Citizen launched its line of Promaster line of professional-grade sports watches, targeted at adventurers and explorers, 30 years ago. To commemorate the three-decade anniversary, the Japanese power brand unveiled at Baselworld 2019 a trio of limited-edition Promaster models, one each for land, sea, and air, that boast not only Citizen’s proprietary Eco-Drive movements but other technological and design innovations as well. Here is the lowdown on each model in the Citizen 30th Anniversary Promaster series.
Built for the “Air,” specifically for the pilots who make it their home, is the Eco-Drive Satellite Wave GPS Promaster 30th Anniversary, limited to 1,989 pieces (1989 being the year that Citizen debuted the first Promaster models). The watch’s 47-mm case is made of Citizen’s “Super Titanium,” enhanced with a special surface-hardening treatment combining Duratect MRK and Duratect DLC for enhanced scratch-resistance. Its bezel sports an aviation-style scale using traditional pilots’ ground-air visual signal codes. The multi-level cockpit-inspired dial, with large hands and indices placed between a base dial and a clear crystal layer above, has orange accents and luminescent treatment. The Eco-Drive movement, powered by light and receiving time signals from GPS satellites, drives a 1/4-second chronograph timing up to 24 hours and displays the time in two different zones simultaneously; wearers can also switch from home time to local time in one easy step. Correcting the time in any of 39 world cities is a simple matter of the watch syncing with a GPS satellite. And keeping track of the light-powered movement’s power level is just as easy, thanks to a built-in light level indicator. The watch, like all the Anniversary editions, has a 30th Anniversary logo stamped on its caseback. Available in autumn 2019, the watch is priced at $2,500.
The “Land” series brings us the Eco-Drive Altichron Promaster 30th Anniversary, whose signature technical feature is an analog altimeter function measuring from 10,000 meters above ground level to 300 meters below sea level, a practical tool for hiking, climbing, and cave exploration. Its case measures 46 mm in diameter and 14.8 mm thick, constructed from Super Titanium with a gold-colored Duratect MRK coating that protects its surface from scratches and other damage. The dial’s three hands serve to display the hours, minutes, and altitude readouts, in an intuitive analog fashion, simultaneously. The gold-colored case combines with navy and black elements on the dial and strap for a stylish look, and a special layer over the caseback prevents the wearer’s skin from coming into contact with metal, a boon for those wearing this explorers’ watch in extreme cold conditions. The Eco-Drive Caliber 1280 inside the watch is accurate to +/- 15 seconds per month and runs for 11 months on a full charge. Citizen says the model, also limited to 1,989 pieces, will be available at retail in August 2019 and priced at $975.
Rounding out the commemorative collection is the model intended for the “Sea,” the Eco-Drive Aqualand 200m Promaster 30th Anniversary, a 46.1-mm stainless steel diver equipped with an array of underwater safety-focused functions and features, including a power-reserve indicator, a dive alarm to alert the wearer to excess speed in ascending, a water sensor, a screw-locked crown and screw-locking buttons, and, of course, the ubiquitous unidirectional bezel to time dives. The time is easy to read on the large hands and simple round indices, and the hands can also be used for an analog depth gauge display, reading depths down to 70 meters below sea level. Different colored luminous material — green for the time indication, blue for the depth reading — are applied to the hands for greater undersea legibility. The case is water-resistant to 200 meters, and its urethane strap includes a separate, flexible extension that enables it to expand to be worn over a diving suit. Limited to 6,000 pieces, the Aqualand model is priced at $775 and available in June 2019.
I have a number of the prosaic models. And the stopped working and the factory could repair. Hopefully this model is more durable