Citizen Men's Promaster Diver Solar Powered Watch
Citizen Men's Promaster Diver Solar Powered Watch with Rubber Strap
From the brand
Men’s Watches
| Dimensions: | 12.6 x 11.4 x 10.3 cm; 93.5 Grams |
| Model: | BN0150-28E |
| Manufacture: | Citizen Watch |
| Department: | Men's |
| Dimensions: | 12.6 x 11.4 x 10.3 cm; 93.5 Grams |
| Origin: | China |
These eco drives are great watches this is my 3rd I also have the red and green versions, the straps are the only downside very stiff so put this one on a black waffle the others are on parachute straps brilliant watches the lume is excellent everything lines up perfectly 10/10
I already own a citizen eco drive watch.
I have had this watch for 12 years with no problems.
I am going on holiday soon and will be going into water quite a bit. Although my current watch is water resistant, I decided to treat myself to a watch that was a bit more robust for use at deeper depths.
I knew citizen was the watch maker for me at a price that was easily affordable.
Untill I bought ANOTHER ‘divers style watch’ – of another brand, but also from Amazon, this time a Phobos Wave Master ‘300m’ diver, for 257 – I was amazed at how good the LUME is on the Citizen one. The dark blue rubber strap is very comfortable, but has to be worn a little ‘loose’, because my wrist is only just too big for the next hole, on the strap.
The LUME on ‘2nd’ diving watch I bought (from Amazon shopping app – the Phoibos Wave Master with Black rubber strap – too short, not that comfy), is just OMFG! I never though LUME could get that good, & it lasts for ages.
My only niggle with THIS watch, is that the grooves in the strap are difficult to keep clean since the ‘slightly sticky’ feel to the surface of the rubber- which helps it to ‘grip’ my wrist when wearing a little loose – attracts dust far too much, making it look ‘a little grubby’.
Otherwise VERY good value for what it is, if you get it for under 200 which I did.
This is an excellent divers watch (and looks the part). It’s bigger and thicker than a traditional watch, but that’s because of the functionality of offering a 200 m depth, so ay basic scuba diving is covered. The dial is large enough to be easily seen and the luminosity of the bezel marker, the hands and the hour markers is excellent in darker environments (basically diving in England!) But make sure you keep it charged, which is simply by exposing it to / using it in the light (any light). If it’s stored in a box for long periods between use, you will need to re-charge it in order to use it.
It keeps excellent time and on holidays I never take it off (and it looks the part).
All in all a great watch for the money.
Amazing blue lume, love the watch… Strap is great!!!! It’s not the scuba tank box but still very nervous ce packaging. 6 years warranty! When registered. Time is rock solid. Perfect set and forget grab and go beater Titan. If a Promaster is good enough for the Italian Navy it’s good enough for me… I have other highend watches but this is the only one I would actually go diving with .. I can’t recommend it more. Great price. Great watch.
This is a a very good watch. Build quality and fit on a71/2 inch wrist is great. Only concern is rubber strap supplied although comfortable does not have the decompression table printed on it as advertised. Not a problem for me as everything appears brand new.
I have used it across Himalayan treks, backpacking international travel and it has stayed true for the last 7 years. One of my last eco-drives I needed to buy.
On the battery running part, Make sure this watch doesn’t sit in dark place like cupboards or boxes. If you are not using it sometimes, keep it out on a desk with ambient light and it will keep recharging. The capacitor of the watch has to be replaced if you really run down the battery to the grave. I found this out on my other Eco-drive watch the hard way.
Overall, go for it without a second thought, whether it is your first watch or a memorable gift for your dear ones.
The barrel to adjust the watch has to be unscrewed a bit before it can be pulled out to make the adjustment. That makes sense in a diving watch, I suppose, but the instructions don’t explain it, and I it was very frustrating until I worked it out for myself. Also have yet to get the date to function properly – it seems to move at midday. Other than that, a nice looking watch that does the job.
I did a lot of research on this watch and could find no negative reviews. I have a Citizen Eco Drive Promaster Navihawk that cost over three times the purchase price of the diver’s watch. The diver’s watch has a longer lume that lasts all night and the hands and face are much clearer and easier to read. I have other watches in my modest small collection but the divers is my favorite.
Absolutely fantastic! Have the time in sync with a connected g-shock and it’s lost about 1 second over a 3 month period, so very accurate. Eco-drive solar charging so not having to worry about a battery/automatic movement is brilliant. I’ve had lots of automatic watches and I’m slowly moving back to quartz.
