My dad had purchased a Citizen watch in 1981 from a shop in Kabul, where I had gone as a UNICEF Consultant . I had to buy it, because my Sieko automatic watch ( a Japanese watch ! needed repairs, and I was without a watch. The dealer showed me a black beauty. It was a Citizen Ana-digi watch with a black dial, which can keep dual time.
Analog watches are the traditional watches, whereas a digital watch is fully electronic, with hourly chime, daily alarm, calendar, dual time and what have you? It was a full stainless steel one, with a fashionable band. It was waterproof also. It was a love at the first sight and I went for it. I think I paid some 8000 Afghanis for it. How many US Dollars or Indian Rupees? Wait a minute. Let me calculate. Oh, yes, it was some 1500 Indian Rupees, about 30 US Dollars at 1981 rates. I started wearing it and put my Sieko in its box. It is still there with me. I get it oiled every two years.
My Citizen gave me excellent service till 1995 ( 14 years ) when its band broke down. I was then in Jakarta ( Indonesia ). I wanted to change its band, but the price quoted for an original band was prohibitive. So I suggested to have tukar tumba . Tukar means to exchange and tumba means to pay something extra. I reluctantly parted with my black beauty with a parting kiss and got an equally beautiful white one.
It was a white dial Citizen with usual Ana-digi features. It gave me excellent service, till the other day, when it stopped working. I got it examined by a local watch dealer at Angul ( Orissa State, India ) where I leave after my retirement. I was sorry to be told that the dealer did not have the spare parts for my watch.
I am sorry to say that after sales service for Citizen watches is almost non-existent in India. Why So ? Has any one conducted a customer survey ?
I went in for Citizen although I had a Casio, Omega and Sieko watches, because of its brand equity.
I have not given up. Next time I go to South east Asia, I will get it fixed and use it.
Before I close. If the Marketing Director of Citizen happens to go through this review, I am sure, he would hire me to be the Brand Ambassador of the Company.