My mother bought me one in the 90s. I didn't really like wearing watches so put it in a box under my bed. Found it again last week (2024) and wore it. It charged within 15 minutes and has kept time for a week nicely. What a great watch
I have worn mine every day for nearly a year now. That's while at work, while doing manual cobblers like DIY and chopping wood fer me fire, while hiking, while mountain biking and while going out at night. It's had several shades of shizzel kicked out of it. And it hasn't missed a beat and still looks like new. Incredible watch. When you've said it's a scratch magnet and the clasp is a bit ropey seems odd as mine isn't at all.
Well, that's definitely a sign of how much the thing can take! But I can't say anything other than the one I had was definitely a bit loose on the strap and I don't think the titanium was hardened or anything so was on the softer side, but still a tough watch with an insanely good crystal and obviously a robust quartz in the back!
I have bought this watch (kevlar version) and it simply takes my breath away!!! This watch reminds me of that person who flies under the radar never fully appreciated because they do not say much, but when they do everybody listens. That is exactly what this beast delivers; yes it is understated but man has it got a few things to say! 300m water resistance lightweight titanium case that you have to remind yourself is there, Lume that has Stevie Wonder reaching for sunnies power reserve of 6 months in the shade, a second hand that actually hits their marks (I am looking at you Seiko), sublime accuracy and the best screw in crown I have experienced! Make no mistake this is a tool watch, not a fashion statement for those wanting to look the part or boast that they have a field watch in their collection. This watch merely offers great specs that invite the wearer to use it and beat it up and then scoff "Really is that the best you have got little human!! If I was ever lost after a bender in the wild this is the piece I would want by my side.
I've had one of these for some time and have been recommending it to anyone who will listen. I'm not typically a fan of titanium watches but I can look past it because everything else is just so good. Its not the most beautiful, most expensive or hand carved by Thor from unobtanium, it just does everything well. I never have to worry about banging it, getting it dirty and I don't have to worry about someone wanting to mug me for it. Those who do not appreciate it have not experienced it. Thanks you for a fantastic review or a great watch, keep up the good work. Wish you ad your family all the best for 2023.
It's a rugged, rough-looking beast, but has a Caliban-like quality - it's big and maybe to some ugly, but it's got a lot more going for it than anyone would give it credit for. Lots of people recommending it on different straps as well, which may well be where it properly shines... Thanks for the kind comments and I hope you and yours have a happy new year, too 😌
I have had this for a few years now and even though I have had a few 'nicer' watches this is still my go to everyday. Agree the bracelet isn't great, one of the first things I did was replace with thick curved spring bars and being a 20mm lug it is an absolute strap monster. Dress it up on leather, every day it looks superb on canvas and nato. Seriously underrated watch and a much nicer watch than the Hamilton Khaki that seem to dominate field watches at this price point.
I blame you for bringing this watch to my attention and making my wallet thinner dude. But seriously, this is the one watch which almost ticks all the boxes. Absolutely loving it.
I bought the 200m version in 2000 as my "Divorce" watch. I wore it on the original Kevlar strap, replaced that with another Kevlar strap (the covering of the Kevlar frays away over time) and balked at the cost of a 3rd Kevlar strap. I was then able to find the contemporary Titanium bracelet. The hardened Titanium case and bracelet which Citizen boast about plus the sapphire crystal are very unmarked in comparison to my SS watches. Its the perfect watch for riding motorbikes due to its slim profile (larger watches raise the sleeve cuff causing an air draft), my only disappointment is that it gains one and a half to two seconds a day after twenty three years without a service, something no mechanical watch owner would even notice!
Did you also get the motorcycle after the divorce? On a serious note, I have the simular Garisson. Love it to bits, did not expect that when I bought it on impulse for 100 usd. The beveled sapphire is beautiful, it is really a quality product. I must note though, that a hard hit will scratch the watch. This is way more noticeable than on a SS watch, because the rest of the titanium is scratch free.
This watch, and all its predecessors are woefully underrated! Having an older model (from 2001), I can certainly attest to it living up to its reputation... albeit within a smaller enthusiast group.
Ive had this watch from day one. Paid $ 450 usa. Im 5+ years down the path . Some bangs and dings and its ticking like a champ. I want it on my wrist when i take my big dirt nap. My forever watch on my wrist . FOREVER. This is or was cus you cant get it now .....a forever watch. Put it om and never take it off. Iff you get one you will love this citizen . I have many citizen watches. This is the best. Greg
Bonkers tough tool watch. Never underestimate the importance of the anti-magnetic qualities this watch has apart from everything else. Great job Citizen 👍
On the verge of buying one, always fancied it. You asked is there something that's a comparable tough tool watch. Yes! The Hamilton Khaki Field 38 or 40mm Ø. ETA movement. Quality
I have two of these which I bought on Kevlar straps. One is on a Junghans titanium mesh bracelet which totally transforms this watch and is super comfortable due to the micro adjustability. The other is on a Bonetti Centurino 330 rubber strap, which is also very comfortable. It's a great watch. 🥊
The on the fly adjustment on the bracelet will be brilliant and used throughout the day, not for diving like the silly folding ones that only adjust to another given size that might not be right for a dive suit, this one means you can adjust it all day as your wrist swells and shrinks like they all do, it’s superb, forget diving it’s all about normal blokes wearing it normally on a normal day, I’d love it and will be getting this watch- to wear normally 😂
Citizen "Ray Mears" Promaster Tough Eco-Drive Titanium Perfect review. Most watches with screw-down crowns look big and clunky, but this watch doesn't, so I like it.
The Best Watch - Legend , ExcellentQuality , Good Value . Super Titanium ( Tough = 5 times stronger than stainless steel + light Weight , Solar Power , Sapphire Crystal .
This is my watch. I wear it daily holidays, hiking. It's built lika a tank. Super lume and legibility. The second hand hitting the marker perfectly is very satisfying. The other watches in my box are pretty much obsolete. I am just not ready to let them go.
The new iteration, the Citizen BN0241-59H continues the tradition and I understand your sentiments; it's the one watch to rule them all given its flexibility. You get the qualities of a G minus the cartoonish overstatement of tough. As a result I'll be significantly downsizing the collection; so bye-bye to most of the divers.
@@JeeGee114 Why is it that both Seiko and Citizen are producing watches that have issues with hands aligning correctly with markers, or bezel alignment? There's a reason but I can't put my finger on it. I agree it's a little on the tubby side, but I can forgive the alignment issue. Or I can just use my Garmin Fenix.
Got mine about 8 years ago, second hand for €480. Probably twice what it cost new, 10 or 15 years earlier. My first watch with a saphire crystal. I still wear it, even though I now have 9 serious watches (Rolex, AP, Panerai, JLC & Omega). My only issue is the size, I have 8-inch wrists, and 39mm is a bit small. However, at last, they have 2 larger alternatives BN0241-59W (Green) & BN0241-59H (Grey) that are genuinely almost the same. I've just ordered the green one.
I have the older version of this watch, it's the Ray Mears YellowStone version which was made in the early 2000s. Eventhough it's small and old, I still wear it to anywhere I go, tough watch with tough love.
I've had a couple of them - 3 hander and a GMT version. Depending on your viewpoint, they're either a G-Shock for people who couldn't stomach a G-Shock, or they're a Hamilton Khaki dome properly. (Have numerous Gs and had a Khaki King too). The ultimate strap for these things is an elastic Marine Nationale.
I've had three of these. Each one, the second hand alignment was so bad I just couldn't keep it. As a previous Ray Mears owner I so wanted to love this watch.
It's has been my all time favorite watch and gets the most wear time ❤. Duratec Ti is very tough. It's still looks as good as it was after so many years.
Had the Royal Marines version with the kevlar strap for maybe ten years, never let me down, partner had just bought me the one reviewed here, just less than 220.00 GBP at Costco ! best price I have seen anywhere in the UK.
This is a really attractive piece. Love the shape/dimensions of the case and that crown. But I do think the numerals and the dial could be a wee bit smaller. I'd totally be on board if that were the case.
I bought a Japanese Domestic Market Alba AEFD557 Solar Quartz watch with a Titanium case with a cloth band. Less than $60 US shipped. It reminds me of my Seiko SNK809 but doesn't need the shake to wind hassle. I put it on a generic stainless steel oyster style bracelet and it is my everyday beater watch. I would love to find a Titanium oyster style bracelet with curved end links to fit it but would not want to spend more than the watch for it.
YES! Such a kick ass watch! Simple, yet bold and tough as nails looking. Great legibility. And I really dig that crown and its knurling. Kind of bummed about the monoblock case, because I want to get in there easily when that cell craps out in 10 to 15 years!
