The rare, 'Railroad Approved' Citizen BM8180-54A

Everyone knows about the Citizen BM8180-03E, it's quite possibly the most recommended Citizen in the past 10 years.
But that's just 1 of 4 colorways, and this BM8180-54A is probably the hardest to find. To my knowledge, this is the only Railroad Approved Eco-Drive. I don't know for who or why they made it, but I have it finally.
One of the other colorways is the BM8180-11A, a cream colored dial with triangular indices and blacked out hands, on a canvas strap.
There is also the BM8180-54E, a different black dial with red 24 hour markers and square indicators much like the Railroad Approved version. It too comes on a bracelet.
Good news to anyone curious, you can go to Citizens web site and do a parts search, and buy the bracelet seen in the video. It will come to over $80 but it may be what you're looking for.

[@Bramandin]

I really enjoyed the tidbit about railroads, trains and timekeeping. On some level timekeeping, watches and trains were always connected in my mind, but I never knew it consciously. Great content.

[@underthebus5801]

Thanks for producing this video. “Railroad Approved” watches were required to wear when operating revenue vehicles during my career in public transportation.

[@kitabshah193]

I really enjoy your channel! Presenting these off the beaten path watches is great. It's like a video tour of a museum of obscure quartz history! I'm really into 90-2000s quartz Tag and Breitling. Though I also have an unhealthy number of G-shocks.

[@dylanhaddock1394]

My uncle just passed last month. Told the family I wanted the watch he wore to work every day. And this is exactly what it is with the white face. Super cool.

[@lookatwrist]

He did have a long history with a really special Citizen, it probably has many stories. Sorry to hear of his passing.

[@supapornchanchai4282]

Thanks for showing the Citizen railroad watch, loved to get my hands on one.

[@AWATCH-4U]

Great HISTORY LESSON INTO THE WORLD OF railroad approved...Wonder if the MONDAINE is approved too..Lovely looking watch great review...

[@matthewfriend6672]

I just picked up a brand new citizen garrison, 43 mm. Black face, number AW300-82E, think. But at the bottom on the dial above the word Evo drive, says Rail road Approved. Wonder what it meant, but have a clearer understanding now. Thanks to your video. Cheers Matt

[@danielsmith4405]

SO COOL! I have the Railroad Approved watch on my wrist right now, never realized it was hard to come by. Bought it as a birthday present for myself when I was in College. I thought $100 was a lot of money back then LOL

[@lookatwrist]

Hold on to it! If yours needs a refresh, you can buy one of the other colorways and swap the guts in. No Sapphire so every one I see is banged up.

[@AnotherInternetBlip]

Do you have a link?

[@RafaelRodriguez-wi6ew]

Thanks for the video, love hearing history behind the piece. Just got one at an estate sale for 2.50!

[@lookatwrist]

Score of the century.

[@Tigerwolf291]

Just found mine that I had misplaced for quite some time, put it by some sunlight and it started charging right away. My favorite unassuming watch to date. The white face really makes everything else stand out nicely.

[@lookatwrist]

You've found yourself a rare gem. Hang on to it, you'd never get it back if you ever sold it.

[@donbailey1934]

The Citizen Eco-Drive was sold to the general public. I remember the price point in a local jeweler as being around $180 approximately 14 years ago for the Citizen. I went with the Seiko Railroad Approved Quartz because my Dad worked for the railroad. I also have my Dad's original Seiko.

[@redrumax]

I have a Casio that looks exactly like your Citizen with black face but has a white face, bought in the 90s. Has an extra button that lights the face at night.

[@ericsarchive7718]

I acquired this same watch when I bid on a storage locker for $50. It has been the most accurate watch I’ve owned. Consistently 2 seconds ahead of my iPhone.

[@lookatwrist]

That was a great find. I've never seen another one of these for sale.

[@gelatus_watches]

Very cool video. I love the white dial.

[@markbryant7255]

Thanks, would appreciate seeing the process to interchange the actions.

[@steegsha]

I bought one of these about 5 years ago with the black face at a retail store in Australia. They also were selling the white version like what is featured in the video. They didn't include the "Railroad approved" title. I do get comments from people thinking it was a very expensive watch but compared to the other Citizen Eco drive watches it was quite reasonable.

[@oscargustavoarcosruiz8793]

As soon as I heard you talk about that rare watch, I started looking for it on the internet, and immediately found it for sale on Amazon Fashion! But when I opened the page it said "Not available at the moment" ☹ This means war

[@johanvandersandt8904]

Very cool watch! Didnt know they existed!

[@josevillanueva107]

Try uniform stores. They carry these watches for transit and railroad operators.

[@peteglanton9259]

In the UK you can now buy a black pvd coated one, or a gunmetal grey one. Both with black dials.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

The BM8180 is like the Citizen version of the Seiko 5 SNK but so much better 👍

[@duckdog38]

I had one years ago, along with a Ball rr standard, and a couple of seiko railroad approved. When i started working on the railroad, you were required to wear one. There was a list of approved watches in the timetable that we had to go by. Bulova, elgin, ball, hamilton, seiko and citizen all made them. Now they have revised the rules and we just have to wear a "RELIABLE" watch! Haha

[@lookatwrist]

It's great to hear from someone that used these. I've always wondered if you were required to set them every day or something.

[@duckdog38]

@@lookatwrist start of the week. Every office had a clock that was regulated and checked with the dispatchers office. When you report to work first day of the week you set your watch to the clock.

[@duckdog38]

Back when they required these, you could order them from certain vendors, and they would take payments directly from your paycheck! It was really convenient. They are very good watches. I lost three of them while waterskiing. You would think i would have learned my lesson! Haha. One is at the bottom of horseshoe lake in Arkansas, the other two are in pickwick lake.

