Citizen PMV65-2241 and PMV65-2242
Posted by wristwatch on July 3, 2007
The newest additions to the Promaster SKY line, the PMV65-2241 and PMV65-2242. The PMV65-2241 was presented at Bazelworld 2007 as the Citizen Skyhawk JY0000-53E. The worldwide radio reception has made this watch ready for a worldwide audience. Loaded with features for the frequent traveller. The world time feature makes it easy to keep track of time wherever you go. It’s like as soon as you put on the watch, there’s no further need to adjust it, like fire and forget. The radio reception function makes sure you always have the right time. Though the dial is a bit busy with all the things going around, it’s still easy to read.
* Powered by Eco-Drive
* Precision ±15 seconds/month
* Weight 126g
* Thickness 15.6mm
* Hard titanium case + DLC
* Curved sapphire glass (both sides nonreflective coating)
* World time alarm
* Timer
* World Time
* Perpetual Calendar
* Coordinated universal time indication (UTC)
* 1/100 chronograph (24 hours)
* Fixed time reception function
* Forced reception function
* Power reserve meter
* Overcharge prevention function
* Aeronautical sliderule bezel
* Worldwide radio reception
* Antimagnetic
* Limited to 3,000 pieces a year (PMV65-2242)
* 2.5 years power reserve (power saving mode)
* Retail Price PMV65-2241 ¥ 126,000.00
* Retail Price PMV65-2242 ¥ 157,500.00
August 28, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Where can the PMV 2242 be purchased
August 28, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Where are you located?
August 30, 2007 at 10:14 pm
UK
August 30, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Well, currently they’re only available in Japan. You can ask either Seiya-san or Higuchi-san to sell it to you, I can guarantee that these two guys are very reliable. Their websites are as follows:
http://www.higuchi-inc.com/index-e.html
http://www.seiyajapan.com/
September 5, 2007 at 9:15 pm
I’m in Japan and the black one is hard to get here. I ordered one today and I will get it around mid-September, hopefully. The other one (PMV65-2241) is pretty popular too, but it is not limited and easier to find. It is a shame that they don’t sell them in Europe or America. I don’t think you would have any trouble using it, because it can receive the radio signal not only from Japan, but also from Colorado, and Germany. (not from UK, though) Good luck purchasing it!
September 5, 2007 at 10:47 pm
It’s pretty hard to get the black versions alright, because the production is limited to 3000 units a year. Shun, when you get yours, kindly write a short review to let the rest of us know how it is. You can send me some pics too if you want and I’ll have them posted above.
September 6, 2007 at 8:26 pm
Alright. I can do that. If anybody has some specific questions about that product, I think I can answer them, too. I’m looking forward to taking it in my hands.
September 6, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Good luck and looking forward to your review!
September 13, 2007 at 5:58 am
Seiya-san has stopped selling watches for the time being due to his health.
Higuchi-san doesn’t list the black version at all.
Are there any other places I could get one sent to the UK?
September 14, 2007 at 2:35 pm
IanW,
I suggest you go and write Higuchi-san and ask if he could get the black version for you. I’ve ordered several watches from him that aren’t in his website. It’s pretty tough getting this watch out of Japan, except for Ebay, which I do not suggest you try.
wristwatch
September 14, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Thanks for that: I did as you suggested, and indeed he can get it. I’m just waiting to find out how I can pay him now
September 14, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Great news. Let me know how it goes and I hope you enjoy your watch. Come back and share your experiences when you get it.
September 15, 2007 at 7:57 pm
I ordered the 2242 from Seiya san on September 9th but he became ill on the 10th. He closed his site, but not before refunding my money. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Why would you not buy one via Ebay? That’s what I did and it is due in a couple of days!?
September 15, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Well, most of the time prices on Ebay are much higher. After sales service isn’t as good as well. If you get a good deal and great service with an ebayer, share your experiences over here, we’ll be glad to hear of it.
September 17, 2007 at 2:13 am
I live in Houston, Texas. Where can I buy the Citizen PMV65-2241 ? Thanks
September 17, 2007 at 7:13 am
Hello Gloria,
The PMV65-2241 is not available in the USA. You might want to consider the JY0000-5E.
http://japwatches.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/citizen-skyhawk-jy0000-53e/
The difference is that the case and bracelet of the JY0000-5E are made of stainless steel and the glass is mineral crystal. But if your heart is set on the PMV65-2241, then you can contact Higuchi-san, he’ll ship it to you from Japan.
http://www.higuchi-inc.com/index-e.html
wristwatch
September 17, 2007 at 10:13 pm
I ordered the 2242 via Ebay for USD 1165 including shipping to Amsterdam. I got the watch 7 days later. That price is indeed somewhat more expensive than via Seiya-san (USD 1088), but absolutely worth it for this beautiful watch. The 2242 was nicely wrapped, fully charged and the package came with a beautiful Japanese postcard. I received everything in good order.
