New Citizen Promaster Diver 37mm Review

What We Know

Citizen is a brand with a passionate fanbase. Much like Seiko divers, the Promaster line has its own devotees – you can spot them roaming the streets of your city with a wonderfully worn-in 44mm Promaster dive watch with that recognizable rubber strap complete with depth measurements printed right on it. I envy those people. The Promaster is not a conventionally expensive watch, but it gets the job done (and more) from the Eco-Drive movement to its dive-ready capability. It's kind of all you need, but it's also kind of enormous.

That's the thing that's kept me at a distance all these years – the size. Well, today that changes as Citizen has just announced a sizable (literally) change to the Promaster Diver line with the introduction of a new 37mm iteration in three colors: classic black, blue, and a pink variant.

Think of this maybe like the old Seiko SKX013 – for everyone who found the SKX007 just a little too large, the 0013 hit that sweet spot. These new 37mm divers should effectuate that same result.

In terms of specs, we are looking at a 200m-water-resistant watch, with the recognizable handset (in orange on the black and blue models), a 4:30 date window, elapsed time (dive time) bezel insert, and a rubber diving strap.

The literal case dimensions are actually a smidge smaller than the name suggests, coming in at 36.5mm and only 11.6mm in thickness. Inside that slender-ish case beats the Eco-Drive E168 movement. It is powered by ambient light and uses a process that obviates the need to change batteries. With a full charge, you get six months of power without the need for light exposure. In terms of accuracy, you get +/- 15 seconds per month.

All three variations – black, blue, and pink (with a rose gold-toned steel case) – will set prospective buyers back $375, which, given the styling and "engine," makes these new wearable divers extremely compelling.

What We Think

The Promaster line has a heritage all its own dating back to the 1980s. And for much of its time on this planet, it has represented basically the purest form of utility timepieces in the modern context. In layman's terms, that means beefy, capable divers and tool watches. Add in the Eco-Drive movement technology and what you get in this line are modern everyday watches, full stop.

This sense of capability and adventure has often left some wrists out of the game when it came to certain styles in the range – specifically the dive line. With today's introduction, Citizen continues to show that it has its finger on the pulse of the watch world today.

Divers are no longer just for diving, and everyone wants a piece of this style. Just look at what Tudor has done over the last decade, sizing down the Black Bay steadily from 41mm to 39mm to 37mm. And it seems that 37mm is that new sweet spot size. Okay, 36.5, but who's counting? For the record, we are definitely counting.

So these watches come at a great time, even if they are a complete surprise. I, for one, have always had my eye on the blue dial Promaster Diver 44mm. Something about the unstylish – um – style of the text on the strap and the overtly modern look of the bezel, dial, and hands just worked for me. The idea was never to make these watches vintage-inspired, and that always worked for me. It was just a size delta between the watch and my wrist that needed to be overcome.

With this release, I get basically everything I wanted aside from the text on the strap, but I also understand this watch is geared toward a much broader, and likely more landlocked, audience. It's something I can surely live without, and is something I also believe was excised from the 44mm version some years back. In its place, the blue strap on this new iteration looks brighter and more vibrant, matching the surrounds on the markers.

I am super intrigued by the idea of a sub-37mm diver. I am anticipating it wearing smaller than I expect, but time will tell. I plan on getting this watch in for hands-on review soon, so stick with us for more updates on this evolution to the Promaster Diver line.

The Basics

Brand: Citizen
Model: Promaster Dive
Reference Number: EO2023-00A (Pink), EO2028-06L (Blue), EO2020-08E (Black)

Diameter: 36.5mm
Thickness: 11.6mm
Case Material: Stainless steel or rose gold toned steel
Dial Color: Pink, blue, or black
Indexes: Applied
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: Rubber strap