A No Nonsense Field Watch Under $200 - Citizen Chandler 37mm

[@masonknives92]

Had one for 10 years and wear it everyday. Its taken a right bashing and works and keeps time perfectly! Perfect little watch!

[@petrosspetrosgali]

Yes. I’m an airplane mechanic and wear this watch daily to work. Over the last 2 years or so, it’s been beaten up and still works great and the case and crystal are not too marred up. I am thinking about getting it fitted with a sapphire crystal one day….

[@Ibnul772]

Does it still work?

[@masonknives92]

@@Ibnul772 Yes perfectly! Its my spare now and lives on a windowsill charging up.

[@rain-bender4712]

I very much like this watch for numerous reasons. The size, the accuracy, the reliability, the design, the price, the practicality. It's a great usable watch.

[@Harold710]

I am an omega watch guy but when i started wearing this citizen I quickly realized this will be my every day watch . The diameter is perfect. There is no battery needed. Sun and daylight keep it running and it has a date along with the name of the day. It glows in the dark and is cheap to buy.

[@ninjasrose1653]

Just bought one and I’m not a watch guy really. But, time is the most important thing to me in the world and I thought it was contradictory by not wearing a watch… I just picked this up for little under £100 it’s so comfortable!

[@oceantang2324]

Picked this one up on Amazon for about $100 and change 6 months ago. I've got a colleague who's really into watches and when he heard that I was looking for a traditional solar powered watch, pointed me to Citizen's Eco Drive technology. This is the watch that brought me out of the smartwatch world and is probably the first proper watch I bought myself. I've got really skinny wrists so this fits me perfectly, and it's a major plus that I don't have to worry at all about the charge dying, ever :)

[@kushal9919]

i also ordered this from walmart for 100 dollars can you pls tell your wrist size ? i have 6 inch wrist

[@oceantang2324]

@ mine is also about 6 inches!

[@dannenoob]

I love that you are doing more affordable watches lately.

[@tomasquevedo3735]

Citizen is such a good underated brand... When the promaster will be discontinued then people will apreciate this watches

[@moenibus]

Underated? really? according to who?

[@micah_wong]

@@moenibus Subjective term, but I also agree. They keep time very well and the Eco-Drive is a HUGE plus. (Yes, I know it's quartz, but it the Eco-Drive is about as convenient as an automatic movement).

[@thom3321]

Citizen watches are underrated by watch snobs worldwide. Those purist who would never wear any watch that is not mechanical much less a watch as cheap as a Citizen. But I on the other hand understand what a good everyday field watch is all about. Here is the Citizen solar quartz accuracy in a classically handsome field watch that I never have to set or worry about the cost of replacement. It just makes sense. The watch won’t be on my wrist in the evening dining out or at a fancy party but that is not the kind of girl she is. She is as admirable as she is humble and serviceable.

[@dmarti47]

Citizen is actually not underrated at all in third-world countries, and I think that’s where Citizen is mostly appreciated. In fact, where I live, Citizen is seen as something that someone from middle class may purchase, because they’re not as inexpensive as in the US.

[@kabysummit5801]

@@dmarti47totally agree. I worked overseas particularly in the developing countries where people wore watches under $50 by and large. This Citizen eco drive priced at just below $200 is definitely in the mid priced range

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

The 'Chandler' eh? Could it _be_ any more of a field watch??

[@Noah-qh4ds]

What I love about this watch is when I wear it an look at it, there's just no fat to be trimmed. It's pretty dang perfect the way it is

[@sopapillas6398]

Some people don't like when youtubers review watches in their own shop. But I do appreciate that you remain impartial and point out the drawbacks such as case finishing and lume as well as where the watch excels. Appreciate you staying unbiased reviewing your own offerings!

[@danielmercado9035]

Teddy keeps it real, although I think the lume is better than he suggests.

[@SuperKawaz750]

@@danielmercado9035 indeed. Lume is good. i do not know why he says it is not. It is actually better than hamilton khaki's lume

[@danielmercado9035]

@@SuperKawaz750 The lume is also better than my Tissot Seastar 1000, which is decent itself.