Yeah, at least that's one of those things you really can put off for a number of years! But definitely a watch that's hard as hell - way too tough for me 😂 it probably wears ME rather than the other way round
The reason for the solid case and back is to enable the watch to achieve a 300m wr rating with less access points to seal. I think, unless you are an experienced watch service engineer, you should not mess about with opening it up to replace the capacitor yourself, given it's very high water resistance rating. I also think you can expect a lot longer than 10 to 15 years life for the capacitor, especially since it doesn't have many complications. It is just a basic watch, so the power demands are not huge. About 6 months ago I bought a Tissot automatic with 300m water resistance, in stainless steel. It cost me, with a bit of negotiation, a bit under £700. So, the citizen in super titanium, I consider to be a bargain at £400!
@@davidashton2361 Absolutely, the monoblock case serves its purpose. I would send this off for servicing at the end of that cell life, because I'm not breaking the seal of that crystal! 10 to 15 years has been the norm as of late, but hopefully that number is getting larger. I have a Citizen Eco-Drive 200m diver with just a date complication and it served about 12 years before I replaced the capacitor/rechargeable cell.
This to me is a great example of a real field watch...Hamilton's are great but their lack of water resistance makes me bang my head into a wall. I just don't know about a quartz at this price...but if I wanted a watch I could beat the crap out of, this would be a front runner....nice vid
I'm not particularly in favour of quartz watches except when the power comes from solar power (Eco drive in the case of citizen). You get unlimited power, provided you give it a regular exposure to light, and with quartz accuracy there's nothing to touch it apart from radio control. With super titanium you get a level of hardness unmatched against scratch resistance and lightness about 40% less than stainless steel. Personally, I love the precision and sophistication of super titanium. It has a quiet cool look that murmurs quality. The shiny glare of polished stainless steel shouts brash lager lout and in your face 'look at me!', along with chunky gold bracelets, necklaces and massive tattoos on every flabby flesh surface.
Got the blue 1. Great watch, not keen on the strap, but a complete strap monster, got it now on a tornado strap by stevostraps, takes the watch to a whole new level ❤❤
Thanks for the video - I wear the same black dial version but on a regular NATO and have done for months, it's perfect for my work. It's only showing tiny scuffs which is great as any resin G-Shock or regular stainless steel watch has gotten scratched and banged up really quickly. I work in retail/warehouse and when you think about it, retail/warehouse space is a pretty shitty environment for watches, sharp plastic crates + paper + cardboard. High magnetism, extreme temperature changes (walk-in-freezes), dealing with spillages and constant confrontations with "Kevins/Karens". I feel like this watch was made for the role :) Cheers again, love the commentary and shots of the watch.
Nice one, Christopher! I used to work in Tesco, then a few years ago was in Lidl, and cutting the plastics on crates, trolleying the cages about, and, like you say, those fu**in' chillers really do play havoc with a watch. I think I always had a G Shock on, or something similar, maybe even (shock horror) no watch at all. But this is definitely able to stand in for one of those, and do it witha a hell of a lot of personality.
I have a similar if cheaper version of this watch in stainless steel with uncoated glass crystal and 200 metres of water resistance, a black nylon strap, unsigned crown, and a screw-in case-back. The numerals are slightly outlined in a faux radium cream colour, and the handset is slightly different. I got it for about £100 years ago. I had to get a capacitor changed a few months ago, but that was really cheap. I really love its simplicity. It gets some fair wrist-time, competing with a Casio-GLIDE 100x, which I also got cheap some months ago. I am now won over to quartz watches, as I recently had to get an old trusty Oris serviced a second time after a watch-maker had damaged the balance-wheel while trying to just lubricate it, and the bill was a rather hefty amount of moolah.
Nice! The G-LIDE is also a really cool Square G. I love the steel trim of the bezel. I've got a couple of quartz models in right now that I'll be reviewing in due course and I have the same comments as many, I suspect - just a refreshing feeling to have it at the right time ALL THE TIME. But I'm just hoping I don't ever have a REALLY expensive issue with any autos...
"the little military arrowhead thingy" is CITIZEN's Promaster series marking. Not being condescending, just letting you know. If you'll Google CITIZEN Promaster, you'll see all have the same marking. 😎👍
You can never go wrong with Citizen Eco Drive. Today I bought a vintage Citizen automatic from ebay and can not wait until I get it. Lumepip is such a gent lol
This Eco-Drive (along with the Promaster Diver) is a watch that I keep coming back to. I’m not into titanium particularly but I love the simple field watch look and the solar charging but the price just feels a little north of where I value it personally so I’ve always walked away. It’s probably because I’m not man enough for a watch like this unlike the alpha of alphas Ray Mears 💪 Awesome video as always LP 👏👏👏👏
Thanks so much, Gareth! And look, the fact I got it probably indicates anyone is alpha enough for it! But yeah, a bit steep for an Eco Drive, especially when you go past H Samuel and see a ton of other Citizens for well below £200, and then this is still up at £399. If you can find it at £220 or lower, then that's probably just about right, I think. Honestly, the legibility is fire (do the young people say this, or do they just use the fire emoji?). Anyway, it's the dog's danglies.
@@folksurvivalhe had the sub going back quite a few years in likes of Ray mears wild Britain and past shows - id say he started wearing the sub about 2010 onwards and he mentioned it in an interview after his old watch (citizen broke ) . Looks like his sub must be in his safe now and then as I’ve definitely seen him on recent interviews on the bbc or itv wearing some kind of rounded smartwatch . 😮
Brother, you must be scratching the watch with the bracelet! I have this watch for a couple of years and I do have scratches in the back from the titanium clasp and name plate. This watch is amazing!
If I had the illustrious career Ray had, I might have more than just the Citizen, but no doubt it served him well for years. And hey, when the Sub's in for servicing or just locked in a safe somewhere, time for the Promaster to shine 🙃
@@LumePip Yes Ray had the Citizen for many years and really liked it. I agree, if I had the great career Ray did I would probably go for something slightly higher end. He did mention that the Roller was a much tougher watch than people think. Rolex build quality is excellent.
Ray stated in a interview which you can find online that his old watch gave out /conked out (citizen ) . He said he thought if your going to buy something buy the best and he bought his 5 digit submariner .
Great review. I went for the strap version. Strap (kevlar) was a tad too stiff, so a Barton Elite from my strap box did the job. In the USA, these are N/A. So, found mine at First Class Watches, a great UK seller. Highly recommend them, BTW.
If you like the design and can live with a 42mm 100m watch, there is a budget version of this design available from Citizen as well. Still Titanium, still sapphire, still Eco-Drive.
Love mine, cant think i'll ever buy another watch tbh. two faults, out of the box bracelet is too sharp, tape it all up and take 1500 grit to the edges;-) lume and the hand length after slowly dimming over night, is it 4:30 am or 6:20am the difference between the hands aint enough. as for bracelet I use mine a lot. The watch being so light you can wear it quite close to the wrist easily but when your a bit hot it's very nice to be able to pinch, slide and presto comfort. Oh and mines accurate enough to set it 2 secs slow when the clocks change and leave it alone to the next change and it's gained to +3/4 secs.
I like the look of this watch a lot. Except the mixed bag of a dial. The combination of hour markers, numbers and the triangle at 12 makes it too busy for my taste. Especially as they are huge.
It's definitely a busy dial, but it makes it feel so utilitarian and action-y, if that makes sense. When there are so many really subtle and classy designs, sometimes just a big, bold dial like this feels refreshing (to me at least). 🙌
I think the discontinued citizen promaster bn0211-50e is a better looking watch, with a flash "H" link bracelet. Stainless steel though. I still choose the Ray Mears every day of the week.
For something even lighter, the kevlar strap would probably be like a feather on the wrist. Also, if you don't like divers extensions, then the kevlar will likely give you a better fit WITHOUT any exposed metal. Also, you'll be saving a few quid! Beyond that, it's purely subjective and which look you prefer. Enjoy the dilemma 😂either way, it's a solid choice. Let me know what you go for!
I really like it. This model has actually been around for almost a decade, and I'm just not sure. It's quite expensive for a citizen quartz, but I get it, it's very well made and has some stunning features. I just think it's a little bit basic looking. Brilliant for legibility for sure , but it's a touch plain for me. And not classy enough for the officer. (I like that dive extension, sweaty day when hiking I'll want to extend by one click. Will be brilliant).
Probably more of an action man than me, then, Anthony 😅 It's definitely a bit plain - and maybe that's part of its appeal. Like you say, it's perfect for hiking and the like. It's a pure field watch. It tells perfect time and you'll never NOT be able to read it.