[@destructoooo]

Couldn't stop giggling when I read that "reliable" haha.

[@Teja]

i cant buy the bm8180 03e anymor in my country, the front crystal is scratched now after years of use. cna u make a video on how to replace front crystal please

[@mrkniffelpin1853]

Bought my railroad approved Seiko at K-Mart 40 years ago… 😊

[@geographic213]

How long ago was that field watch $60-$70 USD? I just got mine on Amazon for $168 that’s not including shipping and handling and tax.

[@lookatwrist]

It was pretty consistently around that price in 2019 frem what I remember. At the very least, under $100 most of the time.

[@shujatinayat975]

I'm interested please send me the link so I can order online Kind regards

[@lohikarhu734]

I have a Citizen Titanium 'dress watch' that seems to be Japan-only, and the Calibre is not even on the Citizen website...I should drag it out and update the info, if you are interested?

[@lookatwrist]

Definitely! Citizen does titanium better than anyone, I haven't seen too many dress watches.

[@lohikarhu734]

It's a Citizen Exceed, eco-drive, perpetual calendar, w.r. 10 bar, E510 H31071 TA, GN-4W-S

[@lohikarhu734]

And, checked over 3 months, good to 10 seconds per year. Extra special, it was a gift from them...

[@lookatwrist]

@@lohikarhu734 The E510 movement and the Exceed line are top notch. I don't have one myself, should look into them.

[@kc4cvh]

I've never seen a lever-set wristwatch. This is a requirement for railroad watches, along with minimum seventeen jewels, adjusted to five or more positions and temperature compensated.

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

i want that white dial iv seen it before but your right it is harder to find the 24 hr markers are red and the second hand is red correct?

[@lookatwrist]

Seconds hand and the inner 24 hour markers are both red. I have been looking for this for ages, they're out there but hard to come across. As others have found out, lots of false starts too. Scammy sites say they are in stock when they've not been for years.

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

@@lookatwrist any trusted sites you can recommend? And is there lume on the markers ? How long does Lume last iv never bought a used watch before

[@lookatwrist]

Lume will last on a watch for a while, I have decades old watches that still glow. But it just gradually gets worse over time. The lume on this watch isn't bad, but I haven't tested it in detail.

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

@@lookatwrist apparently that watch was disconninued 17 years ago lol is there anything newer that looks simular?

[@chozar]

@@natesportsfanatic4670 Just searching for 'citizen railroad' or 'seiko railroad' find plenty of cheap watches with similar diols. But it seems most have disappeared. If you have the cash, save up for a Ball Engineering watch, they still make new Railroad watches but its a premium brand.

[@BeKam777]

Do you happen to have a link or a reference number for the bracelet?

[@lookatwrist]

I don't sorry. The US Citizen site has a link at the bottom of the page to buy parts. Search for the watch you want and they will return any options that you can buy.

[@rolassegundo1457]

Gracias x la informacion, acabo de adquirir uno de segunda mano, disfrute saber un poco mas de este modelo de reloj , ahorita coppel saco un reloj similar Reloj Timex Easy Reader Day-date 35 Mm Para Hombre - Venta Internacional. Me imagino se inspiro en el citizen 👍👍👍

[@nolanfaselt]

Does it glow in the dark?

[@lookatwrist]

No, it has the normal amount of lume on hands and indices.

[@nolanfaselt]

@@lookatwrist Gotcha so only the hands and hours have it? I defiantly will try to get my hands on one of these if I ever find one!

[@lukeg2091]

interesting stuff

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

othere then amazon or ebay where can i look to find this

[@lookatwrist]

Those are the two big ones, but keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace and maybe the Japanese auction pages. It can honestly be a full time job finding some watches, no shortcuts. Look at watchrecon as well, it will aggregate popular sales on forums.

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

@@lookatwrist so I'd have to pay to get it shipped from Japan then and does it ever go back in stock on jombashop of eBay or Amazon?

[@lookatwrist]

Unfortunately I only have bad news here. Probably one of these goes on sale a year, somewhere out there. Blink and you'll miss it. It's out of production and has been for a long time. So it's unlikely any store ever gets it back in stock. I have a small list of a dozen watches that I've wanted. I look everywhere for them, and I do that multiple times a week. And if I'm lucky enough to find something, I wind up paying a premium. It's the sad part of watch collecting rare pieces. I've bought stuff from Japan and yeah, the fees and shipping adds a ton of cost. But watch collecting is fun for not just the pieces, but also the hunt itself. Good luck finding the watches of your dreams.

[@natesportsfanatic4670]

@@lookatwrist would there be a citizen FB group?

[@edmundooliver7584]

bus drivers use them and you checked everyday with the main clock.

[@lookatwrist]

Ooh it's Bus Approved too then.

[@edmundooliver7584]

yes, if your 're caught running hot three time you can get fired.@@lookatwrist

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

Love, love, love these watches. Great VFM. However, I cannot stand the crown. Wish they would change the design.

[@lookatwrist]

The crown is twice as long as it needs to be right? It gives it a unique appearance, but the crown guards dont fit.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

@@lookatwrist Yes! Definitely too long. Also, just plain ugly. Would love to see a shorter crown with a more standard design.

[@ruairiobradaigh9810]

Please please for the love of God sync the second hands it's all I can see,otherwise great review

[@longplayer8600]

jomashop's got them in stock @ $142.99 right now.

[@lookatwrist]

Out of stock for years now: www.jomashop.com/citizen-eco-mens-watch-bm8180-54a.html