Wristwatch Review: Citizen's Stainless Steel Eco-Drive Dress Watch

For Christmas in 2015, my wife got me a very nice Citizen Eco-Drive dress watch.  It goes by the catchy name - Model BM7193-07B.  It's a great addition to my watch collection and will never need batteries.

Citizen Eco-Drive Dress watch

Style.  This men's Citizen Eco-Drive is a beautiful watch with classic retro-styling.  If you search vintage men's watch or vintage Citizen watch and look for images, it won't be long before you come across watches that look much like this one.  Vintage Citizen dress watches typically had the double baton at 12 o'clock and regular batons to denote the hours.  The cursive script on the classics was typically centered below the hands at 6 o'clock and described the number of jewels in the mechanical movement.  A vintage Citizen typically has a date window surrounded by a gold tone box and this Eco-Drive as well.  This watch even has a domed crystal.  The dial is white, but I'd almost call it an off-white or parchment white.  It's not a bright white.  At a contemporary 40 millimeters, the case diameter is probably a little larger than the classics.  It is dress watch thin at 10 millimeters thick.  I find the size just right for a dress watch.  Even though this watch is thoroughly futuristic on the inside, it is still connected to a long line of great Citizen watches.  For that, I give extra style points.

The strap is crocodile-embossed leather and long enough to fit my wrists comfortably.  At first, it was a little stiff, but it is comfortable and looks pretty good.  I like the Citizen label on the buckle to help differentiate this watch from lesser brands.  In this price category, these little touches are expected.  If I was the designer of this watch, I think I would also put some sort of inscription (perhaps a 'C') on the crown.

Construction.  This watch has a gold-tone stainless steel case, stainless caseback, and a scratch-resistant mineral crystal.  The watch is water resistant to 99 feet if you stumble into a pool or water feature while texting about important business matters.  Overall, this watch seems pretty well constructed.

Movement.  This watch has a Japanese quartz movement and is powered by Citizen Eco-Drive technology.  After a day of charging, it can keep time for a very, very, long time.  (See my post The Citizen Eco-Drive and the Sock Drawer). After a full day of charging, this watch should keep time for six months.  Despite the high tech power, this watch does not have any design features that appear to be a solar cell at all.  It is perhaps the most subtle of sun-powered watches.

Overall, I really like this Citizen Eco-Drive dress watch.  It is perfect for the office and other events.  The brown band and rose gold-tone are the perfect style for such settings.  It's not a big watch that beats you over the head with pizazz.  Instead, it's a refined, cultured, design that fits into a long line of great Citizen watches.  Perhaps, this business-like watch is a solid Citizen.

Wristwatch Review: Invicta Men's 1460 Vintage Collection Riveted Leather Strap Black Dial Watch

My Invicta 1460 Vintage Collection Quartz Watch 

[This is a repost of a watch review of the Invicta 1460 Vintage Collection Watch that I originally published on Yahoo Voices back in the 2012 timeframe.  I've updated the article with new links, headings, and photos as of 2024.]

The Invicta 1460 Vintage Collection Quartz Watch

Most watch enthusiasts enjoy viewing Invicta presentations on the ShopNBC cable channel. While I sometimes ridicule Invicta for making big, honking, watches, the company usually sells watches that are interesting, luxurious, and relatively affordable. When I bought my Invicta Men's 1460 Vintage Collection Riveted Leather Strap Black Dial Watch at TJ Maxx, I was attracted by the finish and fine features that I saw under the watch counter glass. These are the same features that are often showcased by Invicta Watch Group hosts on television. A quick review of my new Invicta quartz watch reveals a least seven high end features that are found on far costlier timepieces.

Invicta 1460 Features

Stainless Steel Case. My Invicta Black Dial watch has an all stainless steel case, caseback, and clasp. Cheaper watches often have base metal bezels made from inexpensive materials like zinc. Plastic is also commonly used in cheap watches. The all stainless steel construction of the Invicta Men's 1460 is a rugged and attractive alternative.


Detailed Crown. The crown of this Invicta men's watch is nicely detailed, ribbed for easy manipulation, and stamped with a small Swiss Cross logo. You won't find this level of detail on the crown of any low budget quartz watch.

Coin-Edged Bezel. The bezel has a similar ribbed design that reminds me of a coin edge. The stainless steel bezel provides good protection for the "flame-fusion" crystal. Little extra details like the coin-edged bezel take extra time, equipment, and money.

Etched Caseback.  Most cheap watches have a plain caseback that either has no design or a simple battery number and the omnipresent "Made in China" label. In contrast, the vintage design inspired Invicta 1460 has an interesting and complete design. The Invicta wings logo dominates the back. It sits on a field of small squares that contain the same Swiss Cross logo that is found on the end of the crown.

Stitched Genuine Calf-Leather Band. The Invicta 1460 has a soft leather band that is generously sized and incredibly soft. Lower priced watches usually have a velcro band, plastic band, or short band. For example, my Timex Expedition Metal Tech came with a soft leather band that was too short and too narrow. With this Invicta, it's nice to have a comfortable band that actually fits!

Detailed Band Rivets and Clasp. The leather band has a rivet on each side of the watch case. The rivet has the same Swiss cross logo that is found on the crown. It's an extra feature that simply doesn't appear on my wonderfully inexpensive Walmart watches.

Luminous Hands and Numbers. Finally, the hour and minute hands on this Invicta are broad, readable, and coated with luminous material. They are supported by broad hashmarks at five minute intervals, smaller hashmarks at one minute intervals. Large white numbers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock and a 45 millimeter case diameter make this Invicta watch very readable.

Overall Review

The extra features of the Invicta Men's 1460 Vintage Collection Riveted Leather Band Black Dial Watch made it a good value at $99 at my local TJ Maxx. I was even more amazed when participants on My Wristwatch forum found it for roughly half that price from a variety of internet vendors. When compared to other watches in the price range, it is definitely a bargain. You get a lot for your money.