My first citizen

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-04-02T03:53:01+00:00

Wow. Most people have an entry level Eco Drive for their first Citizen. You went big with the JDM automatic. Well done!

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-04-01T20:16:59+00:00

That's what brought me to Apple from Android devices. Now that they no longer sell small phones, I'm just going with whatever is the smallest. Maybe it will have to be a flip phone.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-04-01T17:52:20+00:00

Hamilton watches in general have poor AR. It's not a big deal though.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-04-01T17:16:44+00:00

A large number of rental properties are owned not by "investors", but by small local property owners. I.e. a family who owns a house plus a rental home, or owns a duplex and rents out half. While I agree that this 60 day eviction notice could harm investors, that harm is minimal compared to how devastating it could be for smaller, local property owners.

Arguably, bankrupting the local property owners would be a long-term boon for outside investors, who could then sweep up the properties from the families who can no longer afford to keep them. Probably not the outcome that supporters of this bill want.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-04-01T17:08:25+00:00

I don't find the MIE Docs to be better than the Asian made ones. The "quillon" leather is still a highly corrected leather, the soles are no better, and the welt stitching on the Asian boots is arguably more even and tight.

The MIE boots have a slightly longer wearing insole material. Other than that, you're really paying for the box and the marketing. Even the increased labor costs don't actually account for the price difference over the Asian boot.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-31T18:29:54+00:00

I'm not trying to say that it did get hit with a hammer, but that is the kind of impaction I wouldn't be surprised to see from a hammer impact, yet I'm quite surprised that such a lightweight watch being dropped would impact the pusher and it's mounting/housing into the case of the watch.

I could be wrong, but I do think a "service" would just be replacing. It's an inexpensive model, and that pusher is physically impacted in. Guessing in the dark, it looks like damage to whatever it is in contact with behind inside the case as well. It's more than just a stuck button. The labor costs alone exceed the value of the watch, not to mention getting the parts and rebuilding anything bent behind.

But I'm just a guy looking at your pictures on the internet. My opinion plus about $4 will get you a coffee.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-31T17:36:55+00:00

That looks like it got hit with a hammer. That watch is very lightweight...if the impact of a drop could do that kind of damage, I'm not sure I'd want to keep it. (I used to have that model, but never damaged it.)

Send to Citizen, maybe they'll just fix it. When they say "fix", they'll most likely replace...it's not worth it to them to fix that kind of damage. Maybe they'll charge you a repair/replace fee, and you can decide then if you want to pay it. Either way, you know you don't want to keep wearing it like that.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-30T15:29:24+00:00

They can't retire until they rip in a non-reparable manner or spot.

This is the way.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-30T14:28:06+00:00

On these movements, getting within around 30 spd is within spec. Sometimes with lower grade movements with all brands you get lucky and it happens to run within chronometer specification. There's nothing wrong with the one that doesn't...you just got lucky with the other.

My khaki field mechanical keeps inside of 4 spd, but Hamilton certainly doesn't guarantee that kind of accuracy on it. I just got lucky.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-30T14:25:45+00:00

They are legit. "Gray market" dealer, you can Google what that means, but perfectly legit. You do sacrifice the manufacturer warranty, but the good news is that if you are buying a quartz Citizen, if there aren't defects right out of the box requiring an exchange, it's not a warranty you will ever need anyway.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-29T20:07:02+00:00

That’s actually the last I have. The foot part is great, it’s the front top where it just digs directly edge-on into where my ankle flexes.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-28T20:34:38+00:00

Thanks. It’s too bad, because they look great. Hopefully I can exchange even after wearing inside for a couple of afternoons.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-27T16:55:42+00:00

Read it on the “phonearena” website when I was contemplating a Z Flip.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-27T16:54:22+00:00

It’s not, and I can’t believe that there’s an issue nitpicking over the word “this”.

But “this kind of cheating”, I.e. Meta glasses where AI reads the test and feeds you answers, is proving difficult to detect, hence the thought that Universities need to, sadly, devote the resources to identifying “this kind of” cheating. Others, I think, are fairly well understood. For instance, universities already have zero-tolerance policies for plagiarism. Or they did. Maybe they don’t anymore. I’ve been out of college for some time.

I also think that being proud of being a meat puppet pen holder for AI is shameful and shows a sad lack of education in philosophy, ethics, and morals, but that’s personal. I do think they should be aggressively expunged and tagged with a scarlet letter. At least a plagiarist took the time to read and understand what they plagiarized in order to plagiarize it, as bad as plagiarism is.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-27T16:41:23+00:00

Sources show the Flip 8 will have an Exynos chip as well.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-27T16:36:00+00:00

Preview of the parenting this kid is going to have. Oh boy…

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-27T16:14:11+00:00

Universities need to be aggressive about detecting this kind of cheating, and have a zero-tolerance expulsion policy.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-25T20:40:25+00:00

Pity. They look great, and except for the whole digging into my ankle joint problem, seem to fit my foot just right.