[@chriscon8463]

I have one & it’s a great field watch; it weighs next to nothing on my wrist. I prefer mechanical watches, but I like having a watch that’s always ready to go when I pick it up (and doesn’t require battery changes). I did get a different strap for it, though, a NATO. Mine hits right on every second mark when it ticks!

[@DavidLee-js8ew]

Yeah, I'm not really digging the strap it comes with. Where did you get your NATO from? And is it difficult to replace?

[@curtbrown7718]

I just gave my Chandler to a young person as they begin their watch collecting journey, but I must say, from a value perspective, the Chandler is hard to beat. It wears wells, is highly-legible, and is attractive. Thank you, Teddy.

[@Trevor-z7b]

I wish they make new version of Chandler

[@Noah-qh4ds]

Just got it as a gift. The legibility catches my attention every time I look at it. It's almost impossible to misread

[@CAGraphics576]

I've owned one for about 12 years. I wore it for many years as a daily work watch. I worked outside and absolutely loved this watch!! I have replaced the straps many times and prefer to purchase the original straps, which are expensive. I still wear it, but my Rolex Submariner is my main watch now. I would highly recommend this watch! its tough and have never had to have it serviced.

[@masterqz7326]

As a guy with small wrists, this is my favorite watch of all time.

[@mattlo6657]

Grandfather has it, now i have it. 30 years later and still running

[@HeroAntagonist]

Picked up one early 2020 as a grab and going hiking watch but it's become my daily watch. I've got numerous field watches in my collection but this hits a sweet spot and does everything I need it to do. Can certainly recommend it as an entry level watch

[@miopera40]

I have beat one of these for the last 14 years, sand and salt water every weekend, still going. The original wrist band is crap though won't last a week under heavy use. Light, accurate, fast to read, maintenance free.

[@steelheart4148]

This is my go to the gym, wash my car watch. I love Citizen Eco Drive watches. No muss, no fuss, no battery change. I own 2 other Citizen watches.

[@jipke]

This little watch was my reliable outdoor companion for 4 field seasons during my PhD research and subsequently sat proudly on my wrist - on its worn-out original strap - under my wedding suit! Of course, only after my PhD - and out of the field - I was starting to make enough money to justify buying a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto. Would have loved for this baby to see some real action but the Citizen served me well nonetheless!

[@howardlo65]

Most often the second hand doesn’t appear to line up with the indices is due to the hand being slight above the face and viewing at an angle which makes them appear to not line up with the all. I have this same watch and the second hand does line up with the markers as long as I am not viewing it at an angle. I have had another Eco-Drive watch for about 25 years and it is still running great and is still on the original rechargeable battery.

[@teutonalex]

I bought this watch a few years ago as my forever daily. I’m a nurse and use it at work as well as take it thru hiking. Replaced the crystal with a sapphire and the strap with a red/brown leather nato. It’s nice never having to send it in for a battery change or worry about chipping the glass anymore.

[@nasriser8272]

Where did you source the sapphire crystal?

[@teutonalex]

@@nasriser8272 I just had a watch repair shop install it. Anyone of the can order it.

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

No bare below the elbow policy?

[@teutonalex]

@@asensibleyoungman2978 no that’s surgery.

[@st2rseeker]

Incredible entry level watch - solid and easy to dress up and down. I've put it on a sturdy leather strap - and it handsomely lives on the field/dress line.

[@brentonh1626]

Had this watch for more than a year. There's a lot to like about it, and for $120 it is an amazing deal. Criticisms about the second hand hitting markers and the weak lume are correct. Regarding the strap--I just swapped it out for a nato and it looks great and is easy to swap between a black strap and an olive/army green one to change up the look. Awesome deal, and having a quartz with the right time and the day/date set for when you need to grab a watch quickly and don't want to set a mechanical is always something useful to have.

[@tonyg6395]

Wearing mine as I watch this. Started collecting watches 3 years ago and this was my first purchase. I now have 16 watches not looking at slowing down either

[@TheSentinelOne]

My everyday watch for the last 10 years or so. Its scratched to bits but still wear it. Great on a nato.

[@Uchoobdood]

Love this watch, got it for $54 usd a couple years ago and forgot I had it. Charged it up in the sun and love it!

