Hi All! In this post today, I’m going to write about Citizen BM8475-26E review, a black-orange themed watch that’s also solar powered.
The watch has a black matte dial with orange hands and markers that’s just pop up from it. It’s truly is stunning to look at and in my opinion, a great casual/everyday watch.
The solar powered feature also makes it a convenient tool as its owner does not need to change the battery every 1-2 years or so. It’s the perfect combination of automatic and quartz watches.
Last but not least, the good 100 m water resistance means the watch is well protected from any accidental water ingress that might happen.
Well, that should be enough for an introduction. Let’s go through the Citizen BM8475-26E review and look at the watch closer.
Citizen Eco-Drive BM8475-26E Watch Specification
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Case: Black PVD stainless steel
Strap: Brown leather strap with pin buckle
Watch Crystal: Mineral crystal
Dial: Orange Black dial
Hands: Sword hands with lume
Markers: Explorer style markers
Movement: Citizen’s Eco-Drive E011
Movement Features: Solar powered quartz movement
Accuracy: +-20 seconds per day
Power Reserve: 6 months
Water Resistance: 100 m
Other Features: Lume on markers and hands, Day date display
Citizen BM8475-26E Manual: Click Here to download the user manual
Best Place To Buy: Amazon, MSRP is $235
Stylish Black Dial With Orange Markers & Hands
The dial is one of the things that first draw attention to the Citizen BM8475-26E. It’s a black matte dial with orange hands and markers that just burst out due to their high contrast.
It’s really trendy at the current time as more strong colors are becoming the norm with men’s fashion.
Black, silver and blue have always been my favorite color in a watch but orange seems nice too, no thanks to this watch =)
The whole dial is understated and look very simple. I love the fact that Citizen chose to use explorer style dial (the 3, 6, 9 & 12 numerals) as opposed to normal full numerals or index.
In my opinion, explorer dial has a cleaner look that’s not too busy and yet still easy to read thanks to the big numeral markings.
Very Useful Day and Date Display
Another bit that I love about the Citizen BM8475-26E is the inclusion of day and date window displays. These 2 are just a must have for anyone wanting a watch to be used everyday.
Sure, some people complained that these (particularly the day) wrecks the watch’s symmetry and disturb it’s design which I totally agree, if that is a dress watch.
But if the watch in question is intended for everyday use, the functionality of day/date can’t be questioned.
It’s totally very useful as you don’t have to look around if you need to know what day/date today is.
Just a flick of your wrist will do and I can’t say how much time have I saved by doing this everyday
(sidenote: I think my ability to remember day & date worsens as I age LOL!).
Which is why I’d say these features are very useful for any watch that’s meant to be used everyday for work.
Full Lume On The Dial
Another interesting element about the Citizen BM8475-26E is the full lume on the dial which is totally awesome considering its fairly affordable price.
The semi-skeleton sword hands and explorer markers both have lumes on top of it which is really really beautiful to look at.
Just look at the lume shot of this Citizen BM8475-26E. Ain’t the full lume gorgeous? =)
I’m a huge fan of lumes and seeing a well-lumed watch just makes my heart excite with joy =)
The lume also will help with telling time in the dark such as during bedtime or even in movies (my favorite usage).
Sleek Black PVD Stainless Steel Case
Complementing the black dial of the Citizen BM8475-26E is a black PVD stainless steel case with 42 mm diameter and 11 mm thick.
Being a non-polished case, it’s definitely helps to build up the watch’s theme as an understated handsome watch that’s not going to draw attention by being very shiny and all.
The case is simply constructed with the shape of a normal watch. The only extraordinary thing about the case is the big and tall crown with patterns on it for easy to operate.
Truthfully, I’m not a fan of the big crown as it seems to stand out and jeopardize the whole sleek look of the watch.
In my opinion, a smaller and “more normal” crown is better and will fit in with the whole design of the watch.
100 M Water Resistance
The watch also has a 100 m water resistance that’s important for a military styled watch such as this. I mean, there is no telling what we will encounter (rain, splashes of water etc.).
Thus a good water resistance is definitely needed to protect it and I feel 100 m is about the minimum that a watch should has.
A Not So Scratch Resistant Mineral Crystal
On top of the Citizen BM8475-26E is a mineral crystal that’s protecting it from any damages. But I need to warn you guys the mineral crystal is NOT scratch resistant at all.
I feel I need to emphasize this since most online watch retailers seems to promote mineral crystal as scratch resistant which is far from the truth.
The only watch crystal material that’s scratch resistant is sapphire, and it’s very unlikely for a watchmaker to use those for a watch at this price range.
So what should we do?