Brilliant colour in blue, looks great. Obviously looks are subjective but it looks like a standard dive watch.
Screw down crown is great for water resistance. I’m a medical profession so I’m having to wash my hands (and sometimes arms) very often and it’s great knowing that water will not be damaging this at all!
Brilliant lume too, although I wish the lume on the bezel was the same colour (it’s more green whereas the rest is blue), although it may serve a purpose when diving.
Would highly recommend, Citizen Eco-Drive is a proven win!
I own a small collection of watches, from cheaper timex’s to more expensive brands including Seiko. This dive watch is amongst my favourites and regularly gets rotated into use. While it may be smaller than some of my larger field and dive watches, it looks splendid on wrist. The lume is also magnificent, and out performs my Seiko, Orient, and other watches. The only watch i have with better illumination is a tritium watch… The bezel is excellent; strong, easy to use but secure, with zero backplay. Legibility is superb. The strap was good, but i quickly swapped out for a nato, as the watch is a strap monster.
In short, if you’re looking for a gift, this is a good way to go. i bought my brother-in-law the black dial version.
Oh, and the Eco-drive… magnificent. No need to change the batteries, or shake the watch to wake it up like with an auto.
This watch wears slightly smaller than the 43mm size would suggest so it’s perfect for almost all wrist sizes. 20mm lugs mean the strap options are unlimited. The stock strap is excellent.
I cannot believe how good this watch looks. The blue is subtle but stands out without be garish. Perfect balance.
Only thing I was advise to anyone is when you first open, leave it outside for a few hours, even if it’s cloudy as that’ll charge it. Outside light is miles better than a torch, or just indoor lights. Mine ticked every 2 seconds stopped after a day, it needs a good charge first!! Other than that, brilliant
Buy this watch!!
What a watch! Admittedly a bargain at just over 112, would happily have paid much more after seeing the quality of this watch. Having a Seiko samurai, and now this, I’m so pleased with this, for almost two thirds cheaper than the samurai, and being an eco drive, far more accurate. I have a six and half inch wrist, and this sits really well for size, and just enough weight to feel quality, but not too heavy. My intention is to change the strap, but the more I wear it (and soften it up) the more I’m taking to.it, and thinking I might leave it on for longer than planned. These look good on a decent NATO, so maybe that’ll be my next route, but overall, couldn’t be more happy with my purchase.
The watch is really beautiful, even better than in the photos. The markings and hands are easy to see. The lume is bright but does not last for very long. Mine last about 5 hours after a full day in the office under the light, which I think is a bit shorter than average (7 hours), but it is more than enough and I guess we cannot ask for everything.
Accuracy is excellent as it should be as a quartz. After a month, I think it is only off by seconds.
The only drawback is the rubber band which I find to be rather stiff. The watch takes 20mm strap so it is easy to find. I made a paracord strap myself which I think looks great on it (see photo).
If you are in the market for a diving watch, look no further.
As the title suggest, the strap for the watch isn’t very good but my god is the watch itself great. I was looking for something else to swap out from my SKX007 and came across this.
Everything is easy to read on the face, the lume is the best I’ve ever come across, beating the skx007 in my opinion. The 60 click bezel feels incredibly sturdy and feels nice to move. The hands themselves look great and really stand out, making it easy to read.
On top of all of this it’s an Eco-drive, so it’s environmentally friendly & charges via sunlight with a 6 month reserve. It’s an official watch as I registered the warranty online with the instructions provided, just thought I’d add it that for buyers concerned about it’s legitimacy.
To be honest with you I’m pretty astounded it’s this cheap. With regards to the strap, I personally replaced it with a 20mm NATO and I mean, with that size there’s so many different options on amazon.
Should you pick this up if you’re a watch collector or simply want something long lasting and functioning with out needing battery changes? Yes!
I hope this helps. Happy watch shopping
Update: *February 2019*
The watch is still incredible. In a month I’ve seen it, in total, – 5 seconds slow over the course of the ENTIRE MONTH. It’s incredible. Still going strong, still brand new. I’ve swapped out the Nato for a Gekota stainless Steel strap and it just looks so good. Honestly, if you want a solar watch, this really is it. I still can’t get over how cheap it still is, considering I got this back in May of 2018.