[@edpak1]

If I didn’t already own the garrison chronograph which is similar I would get this in heartbeat

[@ednammansfield8553]

Hi Teddy. I have this watch in my collection and it was my very first purchase of a Citizen Eco Drive. I have had mine around 10+ years now and I bought it here in the UK for just over £65 Sterling at the time from a Citizen Eco Drive retailer. It is still going strong today and keeps excellent time. Certainly one of the best field watches I have. Thanks for your review of this particular watch if you are on a budget, anyone who buys this watch will not be disappointed.

[@Moto6140]

Buen día, no se estropea en la lluvia o la piscina?

[@whatsstefon]

These are one of the most underrated field watches out there. 100m WR, quartz accuracy, basically never needing a service or battery, very comfortable and comes with a good strap with nice reinforcement on the holes. Sure it includes a day date complication which is not entirely traditional, but I’d dare say that 99.9% of buyers won’t be digging trenches with bombs dropping from the sky.

[@folksurvival]

Even if they were it will still be more useful for them to have a day and date than to not have it.

[@jasonhall10]

I agree that the strap is sturdy, and I think it looks good. But I found that it was hard to get the right fit because the holes are too far apart. Have you had that problem?

[@elia.8993]

@@jasonhall10 I had the same issues with the strap ans ended up getting me a Barton instead.

[@bubbsdaddy]

@@elia.8993 Ditto that... I've got a Barton Elite Silicon band on mine and several other watches too.

[@napoland9676]

Truth. I'm a first responder and a lover of field watches. I love the day date complication for filling out incident paperwork. But i enjoy the simplicity and ruggedness of a field watch while....out in the field. So while I'm not digging bombs or dropping trenches, my field watches are used as tool watches daily. Truth be told, my go-to watch is often a Timex Expedition Scout Snoopy because Indiglo is super handy for work.

[@Ghost-Ghost-Ghost]

I have this watch and love it. It's my "I'll wear it anywhere" watch.

[@cjlatta]

I bought this watch and changed the strap to a black rubber one. One of my favorite everday watch now

[@keepemclassic6791]

I have that one but in the black version. I put a Nylon strap on it to fit me better. Love it. Had it almost 7 months and still looks great.

[@bikeman123]

Ive had the chronograph version for perhaps 20 years now. Still working fine despite being my daily beater.

[@Proth-h7t]

'Entry level' shouldn't be seen as a negative. This is a truly great watch.

[@RemX405]

This is my beater watch. A nice grab n go for the weekends. Absolutely love it.

[@xXMarkWadeyXx]

Own this watch myself, love it, only thing I'd wish was different regarding the looks, is for the minute markers at 4,5,6,7,& 8 to be flipped right way up. As they are now, they're up-side-down when looking at the watch.

[@highwind1369]

I will admit that my Seiko SNK809 ha brighter lume that seems to last longer. That might have something to do with green being easier to see though. That being said, I love that the numbers are lumed. Super cool feature in this watch!

[@argonaut6386]

Had one for about 15 years. Unfortunately the glass broke with only a slight tap on the hand rail getting out of a pool whilst in holiday. It filled with water but amazingly was still running. I just wish Citizen would fit sapphire glass and charge a bit more

[@stormpsychore8246]

I am literally dieing to find a citizen eco sapphire watch that has that vintage look

[@deanwaller8283]

Sapphire glass is objectively less impact resistant than mineral crystal,and in fact the MOST impact resistant is acrylic

[@colemannee9898]

I have this watch and love it. Hard to beat from a value perspective. Also, I disagree about the lume, it's actually quite good. It doesn't "pop" like some when when freshly charged, but it lasts through the night (better than my Oris Big Crown Pro Pilot). If your watch needs are utilitarian this is perfect.

[@danielmercado9035]

Agreed, I have one and the lume is quite good.

[@SuperKawaz750]

@@danielmercado9035 +. the lume is indeed very good!!! Better than hamilton khaki field actually.

