Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic SUPER TITANIUM NB6021-68L 'Fujitsubo' (similar to NB6021-17E) - A very Usable Watch, A Review (plus Video)

In August of 2022, Citizen launched the NB6021 series of dive watches under the Promaster line. This series is a revival of a 4 decade old mechanical dive watch design by the brand. The Citizen 62-6198 Challenge Diver series which was made from the late 1960s up until the early 1980s was the inspiration. Although there were many sub-variants, the vast majority of the models look perilously similar. It was ruggedly built with typical concepts and lines of contemporary dive watches of that period. What makes it noteworthy was a discovery of one of the watches that washed up on Long Reef Beach in Australia in 1983 coated with barnacles. Despite being lost at sea for a long time (that particular example was made in 1977), it was still working diligently when found. This fact sealed the legendary reliability of the design.

In the middle of 2021, Citizen launched a more basic revival of the Citizen 62-6198 Challenge Diver in the form of the NY0125 series. With stainless steel and mineral glass as core materials for the series, it was powered by the basic Miyota 8204 movement. I was immediately intrigued by this model. What caught my interest was the completeness of the design - a dive watch that is not as large as contemporary models found in the market right now.

Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M NB6004-83E (similar to NB6004-08E, NB6005-05L, NB6006-02X) - A Dive Watch, A Review (plus Video)

Not many brands can be recognized as a premier dive watch designer. By this I mean brands that can come out with iconic designs that are evergreen and a source for inspiration for many other brands to copy and emulate. Seiko with their Tuna design and Rolex with the Submariner design are such iconic examples. Citizen is one such company that is a member of this exclusive group. Citizen's call to fame is its iconic 1982 Professional Dive Watch 1300m. 

 

In March 2021, Citizen launched an updated modern offering of the iconic 1982 Professional Dive Watch 1300m in the form of the BN0220-16E. This latest rendering is powered by an Eco-Drive module and only has a 200 meter water rating (the original is a quartz engine with 1300 meter of water rating). I was able to get one for the collection (click here to read the review).

Also in March 2021, Citizen quietly announced the launched of the Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m series. These watches has the NB600X reference code. This new series is not sold widely around the world. What makes it interesting is that it represents a return to automatic movement-based dive watches by Citizen. The automatic movement introduced by Citizen is a new design and designated the Caliber 9051. The movement is a modern 4Hz frequency mechanism with 42 hours of power reserve. The movement is also highly magnetic-resistant.

 

Citizen Promaster Marine BN0220-16E Eco-Drive Diver Super Titanium 200 meters (similar to BN0227-09L & BN0228-06W) - A Unique Designed Beater Watch, A Review (plus Video)

In March 2021, Citizen announced a launch of three new set Eco-Drive powered marine models under the Promaster line. These 200 meter dive watches have design features similar to the legendary Citizen 1,300 meter Professional Diver watch of 1982; a watch with the deepest depth rating at that time. 

Honestly, I was intrigued by the shape of the casing. The lug free design and the four very distinctive bezel guards gives the watch a visual perception of toughness as well as uniqueness. Despite the bulk, the weight is deceivingly light due to the use to titanium which I am fond of. 

There are three models to choose from.  I decided on the BN0220-16E (BN0220 for short) as this model closely resembles the 1982 icon. Although this model is available from a local vendor, I decided to go through my favourite Japanese vendor, SeiyaJapan. 

After taking into consideration the importation fees etc., the watch still turned out to be cheaper than getting it from a local vendor.

I did not have to wait long. The courier was very efficient, settling all the import taxes quickly and delivering the watch to me within 72 hours after making the order.

Head-To-Head: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Titanium BN7020-09E Solarzilla versus Citizen Promaster Autozilla 1000m Titanium Divers Watch NH6930-09F (NH6931-06E)

Citizen Watch Company, under the Promaster line has come out with some heavyweights in dive watches in the last few years. The brand's extreme dive watches, capable of withstanding 1,000 meters of water pressure under the Godzilla series have become iconic with collectors. The two famous models, the Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Titanium BN7020-09E Solarzilla (left of the photo below) and the Citizen Promaster Autozilla 1000m Titanium Divers Watch NH6930-09F (NH6931-06E) (right of the photo below) are Kings of the Hill for Citizen.

Citizen BN0211-50E Promaster Tough Eco-Drive Black Dial Bracelet Watch - Simplicity Is Its Beauty, A Review (plus Video)

Any watch collector will have something to say about quartz watches. All would say that accuracy for quartz powered watches surpasses mechanical timepieces. Unfortunately, a lot of them also will shy away from acquiring a quartz watch due to the prevailing negative perception vis-a-vis a mechanical timepiece. Although I officially don't have such a bias view against quartz watches, the watches I acquire over the years appears to show a high degree of leaning towards mechanical timepieces. After looking at the facts and some soul searching, I came to the conclusion that my historical acquisition trail has been influenced by reviews and comments from other watch collectors.

I realised that my worldview is a reflection of the collective wants of all the watch collectors that are sharing their dreams about this hobby online. Unfortunately, this is not what I want in the hobby. For me, it is all about the design, technology and a watch's position on the evolutionary tree of watches. In the last year or so, I have started to become more inclusive and started to look further into the quartz world.