Just paid £119 for a blue face in the John Lewis sale. Can’t complain at that. Looks a bit smaller on the wrist than some of my other watches but it is very light. Clasp is a bit rattley but no worse than a Seiko I have which had a similar RRP. If you can find one for the price it’s a good buy. In my opinion anyway!
I live in California so I ordered it from Merry Old England (Jura and not DC Leake)... Is it really? Merry, that is? In any case, I love it. I do not love the clasp... My Yankie penchant for sarcasm. I HATE IT!!!!! But, I love the watch. The bracelet style works for me. I didn't buy it as a dress watch so the bracelet works. Party on the dial, all business on the bracelet. I love the legibility since I'm what you may call "Old..er" so My 20/20 vision has more (or less) of one of those numbers in that equation now.
Is it merry? Good question. I reckon I'm a trypical grumpy arse, so I'll say no. 🤣 I think the clasp is kind of the weak point, but it is nice to have an ALL-TITANIUM watch, but if I had this again, I'd be tempted to keep it on a single-pass NATO or similar. Real action vibes. Exactly the opposite of me. And I agree on the legibility - haters gonna hate but it's nice to not do a double-take when you're checking your watch cos the numbers are basically the only thing you can see on the dial!
I have a number of citizen watches. I have a skyhawk 1st generation in titanium (too early for super titanium). One of the best watches I have ever owned being solar powered, radio controlled and in titanium which makes it, with a watch full of features like this, super light. Best of all it's 200m wr! Down sides? Not super titanium. Not sapphire lens. Expensive to get serviced. But then it's about 30yo! And super accurate. The latest version must be some watch. I might buy one after I've acquired my next bullhead (in super titanium, of course!). The thing about the skyhawks is that once you've set it up you can forget it. It will just get on with doing its job, no fuss, no drama.
What I was going to say is that this watch is a bit disabled without radio control. You have to set the time, date and daylight saving time. And adjust it for accurate time as it wanders off a bit even with the quartz accuracy. With radio control, all that's done for you.
Someone below (or above?😅) commented they have the PMD56 and it's got the atomic time setting so it's never out of step. But by the looks of it, that does have sapphire crystal - might ve a nice upgrade
Great looking watch, shame about the bracelet although I reckon it will look better on a nato anyway and Ive been looking at this watch on a canvas strap from Ernest Jones on sale now at £279, seems a better buy to me.
Couldn’t get a green version, but a Lotus titanium came for £40 thereabouts, and a £50 wine voucher included, instead!. Is not comparable obviously but boy it’s been well beaten for the three years in my possession. Victorinox inox is tempting!
I have the World time Royal marines commando version of this watch. I was lucky with the second hand on mine as it's perfect. I agree with your analysis of the bracelet, although I like the 9 levels of quasi micro adjust provided by the divers extension. Small point is that an eraser made for a biro won't necessarily remove the case back markings, but it will remove those pesky titanium scratches from the watch. Final point is I concur with the fellow below in the comments, in that I noticed Ray Mears always seems to wear a sub on his programme. Keep up the good work.
Good tip 👌👌I think in Ray's younger days he was sporting the Citizen. Maybe he came into a bit of dough when the TV channel Dave started re-running all his old eps or something. Those residuals might've helped him get his grail. I'm hoping the fiver or so I get from this does the same haha
I owned one of these for a couple of months. But it started to really bug me because the Arabic numbers were so big, it acually made it less legible. The dial was just too damned crowded. So eventually I sold it. Now I have a Momentum Atlas Automatic which is about the same size and titanium. Sure, the Atlas Automatic is only rated at 100M and not 300M, like the Citizen, but I will worry about that next time I go down to 300 meters -- which is never.
Honestly, Greg, mine is easily the most legible watch I own. Definitely now my eyes aren't perfect, this is still the watch I can always comfortably read without glasses and which I know I'll be able to read at a glance in 30 years' time, when my eyes are shot to bits from years of screen exposure. Good point about the water resistance, though, and my life really doesn't demand a watch with 300m of it, but it's just a nice bit of reassurance. I just checked out that watch - that looks very cool indeed. And you get a display caseback 👌👌
@@LumePiphonestly ,I think the large Arabics actually SUIT this watch,they wouldn't work on anything else,,but on this one they make sense to the aesthetic ,no idea why,but cannot imagine mine with smaller numerals,it wouldn't look half as good
My blue one doesn't have the eco drive graffiti on the back, and seems immune to scratches. I think your wrong about the sliding extension though, I suspect most people will need to use it as there are no half links or micro adjust holes.
Fair enough, mate. Honestly, I always find with micro-adjustment holes I get a better fit. I've got a Bioldr at the moment and having 6 micro-adjustment holes makes it near-impossible to NOT find a good fit! I take your point, though 👍👍
Hmmm, I think these are getting harder to find - here's a couple of links where I saw stock: www.fraserhart.co.uk/bn0118-04e-citizen-eco-drive-super-tough-titanium-and-kevlar-mens-watch/18-05-2-5279.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qUAcf2gbSfIPtpBBLBuGSfbXwgg_tzpTrVGffQsaermU68cNS4yZfUaAk6xEALw_wcB www.dcleake.com/Watches/Citizen/Citizen-Mens-Promaster-Tough-Eco-Drive-Sapphire-Black-Dial-Titanium-Bracelet-Watch-BN0118-55E.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qWCznK5IJNWVwJJYcrsaSt1SFuI-63r8-EQ_2qFNIZ5XvIhTpRrkt0aAgEbEALw_wcB www.cwsellors.co.uk/products/citizen-watch-eco-drive-wr100-mens-bn0118-55e?variant=40971627921461¤cy=GBP&+shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qVREgkDH5LsU_KdBjb4GrYMT8_dy3c58gPUN8mWQX9PsJVuv7aPne8aAkzfEALw_wcB Not sure if they ship internationally but always worth a try! And CW Sellors, you can usually get a discount if you can chat to someone 😄
I’ve been lucky enough to own a full spectrum of watches from Patek to Rolex, Sinn and many between. To my eye this is one of the very best designs I’ve ever seen. Be advised you will have to purchase this watch overseas. Citizen USA sells an inferior model - which is ugly- for far more money.
The relatively more minimal dial of the Ray Mears swings it for me (I know the numerals are huge but I'm not mad on day-date complications). But either way, it'll be SOLID
Titanium may be light and durable, but it’s not shiny at all. You can get a functional watch for about 100 $! If I spend 400,- or 500,- $ on a watch I want it to be durable, accurate, light and shiny! So to my opinion that’s why this watch is flying under the radar.
Thanks tor the great video. As far as I can remember, the Ray Mears Promaster Tough was one of the earlier models namely AP0600-01E, 7828-H09971TA, DuratecTitanium, Antimag 16000, GN-4W-UL, WR 20bar version. The latest model, BN0118-55E, is being sold to replace the now out of production AP 0600-01E.
Yeah, not wrong there! It could get a bit scuffed up too, that's true. 👍 It definitely feels solid and that thick bezel actually makes it seem heftier than the dimensions and weight would suggest. As for that name, I can't say I've said it out loud all that much haha - I'm not up asking the DJ to put any of his stuff on... 😂
Yes, this watch works with people over 50. It is really for wear and forget. Sometimes a sunbeam makes the edge of the sapphire-gass blinking and I think to myself: how nice it is. What I do not understand is why there is that stupid date window in the 3h position?.... Which type of goggles do people older than 50 need to read it? This does n´t make any sense to older people. Additionally I dont like playing with the Date-adjust-knob every month. Adapting my watch to that damned summer-time each year shows, the date is going wrong for days. It´s so very dispensable. Its so crackbrained that I had to learn to ignore it due to keeping blood pressure on an accaptable level...... A watch without such silly hole in the dial, even more concentrated on extreme simplicity and toughness would be the last possible improve. All in all Citizen is on the right way I think. I fell in love with this watch from the first day I wear it. Buttt: Why the fxxx aren´t these watches available in Germany????
Je possède cette montre en version limitée Royal Marines Commando . C'est ma meilleure acquisition : Bonne à tout faire , précise, indestructible, lisible , confortable, sur bracelet Hirsch Pure en caoutchouc, la perfection
Great video! So I'm kind of hunting a solar powered field watch with excellent lume. If you weren't impressed with this lume do you have something else similar you would suggest. I'm not worried about the titanium but I want at least 10ATM WR and great lume. Thanks for any suggestions. 👍🏼
A lot of people have recommended BM8560-88XE as an alternative to this, so that might be somewhere to start. And the BJ7107-83E GMT model looks to have similar sort of design cues but with a bit more going on!