[@vobchopper]

This watch sells in the UK at Argos for £79.99 I have one and love it, my only gripe would be the strap is a little bit short

[@mistermood4164]

Get a nato

[@highwind1369]

I got a NATO for around 10-15 bucks and it made this watch waaaay better. Considering how affordable it is, I don't mind considering a third party strap a must.

[@kavashaman496]

It’s gone up in price 99.99

[@AC_702]

I love this watch. I've had it for over 13 years, and I'm never giving it up

[@Ibnul772]

Does it still work?

[@timking7344]

i bought one of these last week, brand new, in the box from a retailer here in the uk, my 4th eco drive, i paid £79.99 or $108... at that price you just cant go wrong, my other eco drives are perpetuals and i just wanted a simple watch for every day use, and this is ideal...

[@timking7344]

@José hi Jose, i did indeed...

[@steven2809]

@@timking7344 Me too! Just received today 👍 Only comes with green strap though.......☹️

[@timking7344]

@@steven2809 at the cost of it, its worth putting on another strap if you dont like the green one, but personally im ok with it... i have one ive put a black leather strap on and it does look good...

[@steven2809]

@@timking7344 Thanks mate...🙂

[@MusicTimer]

Just bought one of your watches… specifically the Raymond Weil moondial with the open heart! I recently just found your page, and I knew I had to support. You are the best! Thank you so much.

[@edmundcharles5278]

I love this watch and it has been my everyday wear timepiece for the last several years and it needs zero maintenance, nor a battery replacement. I can easily afford a nicer more expensive watch but this makes zero sense to pay $20K+ for a watch and either seldom wear it or be afraid of wearing it. If my citizen watch crystal gets scratched- no big deal; if my Citizen watch gets stolen- no big deal as I just buy another one.

[@NiallGriffin]

This was the first watch I ever bought for myself. The strap it comes with is terrible but no other complaints.

[@smokinjoe4684]

100% agree. I put a brown leather strap on immediately when I bought mine.

[@highwind1369]

I tried to give the stock strap a go, and I just couldn't stand it. I got a cheap Barton NATO strap and it's been an amazing beater watch. I love that I can feel comfortable wearing it to work and the field, but still like how it looks! It's not a bad first watch, congrats!

[@FrostRocket92]

I picked this watch up about two years ago, the strap was an issue for me. So I ordered a replacement from Barton and the watch has been great since that. Also think the royal blue leather I chose makes it look more like a casual watch than a field watch.

[@realbladerunner]

love this watch finally got a black strap for it too

[@jeffcline7689]

Have one of these for years. Wear when playing golf as I learned automatics don't like golf. Wear it a few times a month. Set every month. Gains about 3 seconds a month.

[@FredHenry1850]

I wore this watch everyday for 2 years before I finally chose to move up to a little bigger watch (38-39mm), which is my "sweet spot." Other than that, it is a perfect EDC watch. The reason it took me two years to change it was because I had a hard time justifying the need. It keeps great time (even to this day), it has day and date, and it is easy to read (day and night). It is just a little too small for my preference.

[@patgenier1965]

Thanks for the Vid. I purchased my first Citizen watch today. E111 Chandler. I have 2 Tissot`s Total Impulse buy as I was in for some jewelry maintenance for my wife`s ring. Watch was on 50% off and the simplicity and high visibility caught my eye. Should be a perfect everyday watch .

[@davidtrachtenberg7095]

I’ve had this one for years. Great watch. Put it on a Barton red canvas band. Looks great.

[@blacktrucksfly]

It's crazy how much people charge for these. I bought one on Amazon last year for $70. I sold it for double the price a few months later. It is a nice watch but definitely wears small.

[@folksurvival]

So you're blaming yourself.

[@bizmonkey007]

It’s selling for $200 on Citizen’s website, which is crazy

[@kabysummit5801]

It's about $170 on Amazon. I looked around and bought close to $110 on eBay. These are selling like hot cakes.

[@RICKYY1100]

I just bought this watch today (12/7/24)! The strap that was on it was OK but I prefer leather, had the AD put a brown leather strap on it and that was just what it needed. This is my first eco drive and I have been curious about them for a long time so I figured I would pick one up. I really like it, caught my eye when I was scanning the Citizen display case, a really nice looking watch for not a lot of money.