The radio reception works perfectly (something I did not have much confidence in) and it is fun to see all the hands moving when moving to the correct time.
Ok, back to playing now!!
This is the website of the supplier.
September 18, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Thanks for the share! At least this gives people around here the alternative to buy from somewhere else aside from Japan. Besides the difference in price is not that great.
October 15, 2007 at 5:21 am
The PMV65-2242, is indeed, available to the US market
I just received the outrageous PMV65-2242 where I purchased it on Ebay from joynetcafe buyitnow for 1150.oo. Super quick 2 day shipping straight fom japan, with Sunday delivery via USPS for $15.00
I’m not advertising for them, or Ebay, but just letting you know it can be had.
Current auction prices are slightly less @ $850 or so.
This one has all white letters and other face items instead of the one that has some orange letters and face items. From what I have seen so far, there must be at least two variations of the 2242 coming from Japan. I personally like the white better for the contrast with my increasingly poor eyesight. So for anyone who has some eyesight issues, I can attest to this being very easy to see. As far as the other dials…they are somewhat smaller and they may be difficult to see without my specticles.
The size of the watch body is very big,just as I expected and like. The sapphire crystal is MUCH MUCH clearer and it really makes all the face items stand out, Another neat feature is that the small rectangles that replace the numbers on the face have both phosphoresence and shiny metal, so the combination of the super clear crystal and the shiny metal is great, although you may want to take this off while swimming as it may attract sharks (I do not intend to wear this one even in the shower)
Haven’t quite mastered all the features, but neat one is that it puts all the hands and numbers back to 0000 the calibrate, this takes about 20 seconds while all the hands spin around like crazy trying to find 0000, then they all have to spend another 20 seconds finding their original position.
All for now
November 7, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Anyone know how to make the band smaller on the PMV65-2242?
November 11, 2007 at 3:17 am
There is pin held in place by a sleeve which is seated inside the link. If you don’t want to buy a link removing tool, you can push the pin through with a small paperclip. I have had better luck with a small jewelers screwdriver which had the tip filed flat because paperclips usually don’t have consistent diameters. Anyway, you can get a small piece of wood and drill a hole in it so when you push out the pin, it has somewhere to go. Be careful not to lose the sleeve which can fall out of the recess in the link. You can no experiment with the number of links until it fits correctly. Just don’t use the sleeves until you determine the right number of links. When finished, insert the sleeves again, place the links together and push in the pins until they are centered in the link.
November 11, 2007 at 8:13 am
More on bracelet adjustment.
There should be an arrow on the back of the links in line with the pin. I don’t have this particular watch, but every Citizen pilot style watch (and my new Atessa) has had this system. Also, on all my Citizens, the friction sleave is closer to the side away from the arrow, so pushing in the opposite direction of the arrow frees the pin from the sleeve more quickly.
Feel free to ask more questions if you’d like.
November 19, 2007 at 11:04 am
I just ordered my first ProMast PMV65-2242 from Seiya San- & spoke with him as well- he is out of the woods & is back in business- he has promised to ship it out tomorrow- I am looking forward to receivng my first Citizen…..
November 19, 2007 at 11:49 am
Same here, Kramsam, I ordered the ATV53-2834 from him, but it will be about 3 weeks before I get it, because he is ordering it from Citizen. It appears that there was a slight problem with a small defect on this watch, so he is ordering a new one direct. I’m glad he is back in business. Hopefully whatever he is going through is over now…as I know he’s been out a few times now because of it.
November 26, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I contacted Seiya San and he said he would answer any questions I had. I sent another email and have not heard anything back from him since Thursday.
Are both the PMV65-2241 and the 2242 titanium?
The 2241 looks like it’s still stainless steel.
Is it worth going for the 2242 if I like the look of the 2241?
November 27, 2007 at 2:16 am
All the specifications I’ve read say that the 2241 is all titanium - it’s the coating on the 2242 that gives it the dark color.
November 27, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Excellent, many thanks
November 30, 2007 at 12:08 am
Hello everyone
I would like to ask about the braselet of PMV 2242. I mean how does look the place where braselet is connected to the watch case, is it stiff or maybe loose when you for example wear this watch near wrist? The braselet is connected to the watch case with only two links, like for example in Timex T3B921, which in my opinion doesn’t look very solid, opposite to Citizens JR3155-54E model with more “solid” looking braselet. Could anyone please inform me about this braselet, because in the past I had lost 2 of my watches because of the weak connection braselet- watch case.
