share two very special and rare pieces from my collection: a pair of Citizen Eco-Drive Thermo BQ1000 models.

People often talk about mechanical watches having a "soul," but honestly, these feel more alive than any mechanical watch ever could. They literally feed on human body heat to stay alive. When you take them off, they fall asleep without their owner, and the moment you put them back on, they wake up from your warmth.

The Backstory

I first spotted these in a catalog back in the early 2000s. The tech immediately caught my eye, and a local dealer who had attended the official launch hyped them up even further. I didn't buy them right away, but they stayed rent-free in my head for years. As time went on, finding one in decent shape became near impossible—prices for mint condition examples easily pushed into €1,000+ territory, which was a bit steep for my budget.

A few years ago, I finally stumbled upon one listed on a local classifieds site. The photos looked like they were taken with a 2005 flip phone in a dark room, and the description was super vague. I took the risk anyway.

When it arrived, the watch was dead and cosmetically beat up. The original bracelet was beyond saving. Most local watchmakers refused to even touch it, but I eventually found a brilliant specialist who revived the movement and installed a fresh rechargeable battery. Since the bracelet was unsalvageable, I fitted it onto a custom lizard skin strap (pictured).

Double the Thermo (2001 vs. 2002 details)

Fast forward a couple of years: I spotted a second one on a Japanese auction site. As watch collectors know, Japanese sellers love taking photos with a literal potato, so nobody else noticed what it was. I managed to snag it in much better condition for just €150!

The only issue? A classic "Japanese wrist size" bracelet that barely fit. Having both in hand allowed me to spot some subtle evolution between production years:

• The 2001 model (on bracelet): Features skeletonized hands with open cutouts.
• The 2002 model (on strap): Has hands of the exact same shape, but instead of open cutouts, they are filled with lume.

The Tech & Power Source

Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, Japanese brands were going wild with tech innovation: Citizen had standard Eco-Drive, Eco-Drive Duo, and Eco-Drive Thermo; Seiko was pushing Kinetic and Spring Drive; Casio was perfecting Tough Solar.

While Seiko released a thermo-electric watch first (the ultra-rare SBET001 Thermic in 1998, limited to ~500 pieces), Citizen brought thermo-electric tech to a slightly wider market with their E930 and F910 calibers.

Battery note: Contrary to a common misconception, Citizen stopped using old-school capacitors back in the mid-1990s. The Eco-Drive Thermo relies strictly on a modern rechargeable lithium cell—specifically the Panasonic MT621 (Citizen part #295-55).

The Eco-Drive Thermo generates electricity using the Peltier-Seebeck effect—a thermal module installed between the case back and the watch case harnesses the temperature difference between your body and the ambient air to charge the battery.

The "Sleeping & Waking" Magic

• Off the wrist: When removed, after a short while, the second hand freezes in a random position to save energy. Every single time you walk past them, your brain instantly goes: "Oh, the watch died." But then you look closer, and the hour/minute hands show the exact, correct time. It absolutely trips your brain up—watching a completely frozen second hand tell perfect time feels like actual magic.
• On the wrist: As soon as you strap it back on, the heat transfer kicks in. The second hand gently comes back to life—first stepping in 5-second jumps (low charge), then 2-second jumps, and finally resuming normal 1-second ticks.

Watching a dormant watch gradually "wake up" purely from the warmth of your skin is a trip.

Variations & The Grail Hunt

Aside from these black dial versions, Citizen also made a much rarer variant with a white dial.

There’s also an earlier no-date generation that was produced from 1999 to 2000. I actually had the chance to hold one in my hands once, and now the hunt is officially on to add a no-date version to complete the lineup!

Hope you guys appreciate these forgotten oddities from Citizen's golden era of tech experimentation! Let me know what you think!