[@filip_jackson]

My dad has a Citizen very similar to this, with the dial being almost the same, except it is a gmt and has just a date window. unfortunately, the glass is broken but we hope to send it to citizen soon to have it fixed.

[@johnjuza2659]

Just paid $111 black Friday! I will change the strap

[@brettsasser]

Same here. My 16 year old was asking for his first watch and this was my choice for him for a Christmas present. Should serve him well for many years and be versatile with a couple extra straps.

[@michaelschneider530]

Just ordered this watch today thanks to your reviews on it! Keep up the amazing content! I'd love to see a video similar to your 3 watch collection 5 price points, but instead do 3 watches for under a price point (250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10,000 and lastly 25,000) but instead of all 3 adding up to the amount, just have each watch have a price of under it. For instance have 3 watches that are under 250 each but they don't add up to 250 total.

[@cdeaker]

Another great value field watch is ALBA Solar AEFD557 - Alba is a Seiko JDM brand

[@bubbsdaddy]

I love this watch. One of my favorites in my small collection. Looks great, keeps great time and I would give it a 9.5 out of 10. If it was a 40mm it would be dead on perfect in my opinion.

[@danielmercado9035]

This is a great everyday watch. I wear mine as my work watch, work out watch, and a general beater. Great watch to set and forget with some character.

[@JK-vs6hh]

Ich trage und schätze diese Uhr, großartige Optik und Genauigkeit, ich bin einfach begeistert und kann sie jedem nur empfehlen...

[@mervynlow6750]

There is a black version BM 8186-15E

[@ccooper8040]

If Citizen produced more watches in this size (sub 40mm) they would sell way more.

[@johntate5050]

Exactly! I love Citizen watches but rarely buy them because they're all way too big. It's time they offered more 36mm to 40mm watches.

[@allenjanes5976]

I have this piece. Very accurate. Nice job

[@waqarhaider2226]

This with a sapphire crystal would be perfection!

[@TXLorenzo]

I have had mine for over 6 years of daily wear and not a scratch on it.

[@slayermeb]

I bought the AT0200-05E version, 3 years ago. Great watch!!

[@Nimishman]

Its selling for $120 on Citizen's US website

[@RICKYY1100]

As of 12/07/24 it is listed for $275, on sale for $208 on Citizens US website.

[@geraldnemeth7944]

This is a nice solar watch. The midsize is great for everyday use, but I am changing the band for a rubber water proof strap.

[@meijiturtle3814]

Apart from its size, which is a little too small for me, I'm less than happy with the style of the hands which seem to be on the short side. As it happens I own another Citizen field/military style watch which has similarly proportioned hands so possibly this is a Citizen design quirk.

[@Macks645]

I have one of these watches and someone asked me what it cost, they didn't believe me when I told them around $100. They told me that I was lying and it probably cost $1000

[@adriancronin533]

Does the lume still work a few years after purchase? Also is it a noisy ticker? Tia

[@magnang]

Love mine. Very clean look and very precise alignement. It's a joy to see the second hand in action. To those who compare with Seiko.. they both have their pros and cons. Seiko doesn't bother with alignment.. But seiko does a better job of finishing the metal case. No watch is perfect. Get a few :)

[@ProviantoWibowo]

this model is no longer officially sold in my country, import alone makes the price increase by more than 50 dollars I switched to Seiko SNE095P2 caliber V158 which is still officially sold, even though it is very rare on the market seiko's V158 caliber is slightly superior to citizen's E101 caliber on citizen BM8180-03E

[@folksurvival]

If this was brushed and with a screw down crown and a saphire crystal it would be one of the best watches.

[@olegarhov5369]

Хороший размер, нужна механика такого размера. Особенно в стиле гласхютте оригинал сикстис сенатор в винтажном стиле 60 годов.

[@nordicheat906]

I put a nato band on it. It beefed it up a little bit. I didn’t like the canvas tarp tent rings they have on the stock band, it’s not a smooth watch to put on with that on there.

[@alexnhan8527]

For a field watch, a quartz movement is the way to go. Eco-drive powered by the sun. If you take a mechanical field watch off for a couple days in the country and have no cell phone, you'll be screwed.

