Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

Inside a ocean of retro-inspired watches for diving launched during Baselworld 2017, Citizen was out among the couple of brands that dared to produce something significantly new. The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000m may be the world’s first solar-powered watch able to saturation diving - and also the Japanese brand’s second 1,000-meter diver. We provide an in-depth review within this feature from WatchTime’s November-December 2017 issue.

The Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000m (Reference BN7020-09E) was 1 of 3 major Promaster additions introduced in Basel this season and, because of its uncompromising look along with a 52.5-mm-large and 22.2- mm-thick titanium situation, also the one which unquestionably was the most. Possibly more to the point, it’s among the couple of watches that rightfully fall under the course of “extreme watches for diving.” Quite simply, it’s a modern day tool watch. Its primary function would be to withstand even extremes of pressure and also to securely measure passed time under water, for saturation divers, and certainly to not fit within French cuff dress shirt.

The brand new Promaster 1000m follows 

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

Within the actions of Citizen’s first 1,000-meter diver, the 2002-introduced Promaster 1000m (Reference NH6931-06E and NH6930-09FB) with 48-mm titanium situation, unofficially nicknamed the “Autozilla” (following the imaginary Japanese giant monster). But rather of their predecessor’s removable bezel, the brand new model posseses an additional locking system which has a visual indication to exhibit once the timing bezel is unlocked. (When the orange strip at 7 o’clock is seen, the 120-click ratcheting bezel could be rotated counterclockwise.) There's an identical indication to exhibit when the crown, ergonomically placed at 4 o’clock, is open or securely screwed-in.

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

Theoretically, a dive watch (or any diving instrument) can't ever be one that is too safe, therefore the additional ring to lock the bezel can certainly certainly be a clever feature (and it is really very easy to operate). The truth is, a unidirectional bezel has already been a security feature, so it’s reliable advice the solution Citizen chose is yet another good illustration of the over-engineering that entered this watch. More to the point, the secure permitted Citizen to equip the bezel on the top from it with only six large sawtooth-like elements, which makes it among the easiest bezels to function, even if putting on mitts. And talking about mitts, Citizen is among the couple of brands to provide a very practical solution for divers putting on a dry suit. The Pelican situation-like box the timepiece is delivered in also includes yet another strap extension that’s lengthy enough for many divers’ wrists and suits.

It is also worth mentioning that for that numerals for that first twenty minutes around the bezel, Citizen has utilized a bigger font (and for the 30 and 45 markings). This visual distinction might help a scuba diver keep better tabs on the very first twenty minutes of the dive (which could behave as an indication for that point-of-no-return throughout an average dive having a standard 200-bar scuba tank). However, an expert saturation diver may even work at greater depths for lengthy amounts of time and it is about as a long way away from recreational diving because the Promaster 1000m comes from being subtle around the wrist. A saturation diver resides in and operates from the pressurized atmosphere for approximately several days, and it is decompressed to come to light pressure just once, in the finish of his tour. Quite simply, to start dating ? indicator all of a sudden becomes a lot more highly relevant to a saturation diver than the usual 60-minute diving bezel in conjunction with a leading minutes hands. The same thing goes, again theoretically, for that integrated helium-release valve.

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

An upswing of saturation getting started the 1960s (and therefore using breathing-gas mixtures that contains helium) was why some watch brands began to equip standard watches for diving with helium-release valves. Helium molecules in the pressure chamber could work their way in the watch. During decompression, pressure within the chamber can decrease more quickly compared to pressure within the watch situation. This could, in some instances, make the watch very to pop off. The helium-release valve enables helium to flee in the situation during decompression.

Rather of utilizing a helium-release valve, other watch brands simply began to build up better quality watches, which brought to the introduction of the very first “extreme” watches for diving, such as the Omega Seamaster 600 PloProf and also the Seiko 6159-7010 Professional Divers 600m - two different methods to solve exactly the same problem.

The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000m’s automatic helium-release valve is situated at 10 o’clock, along the side of the brushed (and lighter than expected) titanium situation, and it is again a sign of methods much over-engineering entered this watch. It wouldn’t be an unexpected when the same situation could be as good with no valve.

Having a diameter of 52.5 mm, the situation does not have regular lugs or require spring bars. Rather, the strap is integrated into the situation and guaranteed through the caseback, which not just increases putting on comfort but additionally causes it to be virtually impossible to accidentally tear the strap. However, the initial lug adapters used also allow it to be almost unattainable another- party strap like a substitute. Around the plus side, because the caseback takes place in position by four screws, the engraved diving helmet is perfectly aligned. You will find, diving utilizing a traditional diving helmet will be the third group of diving pointed out in the following paragraphs, as well as the one least prone to need a dive watch.

Talking about needs, Citizen’s utilization of 

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

An Eco-Drive movement for that Promaster 1000m needs a natural or artificial source of light to charge the solar panels located just below the dial. And individuals immediately considering a proper objection can unwind the so-known as “aphotic” zone (Greek for “without light”) from the sea truly does begin between depths of roughly 200 meters (660 ft) to at least one,000 meters (3,300 ft). But divers rarely end up below 300 meters by choice, and next, there's still bioluminescence next (but you shouldn't grab that poor vampire squid to charge your watch). Finally, if fully billed, Citizen’s Caliber 210 should really run for around 1.five years. Compared, a long time spent by a person residing in an underwater habitat was 73 days, 2 hrs and 34 minutes at 7.31 meters (24 ft).

Furthermore, Citizen’s Caliber J210 powering the Promaster 1000m provides an precision of  /-just a few seconds monthly, which is believed the brand’s Eco-Drive system helps lessen the disposal of countless batteries since its introduction in 1995. Still, fans of mechanical watches most likely would like the Caliber 8203 being an additional (and equally environ- mental-friendly) mechanical option.

The comparatively small dial from the Promaster 1000m sits within slightly domed azure very. Citizen selected two big hands because of its latest diver (the minutes hands in vibrant orange to higher support its dominant role to point the passed dive time), to start dating ? window, large indexes along with a power-reserve indicator. Despite its rather busy layout, the timepiece is really readable, especially under water and at nighttime. The luminous materials for that bezel, dial and hands is mentioned to provide “more than two times the afterglow brightness than the usual conventional material despite five hrs,” based on Citizen.

The Promaster 1000m is ISO 6425 compliant

Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Professional Diver 1000M Watch Review

It has been tested “for 15 days inside a pressurized chamber which contains helium and oxygen or perhaps 100-percent helium gas” after which reverted “back to atmospheric pressure within three minutes after high-speed decompression.” Citizen also partnered using the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science (JAM- STEC) to check the Promaster 1000m under operating conditions.

In conclusion, a dive watch such as the Promaster 1000m is all about as professional as you possibly can, and criticizing it to be or searching too extreme (or vice-versa, to be unqualified like a desk diver) could be as pointless as attempting to hide it within shirt. It’s unquestionably large but surprisingly comfortable to put on, refreshingly over-engineered, provides a unique design, and is really as much as any task associated with diving.

The Promaster 1000m was possibly the most “serious” dive watch introduced in 2017, and given its equally serious cost tag of $2,300, there's most likely just one factor we're able to want: another version for Baselworld 2018, operated by among the brand’s well-known mechanical movements.