Citizen

The Promaster Marine collection is made up of around a dozen diving watches, including a true classic: the Citizen Automatic Diver’s with a mechanical caliber. The watch with reference number NY0040-09EE has remained virtually unchanged for decades and has an established fan base. Thanks to its robustness, it's considered one of the most affordable diving watches and is certified in accordance with the ISO 6425 standard. The model is identifiable by its screw-down crown at the eight o’clock position. Its automatic caliber vibrates at 21,600 alternations per hour and is made in-house by the Citizen subsidiary Miyota. The watch is waterproof up to a depth of 200 m, or 20 bar. Another Promaster Marine model, the BJ8050-08E, is powered by solar energy and suitable for depths up to 300 m.

The boundaries dividing particular Citizen series aren't always well-defined. The Elegant collection, for example, features high-tech titanium watches that could very well be part of the Promaster series based on their functions and appearance. However, the showstopper of these stylish watches is the so-called Satellite Timekeeping System. Citizen has used this technology since 2011 in order to display the exact time. Watches receive GPS signals from space and synchronize themselves with the precise atomic time. Without GPS, this technology would be impossible. The Satellite Timekeeping System covers 40 time zones and its signal is available all over the world, even in the remote wilderness. This is the main difference between satellite and radio watches, which function more like a radio and require a long-wave transmitter in order to receive the time signal.

The Elegant collection alone has around 100 different models for men and women, which demonstrates exactly how large Citizen's selection is. Furthermore, it shows that Eco-Drive has won out against battery power, as solar energy is standard in Elegant models. The classic three-hand watches with date display and a gold-plated round or square case are also part of the series, as well as women’s watches set with diamonds.

Citizen has a long company history. Their predecessor, Shokosha, was already producing timepieces in 1918. In 1924, they produced a pocket watch called Citizen. In 1930, the company decided to take on the model's name, becoming Citizen. Today, it’s part of a holding company under the same name, whose different branches produce things such as calculators, printers, ceramic parts, liquid crystals, and image recognition sensors. The American watch manufacturer Bulova has belonged to the Citizen concern since 2008. Citizen's subsidiary Miyota employs Citizen technology in watches beyond their mother company: Manufacturers such as Dugena, Festina, Jacques Lemans, and Invicta all use Miyota calibers. Additionally, Citizen provides the official timekeepers for the US Open tennis championship and the soccer club Manchester United.

When looking for a solid everyday watch with the newest technology, Citizen is a good place to start. Citizen watches are even intriguing for luxury watch wearers, seeing as having an A. Lange & Söhne on your wrist while working on the old Bentley or building sandcastles with your children is a bit impractical. Citizen's designs range from classic and conservative to functional and technical. In terms of functions, modern materials, and high-tech features, this Japanese company leaves little to be desired. Solar energy (Eco-Drive) is common in most of their watches, and deviations from the precise time are a thing of the past for models with radio or GPS reception. It’s hard to find a watch that offers more for your money than a Citizen.