Citizen BM8475-26E Eco-Drive Watch Review

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While the old BM8475-00F was hard to read the time with its strong all-grey theme, and the BM8475-00X is somewhat effeminate with its olive-green and white tone, the military-styled orange/black Citizen BM8475-26E is considered as a real improvement.

First introduced in Citizen’s 2012 Spring Collection, the BM8475-26E features Japanese quartz movement with an analog display for time precision. The orange and black dial features luminous hands and numerals along with a day and date window.

All these are under a mineral crystal window that protects the watch against scratches and impacts. As part of the company’s Eco-drive campaign, this model does not rely on batteries to run because the surrounding light will already do that for you.

Orange and black military theme

The unique orange and black military theme of the BM8475-26E makes it a standout over its predecessors. It screams of masculine style but is not too overpowering, thanks to the orange leather band that balances the look. This makes it a good choice when going for a casual and rugged look or even in classy and formal wear.

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Click here to see the current pricing for the BM8475-26E

The leather band is synthetic, which means that it’s more elastic than authentic leather for a more comfortable feel. It’s also more durable, easier to clean, and doesn’t catch stains as easily as the real thing.

Add to that the fact that recent trends frown upon the use of real leather, Citizen is worth commending for going with the artificial alternative. For a secure, comfortable fit, the belt clasp is a tang-type buckle that complements the leather band perfectly.

Stainless steel case

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The round case of the BM8475-26E is made of stainless steel that protects against impact and scratches. It’s finished in black and PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coated, which makes the case stronger and corrosion-resistant for longer-lasting protection.

At the back of the casing is a stainless steel cover for added protection. The simple push/pull knurled crown at the side of the case is also a nice touch, which makes it easier to set the time than its screw-down counterparts.

Dial design

The orange numbers and rectangular markings on the dial are nice and large, which makes it easy to read the time at a glance. The day and date are also displayed at the 3 o’clock position so you won’t have to pull out your cell phone constantly to check the date.

Aside from the luminous numbers and markings, the hour and minute hand also have a nice greenish lume so viewing the time is easy even when in the dark. As for the window cover, it’s made with mineral glass crystal that provides scratch resistance without compromising the viewing clarity.

Eco-drive system

Say goodbye to the old wind-up action and modern batteries because with Citizen’s Eco-Drive system, all you need is the light around you to keep your watch ticking along. This advanced technology uses both natural and artificial light to power the movement of the hands and keep them running smoothly. This is made possible by the silicon light cells hidden behind the dial of the watch.

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Together with a titanium Li-ion battery that serves as an energy reserve, this revolutionary system will ensure that your watch works continuously and accurately, even when you spend months in total darkness.

Additional information

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The Citizen BM8475-26E orange and black military watch has a case diameter of 42 millimeters and thickness of 11 millimeters. The synthetic leather band has a Men’s Standard length of 8.5 inches and width of 22 millimeters.

It tips the scales at approximately 16 ounces and has a water resistance of up to 330 feet (100 meters). Citizen has the BM8475-26E covered with a 5-year limited warranty on parts and service.

The cool stuff…

If you just want a watch to tell the time, and maybe the date, without having hundreds of other functions, dials and buttons to drive you crazy, then this watch could be the one for you. The Citizen BM8475-26E offers stylish simplicity, and of course being powered by the excellent Eco-Drive system, you will never have to worry about this watch losing power.

The colors used in the BM8475-26E are very appealing, and all seem to go together very well. From the leather brown strap, to the black case and watch face, to the luminous orange hands and numerals. Citizen really knows how to make good looking watches, no matter how simple or complex the design is, and this watch really typifies that.

And the not-so-cool stuff…

While we certainly do love Citizen watches here at TimeNeeds.com, we do also want to be as objective as possible with our reviews so you can get a very clear description of what you are potentially buying. We do have a soft-spot for the BM8475-26E watch as well, but there are some imperfections to this watch that we found.

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First of all, the color contrast of the orange hands and numerals against the black face looks great. But the orange elements are ‘luminous’, except that they do not glow that brightly in the dark. If you are expecting (or hoping) that these will glow brightly as soon as you turn the light off, think again. You can hardly see them in the dark to be honest.

The leather strap is/was very stiff when new. We did find that it softened up after a while, but it is still fairly stiff now. It was still comfortable to wear, so comfort was not an issue, but we were quite surprised at how stiff the strap was.

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When you need to set the day and the date, it was not that easy to find the second detent when the crown was pulled out. It didn’t click definitively into place, we had to be quite gentle with it and use a bit of ‘feel’ to know when it was in the right position to actually change the day and date.

Overall conclusion on the Citizen BM8475-26E

Although this watch does have some points that could be improved upon, as mentioned above, we didn’t find any of them to be deal-breakers, and the positives far outweigh the negatives on this one. It is a very good looking watch, and has the usual reliability that Citizen Eco-Drive watches are known for. The Citizen BM8475-26E is also available at a very reasonable price, so you are getting great value for your money too.

Click here to get the BM8475-26E at the best price today…

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