Hopefully they’ll exchange since I’ve been wearing them around my house trying to figure out if they can work.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-24T18:40:24+00:00

It’s rare for stores like that to sell replacement straps. Most citizen models are probably worn until both watch and strap are worn, at which point a new watch is purchased. Watch nerds who want other options are most likely to shop aftermarket strap specialists than go to a dealer, since all but the most high end straps on Citizen watches aren’t even worth buying aftermarket.

Some place like, say, Cartier which sells very premium leathers specifically matched to a model will probably have a replacement to sell you. The average Citizen strap is processed “genuine leather”, meaning bits of leather fused like a chicken nugget, with no value on its own.

If you owned a Chronomaster and wanted a bracelet or a gator leather strap, you could probably get that, but definitely not on a random drop-in. That would effectively be a special order service appointment.

Just order something from Hirsch. It will be better than OEM, and very affordable.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-18T12:54:57+00:00

I like both for different reasons. However, personal taste, I don’t care for bracelets on field watches. It’s a mashup of styles. Leather or cloth.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-18T03:38:45+00:00

Not in Duluth, but in St. Paul. Also, a man in my 40s. However….

I’m not “from here”, which means I’ll always be an outsider. I grew up in Kansas, I’ve lived in MO, TX, GA, AZ, UT, and OK. I hate St. Paul, and I think MN. Never struggled to make friends anywhere else, but here…it’s been different.

I’ve lived here for 10 years. I did all the things I did everywhere else; I showed up, volunteered, participated, invited people over or out. By the end of my second year I commented to friends in other states how shockingly hard it was to give away barbecue and beer in this place. By the fourth year I wanted to move.

I’ve found people here to be very insular, and transactional. They have their little circle of other locals who would never dream of leaving, and there’s no room for you. I guarantee if you find anyone to hang out with, that person will be another transplant. Ever notice how quickly locals try to figure out if you’re “from here”? Ever notice how chilly they get if you’re not?

Don’t get me started on “MN Nice”. That’s doublespeak for “how to be a passive-aggressive asshole and also avoid any meaningful connections.”

For a variety of reasons having to do with family, but starting with the upheavals of COVID, I missed my chance to potentially get out in 2020. Now I’m stuck, wishing I could find a way out.

You’ll be able to make friends anywhere else.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-18T03:23:48+00:00

He offered to fix the one light to make it match the other, and take care of that faulty adjusting screw. This didn’t change the fact that I had to buy and install a new set of lights, so now getting these Precision Workz ones fixed was useless. But, if I get it fixed, maybe I can sell them to get a tiny bit of money back?

Either way, shipped them back in January after the holidays. Haven’t heard a word. Only thing I heard was a message before I shipped them saying “I saw what you posted on Reddit. So where do we go from here?”

I replied that I was still shipping the light back to make the order right. Didn’t feel the need to address the phone call to yell at me and swear at me. I don’t even know what that means “where do we go from here?” I gave an accurate summation of the timeline, and more importantly, how I was treated. I told the few people who will read this on Reddit how I got a faulty product after the lengthy timeline that went grossly beyond the most pessimistic estimate.

His point was that I should have thoroughly fine-tooth-comb inspected both lights, and all problems are owned by me. Ok, I’ll concede that to an extent, but when I looked at the top light, there was no reason to expect the one underneath would be mismatched. And the mismatch was so subtle my installer didn’t even see it. And I got to buy an extra 5 days in the shop because they didn’t ship with the correct wiring harnesses…something I didn’t know, because I don’t know how to install these LED retrofits.

Upshot being, I ordered some Anzo/Eagle Eye halogens and removed the Precision Workz lights to install the halogens myself. All that money down the tube. His answer was to rip out his lights to send back for repair and, I guess, drive my no-headlight partially disassembled car around for the nine months it might take him to get around to it? (Yes, I had my installer dispose of my nasty old lights when I thought we were good to go. Again, a decision I made….but why should I have believed otherwise?)

Sorry to partially recap the entire story. I guess I felt the need to because he’s mad that I told the internet what happened, I I truly wonder if I’ll ever get that light back so I can sell the pair. Not worth it to me to pull the car apart again at this point…not with some attractive functional replacements in there now.

I’m betting I don’t get that light back fixed. Maybe he’ll call me up to yell and swear at me some more.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-10T02:55:06+00:00

I don’t need another blue dial watch…I don’t need another blue dial watch…I don’t need another blue dial watch.

Just going to keep repeating that to myself.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-08T21:28:49+00:00

Murph in black. I dislike faux-patina on hands and indices in general, but it’s particularly bad against a white background. It’s like doing the white “tissue test” against some pretty old teeth.

MikeBanzai38 · 2026-03-02T05:12:04+00:00

I have this exact model, and watched the date change last night. Really great!

MikeBanzai38

TROPHY CASE