Thursday, September 22, 2011

CITIZEN Attesa BY0040-51F

   I recently purchased the new CITIZEN Attesa BY0040-51F Eco-Drive solar powered radio controlled watch. Very nice piece on the first look. Watch comes in the standard Citizen original box with Japanese, Chinese and English manual. Let me share with you few remarks.

   Eco-Drive (solar power) - great Citizen Eco-Drive solar power. I hope I will never need to change the accumulator. By pressing the lower button, the chronograph minute hand stops at the one of four levels of accumulator status.

   Radio Controlled - if I compare to my another radio controlled watch the BY0040-51F is faster when receiving the time signal. I don't see the issue with the time accuracy at all. It receives signal from all 5 known transmitters (2xJJY, WWVB, DCF77, BPC) and adjust watch according to the selected city:
UTC 0
LON London 0
PAR Paris +1
CAI Cairo +2
MOW Moscow +3
DXB Dubai +4
KHI Karachi +5
DEL Delhi +5.5
DAC Dhaka +6
BKK Bangkok +7
HKG Hong Kong +8
TYO Tokyo +9
ADL Adelaide +9.5
SYD Sydney +10
NOU Noumea +11 JPN
AKL Auckland +12
MDY Midway Island -11
HNL Honolulu -10
ANC Anchorage -9
LAX Los Angeles -8
DEN Denver -7
CHI Chicago -6
NYC New York -5
SCL Santiago -4
RIO Rio de Janeiro -3
FEN Fernando de Noronha -2
PDL Azores -1
   In addition you can select the option Standard time/Summer time and adjust automatically or manually.

Another features:
Perpetual calendar - valid until 2099.
Chronograph - measure the time with 0.20s accuracy. You can run the chronograph by pressing the upper button. Maximum time you can measue is 60min. Than the chronograph stops.
Alarm - you can select one alarm time. I would prefer at least two.
Shock detection function
Power saving function - stop the needles when the watch is placed in the dark place for a longer time period.
Anti-magnetic JIS1
Water resistance 10bar
Made in Japan

   The case is very nice. It is made from the titanium with the DURATECT TIC treatment. The same as the bracelet. There is a sapphire glass with anti reflective coating. Around the glass there is a DLC (diamond like carbon) scratch resistible ring.

   Over all the watch is very well made and precise. Looks casual, you can wear it with suite but also with a sporty T-shirt. The dial is well readable. Dial is also fluorescent as well as needles thus you can use the watch even in the dark. Watch is easily to operate by two buttons and crown with three positions. The only disadvantage is the price and only one alarm as stated above. I would recommend the watch to all of you who wants to be a bit different.