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Titanium BN7020-09E Solarzilla - The Ultimate Tool Watch, A Review (plus Video)

In my collection I have the 2002-introduced Promaster 1000m (Reference NH6931/NH6930) nicknamed the “Autozilla”. In 2017, when I heard that Citizen was pulling all the stops to come out with something spectacular for Baselworld 2107, I was curious to see the great reveal.

Citizen did not disappoint. The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000m (Reference BN7020-09E) is the world’s first solar-powered saturation capable diving watch. It is also Citizen’s second 1,000 meter diver. This watch is one of the few watches that can be define as an extreme dive watch. It is capable of exceptional depth and not suited for formal wear. It has been given the nickname “Solarzilla”.

The Solarzilla follows the design philosophy of its predecessor, the Autozilla. Slightly larger than the Autozilla, the Solarzilla is different in a few aspects. First, it is an Eco-Drive instead of automatic. Second, the new diver comes with an additional locking system that has a visual indication to show when the timing bezel is unlocked. Third, the addition of a power reserve reserve indicator.

Titanium Lug Adapters for the Citizen Promaster Professional Diver Autozilla

After the rubber strap failures on my Seiko Prospex Emperor Tuna (see: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2016/09/omg-moment-seiko-prospex-emperor-tuna.html) and Bell & Ross BR02-92 (see: http://westernwatch.blogspot.my/2016/10/an-omg-moment-rubber-strap-failure-of.html) I got really concerned with the rest of the other rubber strapped watches in my collection. When the rubber straps of those watches fail, it should not be difficult to find another strap (definitely not rubber!) as replace except for one watch. This watch is my Citizen Promaster Autozilla (see: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2013/12/citizen-promaster-autozilla-1000m.html).

The Citizen Autozilla has a unique lug attachment to the rubber strap. This means, it is not possible to get third-party straps as replacement. However, there is a way to get around this – Titanium Lug Adapters. There are companies out there that specializes the manufacturing of lug adapters to the Citizen Autozilla. These adapters allow a standard strap to be fitted to the watch.

I was able to find one that is rather affordable from eBay. The item was from a merchant in USA and it is made in Japan. For USD60 (inclusive of USD5 for courier), I get the lugs as well as a free gift of a 24 mm Nato band strap. At the moment I don’t need to use it. In it goes into my parts drawers waiting for the day it will be called for duty.

Honestly buying third-party products as replacements for parts in my watch collection is not something normal to me. Generally, I prefer my watches to be stock, to give the authenticity to the collection. However, in this case, trying to get a replacement strap from Citizen may not be simple exercise since the Autozilla (the quart version is called the Ecozilla) are unique models. It stands to reason parts may not be well stocked and it could take months, if not longer, to get it (hopefully Citizen still have such a thing in stock!!). If Citizen can’t deliver, at least I already got a proxy in hand.

Citizen Promaster Titanium Diver NY0054-04L Blue Dial Watch – Very flexible in all situations, A Review (plus Video)

“Best Bang For Your Buck”; is a colloquial terms that best sums up the Citizen Promaster NY0054. It is a pity that Citizen has stop producing this model for some time now. I have always harbor a wish to get my hands on one. Unfortunately, the thought of getting a used piece does not sit well with my collection philosophy.

It so happens that a particular internet merchant that I used before suddenly listed a NOS piece. The price listed was way above the original price but since this would silence the ‘ache’ that I have, I decided to get it anyhow. It was listed at RM929 (MSRP was at RM2,750) www.bodying.my.

Citizen’s Promaster series is the brand’s high-tech range of sports watches. The family of dive watches under this line is designed specifically for professionals. The NY0054 is a model well suited for normal scuba divers right down to a depth of 200 meters. It was made to a tolerance that is in compliant to the ISO6425 dive watch standards.

Citizen Promaster Autozilla 1000m Titanium Divers Watch NH6930-09F (NH6931-06E) - Pure, Unadulterated Dive Watch, A Review

A grail watch in my view, the Citizen Promaster Autozilla 1000m Titanium Divers Watch NH6930-09F (NH6931-06E) is the epitome of design and manufacturing prowess of Citizen. The ability to design a watch that can take on an extreme environment, in this case, water pressure of 1,000 meters using titanium should be acknowledge. In this case, Citizen uses a proprietary alloy of titanium that has gone through a process called "Duratec".

There are two reference for this watch. One for Asia and the other is for North America and Europe. The NH6930 is an Asian market designation and the model with this designation has English and Japanese for the day wheel. Meanwhile, the NH6931 designation has English and Spanish for the day wheel.

Citizen NY0040 200m Promaster Diver - The Perfect Diving Tool For The Scuba Hobbyist, A Review

It is very seldom that you get to come across a dive watch from Citizen that is pure mechanical. The Citizen auto scuba diver watch with yellow luminous dial NY0040-09WB Promaster is just one such rare gem. The suggested retail price was RM1,260 but I was able to get it via the internet for just RM499.

It has a dive rating of 200m and comes with a rubber strap.

Interestingly, the screw down crown is set on the left at the 8 o'clock position of the stainless steel case. Does this imply that this watch should only be worn on the right hand? Actually no. In this position, the crown is not only protected against hits and smashes, it also does not poke into the back of the hand. This is very important since the crown is a huge one.