Like you video, i just can't understand why every review i read about Citizen titanium watches people say you can scratch them ive got a £39 Lorus titanium field watch and ive had it for about five years now and theres hardly a mark on it its not super hard like Citizens so why does Citizens so called super hard titanium scratch for £39 i think i got a bargain
It doesn't, Richard. Untreated non super titanium does. I have both types of titanium cased watches and the super titanium one hasn't picked up any scratches at all.
The other thing I find annoying is that people say, and I mean reviewers and even citizen themselves say about their eco drive powered watches, that solar powered watches never need a battery. I'm sorry, but that's rubbish! An eco drive citizen watch has a capacitor, which is a rechargeable battery! They do stop recharging or holding a charge after a period of time. I know because I have had to get some of my citizen watches capacitors replaced. Some under warranty and some I've had to pay for! And the replacement fees were very expensive for the ones I had to pay for. The main advantage of a capacitor powered system is the ability to make up for heavy usage of stop watch and timing functions by topping up the lost power. With a non rechargeable battery system you have to replace the battery more frequently. My 1st generation skyhawk lasted for over 25 years before I had to get the capacitor replaced. My red arrows navihawk lasted about 5 years before I noticed that it wasn't holding a full charge, even though it was housed in a glass fronted cabinet. I'm a bit of an anorak when it comes to this sort of thing and had the capacitor replaced. A note to those buying used - check out the capacitor before parting with any cash. They're expensive to replace (about £100! or more. You wouldn't buy a car with a dud engine, would you?)
Got mine in a sale from a jewellers in the the North East .(?)..er...the lip is bad design . I ca only think of a g sock 5610 as an ( digital) alternative...or a cheap Lorus titanium (@£60). I do know of an Eco drive watch currently on 26 years (!).
Maybe they'll be like tortoises or blue whales, where in 200 years' time, people are talking about Eco-Drive watches that lived through the 2008 Recession, the Covid Pandemic, and then the move from Earth to the Mars colonies in 2049... 🤔
I would consider getting your watch checked out by Citizen. Something is wrong here. Mine has been a daily for 5-6 months now and only has one hairline scratch on it and that is on the side where I remember knocking it on a door handle.
I'm honestly not sure what's happened there! The rest of the watch was fine but the caseback really did take a bit of scratching - maybe the cat got to I while I was asleep.
I am a citizen fan, having a few in my collection. I love the looks of this watch and the 300m wr. There's nothing wrong with the bracelet and replacing it with a fabric strap is rubbish! £400 for a watch of this quality is a bargain! The only thing missing is radio control to make it the perfect all rounder. I'm sorry, mate, but your review sounded like you were pandering to the girlies and whiners where nothing is good enough! Super titanium is pretty much bullet proof, with regards to scratch resistance (not literally, of course!). Can't see what you're whinging about there and 300m is about 1000ft. If you don't want to buy one, that's no biggy, there are plenty of people who will. I might, after I've got my super titanium tsuno bullhead to add to my 4 other bullheads.
I genuinely don't understand this obsession with how deep you can dive with your watch, as if we live in Atlantis. Standard 100 metres will get you anywhere in real life, and those who dive beyond 100 metres mark wear serious equipment that looks different and cost a few times more than this watch.
I don't mean to be rude but you do realise that 100metres WR does NOT mean you can dive to 10bar pressures. 100metres is used axyomatically to mean "OK for swimming" and even that is dodgy. I've killed three 100metres just swimming in my life. You had the Internet hence posting how angry you are - surely you can use the same Internet to fact check how WR "really" works in horology. Feel free to hate on me if I come across as an arse but you kinda brought the smoke and someone will have a go, especially watch nerds.
@@scb745 Oh dear. You came across as not just rude but also ignorant. There's a Finnish couple ("Beyond the Press") who posts videos of them testing various watches in their high pressure chamber (up to 3000 metres). All watches they tested showed being able to withstand pressure of at least 2-3 times the one advertised, some even didn't break at full 3000 metres pressure. So yes, I've done my homework rather thoroughly before posting. Now go and do yours before attacking people at random and embarrassing yourself.
Firstly, you clearly aren't the brightest - you can't read or reply back analytically it shows how limited you are. I'm not the one who offended people - you lowered the tone with your angry, as well as factually wrong claim. You claim that some special video you watched on youtube invalidates decades of WR and horology data - wooww you convinced me with your powers of debating Socrates! Secondly, running a product past advertised specs immediately invalidates your warranty - well done sir you really are onto something here! And thirdly, since you clearly cannot read my point was that brands use WR to mean something axiomatically NOT to mean literally the submersion depth. See the video by Teddy Baldassare where explains how WR works semantically. And fourthly, I didn't attack anyone that didn't deserve it - you did! As you threw your weight about WR whilst completely and factually wrong and raved about living on Atlantis - use your special research ability to find out that most of our planet is water and not land David Attenborough! Honestly there is no hope for us left.
@Organic_ape Thanks I'll go and invalidate my warranty based on some video which some random guy on the Internet saw of some random Finns doing some testing. Oh and Planet Earth is more water than land - you don't have to be David Attenborough to check that using your special research power. Just because you're happy invalidating your warranty and possibly ruining your watch through improper use does not mean the rest of the world should. Best regards to you sir.
@@scb745 "One subscriber" is a peculiar argument to make, but if you insist - it's more than you have, so I guess I'm a winner here, Mr. Eclat Sparkle. 🥇 🤷🏼♂️
Did you really have to do this mate?? Now I can't get rid of that tune in my head. And it gets even worse, it might return when I wear my titanium watches. Shame about the scratch prone titanium. Some Citizen watches do have a scratch-resistant treatment. Shame about the wobbly end links, but this style of watch looks better on an appropriate strap anyway!
😂which song, though? 'Stan' or 'Titanium'...? I know which I'd rather in my head. As for the treatment, this seems minimal here - this has picked up some scuffs and scratches pretty easily, and let's face it, I'm not out there chopping wood or climbing mountains a la Ray/Bear. Definitely strap-monster potential. Someone mentioned a Marine Nationale being the best strap for this so might have to give that a go 🤔
My mother bought me one in the 90s. I didn't really like wearing watches so put it in a box under my bed.
Found it again last week (2024) and wore it. It charged within 15 minutes and has kept time for a week nicely.
What a great watch
What a crazy story. Hope you’re enjoying it.
Got mine two weeks ago for €300. Out of the box it is even more beautiful than on the screen. Wonderful watch.
I have worn mine every day for nearly a year now. That's while at work, while doing manual cobblers like DIY and chopping wood fer me fire, while hiking, while mountain biking and while going out at night. It's had several shades of shizzel kicked out of it. And it hasn't missed a beat and still looks like new. Incredible watch. When you've said it's a scratch magnet and the clasp is a bit ropey seems odd as mine isn't at all.
Well, that's definitely a sign of how much the thing can take! But I can't say anything other than the one I had was definitely a bit loose on the strap and I don't think the titanium was hardened or anything so was on the softer side, but still a tough watch with an insanely good crystal and obviously a robust quartz in the back!
I have bought this watch (kevlar version) and it simply takes my breath away!!! This watch reminds me of that person who flies under the radar never fully appreciated because they do not say much, but when they do everybody listens. That is exactly what this beast delivers; yes it is understated but man has it got a few things to say! 300m water resistance lightweight titanium case that you have to remind yourself is there, Lume that has Stevie Wonder reaching for sunnies power reserve of 6 months in the shade, a second hand that actually hits their marks (I am looking at you Seiko), sublime accuracy and the best screw in crown I have experienced!
Make no mistake this is a tool watch, not a fashion statement for those wanting to look the part or boast that they have a field watch in their collection. This watch merely offers great specs that invite the wearer to use it and beat it up and then scoff "Really is that the best you have got little human!! If I was ever lost after a bender in the wild this is the piece I would want by my side.
I've had one of these for some time and have been recommending it to anyone who will listen. I'm not typically a fan of titanium watches but I can look past it because everything else is just so good. Its not the most beautiful, most expensive or hand carved by Thor from unobtanium, it just does everything well. I never have to worry about banging it, getting it dirty and I don't have to worry about someone wanting to mug me for it. Those who do not appreciate it have not experienced it. Thanks you for a fantastic review or a great watch, keep up the good work. Wish you ad your family all the best for 2023.
It's a rugged, rough-looking beast, but has a Caliban-like quality - it's big and maybe to some ugly, but it's got a lot more going for it than anyone would give it credit for. Lots of people recommending it on different straps as well, which may well be where it properly shines... Thanks for the kind comments and I hope you and yours have a happy new year, too 😌
Agree with everything you said it's a fantastic watch & even a good but plain looking watch
I have had this for a few years now and even though I have had a few 'nicer' watches this is still my go to everyday. Agree the bracelet isn't great, one of the first things I did was replace with thick curved spring bars and being a 20mm lug it is an absolute strap monster. Dress it up on leather, every day it looks superb on canvas and nato. Seriously underrated watch and a much nicer watch than the Hamilton Khaki that seem to dominate field watches at this price point.
