Citizen Caliber E111

The Citizen Eco-Drive caliber E111 is a solar powered quartz movement with 0 jewels. This movement is a perpetual calendar (until February 28, 2100).

Accuracy Rating:

Citizen states the accuracy of this movement to be +/-15 seconds per month between the normal operating temperatures of 41-95 Fahrenheit .

Solar Power & Power Reserve:

Although this caliber looks and acts like a quartz movement, it is not powered by a standard battery cell typically found in quartz movements.

Inside is a capacitor that looks like a battery with a metal tab welded onto the back. Citizen refers to this part as a “secondary battery” and is listed as “not user replaceable”.

The purpose of this capacitor is to store electrical energy accumulated by the solar cell (basically a small solar panel) below the dial. When the light hits the cell, it is converted to electrical energy.

When fully charged, the calibre E111 can continue to run for up to 6 months.

How to Charge the Movement

Being a solar powered movement, light energy is needed to charge the capacitor. Place your watch dial up in a well lit area such as a window sill so that the solar cell can absorb the light energy. Natural sunlight is typically the best way to charge your solar powered watch. Keep in mind that if it is a hot day and your watch is left in direct sunlight for too long, it could cause the dial or other parts of the watch to become damaged. Place the watch in the light but not in the heat (avoid recharging over 140F). It is not possible to overcharge the capacitor with light thanks to the movement’s built-in overcharging prevention function.

How Long to Recharge?

How long it takes to fully recharge your Eco-Drive solar powered caliber E111 entirely depends on the power of the light source. See chart below from page 10 of the official Citizen manual:

Low Energy Warning:

When the capacitor (secondary battery) is losing energy, there is a low energy function of the movement that causes the second hand to jump every two seconds. During this time, the watch will continue to keep the correct time. After about three days of experiencing the low energy warning without being recharged, the watch will stop running. After the battery is charged, the second hand should start running again like normal.

If you charged your watch with light and are still seeing the skipping seconds hand, this is an indication that the time is incorrect due to the time being stopped before. Simply set the time and the second hand should go back to normal after pushing the crown back to position 0.

If you placed your watch in the light for an extended period of time and still experience the jumping second hand or stopped time, it could mean that capacitor needs replaced.

Replacing the Capacitor

Although the capacitor/secondary battery in the caliber E111 appears to be a normal battery cell, it is not. Do not try to fit a regular battery in the movement.

Only use the replacement Citizen part 295-758 (295-7580) as shown below – the cross-over part is a Panasonic CTL920F. Changing it is like changing a regular battery, just make sure the metal tab is placed in the slot correctly.

Crown/Stem Removal:

With the crown in position 0, look for the small hole on the movement and press it while gently pulling the crown/stem out.

Replacement Price:

At the time of this post, replacements for the caliber E111 Eco-Drive solar-powered movement were not found online. If you need a replacement, you may have to find a used watch for parts. As noted above, if your watch is not holding charge, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to replace the entire movement, but rather the capacitor. The replacement price of the capacitor is in the range of $21.95-30 USD. Buy it here.

Setting the Time:

Additional Resources:

• Citizen E111 official page
• Citizen instruction manual (pdf)