Citizen Launches Three New Promaster Diver Automatic “Fugu” Models

Whenever robust, affordable dive watches are mentioned, the name Citizen is bound to pop up at some point. Sure, that other Japanese manufacturer might have dominated the market for decades, but the watches made by Citizen are not to be overlooked. Just take the very compelling Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver 200m “Fujitsubo” as an example. But there’s far more to the brand than just that one watch. The Promaster range of dive watches has always had a strong following, and for good reason. It’s a very honest watch and quite iconic if you dive into its history. And best of all, perhaps, they are still affordable! The latest trio of Citizen Promaster Diver Automatic Fugu watches confirms it once more, Citizen is a force to be reckoned with!

The history of the Citizen Promaster goes back to the mid-1980s with the release of the Aqualand, one of the most emblematic dive watches. It was the first watch with an electronic/digital depth gauge; we’ve explained it in detail before. In 1989 the Promaster name first appeared on a watch when Citizen introduced a series of purpose-built dive watches. One of the most important ones is the Promaster Marine Automatic Diver 200M NY0040 from 1997, which serves as the inspiration for these three novelties (and many others, for that matter).

The new models come in a 44mm wide and 13.1mm tall stainless steel case, with one of the new references being black ion-plated. The serrated unidirectional bezel, inspired by the Fugu puffer fish, is fitted with a black or blue insert that has a 60-minute scale. The crown screws down to boost the 200m water-resistance. A sapphire crystal on top protects the dial and hands. It’s good to know that the Citizen Promaster Dive Automatic series, including these three, is an ISO-certified range of watches, not just ISO-compliant.

The main difference besides the finishing of the case is to be found on the dial. Two of them have either a deep blue or black dial. The third one has a fully luminous white dial, just as we’ve seen on the NY0155-58X from last year. The texture on the dial is a direct reference to the complex patterns Fugu puffer fishes draw in the sand as part of their mating ritual. Unusual but quite cool! All three have large applied numerals and oversized hour and minute hands finished in different styles depending on the reference. The central seconds hand has a luminous triangular tip. The wide bevelled window at 3 o’clock reveals the date and day discs underneath.

Just like previous versions of the Promaster Diver Automatic, this trio relies on the in-house produced Citizen calibre 8204. This automatic movement is hidden from view by the solid caseback, decorated with an engraving of a puffer fish. It runs at a rate of 21,600vph and has a power reserve of 42 hours. Next to the central hours, minutes and (hacking) seconds, it displays the day of the week and the date side by side.

The three new Citizen Promaster Diver Automatic watches come on different straps/bracelets and retail at different prices (although in close proximity to one another). The black and yellow NY0130-08E is fitted with a black polyurethane strap with a steel pin buckle and costs USD 550. Next up is the NY0136-52L, which is worn on a stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and is a bit pricier at USD 595. Topping the trio is the black ion-plated NY0137-09A, supplied with a blue polyurethane strap with a black pin buckle and a sticker price of USD 650. All three are now available online and at Citizen retailers in the UK, USA, Canada and Mexico.

For more information, please visit CitizenWatch.com.