[@bryansenulis7242]

I have one myself..only thing bad is case metal seems soft..bairly touched it on car door and scratched the metal bezel by glass..at least its not aluminum though...

[@anthonystevens8683]

For a daily accurate set it and forget it analog watch this is hard to beat at the retail price. I have some quite old >5 years Citizen watches that are still ticking away nicely where the seconds had aligns well with the minute markers. I must confess that they are not part of my usual rotation these days though. I tend to switch between mechanical and the G-Shocks for robustness and accuracy these days. Maybe it's time I gave them more than a day out.

[@notafan1275]

Thanks for this review! Among the watches that are about the same price or slightly slightly more expensive - are there any that have a diameter of only 37 mm (or less)? I'm a fine-boned woman who can't wear big watches, but I still want them to be practical (i. e. easy to read, at least 100 m water resistant, with date and preferably day and definitely no battery that needs changing) - and as far as I can see the Citizen Chandler is the only one that ticks all the boxes.

[@karanchheda6160]

Is the watch tick silent? Like can you hear it in a very quiet room like a library when held close to your ear? Does it bother? Is the tick sound similar to a Lorus quartz watch?

[@MrByrneyboy]

Just bought one. Perfect cheap everyday watch. Don’t like to expose the Speedy to scuffs😊

[@professorpick]

does it have a back light or just lime?

[@TheCitizen23]

Mention if it has a perpetual calendar or not?

[@dheerajchidambaranathan]

I didn't realize that you had just made a video on this one so recently. I ordered this exactly on this day and got it today. Guess I made a good decision! :D

[@VanderJam]

One sale on Amazon for $104 right now. What a deal.

[@Finnch1905]

I just bought it $141.98 before tax on Amazon app, so badly expensive 😫 think to return it.

[@richardhalls3484]

I have one super tuff and nice wearing. I wanted a change and was looking for a mechanical. Bought the Seiko SPRG31,,terrible wears like a 45mm no balance dom mineral that catches every scratch. Changed it to a Bolder Venture great watch nice and lite 20bar, flat sapphire looks and wears great in my opinion. It's 5sec slow per day compared to the old chandler which is less than that per month! But I think in the cllat your talking about with Hamilton and Timex it's better specs for the same cost ?

[@bruceleroy8063]

Nice and clean. Dig it.

[@adammccormack7494]

If anything else I have this watch eco drive brilliant for having a no fuss light weight watch to set all my other watchers. Autos. Hand wind that need to be reset.. Little citizen is a constant

[@kodiakc6227]

I got this watch at a garage sale today for twenty dollars!!

[@watchmewithwatches]

Gorgeous little field watch, but here in the UK it's been £80 for years. Sometimes less.

[@youtubeking1528]

Do you know it retails for £80 please. Looking to get one. Thanks in advance

[@hahaha9133]

Just got mine in the mail last night. The one thing I don’t like is the polished case. I would have preferred a brushed case.

[@Christhecrispyone]

Great daily beater love mine

[@indahousing6133]

after seiko it's time for citizen to become the new bubble, buy according to your taste and not because a video made you like the watch because eventually the trend will pass

[@Xxiluv2snip3xX]

7:53 which timex mechanical watch is he talking about here?

[@coolerking7427]

I have one and it's a great watch.

[@uniquehorn1480]

Nice looking watch, Eco Drive is interesting to me (still never had one), but that's just too small for me. Thanks for the review.

[@TheGrenadier97]

Definitely no-nonsense and pragmatic. No need to worry with accuracy, batteries and ordinary amounts of water, and day-date window and minutes marks adds a lot of everyday usefulness to it. That strap however seems poor and the hands could be complete instead of having that hollow rectangles near the axis.

[@redragna3648]

I've been looking at this watch for a while since I have the Seiko SNK and really love the proportions of it on my 6 inch wrist. But that watch looks flat out tiny on your wrist. So strange. Have you tried on a Seiko SNK. Does it wear the same as this watch?

[@eucitizen78]

Nice for the kids 👍

[@mistermood4164]

Could you review series 8 citizen watch?

[@rightfootedlibra4349]

Can you get it with hard link straps?