Back in the spring of 2024, Citizen released a collection of watches to celebrate Citizen’s 100th annivesary – the Layers of Time collection (more on those here). All of them feature intricate (and colorful) layered dials inspired by the layers of rock and mineral in our planet. We were able to spend some time with the Geo Trekker version – the Citizen Promaster Layers of Time -and we have some thoughts.
Citizen Promaster Layers of Time: what it is
As we mentioned in the introduction, the Citizen Promaster Layers of Time was a special, limited-edition version of the Citizen Geo Trekker. And what is the Citizen Geo Trekker? It’s an analog watch that can give you just about any piece of information that you could hope for from a watch. Here’s a quick run-down of what all it can display:
- Towards the 6 o’clock position, a namesake northern hemisphere disc rotates counterclockwise, with the detail showcasing the world time with a map-inspired design.
- Other standard and advanced functions of the watch include running hours and minutes, date indication, power reserve indication, world time, and a slide rule bezel function.
In this day and age, probably no one (other than maybe my retired engineer father’s generation) actually knows how to work with a slide rule, especially on the bezel of a watch. That said, it can be a “look” that people go for with a cluttered bezel. For me, I’m more about the world time, as well as the basic capability of the design.
The movement
The Citizen Promaster Layers of Time relies on the caliber H864, which is – by it’s nature – a quartz movement. However, what is unique here is that it’s both a “powered by light” movement (which means not just solar, but indoors light as well), it can pick up atomic radio signals to sync the time. In other words, this watch is always accurate (in terms of date and time), and it’s always powered.
This is the sort of watch that feel every watch collector should have in their collection, as it’s a unique set of capability that doesn’t come together in many watches. And, it is definitely something that you’re not going to replicate in any mechanical watch, short of something that is both COSC-rated and has a perpetual calendar. But even then, that watch has to be worn constantly, or live on a winder, to replicate what this Citizen can do.
Wearing the Citizen Promaster Layers of Time
On paper, a 46mm watch – which the Citizen Promaster Layers of Time is – seems rather unwearable. That’s a spec we’re more used to from brands like Graham, or from, say, 5 years ago. I will say, this is a big watch that does not wear – or feel – like a big watch.
This is the sort of double-edged sword complex analog watches are dealing with. In order to be able to display all of the different complications, you need a bigger dial, which means a bigger case (otherwise, you need a magnifying glass to keep track of things).
In terms of wear comfort, the 11.5mm thickness kept it relatively slim, and the bracelet conformed quickly to the wrist. A three-link braclet will bend around the wrist well, and these links were smaller, so that helped the fit. In other words, unless you have a very small wrist, this is a watch that will wear well.
Wrapping things up
Even if you’re not using every single function of the Citizen Promaster Layers of Time, it has a lot going for it that advocates for it being in your collection. As we’ve said before, and have said again, when you pair solar and external time syncing, you’ve got something a mechanical cannot easily do. And, frankly, the way the world is now, having something like this seems like you’re ready for the apocalypse.
If you want one of these limited-edition versions with the colorful dial, you can snag one for $895 (or save a few dollars and get the non-LE version for $795 – $850, depending on case finish). You can check out the full collection at citizenwatch.com
Citizen Promaster Layers of Time Tech Specs
- Brand: CITIZEN PROMASTER / LAYERS of TIME Limited-Edition Model Eco-Drive Radio-Controlled Geo Trekker
- Model: BY3005-56E
- Limited quantity: 10,000 (Worldwide)
- Launch: Spring 2024 (Scheduled)
- Case / Band: Stainless steel
- Glass: Sapphire glass with anti-reflective coating
- Case diameter / thickness: 46.0mm / 11.5mm (design specification only)
- Specifications
- Cal.H864
- Accuracy of ±15 seconds per month (without time signal reception)
- Eco-Drive running for 2.5 years on full charge (in power save mode)
- Global Radio-Controlled
- World Time functionality
- Power Reserve Indicator
- Perpetual Calendar
- Luminous (Hands+Index)
- W.R. 20BAR
- Screw lock crown
- Engraving on case back
- Recycled materials used for selected dial components