I blame you for bringing this watch to my attention and making my wallet thinner dude.
But seriously, this is the one watch which almost ticks all the boxes. Absolutely loving it.
I bought the 200m version in 2000 as my "Divorce" watch. I wore it on the original Kevlar strap, replaced that with another Kevlar strap (the covering of the Kevlar frays away over time) and balked at the cost of a 3rd Kevlar strap. I was then able to find the contemporary Titanium bracelet. The hardened Titanium case and bracelet which Citizen boast about plus the sapphire crystal are very unmarked in comparison to my SS watches. Its the perfect watch for riding motorbikes due to its slim profile (larger watches raise the sleeve cuff causing an air draft), my only disappointment is that it gains one and a half to two seconds a day after twenty three years without a service, something no mechanical watch owner would even notice!
Did you also get the motorcycle after the divorce?
On a serious note, I have the simular Garisson. Love it to bits, did not expect that when I bought it on impulse for 100 usd. The beveled sapphire is beautiful, it is really a quality product. I must note though, that a hard hit will scratch the watch. This is way more noticeable than on a SS watch, because the rest of the titanium is scratch free.
This watch, and all its predecessors are woefully underrated! Having an older model (from 2001), I can certainly attest to it living up to its reputation... albeit within a smaller enthusiast group.
I've had this watch for a few years and your right it does fly under the radar, its a class , perfect field watch and incredibly accurate .
does your particular unit's second hand hit the markers?
@FiatLux357 hi, its a fraction off but tbh it doesn't really bother me
Ive had this watch from day one. Paid $ 450 usa. Im 5+ years down the path . Some bangs and dings and its ticking like a champ. I want it on my wrist when i take my big dirt nap. My forever watch on my wrist . FOREVER. This is or was cus you cant get it now .....a forever watch. Put it om and never take it off. Iff you get one you will love this citizen . I have many citizen watches. This is the best. Greg
😂😂😂 and box of watch is absolutely different😜
Bonkers tough tool watch.
Never underestimate the importance of the anti-magnetic qualities this watch has apart from everything else.
Great job Citizen 👍
On the verge of buying one, always fancied it.
You asked is there something that's a comparable tough tool watch. Yes! The Hamilton Khaki Field 38 or 40mm Ø. ETA movement. Quality
I have two of these which I bought on Kevlar straps. One is on a Junghans titanium mesh bracelet which totally transforms this watch and is super comfortable due to the micro adjustability. The other is on a Bonetti Centurino 330 rubber strap, which is also very comfortable. It's a great watch. 🥊
The on the fly adjustment on the bracelet will be brilliant and used throughout the day, not for diving like the silly folding ones that only adjust to another given size that might not be right for a dive suit, this one means you can adjust it all day as your wrist swells and shrinks like they all do, it’s superb, forget diving it’s all about normal blokes wearing it normally on a normal day, I’d love it and will be getting this watch- to wear normally 😂
Citizen "Ray Mears" Promaster Tough Eco-Drive Titanium
Perfect review.
Most watches with screw-down crowns look big and clunky, but this watch doesn't, so I like it.
The Best Watch - Legend , ExcellentQuality , Good Value .
Super Titanium ( Tough = 5 times stronger than stainless steel + light Weight , Solar Power , Sapphire Crystal .
This is my watch. I wear it daily holidays, hiking. It's built lika a tank. Super lume and legibility. The second hand hitting the marker perfectly is very satisfying. The other watches in my box are pretty much obsolete. I am just not ready to let them go.
The new iteration, the Citizen BN0241-59H continues the tradition and I understand your sentiments; it's the one watch to rule them all given its flexibility. You get the qualities of a G minus the cartoonish overstatement of tough. As a result I'll be significantly downsizing the collection; so bye-bye to most of the divers.
@@altbinhaxI' ve checked out the new version but it was much thicker and did not hit all the markers. A shame really.
@@JeeGee114 Why is it that both Seiko and Citizen are producing watches that have issues with hands aligning correctly with markers, or bezel alignment? There's a reason but I can't put my finger on it. I agree it's a little on the tubby side, but I can forgive the alignment issue. Or I can just use my Garmin Fenix.
It's a great watch and I can only say thank you citizen 👍
Got mine about 8 years ago, second hand for €480. Probably twice what it cost new, 10 or 15 years earlier. My first watch with a saphire crystal. I still wear it, even though I now have 9 serious watches (Rolex, AP, Panerai, JLC & Omega). My only issue is the size, I have 8-inch wrists, and 39mm is a bit small. However, at last, they have 2 larger alternatives BN0241-59W (Green) & BN0241-59H (Grey) that are genuinely almost the same. I've just ordered the green one.
I have the older version of this watch, it's the Ray Mears YellowStone version which was made in the early 2000s.
Eventhough it's small and old, I still wear it to anywhere I go, tough watch with tough love.
I've had a couple of them - 3 hander and a GMT version. Depending on your viewpoint, they're either a G-Shock for people who couldn't stomach a G-Shock, or they're a Hamilton Khaki dome properly. (Have numerous Gs and had a Khaki King too).
The ultimate strap for these things is an elastic Marine Nationale.
I'll have to get one and give it a go on that!!
Just ordered this watch but not with a bracelet. Thanks for the review, another solid watch the community chooses to sleep on!
Great detail in your review!
I've had three of these. Each one, the second hand alignment was so bad I just couldn't keep it. As a previous Ray Mears owner I so wanted to love this watch.
Love the design of this watch I'm buying one second hand soon.i have the Seiko king turtle it's tough enough for any outdoor adventure as well.
It's has been my all time favorite watch and gets the most wear time ❤. Duratec Ti is very tough. It's still looks as good as it was after so many years.
Had the Royal Marines version with the kevlar strap for maybe ten years, never let me down, partner had just bought me the one reviewed here, just less than 220.00 GBP at Costco ! best price I have seen anywhere in the UK.
This is a really attractive piece. Love the shape/dimensions of the case and that crown. But I do think the numerals and the dial could be a wee bit smaller. I'd totally be on board if that were the case.
I bought a Japanese Domestic Market Alba AEFD557 Solar Quartz watch with a Titanium case with a cloth band. Less than $60 US shipped. It reminds me of my Seiko SNK809 but doesn't need the shake to wind hassle. I put it on a generic stainless steel oyster style bracelet and it is my everyday beater watch. I would love to find a Titanium oyster style bracelet with curved end links to fit it but would not want to spend more than the watch for it.
YES! Such a kick ass watch! Simple, yet bold and tough as nails looking. Great legibility. And I really dig that crown and its knurling. Kind of bummed about the monoblock case, because I want to get in there easily when that cell craps out in 10 to 15 years!
Yeah, at least that's one of those things you really can put off for a number of years! But definitely a watch that's hard as hell - way too tough for me 😂 it probably wears ME rather than the other way round
The reason for the solid case and back is to enable the watch to achieve a 300m wr rating with less
access points to seal.
I think, unless you are an experienced watch service engineer, you should not mess about with opening it up to replace the capacitor yourself, given it's very high water resistance rating.
I also think you can expect a lot longer than 10 to 15 years life for the capacitor, especially since it doesn't have many complications. It is just a basic watch, so the power demands are not huge.
About 6 months ago I bought a Tissot automatic with 300m water resistance, in stainless steel. It cost me, with a bit of negotiation, a bit under £700.
So, the citizen in super titanium, I consider to be a bargain at £400!
@@davidashton2361 Absolutely, the monoblock case serves its purpose. I would send this off for servicing at the end of that cell life, because I'm not breaking the seal of that crystal! 10 to 15 years has been the norm as of late, but hopefully that number is getting larger. I have a Citizen Eco-Drive 200m diver with just a date complication and it served about 12 years before I replaced the capacitor/rechargeable cell.
Make sure that the second and minute hands are aligned. Any suggestions regarding how to correct this?
New to this channel and loving your work. Humour is bang on"
This to me is a great example of a real field watch...Hamilton's are great but their lack of water resistance makes me bang my head into a wall. I just don't know about a quartz at this price...but if I wanted a watch I could beat the crap out of, this would be a front runner....nice vid
I'm not particularly in favour of quartz watches except when the power comes from solar power
(Eco drive in the case of citizen).
You get unlimited power, provided you give it a regular exposure to light, and with quartz accuracy there's nothing to touch it apart from radio control.