PS: forgive me if my english is poor- I leave in Poland
December 1, 2007 at 6:46 am
Sorry guys but I’m a wee bit lost here. Can someone explain to me the difference between the 2241 and 2242 model ?
Also is the JY0000-53E model different from the above ?
Cheers
December 1, 2007 at 6:52 am
Oh I forgot one more question.
Has anyboby in the UK bought watches from the Japanese sites mentioned above ?
If so did you pay any tax or custom duty on the price ?
Also how much is the postage approximately ?
December 1, 2007 at 9:44 am
Ivor, It looks like to me, that the 2241 is in the picture to the left, and the 2242 is the one on the right. The 2242 looks like the entire watch is in DLC, which makes the watch a black color, and also protects the watch. The 2241 does not appear to have DLC, at least, on the band.
I live in the US, but generally, the two Japanese sellers listed above include shipping in the price, so you don’t pay any more for that. I will tell you that they do list the correct price on the customs forms, unlike some other people, so you may have to pay duty on that purchase (I’ve never had to pay it for the 4 or so watches I’ve bought from Japan, but maybe I’ve been lucky).
December 1, 2007 at 11:20 am
The JY0000-53E is the american version that has the same features but it’s all stainless steel. It’s a lot heavier as a result.
December 3, 2007 at 11:36 pm
Looks like to me the JY0000-53E is more better looking although its all stainless steel.
December 5, 2007 at 5:57 am
Hello
Could anyone send some pictures of PMV65-2241 or PMV65-2242 on wrist? Maybe a link or here is my e-mail: dapun@tlen.pl I appreciate any help.
December 6, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Hello Everyone
It would be great if anyone would also be able to send some pictures of PMV65-2241 or PMV65-2242 on wrist? Maybe a link or here is my e-mail: ahaku@hotmail.com Thank you.
December 6, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Hello all,
I have just started looking for a watch to replace my GMT Master II and this PMV65-2242 has definitely caught my attention. It has everything I would require to get me to give up the Rolex. Maybe someone here can enlighten me about how Citizen works regarding these Japan market only series. Do they eventually start showing up in the US market or stay only available in Japan. If they do eventually make it to the US market are we talking about more or less than a year. If they never make it over or it is a year or more, then I will go ahead an get one from Japan. I have a request in to Higuchi-san for a price quote, but have not heard back from him yet. There is a message on the Seiya-san website saying it is temporarily shut down as he has become ill again. Thanks in advance.
December 8, 2007 at 9:26 am
Dan, my name is Bo, and I just placed an order for the stainless steel model a few days ago. Now I come across this site and realised there is a titanium version of this watch. I did find a couple of them on Ebay at a couple of sellers that seem reputable. If you do a search for Citizen PMV65-2241 Promaster they should come up…..yes, they are in Japan.
I placed an email to Citizen to see if there is anything they can do for citizens of the USA. I will keep you posted via this board if I hear anything.
December 9, 2007 at 8:00 am
Hello Bo
We have good news for you. There is a titanium version being introduced sometime this spring. It is different from the Japanese version in that it will not feature duratect coating and a sapphire crystal. The good news is that it will carry a U.S 5 year warranty and retail for 795.00. With the retailer discounting that takes place, you should be able to find it for less than retail.
If you have your hear set on the Japanese version, you would have to find a retailer that will send to you in the U.S. as we cannot sell the watch here.
Sincerely
Customer Service
COA
To: customerservice_us@citizenwatch.com
cc:
Subject: [SPAM] Citizen PMV65-2241 and PMV65-2242
Dear Customer Service,
I have been the proud owner of the Citizen Navihawk Blue Angel Promaster watch for almost ten years now. It has not given me any trouble. Now I see the Citizen Eco-Drive Skyhawk JY0000-53E
and I will be getting one of those. The only drawback I see is the watch’s heavy weight, just like my Navihawk. I know this comes in Titanium. I would like one of those. I also see it is only being
offered in Japan. I am not going to Japan as I live in California. What can you do for me on this one?
A happy customer will tell 1,000 people aka other potential customers!!
December 9, 2007 at 8:36 am
Hello Bo
We have good news for you. There is a titanium version being introduced sometime this spring. It is different from the Japanese version in that it will not feature duratect coating and a sapphire crystal. The good news is that it will carry a U.S 5 year warranty and retail for 795.00. With the retailer discounting that takes place, you should be able to find it for less than retail.