Update: *September 2019*
Again, the watch is still in my collection and still only – 5 seconds per month. I’m not sure if I got extremely lucky with mine, but it’s incredible. Still in warranty, still running, still looking beautiful. I see now the price has gone up since I purchased it, and honestly, it’s worth the current price (over 200) I paid 150 for it way back when. It’s an excellent watch. It’s been diving, in the pool, hiking, even to the alpes. Still runs amazing.
I am a big fan of the Citizen Eco Drive. The old watch I have with this system is still working perfectly after many years, when other, supposedly automatic charge watches have had to have their batteries replaced. Many other systems require motion to keep charged. But the Eco Drive will just sit happily on a window sill for years – staying charged in the daylight and keeping perfect time.
I like the design and look of this watch, and i’m sure it will give me many trouble free years of use. However, I don’t like the strap much, which is why it only rates 4 stars. Firstly it is a fairly short strap and I can’t see it fitting over my wrist with a wet suit on – not a good start for a supposed diver’s watch. The strap does fit my ‘unsuited’ wrist but only with the buckle in an awkward place where it won’t sit flat. I expect I’ll soon cut this strap off and find another, better, one.
On the wrist, it isn’t what I would call a light watch, but isn’t a chore to lug it around at all – I actually find it much more comfortable than a 3.5k Omega I once had! So far I am also loving the Eco Drive feature – I don’t have to worry about how much movement on the wrist an automatic watch needs to maintain its power reserve and accuracy. I will be interested to see how the accuracy works out in the long term on this Citizen.
Some people don’t like the ‘no decompression dive table’ which is printed on the strap – you don’t actually see this in the product photographs here. Personally I like it and it’s a reminder that this is a proper diving watch after all. Unlike some people I find the strap a perfect length for my wrist.
Pros:
The colour blue works really well, giving the watch a unique look when compared to a majority of divers (that often opt for a black dial).
Excellent attention to design and detailing – the orange edge on the minute hand, the positioning of both the date and crown at 4 o’clock, the reflective silver that edges the hour markers and hour hand that increases legibility both in and out of the water.
The watch has a nice, solid weight to it without being too heavy on the wrist.
Cons:
The strap is gimmicky. It features a printed depth guide table that obviously has practical uses but for day-to-day use it looks far better put on a different strap. Crown & Buckle produce a heavy duty NATO strap in blue that matches very nicely.
The case is a little boxy (for my taste, at least). There’s no curvature from the bottom of the case to the sides. It’s just a sheer 45 degree angle. The Seiko SKX007 has a much more organic case shape as do some other Citizens such as the Promaster Tough (also known as the Ray Mears) that seems more fitting for a diver. This isn’t an issue with the watch, just a personal preference.
Overall, this watch deserves serious consideration from anyone looking for an affordable diver as it offers excellent quality for the money and I would have happily paid more for mine.
The hour & minute hands have a very unique shape that I find very pleasing. An added bonus is that the minute hand has an orange decal which is standard on a lot of Citizen divers but it is a look I find very attractive.
With the crown at the 4 position makes it more comfortable to wear, when a crown is at the 3 position it can dig into the back of your hand.
The date window is also at the 4 position which I also think is a nice feature.
However the date window is very small and I do have some difficulty viewing the date, having said that any bigger and it would spoil the look of the face. A cyclops for an enlarged date image would also look out of place, not really a minus point for me though as I would have purchased this watch without a date window. I just thought for balance it’s worth mentioning as it might be an important feature for some.
The crown screws down and the action is very smooth, the bezel is also worth mentioning as the action is also very smooth with crisp click.
It does take a conscious effort to move the bezel, but this is a plus point for a divers watch because if it is used for diving you would not want to move it by accident.
The most important thing for me in a watch is its accuracy and as I have come to expect from Citizen it is outstanding. I purchased this watch a little over a week ago, I set it to my atomic Skyhawk and it is still bang on to the second. This did not come as a surprise though as this watch is part of a rotation of 7 Eco-Drives and all are extremely accurate.
The only downside for me though was the silicone band that it came on in my opinion it looks cheap and tacky. It does not even have any form of Citizen branding on it either which is unusual. The ND chart printed on the band I thought was uncalled for and ugly.
I am wearing this watch on a custom made black canvas and leather strap with a pre-v buckle and dual keepers. But that’s just me I am a watch geek and this strap more than satisfies the geek in me.
In conclusion an excellent divers watch for the money, it will not disappoint.
Thanks for reading.