Keep a good care of our watches of course. Try not to bang it against any hard surfaces such as concrete, stonewall, steel, etc.
Even putting your watch in a pocket full of keys or coins could cause some ugly scratches.
Thus, it’s very important to treat our watches as sensibly as possible to avoid it from getting scratches, or worse, some nick on the surface.
(Trust me on this. I’d wish anyone gave me this advice when I first bought my watches. For more information about types of watch crystals, read my introduction to watch crystals here)
Convenient Solar Powered Watch
The most important feature of the Citizen BM8475-26E is the solar powered watch which makes it a convenient watch to own.
It’s powered by Citizen’s Eco-Drive E011 movement, one of the movement in the famous Eco-Drive solar watch family.
So how does these solar watch works?
Solar watches have a solar cell (or photo-voltaic cell) underneath their dial that can convert light (any light, not just sunlight) into electrical energy.
This electrical energy is then stored in a rechargeable battery. From there, the mechanism of a solar watch is the same as any quartz watch.
As you can conclude, the advantage of a solar watch is there is no need to replace the battery every 1-2 years like a normal conventional quartz watch.
The watch will recharge its own battery as long as you can expose it to lights long enough.
Above table is a rough guideline on how long it takes to charge the Citizen BM8475-26E at different lighting condition
There is also an overcharge protection system – so you guys don’t have to worry about exposing it to too much light LOL!
Citizen estimates the rechargeable battery will only need to be changed every 10 years, though there are cases the battery seems to have longer life than that.
Well, it’s much better than having to change the battery every 1-2 years right?
(Click here to download the Citizen BM8475-26E user manual)
Citizen BM8475-26E Vs Seiko SSC233
Seiko SSC233, another black-orange watch from a different Japanese manufacturer
I’ve recently reviewed the Seiko SSC233 another black-orange watch and feel compelled to see how both of these two great solar watches stack up to each other.
As you can see, even though both watches have similar black-orange style, they are both massively different.
For a start, the Seiko SSC233 is bigger at 45 mm diameter compared to 42 mm diameter of the Citizen BM8475-26E.
The Seiko also has a chronograph and 24-hour time display whereas the Citizen is a normal three-hands analog watch.
This additional feature in the Seiko warrants a higher price (around $150-$170) than the $120-$130 of the Citizen (prices on Amazon).
They are both the same in the solar powered movement and water resistance (100 m).
So which is the better watch? Honestly, I believe it depends on what kind of watch you want.
Specification wise, the Seiko is far better since it has a chronograph and 24-hour time display but this comes at an extra cost.
In the end, it depends whether you guys want a chrono or just a normal watch.
If you’re looking for a sophisticated look, the Seiko is the one for you but if you want a sleek and understated watch, the Citizen is more suitable.
Who Is This Watch For?
In my opinion, anyone seeking a simple and understated watch should go with the Citizen BM8475-26E.
It also very easy to read the time and looks trendy and stylish with the orange markers/hands.
The usage of Citizen’s Eco-Drive solar powered movement makes the watch a real easy to use. Just set the time once and you can wear it for a long time until the battery died.
This is very different than those conventional battery type of watches that need frequent battery replacement.
Having a day and date display make it a great everyday watch, especially for work.
Who Should Not Get It?
If you guys are looking for something extraordinary, then this Citizen BM8475-26E might not be the one for you. It’s a bit too simple and might turn off those than want a more eye-catching piece.
Watch the video above to see the Citizen Eco-Drive BM8475-26E closer
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Simple and handsome black-orange themed dial
- Solar powered for total convenience
- Day and date feature make the watch very useful
- 100 m water resistance
- Full lume on the hands and markers
Cons:
- Can be too simple for some
Like This Watch? Buy It Cheapest On Amazon!
If you like this Citizen BM8475-26E, you can buy it cheapest on Amazon. Instead of the MSRP price of $235, the watch can be had for less than $150 on Amazon! Click the link below to check out the Citizen BM8475-26E on Amazon.
->Click Here To See The Best Deals Of Citizen BM8475-26E On Amazon<-
Final Thoughts
The Citizen BM8475-26E is a simple watch with black-orange themed. But in it’s simplicity lies its greatest strength. It’s truly stunning and makes for a great watch than can be used everyday.
Not just content with a good look, the watch also uses solar movement that’s definitely an upgrade over the normal quartz. With an easily rechargeable battery, the watch will continue to run effortlessly.
For a simple everyday watch that’s also very convenient, this Citizen BM8475-26E is the one to have.
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I hope you guys like this Citizen BM8475-26E review. Let me know if you guys have any questions about it.
And don’t forget to drop your comments below =)
Cheers!
Isaac