If you have your hear set on the Japanese version, you would have to find a retailer that will send to you in the U.S. as we cannot sell the watch here.
Sincerely
Customer Service
COA
December 17, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Hi everyone!
I would like some info from knowledgeable people, and this site seems to be the right one!
I live in Germany and have identified various sources (US and Japanese) for this watch, but nobody seems to be able to answer some to me pretty simple questions…
What I want is:
*) the titanium casing - with DLC is very nice but not absolutely necessary (is this one of the differences between the PMV65-2242 and -2241 ?)…
*) and Duratect (I have gleened only the vaguest idea of what this is, but it sounds like something I want)…
*) and the sapphire crystal lens…
*) and the dials withOUT the yellow (or orange or gold or whatever) color - i.e. the only color I’ll see is on the battery charge indicator hand. Everything else is white on black.
So… what watch number is the one I want? I *think* it’s the PMV65-2242, but I really haven’t heard anyone definitively give the difference between this one and the -2241. Anyone want to try? (I don’t mean this sarcastically!)
And one more point: I personally refuse to wear the stainless band or the rubber one either - I’ll buy a decent leather band and I wonder how difficult it is to remove the rubber one or the stainless one completely and replace it with leather.
THNX!!!
Erich
December 18, 2007 at 8:09 am
Erich,
You’ll find info on Duratect here:
http://japwatches.wordpress.com/faq/
http://japwatches.wordpress.com/faq/duratech/
January 12, 2008 at 9:27 am
I just got an Attesa ATV53-2833 and a PMV65-2841 which I started enjoying wearing every other day. As far as functions are concerned, both are identical. The Attesa is dressier while the 2841 is sportier. Both are made of Duratech Titanium and very light even on my smallish wrist. I also have a Skyhawk AT JY0000-53E in my Citizen collection which is identical in looks and functions to the 2841. The only difference is that the 2841 is made of Duratech Titanium and sapphire crystal instead of Stainless Steel and Mineral Crystal of the JY0000-53E. The 2841 looks much clearer and clean due to the sapphire crystal.
I am in California and radio reception works great. I think the only difference between the 2841 and the 2842 is DLC coating.
January 12, 2008 at 11:47 am
Hi David,
Did you mean PMV65-2241 in your last post vs -2841 (2nd digit after - is 2 vs 8)?
I bet your JY0000-53E feels like a lead weight compared to the PMV65-2841.
I have a an Attesa ATV53-2833 too! Are you aware that you can fine-adjust the band length on it without any tools?
January 14, 2008 at 7:08 pm
how can we place order from Nigeria for citizen wrist watch pmv65-2242
BRD
January 16, 2008 at 6:44 am
Oops. Yes, I meant PMV-2241. I probably had ATV53-2833 in mind. Sorry for the mistake.
Yes, I am aware of the fine-tuning function of the band. Thanks.
I can feel the difference between the JY0000-53E & the PMV65-2241 in weight and crystal clarity. I might want to sell the JY0000-53E in favor of the PMV65-2241. I wear the 2241 and the Attesa 2833 alternatively.
January 18, 2008 at 4:14 am
Hello everyone!
I’ve been looking for the PMV65-2242 on Ebay and I found several watches of the same type, prices are varieting between $600 - $900. The seller’s name is Kodai_2008 and my question is if there is anyone who had bought something from him. I would like to know if he is reliable, so it would help me a lot if someone share’s his experience with Kodai_2008.
Thanks!
January 22, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hi everyone
I was also looking for the PMV65-2242 on ebay and on different websites. The Price on ebay is currently $700. The seller’s name is the same as above mentioned (Kodai_2008). Fanaddict did you already purchase a watch from him?
Does somebody have any Info’s regarding this seller?
Thanks a lot
January 23, 2008 at 5:29 am
Dutch Marine or anyone out there, know what’s MODA group? Confirm you can get the watch for 303 euros?
January 25, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Adi, yesterday I transferred the money for the PMV65-2242 to Kodai_2008 and I hope the package will deliver in about 7 days. I’ll mention it when I received it.
Fanaddict
January 26, 2008 at 4:13 am
Can some one explain the world time feature to me.Say for example if I am no where near an atomic clock(india)would the watch automatically adjsut it self to the indian time ?
January 26, 2008 at 11:39 am
I bid on and won an auction on E-Bay for a PMV65-2241 from Kodai_2008 for $585 plus $15 shipping. Others have been selling as low as $500, but most go for about $550. I paid as soon as the auction closed and the watch arrived in Los Angeles 7 days later from Japan. The package included all original Citizen packaging, but this was additionally wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap. It was very well protected. The Citizen packaging did not look like it had been tampered with as all original documentation was inside with the watch. The manual is in both Japanese and English. The Warranty card is only in Japanese, but it is of no use in the US anyway. All in all, I would say this was a great buying experience and I am very pleased with the watch.
