An appreciation post copied from my TikTok: the Promaster Tough
A follow-up of my previous post, now after having adjusted the bracelet. The process was deceptively easy. So here goes :
I always wanted a Citizen Skyhawk as THE watch for me. It looks cool and has an impossibly busy dial. But since I am now on the wrong side of 40, my tastes appear to have changed.
For instance, I disliked sousou (christophine) for as long as I can remember, and suddenly it has become one of the more alluring vegetables out there. Can’t beat that as a sign of ageing.
Anyhoo, back to the watch.
This is my Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches -completion/congratulations-on-being-an-old-geezer gift. Thanks to the wife. And a rather perfect one, actually.
First, this thing will most certainly outlast me, as its name suggests. Second, it is made of Citizen’s proprietary Super Titanium, which means it is light enough for squeaky joints and wasting muscles. As a geriatric, this is much appreciated.
Thing is, it was surprisingly hard to purchase. It seems to be sold mainly in the UK, and contacts had to be conjured into existence to make the whole thing happen. It came in a rather nice 50th-anniversary box (I myself am closing in on that age at an alarming rate) and Citizen’s legendary Eco-Drive movement should keep it ticking for a very long time without me having to think much about batteries.
It also has no conventional caseback and is essentially made from a single block of metal, helping it achieve 300 m of water resistance.
I barely get into 30 cm of water, so that is reassuring.
The hour markers and hands are also wonderfully large and legible, which is excellent because age, I have discovered, is not particularly forgiving towards eyesight either.
So yeah. A great oldie watch for an increasingly oldie owner.
And, as a bonus, this particular Promaster Tough has a rather interesting association with Ray Mears. For the curious, just type Citizen Ray Mears into El Googlo and there’s some nice stuff to read.
Now excuse me while I admire my titanium watch and contemplate having some sousou.