One of the most intriguing new releases from Citizen in 2021 was quietly announced in March and has not yet been widely available worldwide. The Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200M reference NB6004-08E marks the Japanese watch company's return to producing diving watches with an automatic movement. Citizen has a rich history of creating mechanical diver's watches, but most new diver models have been based on Eco-Drive movements (quartz powered by light). In 2021, Citizen introduced a series of entirely new in-house mechanical movements, debuting in the updated Series 8 collection. One such movement is the Citizen caliber 9051, which powers the new Promaster Diver model.
The caliber 9051 used in the Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m is a sensible choice. It is a modern movement with a frequency of 4 Hz and a power reserve of 42 hours. The movement also boasts high magnetic resistance, placing these sporty Promaster watches in the same category as major Swiss-made watches with high magnetic resistance. Citizen claims that the Promaster Mechanical watches can withstand magnetic fields of 16,000 A/m. The automatic movement 9051 displays time and date (note that the date is on a silver disc).
What I like most about the Citizen Promaster NB6004-08E is how it wears and looks. Citizen combines much of its sports watch DNA with a host of modern elements, including aggressive masculine angles on the case and clasp, which I really like. The case, in general, is an example of beauty in both construction and design. However, it is not small: 46 mm wide, 15.3 mm thick, and the lug-to-lug distance is approximately 51 mm. On a comfortable, soft urethane strap styled for divers, the watch wears very comfortably. Note that Citizen includes a strap extension segment if you want to wear the watch over a wetsuit. I prefer this approach to what we see in some Seiko and Casio diver's models, where the standard strap is simply very long.
The watch case is made of titanium using Citizen's Super Titanium technology. Super Titanium is a hardened titanium metal with a coating that boasts the light strength of titanium with unprecedented surface hardness and scratch resistance. As far as I know, no one makes coated titanium better than Citizen. The case design also includes a sort of semi-closure for the large unidirectional rotating diver-style bezel (which is also made of titanium). Speaking of the bezel, did you notice its detailing? From the basic shape of the bezel to the intricate cutout markers, this is one of the most expressive bezels you'll find on new diver's watches this year. Citizen uses the bezel as part of the product's expressiveness, meaning that beyond functionality, the bezel design is what largely contributes to the product's personality.
The diamond texture of the rotating bezel is somewhat mimicked on the dial of the Promaster Mechanical Diver. Here we see a mix of old and new, with Citizen's iconic hands and hour markers and a playfulness not seen in many strict vintage-style sports watches. I think Citizen successfully combines a sense of purpose and fashionable design in its watches. For example, note that the watch dial has four rings of hour markers. First comes the dial itself, then the inclined flange around the dial. The bezel also has an inclined section with markers, and then, of course, additional markers on the top surface of the bezel. Overall, it's a fourfold duplication of markers. Instead of looking cluttered, it actually results in a neat visual perception of the NB6004-08E dial.
Although the watch is 'only' water-resistant to 200 meters (99% of divers will never require more), the case looks and feels like more robust deep-sea diver's watches. One of the most interesting diver's features is how the sharply domed sapphire crystal is tied to functionality. Citizen designed the crystal to create a semi-distortion effect, allowing you to see the white and orange hands from different angles. This is especially relevant underwater, as diving watch dials can 'disappear' when viewed from the right angle. Even out of the water, the NB6004-08E dial is easily readable at angles that would make most other watches completely unreadable.
The luminescence of the dial is also excellent, with one luminescent dot on the rotating bezel. Additionally, the luminescent coating is applied inside the 'Citizen' logo on the Super Titanium strap clasp. This is just a fun detail that I greatly appreciate in the design, which will delight buyers who stumble upon the glowing Citizen name where they usually wouldn't expect to find it.
With its excellent design, high-strength case, and modern automatic mechanical movement, the Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m also has a very competitive price, especially compared to the much larger collection of Seiko mechanical diving watches, which often cost more for similar specifications and performance. These Promaster watches are also very proudly called Citizen watches, not trying to look like anything other than Citizen, celebrating the Citizen brand DNA without potentially imitating other products on the market. There is a real sense that Citizen created the NB6004-08E model with great pride and passion. This positive emotional tone translates into superb wearing and ownership experiences that don't break the bank. The price of the Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m reference NB6004-08E is $1,050 USD. More detailed information can be found on the Citizen Watch Global website here.
Essential Data
>Brand: Citizen
>Model: Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m reference NA6004-08E
>Price: $1,050 USD
>Dimensions: 46 mm wide, 15.3 mm thick, lug-to-lug distance ~51 mm.
>When a reader might personally wear this watch: To the beach, in space, in the mountains, hiking, shopping. These are simply happy sporty watches that want to be where you are.
>Friend we would recommend them to first: A fan of Japanese sports watches who likes the idea of a new in-house Japanese automatic movement with the durability of a Super Titanium diver model.
>Best characteristic of the watch: A thorough exploration of Citizen's brand DNA leads to the creation of an amazingly cohesive yet original product that seems to outperform many competitors in the same price category. Excellent case and dial design. The movement will delight enthusiasts, and Super Titanium ensures minimal wear.
>Worst characteristic of the watch: The language of the case and dial design will not appeal to everyone. The high domed crystal is used for a reason, but it reflects light a bit (though not enough to affect legibility). Product availability may be limited.