January 26, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Just went to take some links out of the band of the PMV65-2241. Werner’s description above of how to remove the pins to take out links is very helpful. However, you must push the pin in the direction of the arrow on the link in order to disengage it from the sleeve most quickly. I pushed the first pin in the opposite direction to the arrow as Werner suggests and had to push it almost all the way out of the link. I am using a small straightened paperclip with a pair of needle nose pliers and it works fine.
January 27, 2008 at 11:13 am
Anish,
The world time feature allows you to see the time for you home city in the analog display, and the time or date for another city in the digital display. There are 43 pre-programmed worldwide cities in this watch. In the pictures at the top of this page, the home city is TYO and the secondary city is NYC.
The watch does not have any way to know what home city (time zone) it is in or where it is in the world - you must set it for your local home city and secondary city you are interested in.
Once you have the home city set correctly, if you live an a region where the watch can pick up the US, European, or Japanese atomic transmitters, then the watch would adjust itself to the correct home time after it receives the atomic signal. In your watch is not in a region where reception is successful, you must set the watch time yourself.
If my watch home city is set for New York City (NYC) and I flew to Los Angeles (LAX), my watch would still pick up the atomic signal from Fort Collins, Colorado, but it would still display NYC time in the analog display until I changed the watch’s home time zone from NYC to LAX.
February 2, 2008 at 9:24 am
I also bought a Citizen PMV65-2242 from Kodai_2008; the overall experience is good although his communication is very poor but shipping is fast and his watch is excellent. You just have to be patient with Souji Suzuki.
It only takes 4 working days to get the watch (Japan to New Zealand), the packing is over-protected
February 9, 2008 at 12:34 am
Hello G, I bought the PMV65-2242 from Kodai_2008 now 2 weeks ago but haven’t received anything yet. I doubt it that I will still receive it. I live in the Netherlands, a little bit further away than New Sealand, but I can’t think it would take up more than two weeks shipping the package.
Do you or does someone have an email address from Kodai_2008 so I can ask him whether he already has send it or whether he still has to do it. I don’t hope my 800 dollars aren’t for nothing and that he is a big fraud. If he is I do like to inform everybody who tends to buy an item from him because he isn’t reliable and can’t be thrust.
Fanaddict
February 9, 2008 at 4:59 am
Tuesday morning 2/5/08,I filed the first step of a dispute with Paypal,the one where you send a message to the seller.Well, at 5pm I got a message from Kodai_2008 apologizing for the delay and that it had been shipped!He also included an EMS tracking number.
So, try the dispute route, it seems to work! The pmv65-2242 just cleared customs in SF .Ordered it on Jan 28
Good Luck, Rob- LOCO3776
February 10, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I checked my email and received a message from kodai that he has shipped the package. I also got a shipping number from EMS so I can track the package, now it has arrived in Amsterdam but it has been stuck for 4 days at the message ‘awaiting presentation customs commissioner’. Can anyone tell me what this message means?
Thanks,
Fanaddict
February 17, 2008 at 3:07 am
Hello Fanaddict,
Fanaddict, I hate to have to tell you, but you (and everybody else in the European Union) will have to pay VAT on this. That´s what the comment “awaiting presentation customs commissioner” probably means. I had an additional €115 to pay, and this does take the joy out of the purchase a tad.
I too bought a PMV65-2242 from Kodai_2008 and can tell the world: forget ALL contact with this seller! He simply does NOT respond to anything you write him, no matter how dire. The EMS number he supplied me for example was NOT correct and I could NOT follow the shipment. (I wrote him that this was the case, but got no response.)
I cannot say whether the watch was packed well for shipment, because the German customs clowns opened it up and tossed the naked Citizen showcase-box loosely into a carton where it could bounce around just great, and sent it to the German representative of Citizen for his approval for delivery to me (that it was not a counterfeit item). Okay, that´s not the seller´s fault, but if he had responded to my mails, I might have been able to intercept the package at customs and avoid the mess I ended up with. (It certainly did give the watch a chance to prove its stability and shock-resistance, though, as it now keeps time quite well.)
Tot ziens!
Airbaumi
February 19, 2008 at 3:34 am
Hi Guys
I just bought the PMV65-2242 from a Swiss reseller (860.- CHF) which bought the watch from http://www.seiyajapan.com/. I got even an international guarantee on it. I guess Kodai_2008 isn’t selling anymore! I think he changed his account to yamato_2007 because he’s selling the exact same watches with the same ebay-page design.
