If you’ve not been able to tell by the recent articles we’ve had, Citizen has really been coming up – at least in our opinion – in terms of the watches they’ve been producing as of late. Citizen has always been there, and been reliable, but their recent designs definitely have something to sit up and take notice of. The most recent loaner we had in was the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium.
The movement
Perhaps the biggest reason you might be looking at any watch from Citizen – and not just the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium – is going to be to get something that has their Eco-Drive movement in it. This is a movement that can get charged up by any light source – not just the sun outside (though the sun is going to be your most powerful option). The great thing with these movements is that they’re housed in watches that don’t look like they’re powered by light (aka, no visible cells on the dial). So, you get the technical gee-whiz stuff without it looking like a techy watch.
Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium Materials
Now, aside from the movement, another big draw for the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium is right there in the name – it’s made of titanium. The case and bracelet both are titanium, done in a matte finish that highlights that this is hewing to field watch aesthetics. Now, why might you want titanium? For one, it’s stronger than steel yet lighter, so it can be on your wrist without weighing you down. Secondly, it’s not as common as steel, so you have something a little bit different. Finally, it gives you a much different feel in-hand as well, which is hard to describe in text, but once you’ve handled it, you’ll understand.
The other material of note here is the sapphire crystal. Commonly more affordable watches use a mineral crystal, which gets the job done. However, sapphire? That gives you even more scratch resistance, and here, they’ve got an anti-reflective treatment on here, which keeps the glare down to make reading the time easier.
On the wrist
Materials and movements, those are good things to know. As they say, however, the proof is in the pudding. On the wrist, well, the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium fit me perfectly. The 41mm diameter hits the sweet spot between a comfortable fit and a large, legible dial, and that titanium keeps things nice and light.
Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium – Size
Once on the wrist, you notice another great thing about the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium – just how quick it is to read the time. The handset is generously sized, as is are the numerals and indices on the dial. At a glance is no problem, and that again fits with that field watch aesthetic.
While I am glad to see a date display normally, here it feels a touch out of place. With the rest of the dial being oversized, the date window – which is a normal size – feels too small. A big date display would cut into the numerals on the dial, so it feels like it should either be eliminated, or perhaps have some sort of magnifier on it to get the proportions at least visually in line with the rest of the dial.
Price
Just as with the techy movement hiding in plain sight, the Citizen Promaster Tough Titanium is a watch that can fly under the radar. It’s got that bright silvery matte finish, and paired with the dark grey dial, you’re keeping things subtly monochrome. That said, between the materials, build, and basic functionality, this is a watch that’s ready for anything, be it commuting to the office, cleaning up the yard, or crashing around in the woods with your buddies. And at a price tag of $575, it won’t break the bank either. You can check it out over at citizenwatch.com
Tech Specs
- MODEL: BN0241-59H
- MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGY
- E168
- Eco-Drive
- Powered by any light source, continuously and sustainably, eliminating the need to replace watch batteries.
- CASE WIDTH (MM): 41
- BAND TYPE
- Bracelet
- Super Titanium
- CASE MATERIAL
- Silver-Tone
- Super Titanium
- CRYSTAL
- Anti-Reflective Spherical Sapphire Crystal
- Superior scratch resistance and hardness, spherical-shaped crystal raised within the bezel – anti-reflective coating deflects light
- CLASP: Safety Fold Over Clasp with Push Buttons
- DIAL
- Gray
- Luminous Hands and Markers
- WATER-RESISTANCE: WR200/20Bar/666ft [Swimming, Showering & Snorkeling]
- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS
- 3 Hand
- Date
View the video version of this post here:
Author Expertise / Author Experience
Patrick Kansa
A big data developer and leader with a penchant for gadgets, books, watches and beverages. You can find my work on WristWatchReview. If you’re on Twitter and/or Instagram, you’ll find me there as @PatrickWatches.