With super titanium you get a level of hardness unmatched against scratch resistance and lightness about 40% less than stainless steel.
Personally, I love the precision and sophistication of super titanium. It has a quiet cool look that murmurs quality.
The shiny glare of polished stainless steel shouts brash lager lout and in your face 'look at me!', along with chunky gold bracelets, necklaces
and massive tattoos on every flabby flesh surface.
I prefer the JDM version PMD-2952. 39mm width, 20mm lug width, perpetual calendar with day/date and tool less micro adjust.
Got the blue 1. Great watch, not keen on the strap, but a complete strap monster, got it now on a tornado strap by stevostraps, takes the watch to a whole new level ❤❤
Very cool . Not ugly .
Thanks, but what about the watch?
Great review. Thanks! 🙂
Cool video. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the video - I wear the same black dial version but on a regular NATO and have done for months, it's perfect for my work. It's only showing tiny scuffs which is great as any resin G-Shock or regular stainless steel watch has gotten scratched and banged up really quickly.
I work in retail/warehouse and when you think about it, retail/warehouse space is a pretty shitty environment for watches, sharp plastic crates + paper + cardboard. High magnetism, extreme temperature changes (walk-in-freezes), dealing with spillages and constant confrontations with "Kevins/Karens". I feel like this watch was made for the role :)
Cheers again, love the commentary and shots of the watch.
Nice one, Christopher! I used to work in Tesco, then a few years ago was in Lidl, and cutting the plastics on crates, trolleying the cages about, and, like you say, those fu**in' chillers really do play havoc with a watch. I think I always had a G Shock on, or something similar, maybe even (shock horror) no watch at all. But this is definitely able to stand in for one of those, and do it witha a hell of a lot of personality.
I have 2 of the promaster tough..black and the Grey titanium
I have a similar if cheaper version of this watch in stainless steel with uncoated glass crystal and 200 metres of water resistance, a black nylon strap, unsigned crown, and a screw-in case-back. The numerals are slightly outlined in a faux radium cream colour, and the handset is slightly different. I got it for about £100 years ago. I had to get a capacitor changed a few months ago, but that was really cheap. I really love its simplicity.
It gets some fair wrist-time, competing with a Casio-GLIDE 100x, which I also got cheap some months ago. I am now won over to quartz watches, as I recently had to get an old trusty Oris serviced a second time after a watch-maker had damaged the balance-wheel while trying to just lubricate it, and the bill was a rather hefty amount of moolah.
Nice! The G-LIDE is also a really cool Square G. I love the steel trim of the bezel. I've got a couple of quartz models in right now that I'll be reviewing in due course and I have the same comments as many, I suspect - just a refreshing feeling to have it at the right time ALL THE TIME. But I'm just hoping I don't ever have a REALLY expensive issue with any autos...
First time viewer -- had me laughing. Will subscribe. Thanks for the entertainment and information
Thanks so much, Cliff - that's great to hear!
"the little military arrowhead thingy" is CITIZEN's Promaster series marking. Not being condescending, just letting you know. If you'll Google CITIZEN Promaster, you'll see all have the same marking. 😎👍
You can never go wrong with Citizen Eco Drive. Today I bought a vintage Citizen automatic from ebay and can not wait until I get it. Lumepip is such a gent lol
This Eco-Drive (along with the Promaster Diver) is a watch that I keep coming back to. I’m not into titanium particularly but I love the simple field watch look and the solar charging but the price just feels a little north of where I value it personally so I’ve always walked away. It’s probably because I’m not man enough for a watch like this unlike the alpha of alphas Ray Mears 💪
Awesome video as always LP 👏👏👏👏
Agree .. I have the Citizen Promaster eco-drive Worldtime GMT which I absolutely love ... has become my go to travel watch.
Thanks so much, Gareth! And look, the fact I got it probably indicates anyone is alpha enough for it! But yeah, a bit steep for an Eco Drive, especially when you go past H Samuel and see a ton of other Citizens for well below £200, and then this is still up at £399. If you can find it at £220 or lower, then that's probably just about right, I think. Honestly, the legibility is fire (do the young people say this, or do they just use the fire emoji?). Anyway, it's the dog's danglies.
My is 2 years old and no scratches. The reason nobody talks about it is because it is only sold in UK I guess
It is not a divers extension it's a comfort extension; possibly one reason Ray likes it....
Either.
Ray Mears never had the bracelet version and he now wears a Rolex Submariner.
Still think you're a funny guy...
@@folksurvivalhe had the sub going back quite a few years in likes of Ray mears wild Britain and past shows - id say he started wearing the sub about 2010 onwards and he mentioned it in an interview after his old watch (citizen broke ) . Looks like his sub must be in his safe now and then as I’ve definitely seen him on recent interviews on the bbc or itv wearing some kind of rounded smartwatch . 😮
I have the blue version and absolutely love it, it gets more wrist time then any of my watches regardless of price.
Brother, you must be scratching the watch with the bracelet! I have this watch for a couple of years and I do have scratches in the back from the titanium clasp and name plate. This watch is amazing!
If it's good enough for Ray Mears it's good enough for me . By the way Ray dumped it and got a Rolex Sub.
The statement itself is conflicting. He dumps it cause it aint good enough for him? Citizen looks better tho.
If I had the illustrious career Ray had, I might have more than just the Citizen, but no doubt it served him well for years. And hey, when the Sub's in for servicing or just locked in a safe somewhere, time for the Promaster to shine 🙃
@@LumePip Yes Ray had the Citizen for many years and really liked it. I agree, if I had the great career Ray did I would probably go for something slightly higher end. He did mention that the Roller was a much tougher watch than people think. Rolex build quality is excellent.
Ray who?
Ray stated in a interview which you can find online that his old
watch gave out /conked out (citizen ) . He said he thought if your going to buy something buy the best and he bought his 5 digit submariner .
Great review.
I went for the strap version. Strap (kevlar) was a tad too stiff, so a Barton Elite from my strap box did the job. In the USA, these are N/A. So, found mine at First Class Watches, a great UK seller. Highly recommend them, BTW.
thanks very much, mate! I think I might've bought something from them a few years back 👌🏻
What's the strap width on these? I don't see that in the spec sheet on Citizens website.
If you like the design and can live with a 42mm 100m watch, there is a budget version of this design available from Citizen as well. Still Titanium, still sapphire, still Eco-Drive.
What is the model number of that one?
love it well done!! (forgot about Ray)
Great review. Very funny and well written.
Ah, thanks very much, mate!
Love mine, cant think i'll ever buy another watch tbh. two faults, out of the box bracelet is too sharp, tape it all up and take 1500 grit to the edges;-) lume and the hand length after slowly dimming over night, is it 4:30 am or 6:20am the difference between the hands aint enough. as for bracelet I use mine a lot. The watch being so light you can wear it quite close to the wrist easily but when your a bit hot it's very nice to be able to pinch, slide and presto comfort. Oh and mines accurate enough to set it 2 secs slow when the clocks change and leave it alone to the next change and it's gained to +3/4 secs.
I like the look of this watch a lot. Except the mixed bag of a dial. The combination of hour markers, numbers and the triangle at 12 makes it too busy for my taste. Especially as they are huge.
It's definitely a busy dial, but it makes it feel so utilitarian and action-y, if that makes sense. When there are so many really subtle and classy designs, sometimes just a big, bold dial like this feels refreshing (to me at least). 🙌
I think the discontinued citizen promaster bn0211-50e is a better looking watch, with a flash "H" link bracelet. Stainless steel though. I still choose the Ray Mears every day of the week.
I’ve always liked that song
Booooooooooooo
Brilliant vid, mate !!
Thank you so much for saying so 🙌🏻
Hey, I am in doubt between this one(bracelet) or the kevlar strap. Any suggestion is appreciated.
For something even lighter, the kevlar strap would probably be like a feather on the wrist. Also, if you don't like divers extensions, then the kevlar will likely give you a better fit WITHOUT any exposed metal. Also, you'll be saving a few quid! Beyond that, it's purely subjective and which look you prefer. Enjoy the dilemma 😂either way, it's a solid choice. Let me know what you go for!
I really like it. This model has actually been around for almost a decade, and I'm just not sure. It's quite expensive for a citizen quartz, but I get it, it's very well made and has some stunning features.
I just think it's a little bit basic looking. Brilliant for legibility for sure , but it's a touch plain for me. And not classy enough for the officer. (I like that dive extension, sweaty day when hiking I'll want to extend by one click. Will be brilliant).
Probably more of an action man than me, then, Anthony 😅 It's definitely a bit plain - and maybe that's part of its appeal. Like you say, it's perfect for hiking and the like. It's a pure field watch. It tells perfect time and you'll never NOT be able to read it.