I’m very pleased with the watch I got. It is quiet big (thick) but has ton’s of great features that a pilot like me can hopefully use sometimes ;-).
Good luck with the customs
February 26, 2008 at 12:44 am
I wrote a posting several months ago that I would buy a leather band for my PMV65-2242. Now I have the thing (I will post my comments about the watch itself separately), but I read somewhere that the metal band functions as the receiver for the daily radio updates for precision-setting. Does anyone know anything about this? If I replace the metal band with a leather one, will I no longer receive updates? (In that case I would probably revert to the metal band, but then I would have spent the money for the leather band in vain.)
Thnx,
Erich
P.S.: I can only confirm what Adi just wrote about our Japanese supplier, but he must fluctuate between “Kodai_2008″ and “Yamato_2007″ because I knew him under the latter name from last fall (”2007″!) [And Adi: CHF 860 is a TREMENDOUSLY good price! Care to let us know how to contact this seller? Bütte, bütte!
]
February 26, 2008 at 5:06 pm
I recently bought a PMV65-2242 and would like to share my impressions and opinions with you. Where to start?
*) Weight. The thing weighs a ton. And I bought the titanium version; I can only imagine what the stainless one is like. One arm´s got to hang a couple o´ inches lower than the other. Good thing I wanted a heavy watch, ´cause this fits the bill to a T. (My titanium Navitimer is so light I thought the seller had ripped me off and that the casing was hollow…)
*) Size. It´s exactly the size indicated in all the propaganda, but it just doesn´t look as large to me as I thought it would. For me, the larger the better, so I was unpleasantly surprised.
*) The anti-glare glass is quite nice. It´s a pain with my Navitimers to wiggle my wrist around in strong lighting just to see what time it is. It´s not perfect, but it is much better.
*) It glows in the dark just great! I can really see what time it is when the light´s been out for hours, something that´s a weak point with my Navitimers (I own three). But I am a pilot and must assess this watch to be great for my pre-flight work – at home at the table. In a cockpit the vibrations and lack of light make this unit in my opinion worthless. My Aristo Aviat E6-B flight computer – a circular slide rule of 13 cm (5½ inch) diameter – doesn´t fit on my wrist, but is 100 times better, even in a cramped cockpit.
*) The LCD display is illuminated. This works very well and should have been on the Navitimer.
*) The minute hand doesn´t click every 20 seconds like on the Navitimer (and on my Breitling); it is constantly in motion. (I think that´s even neater that way, but some users may not.)
*) The Navitimers were first issued in approx. 1994. That means their technology is not exactly fresh and up-to-date, but on the other hand it certainly does not mean it is not good. Let me list a few really neat features from the Navitimer that Citizen decided to go downhill on and not to build into their series “PMV65-2242” (just where DOES Citizen get these ridiculous IDs from? – it reminds me of the Monty Python bit: “…after 6 p.m. RST22-5578…”):
*) Are the big hands in the way of the LCD window when you´re trying to read it or do some setting or other? No problem: it is soooo sexy with the Navitimers to press a button and have these two hands swing up to 12 and stay there until you´re done. Then each goes its own way back where it belongs when you press the button again. Of course it keeps the correct time internally. This new model can´t do that. Why not? Not only is it not sexy, the hands really *are* in the way if you´re trying to do any work with the LCD window between 2 and 4 o´clock, because the hour hand covers up the window. And if it´s between x:10 and x:20, the minute hand completely blocks your view.
*) You can´t make the UTC timezone in the LCD display go away. With the Navitimer you could make it disappear just like any other timezone you didn´t want to have cluttering up your display, but with the new model it is always there, whether you want it or not. A step backward.
*) And then there is the LCD window itself. On the Navitimer it was quite well-sized (and easy to read!), but on the PMV65-2242 it´s roughly *half* the size, although the face of the watch itself is almost 30% larger. They decided that having an extra-big knobbie at 3:00 o´clock (I guess it´s for those customers who don´t know that that position means 3:00 o´clock…) was better than a large LCD window, so they made the LCD window half as big. The only thing that´s noticeably bigger on the new model is the font of the brandname “Citizen.” That´s almost twice as big. I don´t think they asked a customer what he or she felt was more important.
*) The *background* color of the LCD display is noticeably darker than on the Navitimers, so discerning the black numbers and letters on it is even more difficult. Why, why, why???
