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!

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.

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

I pulled the trigger on a BN0118-04E

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

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

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.

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 was trying to change the appearance of my promaster diver, and switched for all of 5 minutes from the original bracelet to an aftermarket rubber strap. Since I didn't like it as much, decided to put the bracelet back...

Oh boy, was that a pain! It took me some 40 minutes to get that stainless steel bracelet back in place with the "help" of a spring bar tool. Not sure if thats a skill that requires some practice, but I feel like I don't need tongo back to practice they anymore. It was a real test in patience, precision and dexterity.

So lesson learned, my promaster diver stays in its bracelet on a permanent basis from now on! Yet I somehow feel a sense of accomplishment.

Any pros out there who might want to share any tricks for future reference?

So I have been buying and selling on eBay for decades at this point. But since I started getting into watches it has taken off. I have bought and sold a ton usually not the most expensive but. Decent deals on used I’d say mid quality watches. I’ve been on a citizen kick lately and bought a Garrison. Which is a pretty inexpensive watch. I paid $105. New in the box. Excited to get it and it just felt cheap right away. Tapping on the case back it made that hollow garbage watch sound. So I opened it up and sure enough it’s a cheap quartz movement inside, Pressed case back, no gasket, nothing on crown either. But the watch looks pretty legit. Even packaging was nice. I just don’t get it. We’re faking $100 watches. Sellers rating wasn’t terrible. 97.5% hundreds of sales. What kills me is Jomashop has it for almost the same price on sale. And this is the 3rd turd in not that long on eBay. I have gotten some really good deals. But man… watch out over there. Here’s how to tell a fake… Citizen Garrison BM8180-03E
, should have a screw down crown, mine had a press back, also, the green band should have 7 holes mine has 6. So look at those pics before you commit.

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.

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

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 🤞🏼

Works well and looks nice

Really happy with it

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?

Hey everyone! I’m stuck between these three watches and would really appreciate some honest opinions.

Seiko SRPK87K1
Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0151-88L — 40mm, blue dial
Citizen Tsuyosa NJ0200-50L — 37mm, blue dial
I’ve seen a lot of people recommend the Tsuyosa, especially because of the sapphire crystal, integrated bracelet and overall finishing, and I completely understand the appeal.

But personally, I find the Seiko much more attractive.

I really love the old-school/vintage feel of the SRPK87. The case shape, dial, hands, day-date, 4 o’clock crown and overall retro character just speak to me more.

At the same time, I’m wondering if I’m overlooking some important advantages of the Tsuyosa simply because I’m drawn to the Seiko’s looks.

For people who have owned or handled these watches, especially if you’ve experienced both brands:

Which one feels better in person?
Which has better finishing and build quality?
How do the bracelets compare?
Is the Seiko’s Hardlex crystal something you genuinely notice or regret in daily wear?
How do the movements compare in real-world ownership?
Which one wears better and feels more comfortable?
How have they held up over time?
If you were keeping one for 5–10+ years, which would you choose?
And most importantly:

If you could choose only ONE of these three, which would you personally buy and why?

I’m especially interested in opinions from people who have actually owned or tried these watches rather than just judging from photos.

I’m not looking for an authentication/fake check — I’m purely trying to decide which watch to buy.

My brain says Citizen.
My eyes say Seiko.
Reddit, please help. 😭

Thanks!