Just paid £119 for a blue face in the John Lewis sale. Can’t complain at that. Looks a bit smaller on the wrist than some of my other watches but it is very light. Clasp is a bit rattley but no worse than a Seiko I have which had a similar RRP. If you can find one for the price it’s a good buy. In my opinion anyway!
That's very cheap.
Score! Mine was 3x that
I'm wearing a bule dial on a light-brown , leather nato strap
I live in California so I ordered it from Merry Old England (Jura and not DC Leake)... Is it really? Merry, that is? In any case, I love it. I do not love the clasp... My Yankie penchant for sarcasm. I HATE IT!!!!! But, I love the watch. The bracelet style works for me. I didn't buy it as a dress watch so the bracelet works. Party on the dial, all business on the bracelet. I love the legibility since I'm what you may call "Old..er" so My 20/20 vision has more (or less) of one of those numbers in that equation now.
Is it merry? Good question. I reckon I'm a trypical grumpy arse, so I'll say no. 🤣 I think the clasp is kind of the weak point, but it is nice to have an ALL-TITANIUM watch, but if I had this again, I'd be tempted to keep it on a single-pass NATO or similar. Real action vibes. Exactly the opposite of me. And I agree on the legibility - haters gonna hate but it's nice to not do a double-take when you're checking your watch cos the numbers are basically the only thing you can see on the dial!
I have a number of citizen watches.
I have a skyhawk 1st generation in titanium (too early for super titanium).
One of the best watches I have ever owned being solar powered, radio controlled and in titanium which makes it, with a watch full of features like this, super light.
Best of all it's 200m wr!
Down sides?
Not super titanium.
Not sapphire lens.
Expensive to get serviced.
But then it's about 30yo!
And super accurate.
The latest version must be some watch. I might buy one after I've
acquired my next bullhead (in super titanium, of course!).
The thing about the skyhawks is that once you've set it up you can forget it. It will just get on with doing its job, no fuss, no drama.
What I was going to say is that this watch is a bit disabled without radio control.
You have to set the time, date and daylight saving time.
And adjust it for accurate time as it wanders off a bit even with the quartz accuracy.
With radio control, all that's done for you.
Someone below (or above?😅) commented they have the PMD56 and it's got the atomic time setting so it's never out of step. But by the looks of it, that does have sapphire crystal - might ve a nice upgrade
Yes, have a look at the Citizen PMD56-2952...
Great looking watch, shame about the bracelet although I reckon it will look better on a nato anyway and Ive been looking at this watch on a canvas strap from Ernest Jones on sale now at £279, seems a better buy to me.
Yeah, brand-new, that's a belter price, Sid! 🙌
I've read this wear smaller than 40mm. Closer to a 38mm?
Effectivement celà est dû à la faible ouverture du cadran
Yeah, the dial is quite small, from what I can remember, so that definitely helps reduce its footprint.
Definitely wears smaller than 40 mm
Nice review
Couldn’t get a green version, but a Lotus titanium came for £40 thereabouts, and a £50 wine voucher included, instead!. Is not comparable obviously but boy it’s been well beaten for the three years in my possession. Victorinox inox is tempting!
3 years’ use and only £40?! How was the wine, though? 😏
Dear Wife was very happy!!!!
Major brownie points gained!🏴👍
I have the World time Royal marines commando version of this watch. I was lucky with the second hand on mine as it's perfect. I agree with your analysis of the bracelet, although I like the 9 levels of quasi micro adjust provided by the divers extension.
Small point is that an eraser made for a biro won't necessarily remove the case back markings, but it will remove those pesky titanium scratches from the watch.
Final point is I concur with the fellow below in the comments, in that I noticed Ray Mears always seems to wear a sub on his programme.
Keep up the good work.
Good tip 👌👌I think in Ray's younger days he was sporting the Citizen. Maybe he came into a bit of dough when the TV channel Dave started re-running all his old eps or something. Those residuals might've helped him get his grail. I'm hoping the fiver or so I get from this does the same haha
@@LumePip best of luck with that mate ;)
Did thicko Ray Mears check out the reason why his citizen had stopped working? May have been the capacitor!
I owned one of these for a couple of months. But it started to really bug me because the Arabic numbers were so big, it acually made it less legible. The dial was just too damned crowded. So eventually I sold it. Now I have a Momentum Atlas Automatic which is about the same size and titanium. Sure, the Atlas Automatic is only rated at 100M and not 300M, like the Citizen, but I will worry about that next time I go down to 300 meters -- which is never.
Honestly, Greg, mine is easily the most legible watch I own. Definitely now my eyes aren't perfect, this is still the watch I can always comfortably read without glasses and which I know I'll be able to read at a glance in 30 years' time, when my eyes are shot to bits from years of screen exposure. Good point about the water resistance, though, and my life really doesn't demand a watch with 300m of it, but it's just a nice bit of reassurance. I just checked out that watch - that looks very cool indeed. And you get a display caseback 👌👌
@@LumePiphonestly ,I think the large Arabics actually SUIT this watch,they wouldn't work on anything else,,but on this one they make sense to the aesthetic ,no idea why,but cannot imagine mine with smaller numerals,it wouldn't look half as good
My blue one doesn't have the eco drive graffiti on the back, and seems immune to scratches. I think your wrong about the sliding extension though, I suspect most people will need to use it as there are no half links or micro adjust holes.
Fair enough, mate. Honestly, I always find with micro-adjustment holes I get a better fit. I've got a Bioldr at the moment and having 6 micro-adjustment holes makes it near-impossible to NOT find a good fit! I take your point, though 👍👍
I can’t find the black dial model anywhere
Hmmm, I think these are getting harder to find - here's a couple of links where I saw stock:
www.fraserhart.co.uk/bn0118-04e-citizen-eco-drive-super-tough-titanium-and-kevlar-mens-watch/18-05-2-5279.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qUAcf2gbSfIPtpBBLBuGSfbXwgg_tzpTrVGffQsaermU68cNS4yZfUaAk6xEALw_wcB
www.dcleake.com/Watches/Citizen/Citizen-Mens-Promaster-Tough-Eco-Drive-Sapphire-Black-Dial-Titanium-Bracelet-Watch-BN0118-55E.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qWCznK5IJNWVwJJYcrsaSt1SFuI-63r8-EQ_2qFNIZ5XvIhTpRrkt0aAgEbEALw_wcB
www.cwsellors.co.uk/products/citizen-watch-eco-drive-wr100-mens-bn0118-55e?variant=40971627921461¤cy=GBP&+shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz6ShBhCMARIsAH9A0qVREgkDH5LsU_KdBjb4GrYMT8_dy3c58gPUN8mWQX9PsJVuv7aPne8aAkzfEALw_wcB
Not sure if they ship internationally but always worth a try! And CW Sellors, you can usually get a discount if you can chat to someone 😄
Price please
Check out the Orient Mako 2, the Kamasu or the New Mako 40 for size, style, wearability, WR200M n Sapphire Crystals, for size. You're welcome. 😁
Reviewing a Mako in the next couple of weeks, mate! Keep an eye out ;)
I’ve been lucky enough to own a full spectrum of watches from Patek to Rolex, Sinn and many between. To my eye this is one of the very best designs I’ve ever seen. Be advised you will have to purchase this watch overseas. Citizen USA sells an inferior model - which is ugly- for far more money.
I'm torn apart between this one and the garrison (BM8560-53EE)
The relatively more minimal dial of the Ray Mears swings it for me (I know the numerals are huge but I'm not mad on day-date complications). But either way, it'll be SOLID
I like Ray Mears ...
The bracelet uses pin and collar system, not push pins (unfortunately).
Titanium may be light and durable, but it’s not shiny at all. You can get a functional watch for about 100 $! If I spend 400,- or 500,- $ on a watch I want it to be durable, accurate, light and shiny! So to my opinion that’s why this watch is flying under the radar.
Thanks tor the great video. As far as I can remember, the Ray Mears Promaster Tough was one of the earlier models namely AP0600-01E, 7828-H09971TA, DuratecTitanium, Antimag 16000, GN-4W-UL, WR 20bar version. The latest model, BN0118-55E, is being sold to replace the now out of production AP 0600-01E.
bear grills , i mean grylls, is snickering somewhere saying, " it should've been a flieger" .
For me, it would work better as a diver, like this the bezel is a bit thick.
The „U“ in Guetta is silent 😛
Yeah, not wrong there! It could get a bit scuffed up too, that's true. 👍 It definitely feels solid and that thick bezel actually makes it seem heftier than the dimensions and weight would suggest. As for that name, I can't say I've said it out loud all that much haha - I'm not up asking the DJ to put any of his stuff on... 😂
62.8 grams with the black, kevlar strap.