*) The smaller analogue dials are larger on the Navitimer than on the PMV65-2242, although the latter has almost 30% more surface area to work with. Any idea why Citizen did that? I don´t.
*) Can anybody tell me why the PMV65-2242 has a second hand, when one centimeter away there is a permanent LCD display telling you exactly what second you´re at? I suppose it´s for when you have the display mode set to calendar or if you want to see how close you are to the time-correcting radio sender (like you don´t know this anyway…), but I think a watch without a second hand (like the Navitimers) is great. (With my Breitling you can press a button and it either goes around and around once a minute like a good second hand should, or it jumps to 12 and just sits there. That´s the way it can – and should – be done: let the customer decide.)
*) A criticism of the Navitimer as well is simply this: why is there a 24-hour analogue dial with just an hour hand telling you whether it´s a.m. or p.m.? Anybody ever think about looking out the window? I really do know if it´s 3 in the afternoon or 3 in the morning; I don´t need a complete dial to tell me that. In my opinion this dial is a total waste. What they could have done is allow us to set that dial to a different time zone, allowing us to see three time zones at once, without even pressing a button. Or to a half-hour time zone like India or Nova Scotia. But there it is, permanently fixed to the large analogue hands. In case you´re in a windowless room, I guess, and can´t remember when you slept last.
*) Here´s a secret for those of you who´ve read this far: You *can* set both of these watches to indicate 3 (three!) different 24-hour timezones – all at the same time. No pushing buttons, no twisting knobs, no computations in your head. How? Simple: set the zero setting of the analogue UTC dial not to 24, but rather to the timezone you want, measured *from* UTC. San Diego for example is eight hours behind UTC in the winter, so you set the UTC analogue dial to 16 o´clock. Set your big hands to Frankfurt and your digital to Sydney and you´re done. All three 24-hour timezones at the same time. Granted, you have to re-set the zero-setting of your UTC dial when SD goes to daylight savings and again when it goes back to winter time, but resetting it twice a year is a small price. The point is: it can be done without visiting a watchmaker. (I live in Frankfurt and my relatives are in San Diego and Sydney – this is why I looked for and bought this watch.)
*) And here´s the last nit I want to pick: Every 24-hour analogue watch/clock I have ever seen is wrong by 180°. They all start with 24 at the top when it should be at the bottom of the face! Let´s get philosophical for just a moment: what does the hour hand on a 24-hour face really do? It points to the sun as it travels through the sky. And where is the sun at 12 o´clock noon? Right: straight up. Not straight down. So in my example above, I set my UTC analogue zero-position for San Diego not to 16 o´clock, but rather to 4 o´clock and simply ignore the printed numbers on the dial. They´re off by 180° anyway…
All in all? I am really not sure, if I had it to do again, if I would lay out this kind of money for a watch with this amount of things wrong with it. Why did Citizen discontinue some really good features and make some really obvious errors in this watch? It looks to me like they are setting their customers up for the next new model in a few years, with these obvious failings repaired and maybe some new ones built in, but one that we´ll all want to buy again. I don´t know about you, but that thought doesn´t sit too well with me.
Gruß,
Erich
February 27, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Citizen announced that they found a problem below.
U600 movement on Citizen Atomic watches, Attesa & Promaster has a program bug. When the year 2010 comes, the calendar will show a wrong display.
Please check the product number on case back.serial No. starting with 7, (e.g. 7xxxxx) could have a problem. The watches which serial No. starts with 8, (e.g. 8xxxxx) has no problem. Even if your watch has 7xxxxx, as long as you can see RFN next the product No., that watch has no problem.
February 28, 2008 at 11:11 am
JD,
Where did you read about this 2010 error?
March 1, 2008 at 12:59 am
Adding to JDs post:
Links about Citizen U600 movement software bug causing incorrect date display from February 28, 2010 and beyond:
Links include information on how to tell if your watch is affected.
http://www.seiyajapan.com/
http://forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=830748
March 1, 2008 at 1:06 am
Adding to JDs post:
Links about Citizen U600 movement software bug causing incorrect date display from February 28, 2010 and beyond:
Links include information on how to tell if your watch is affected.
http://www.seiyajapan.com
forums.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=830748
March 2, 2008 at 5:37 am
Hello there . I just picked up the the Citizen Skyhawk A-T JY0000-53E. I must say I love this watch. I live in Toronto Canada and am having no problem synching up the time. Everything is working as it should so far. My question is that my city is not one of the pre-set cities in the watch. It claims in the manual that you can add one city , but it doesn’t show you how to do it. Can someone help me with this?
March 7, 2008 at 6:13 am
@ Adi (post #59 from February 19, 2008 at 3:34 am)
I do live in Switzerland too.