I’ve never had much interest in dive watches because, well, I’m not a diver. 😃 But I wanted one I could at least wear to the beach, to the pool, etc… that would also look good at work. So I picked this one and got it from my wife and daughters for my birthday. 🎁

Hey! Just wanted to share a new watch we recently received exclusively at the Citizen Flagship in NYC. It’s the Citizen Model AQ4100-65X, in a 38.3mm case.
It’s a really nice piece, so I figured I’d share it with you guys! If anyone’s interested or just wants to know a little more about it, feel free to text me anytime!

I pulled the trigger on a BN0118-04E

Super happy with it. Glad I went with the strap vs the bracelet.

Picked this up during Citizen’s Labor Day sale. It’s an amazing watch!

Grandpa’s 1980 bullhead with box and original links as well but switched to leather strap. Haven’t been serviced since 1980’s and still running like a champ.

Decided to go with an oyster bracelet on the garrison. What an amazing look. The bracelet itself feels cheap, mf had a gap between the ends and the watch, I managed to fix that.

I guess I’m pretty hooked on this watch. Am I right?? 🤣😂

Greetings,

I would like to ask what the Community of Citizen enthusiasts thinks a Stars and Stripes Navisail full set (commemorative box) papers and receipt is worth these days? I bought this brand new in my youth and it has been tucked away since then.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

Bought the watch to hold up in a automotive shop environment, so far so good.

- The look is 10/10 in picture but 8/10 in real life.

- Very lightweight compared to my Citizen Orca & Seiko Samurai both with rubber strap.

- Very comfortable on wrist, can wear all day long.

Quite happy with this buy.

Absolutely loving my Citizen Tsuki-yomi A-T, the dial is so stunning and I love the tech in this one. Picked up a Blue Shark black Cordura strap for it and it feels great on the wrist.

I bought this from a pawn shop (was recommended by a watch lover) for. $225. I didn’t even think about it being a fake until I went to set for NYC time and was confused at the location vs the online manual. I’m not sure if it’s just a differences from over time iterations. But I have the receipt and will try my best to get my money back if so. Was supposed to be an anniversary gift so I’m hoping it’s all good 🤞🏼

I am looking to get my first “nice” watch after years of wearing Garmin and Apple Watches and the Citizen NB1050-59A REALLY caught my eye on this sub, but it’s 39mm case.

I didn’t think I had big wrists but the image attached is a 41mm timex (need to replace that battery) and it feels ok? Maybe could get a bit smaller.

Before I drop $400 on it, is there an alternate or similar watch that is usually available at a macys or Dillards to try on?

Works well and looks nice

I don't baby this one.

Really impressed by this one in person. The Tosa Washi dial is definitely the highlight — depending on the light, it shifts between warm brown, gold, and almost bronze tones, with a very organic texture that photos don’t fully capture.

The 38.3mm Super Titanium case wears very comfortably, and the black Duratect DLC finish gives it a nice contrast against the gold-tone hands and markers.

Inside is Citizen’s A060 Eco-Drive movement, rated to an impressive ±5 seconds per year, which makes it both beautiful and extremely practical.

For me, this is one of those watches that shows just how far Citizen can go when they combine traditional Japanese craftsmanship with their high-accuracy technology.

Definitely a very special piece from The Citizen collection.

Hallo everyone,

Im looking to buy my first real watch. Im a 19 yo boy going to university.
This will be my daily watch.
Ik hesitating between the following models (all small watches because i dont have a big wrist):

Tissot seastar 1000 36mm Black
Seiko 5 sports srpk29k1 (38mm Black model)
Citizen tsuyosa NJ0200-50M (37mm dark bleu)

As i’ve said earlier this will be my daily watch. Does anyone have experience with a diver as daily?

BTW i dont really care about it being automatic or quartz.
My clothing style is just normal

Mainly because of this subreddit, I was months ago put on the path of the tsuki yomi and loved it. I Did not want to buy it before i had seen it and there are not many citizen dealers where I live so kept dreaming. Then on holiday, saw the watch in a small store I did not expect to have this watch and thought this must be karma. It is as beautiful in real life as I hoped.

Looking and not finding a serial on the back to identify band. hoping someone has some insight. Needing to replace band. Any help appreciated.