# Identify a wrist watch please. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187 "2010-06-06T18:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/1 "2010-06-06T18:57:33Z")
Hallo. I bought a wrist watch at a car boot sale. Can anybody help me find more information on this thing, and preferably a manual? I have tried google etc but no luck there. On the front it says “BMW” and “QUARTZ” and in very small letters “Japan”(I think – my eyes are not what they once were) “Howt” - and on the back “ TITANIUM ECO-DRIVE” with a world atlas like picture. Around that picture in very small letters: “Base titanium T1 Water resistant 100M Japan GN-4W-UL 0855-HO1113 TA 651145” Here are some pictures from my hopelessly outdated camera. Anyone got an idea? [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/4043/4675271441_280089e9e5_z.jpg "JimNightshade") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/50892717@N02/) ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/2 "2010-06-06T19:18:55Z")
What you have there is a Citizen Eco-Drive watch, movement series 0855. You can download a PDF of the setting instructions here: > **[Citizen Watch Official Site | CITIZEN](https://www.citizenwatch.com/us/en/)** > > Shop our latest collection of Eco-Drive watches - powered by any light, never need battery replacement. Better starts now. Citizen Watch Company of America, INC. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/3 "2010-06-06T19:38:06Z")
20 minutes! This place IS amazing. Nametag - thank you very very much - much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/4 "2010-06-06T20:55:37Z")
Nametag, I assume you know a bit about watches (and I do not). When I read that user guide, it doesn’t seem to work. The watch in the user guide had the internal dials at 0, 6 and 9 and the one I have here have the dials at 3, 6 and 9 - would that make a difference. It also says in that user guide: Never use a battery other than the Eco Drive Rechargeable battery. The watch structure is so designed that a different kind of battery other than the specified cannot be used to operate it. However, in case a different kind of battery such as a silver oxide battery, there is a danger that the watch will be overcharged to burst, causing damage to the watch and even to the human body. I have no idea what is inside this thing - would bringing it to a watch maker help. Do they have the proper batteries on stock you think? Just wondering as I still can’t seem to set the time on the thing - although it IS ticking along (albeit with the wrong date and time). Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/5 "2010-06-06T20:57:49Z")
Eco-drive watches are solar powered (I have one). If it’s working, don’t try replacing the battery. If not, any Citizen dealer can replace the battery. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/6 "2010-06-06T21:07:13Z")
OK - I wish I knew how to set the date and time on this thing 🙂 Apart from that it seems to be a nice little watch. I paid 25 euros for the thing - is that fair you think? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/7 "2010-06-06T21:17:43Z")
> [@JimNightshade](#): > > OK - I wish I knew how to set the date and time on this thing 🙂 > > Apart from that it seems to be a nice little watch. I paid 25 euros for the thing - is that fair you think? I don’t know about your specific watch, but some of them are quite expensive - list price of over $700. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/8 "2010-06-06T21:21:33Z")
I will bet you that this one is worth less than 30 dollars - but for the fun of it, how would I find out? Citizen dealership ? Or are there any online resources? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/9 "2010-06-06T23:40:02Z")
> [@JimNightshade](#): > > I will bet you that this one is worth less than 30 dollars - but for the fun of it, how would I find out? Citizen dealership ? Or are there any online resources? I’d take that bet. The absolute cheapest Titanium Eco-drive watches that have sold recently on ebay are more than $30 - most are in the 100’s. [Here](http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-CITIZEN-TITANIUM-ECO-DRIVE-660FT-CHRONOGRAPH-WATCH-/320536754957?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Wristwatches&hash=item4aa17abb0d#ht_3107wt_1250) is a somewhat similar watch that sold for $142. ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/10 "2010-06-07T00:44:55Z")
Yeah, but JimNightshade’s watch looks quite fake. He also bought it at a car boot sale (flea market) and thinks it’s less than $30. I believe him. I’ve seen better (and cheaper) watches for sale in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Some of them keep better time than my real Rolex! ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/11 "2010-06-07T00:59:28Z")
Someone selling stuff from the boot of their car? FAKE.SCAM.RIPOFF.CHEAP IMITATION. ETC.ETC. Oh, excuse me, they are called “Replica Citizen watches” when I do a search of “fake Citizen watches”- 307,000 hits on Google - some for $39.00! Good thing you did not buy a “still in the original box” stereo system that was actually a box full of rocks. If the watch works, and you like the way it looks, and you thought the price was “reasonable”, then it really doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/12 "2010-06-07T01:21:34Z")
Isn’t a fake Citizen better known as an illegal alien? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/13 "2010-06-07T07:39:42Z")
My apologies, **Jim** ; I don’t know that much about watches, but I am a whiz at Google. I got the movement series from the numbers you gave, and was misled. I didn’t look very closely at your pictures, as they’re a little blurry. I thought at first that it might be a special edition made for BMW, with the little dials moved, but that definitely isn’t the case. Citizen has made watches for BMW, but they have an actual BMW logo on them; this one doesn’t have that, nor does it actually say Citizen, either. It’s actually got an extra button, too, and the dials are…wrong. So, that manual will do you no good, and I also expect that this is not a solar-powered watch, so the battery warning is also irrelevant. It might be a perfectly decent watch, though, so if fiddling with the buttons doesn’t work, at least a watchmaker might be able to change the battery for you. ---
**Author:** ![HeadNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HeadNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadNinja)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/14 "2010-06-07T19:09:17Z")
BMW tends to give watches to employees and contractors for major landmarks. I have two, a fossil and a nicer one whose brand I don’t remember. They both have a very understated BMW on them, with no roundel. I suppose someone could go through the effort of counterfeiting one, but I’d guess there time would be better spent on something with a bit more general appeal. My best guess would be that someone who used to work at BMW gave up the watch. ---
**Author:** ![JimNightshade](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jimnightshade/32/3354_2.png) [@JimNightshade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimNightshade)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-a-wrist-watch-please/542187/15 "2010-06-07T20:09:34Z")
Thanks people - apologies for the late reply - different time zone. If this thing is real and not a cheap fake (which I am pretty sure could very well be the case) - would there be some indication inside? Would a dealer know if this is a fake? I am getting more and more curious now… 🙂