The Citizen BM6400-18E is a pretty sleek Eco drive watch. It has a canvas strap and a stainless steel case. Overall, it’s a very photogenic watch whose beauty is really in its basic simplicity: there are no bells and whistles here; it’s just a timepiece. The only add on you get is a single date calendar (minus the day). The numbers are large and luminous, and can be seen quite clearly in the dark. Because it’s an Eco-Drive, it doesn’t need winding and will go on indefinitely – until you starve it of sunlight. Even at that, the manufacturers boast it will still operate for at least six months when placed in darkness.

This watch is actually an updated version of what was commonly referred to as ‘the Ray Mears’ watch – the Citizen Promaster PMU56-2371. Whereas that one retailed at between €300-€400 and had a Titanium case which came with a choice of black canvas or Titanium strap, the BM6400-18E costs half as much (even less if you happen upon it in a sale) and comes with a stainless steel case. They look almost the same except for some notable differences, which can be seen in the comparison photos below.

 

Citizen Promaster PMU56-2371                                Citizen BM6400-18E

Unfortunately, though, the Citizen Promaster PMU56-2371 is not being made anymore and is extremely rare to come by. If you do, chances are you will be paying a hefty price for that rarity. However, there is one big difference, which makes me prefer the cheaper updated BM6400-18E model: the numbers are actually moulded on the face/dial whereas they just seem to be painted onto the older Ray Mears version.

The closest watch available would be the Citizen Royal Marine Commando BN0110-06E (see above), which is also made of Titanium, and has the same overall design and bulky appearance, but you can expect to pay the same amount for it as the earlier Ray Mears version. For price alone, you can't go wrong with the BM6400-18E. And as an extra bonus you also don't get the 'Royal Marine Commando' label on the face, which for watch purists, is a bit of a no-no.

The strap of the BM6400-18E is made of black canvass and while it looks better than the wretched green canvas straps of several Citizen releases, it still sufferers from the same basic problem: the holes always manage to just barely miss your ideal wrist size, so what you’re left with is a watch you will either wear slightly too tight or quite lose. The steel enforced buckle wholes, while cool looking, make it impossible to create an extra hole should you need it. It’s fair to say most buyers of this watch will opt for putting on a new strap.

Another minor quip would be the crown: it seems (at least on my version) that place where the winder sits in wasn’t made wide enough to accommodate it, so you have the effect that it always looks like it’s not pushed properly into place. (NB: I have recently learned this is not the case. Apparently a lot of these watches are being delivered with the winder/crown pulled out, giving the impression of an error in workmanship. Not so. If you look carefully, there are THREADS where the crown is pushed in; only you have to push and twist to set it properly into place. I found this out by complete accident after many weeks of risking damaging the crown/winder by leaving it in the 'out' position.)

Overall, though, it’s a beautiful and simple watch that is a very accurate timekeeper – losing bare seconds over a two-week period. Those after the extremely rare Citizen Promaster PMU56-2371 could do a lot worse than to give up the chase and splash out on its cheaper, stainless steel successor instead.

SKA051P1 Seiko Kinetic Water Resist 100m Gents Bracelet Strap Watch

This is the SKA051P1 Seiko Kinetic Water Resist 100m Gents Bracelet Strap Watch. It is one of my own. I bought this babe around mid 2004 and I can honestly say it's one of the best I've ever had. It a true beauty - both in looks and reliability. It doesn't seem to lose much time in an average month. At that time I purchased it, it cost around €250. It probably would be more now, but unfortunately Seiko don't make these any more. They're quite rare and hard to come by. Most models that are available are second hand. Seiko replaced this is with a version that while similar, doesn't possess the same 'rectangular' numbers. The current version has a combination of circular, rectangular and triangular numbers. I have to say I'm a sucker for the older version.

That second button you see is for measuring the power level of the watch obtained kinetically. This watch works by wrist movements. If it's fully topped up, the second hand will do a full 360 degree turn. If its half full, it will only do 180, coming to rest at the 6 o' clock mark.

The case is around 43 mm, so it's quite a hefty watch but still manages to look good on the wrist. The craftmanship that went into this watch is as good as you're going to get. It could quite easily compete with models three times more expensive. I love the navy blue dial and blue and red bezel. While it displays the date, it doesn't actually display the day, which is pity. Still when it looks that good, it's a small sacrifice to pay. Seiko, always a reliable watch maker, outdid themselves with this one.