Citizen EcoDrive Watch

This Citizen Eco-Drive tank watch was my first “expensive” watch purchase— as in, not purchased at the fashion jewelry counter of a department store. Or expensive to me at the time. I knew it was overpriced by virtue of buying it at a resort boutique while I was on vacation, but I love classic tank style watches and they weren’t often seen eight years ago when I bought this.

It went to the back of my jewelry box when I started wearing my Apple Watch every day. Plus, it takes an odd width strap and the local jewelery store didn’t have any in the right size when the original cheap brown croc leather one wore out.

I was just sorting through my watch box today, after 3 years of being more “into” watches*, and realized I had a spare strap in the right size, that didn’t quite match the watch I bought it for, so I put it on this one.

Still really like it, and feel like I’ve just gotten a “new watch” for my collection.

The EcoDrive movement means you don’t need batteries for it. Leave it where it gets some light occasionally and it’s always good to go. Accuracy of a quartz without the battery hassle. This has been in the back of my closed watch box for 2 years so was run down. Put it on the window sill this morning and it’s running fine now.

Citizen is an underrated Japanese watch maker. One of my favorite “more expensive” watches is a Citizen mechanical with a gorgeous dial and fine movement.

*By “watch aficionado” standards, I barely stuck my toe into the watch hobby, because it can be an EXPENSIVE hobby. But the watch group I hang out with online is very inclusive of folks who buy at all different price points. Lots of folks in the group have Timex and Swatch watches—and others have those alongside JLCs and Paneri. And now I at least know where to buy replacement straps and spring bars and such online. I’ve about tapped out of the hobby as far as new purchases, but really value the friends I’ve made.

Hongdian M2 pocket pen

First, let’s state the obvious: this is a cheap Chinese? knock off of the Kaweco AL-Sport. Some people do not ever use blatant knock offs, out of respect for the design and development costs the initial brand invested and their ongoing investment in customer service, etc. So if that is you, you can stop reading now. (I generally do not use knock-offs instead of the main brand item, for those very reasons – but I will sometimes use them alongside.)

This pen came with a mini converter, and wrote well out of the box. It came in a thin metal box secured by foam padding. It takes standard international short cartridges if you don’t like the converter.

For me, the problem with pocket pens is by definition they don’t usually live in my portable pen case, but rather my pocket or loose in my purse, and so I am prone to misplacing them, or occasionally sending them through the wash.

I would rather risk that with a $20 Hongdian pen from Amazon than a $80-92 Kaweco AL Sport or $125 Schon Design Pocket 6. My favorite Pocket 6 is “house lost” at the moment, in fact.

And personally, I have a real hard time with smooth metal sections, which this pen and the AL-Sport both have. Metal section pens are fine for me for jotting quick notes, which is the purpose of a pocket pen, but I can’t use one for a long writing session. Another reason for me not to spend as much money on a pocket pen with a metal section.

Enough about why this pen serves a function for me even though I also own multiple genuine Kaweco AL-Sports.

The one thing that I really like about this pen more than the Kaweco is its clip. It is an integrated part of the cap, and it is a spring clip—much better on both counts than the Kaweco clips, which need to be bought as an added accessory, and which will easily slide off your pen. To me a clip makes a pocket pen much more usable – I almost always reach for those with clips over those that do not have one. So I think this is actually a better pen for its function than its pricier Kaweco inspiration.

OK, another thing I really like about this pen is just particular to me – its finial has an adorable design of two cats, black and white, curled together in a yin yang shape. I will post a picture of my two cats, Coconut and MoonPie, and you can see why I had to have this pen. It sits on my bedside table, ready in case I have any middle of the night thoughts to jot down. And ready to be shoved in my pocket as I get dressed.

Ratings:

Function: * * * * *

Value: * * * * * At $20 it’s cheaper than the plastic Kaweco Sport not to mention than the aluminum Kawecos, and it comes with a converter and has a integrated clip.

Rank in my collection: * * * * *
Will always need knock around pocket pens I don’t mind damaging or losing. Plus–that finial!

Summer 2024 to-read list:

Jacqueline Winspear, “The Comfort of Ghosts.” The final Masie Dobbs mystery–#18. So sorry for this series to end, but mad respect for an author who has an arc and sticks to it!

Callie Swanlund, From Weary to Wholehearted. What all clergy seem to be reading this summer!

Kathleen B. Jones, Cities of Women. Historical mystery novel entwining the stories of the 14th-century Christine de Pisan and a modern day scholar. Written by a friend. Started it a few months ago for book group, but didn’t have time to get very far into it–but really liked what I read. Reminded me of A.S. Byatt’s Possession.

Amor Towles, “Table for Two.” Loved his book “A Man in Moscow,” and short stories might be more digestible in summer.

Lisa See, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. For book club.

Shelby Van Pelt, Remarkably Bright Creatures. Several people recommended this novel after I used TikToktopus as a sermon example.

Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering: How we meet and why it matters

Casper Ter Kuile, The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices From the co-founder of the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text

Surely books by James Martin, Brené Brown, and mystery author Laurie R. King will all be up for re-reads.

And hopefully I’ll have time to dip into the stacks (thankfully mostly on my Kindle) of strictly professional reading, on preaching, leadership, spirituality, and related topics.