Can you tell me, where you bought the PMV65-2242 in Switzerland?
Best
Phil
March 9, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Correction:
in my tirade above (#61) I seemed to have confused the word “Navitimer” with “Navihawk.” The watch from Citizen is the “Navihawk,” and that´s the one I mean(t), except where I specifically say Breitling - that´s the Navitimer.
Sorry,
Erich
March 10, 2008 at 4:02 am
The US titanium version is out now. It’s the JY0010-50E. MSRP is $795. Most places have it for 25% off = $596. I messed around with one a couple days ago. Very light and very nice. I’ll be waiting for a better price though. I’d pull the trigger around $500 personally.
March 14, 2008 at 9:45 am
I just purchased the JY0010-50E from a highly rated ebay store for $410 + $13.65 S&H. I should have it Monday or Tuesday I suppose. Hopefully it’ll be delivered without incident.
March 16, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Hi K1, thanks for response. Bought mine from ebay as well.. Should be arriving at doorstep anytime soon..
March 20, 2008 at 12:56 pm
in addition to JD and D2 posts:
I contacted the Citizen Customer Support to check about the calender bug.
They told me, that this anomaly (like they call it) only appears, when the watch receives the signal from Japan or Northamerica. Europe’s signal can be read correct and do not effect the calender-function of our PMV65-224?
Quote from the email (by Citizen Customer Support):
For your another inquiry of date problem, please refer to the below information.
The anomaly will not effect the watch which receives signal from Frankfurt.
The anomaly will effect those watches which receive signals from Japan and USA.
When the year 2010 comes, the watch will show the calendar of year 2016 after reception of
the signal. The reason of this anomaly is due to time code interpretation error for calendar
indication.
Hope this info helps.
Phil
March 21, 2008 at 1:37 am
I have exactly the same problem….. can anybody help here? Thanks in advance.
Haig Says:
March 2, 2008 at 5:37 am
Hello there . I just picked up the the Citizen Skyhawk A-T JY0000-53E. I must say I love this watch. I live in Toronto Canada and am having no problem synching up the time. Everything is working as it should so far. My question is that my city is not one of the pre-set cities in the watch. It claims in the manual that you can add one city , but it doesn’t show you how to do it. Can someone help me with this?
April 1, 2008 at 6:54 pm
I have just recieved a Skyhawk PMV65-2242 as a surprise birthday present from my wife. I say surprise as I had already ordered a Skyhawk A-T JY0000-53E myself on EBay when she told me she had ordered a PMV65-2242 from Kodai in Japan. This necessitated a quick re advert on EBay of the unworn Skyhawk A-T JY0000-53E. However I was very pleased to have both watches for a short time giving me an opportunity to compare. They are both fantastic models and having the same movement provide exactly the same functions. However I feel that the 2242 does give you more for your money accepting that it does cost more. The weight is approx half that of the stainless steel watch and the sapphire lens gives very much improved visibility of the face etc in all lights.I previously had a nice Seiko with a mineral glass lens which became very badly scratched over time, probably due to my carelessness, so the sapphire lens is pretty important to me. One other feature which I appreciate on the 2242 is the sliding adjuster on the clasp. This allows a very accurate fit. The charcoal finish also looks fantastic and hopefully it will resist scratches as advertised. I was pleased to see that the 2242 was etched with RFN on the rear of the case so presumably it has had the software update carried out, not that this vital for use in Europe. The transaction with the seller Kodai was rather quirky as he refused to answer any of our four emails until we put in a complaint via paypal and then replied with a computer translated reply which didnt make much sense. However the watch arrived 27 days after order in perfect condition so no real complaint. Incidentally Kodai has now made all his feedback private and is not at the moment advertising anything for sale — strange, however for the record it seems that most of his customer feedback complained about very slow shipping so maybe he didnt hold stock but only bought in to meet orders.
The bottom line is that I am absolutely delighted with my watch.
April 10, 2008 at 11:14 pm
I’ve been contemplating buying a Citizen Skyhawk for some time now. I’m disappointed that Kodai has turned out to be unreliable. $1200 seems a bit pricey.
I can only seem to find the PMV65-2242 in two places on ebay and they’re both around $1200.
I live in the UK. Can anyone recommend somewhere suitable to buy one that’s a bit cheaper?
April 11, 2008 at 8:33 am
I have one extra 2242 which is still a brand-new with hang-tags etc. It comes complete with original maual and warranty (Japanese). I can sell it for $1050 plus shipping. I can be reached at iilbz at yahoo if you are interested.