Pretty, pretty, pretty good. (Read in Larry David's voice.)
But that genuinely is class 👌
Yes, this watch works with people over 50. It is really for wear and forget. Sometimes a sunbeam makes the edge of the sapphire-gass blinking and I think to myself: how nice it is.
What I do not understand is why there is that stupid date window in the 3h position?.... Which type of goggles do people older than 50 need to read it? This does n´t make any sense to older people. Additionally I dont like playing with the Date-adjust-knob every month. Adapting my watch to that damned summer-time each year shows, the date is going wrong for days. It´s so very dispensable. Its so crackbrained that I had to learn to ignore it due to keeping blood pressure on an accaptable level......
A watch without such silly hole in the dial, even more concentrated on extreme simplicity and toughness would be the last possible improve.
All in all Citizen is on the right way I think. I fell in love with this watch from the first day I wear it. Buttt: Why the fxxx aren´t these watches available in Germany????
Je possède cette montre en version limitée Royal Marines Commando . C'est ma meilleure acquisition : Bonne à tout faire , précise, indestructible, lisible , confortable, sur bracelet Hirsch Pure en caoutchouc, la perfection
You do wonder why there are crowns on eco-drive watches, as it’s a set and forget I’m sure the time could be set by cocktail stick hidden pushers
Yeah, true - I suppose the added bonus is once in a while you get a bit of fidget spinning out of it.
And it’s not a scratch magnet, Citizen apply a scratch resistant coating and call it Super Titanium.
Great video!
So I'm kind of hunting a solar powered field watch with excellent lume. If you weren't impressed with this lume do you have something else similar you would suggest. I'm not worried about the titanium but I want at least 10ATM WR and great lume.
Thanks for any suggestions. 👍🏼
A lot of people have recommended BM8560-88XE as an alternative to this, so that might be somewhere to start. And the BJ7107-83E GMT model looks to have similar sort of design cues but with a bit more going on!
Like you video, i just can't understand why every review i read about Citizen titanium watches people say you can scratch them ive got a £39 Lorus titanium field watch and ive had it for about five years now and theres hardly a mark on it its not super hard like Citizens so why does Citizens so called super hard titanium scratch for £39 i think i got a bargain
It doesn't, Richard.
Untreated non super titanium does.
I have both types of titanium cased watches and the super titanium one hasn't picked up any scratches at all.
The other thing I find annoying is that people say, and I mean reviewers and even citizen themselves say about their eco drive powered watches, that solar powered watches never need a battery.
I'm sorry, but that's rubbish!
An eco drive citizen watch has a capacitor, which is a rechargeable battery! They do stop recharging or holding a charge after a period of time. I know because I have had to get some of my citizen watches capacitors replaced. Some under warranty and some I've had to pay for! And the replacement fees were very expensive for the ones I had to pay for.
The main advantage of a capacitor powered system is the ability to make up for heavy usage of stop watch and timing functions by topping up the lost power.
With a non rechargeable battery system you have to replace the battery more frequently.
My 1st generation skyhawk lasted for over 25 years before I had to get the capacitor replaced.
My red arrows navihawk lasted about 5 years before I noticed that it wasn't holding a full charge, even though it was housed in a glass fronted cabinet. I'm a bit of an anorak when it comes to this sort of thing and had the capacitor replaced.
A note to those buying used - check out the capacitor before parting with any cash. They're expensive to replace (about £100! or more. You wouldn't buy a car with a dud engine, would you?)
Yes
Love mine, both on the bracelet and on a range of NATO straps. Would love it if they would make a similar diver.
Dane, at 1000ft wr. It IS a diver.
What's the matter with you?
@@davidashton2361 I want one with a rotating timer bezel. Or even better, make a GMT version!
Got mine in a sale from a jewellers in the the North East .(?)..er...the lip is bad design . I ca only think of a g sock 5610 as an ( digital) alternative...or a cheap Lorus titanium (@£60).
I do know of an Eco drive watch currently on 26 years (!).
Maybe they'll be like tortoises or blue whales, where in 200 years' time, people are talking about Eco-Drive watches that lived through the 2008 Recession, the Covid Pandemic, and then the move from Earth to the Mars colonies in 2049... 🤔
I would consider getting your watch checked out by Citizen. Something is wrong here. Mine has been a daily for 5-6 months now and only has one hairline scratch on it and that is on the side where I remember knocking it on a door handle.
I'm honestly not sure what's happened there! The rest of the watch was fine but the caseback really did take a bit of scratching - maybe the cat got to I while I was asleep.
I am a citizen fan, having a few in my collection.
I love the looks of this watch and the 300m wr.
There's nothing wrong with the bracelet and replacing it with a
fabric strap is rubbish!
£400 for a watch of this quality is a bargain!
The only thing missing is radio control to make it the perfect all rounder.
I'm sorry, mate, but your review sounded like you were pandering to the girlies and whiners where nothing is good enough!
Super titanium is pretty much bullet proof, with regards to scratch resistance (not literally, of course!).
Can't see what you're whinging about there and 300m is about 1000ft.
If you don't want to buy one, that's no biggy, there are plenty of people who will. I might, after I've got my super titanium tsuno bullhead to add to my 4 other bullheads.
I absolutely agree, the Titanium bracelet is the best! Have you seen the Citizen PMD56-2952?
I genuinely don't understand this obsession with how deep you can dive with your watch, as if we live in Atlantis. Standard 100 metres will get you anywhere in real life, and those who dive beyond 100 metres mark wear serious equipment that looks different and cost a few times more than this watch.
I don't mean to be rude but you do realise that 100metres WR does NOT mean you can dive to 10bar pressures. 100metres is used axyomatically to mean "OK for swimming" and even that is dodgy. I've killed three 100metres just swimming in my life. You had the Internet hence posting how angry you are - surely you can use the same Internet to fact check how WR "really" works in horology. Feel free to hate on me if I come across as an arse but you kinda brought the smoke and someone will have a go, especially watch nerds.
@@scb745
Oh dear. You came across as not just rude but also ignorant. There's a Finnish couple ("Beyond the Press") who posts videos of them testing various watches in their high pressure chamber (up to 3000 metres). All watches they tested showed being able to withstand pressure of at least 2-3 times the one advertised, some even didn't break at full 3000 metres pressure.
So yes, I've done my homework rather thoroughly before posting. Now go and do yours before attacking people at random and embarrassing yourself.
Firstly, you clearly aren't the brightest - you can't read or reply back analytically it shows how limited you are. I'm not the one who offended people - you lowered the tone with your angry, as well as factually wrong claim. You claim that some special video you watched on youtube invalidates decades of WR and horology data - wooww you convinced me with your powers of debating Socrates!
Secondly, running a product past advertised specs immediately invalidates your warranty - well done sir you really are onto something here! And thirdly, since you clearly cannot read my point was that brands use WR to mean something axiomatically NOT to mean literally the submersion depth. See the video by Teddy Baldassare where explains how WR works semantically.
And fourthly, I didn't attack anyone that didn't deserve it - you did! As you threw your weight about WR whilst completely and factually wrong and raved about living on Atlantis - use your special research ability to find out that most of our planet is water and not land David Attenborough! Honestly there is no hope for us left.
@Organic_ape Thanks I'll go and invalidate my warranty based on some video which some random guy on the Internet saw of some random Finns doing some testing. Oh and Planet Earth is more water than land - you don't have to be David Attenborough to check that using your special research power. Just because you're happy invalidating your warranty and possibly ruining your watch through improper use does not mean the rest of the world should. Best regards to you sir.
@@scb745 "One subscriber" is a peculiar argument to make, but if you insist - it's more than you have, so I guess I'm a winner here, Mr. Eclat Sparkle.
🥇 🤷🏼♂️
Did you really have to do this mate?? Now I can't get rid of that tune in my head. And it gets even worse, it might return when I wear my titanium watches. Shame about the scratch prone titanium. Some Citizen watches do have a scratch-resistant treatment. Shame about the wobbly end links, but this style of watch looks better on an appropriate strap anyway!
😂which song, though? 'Stan' or 'Titanium'...? I know which I'd rather in my head. As for the treatment, this seems minimal here - this has picked up some scuffs and scratches pretty easily, and let's face it, I'm not out there chopping wood or climbing mountains a la Ray/Bear. Definitely strap-monster potential. Someone mentioned a Marine Nationale being the best strap for this so might have to give that a go 🤔
@@LumePip MNs are awesome, so comfortable and good looking. Give it a go mate! But sometimes fastening the hook can be a little bit fiddly.
Any sales pitch that doesn't include price is a scam.