Watch Overview: Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Dive ‘Ecozilla’ BJ8058-06L

Though the previous couple of years have seen the watch fanatic group flip more and more in direction of compact, vintage-style designs, there’s nonetheless a spot within the business for the outsized device watch. Citizen’s cult favourite “Ecozilla” household is a textbook instance of the enduring energy of the “massive watch,” mixing a sturdy and useful solar-powered dive watch core with a defiantly overbuilt case and strap design to create a watch that’s impressively charismatic in its extra. For 2023, Citizen expands the collection with a pair of latest colorways, together with this navy blue variant with sign yellow accents. Though the brand new Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L is not any slouch on the subject of actual functionality on paper, its muscular proportions and satisfying heft make this one of the crucial reassuringly stable sporting experiences in its market section.

At 48mm-wide and an imperious 18.6mm-thick, the chrome steel case of the Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L is not any shrinking violet on the wrist. The whole lot about this design appears aimed to strengthen the sensation of safety on the wrist. There’s a critical weight to this design, particularly for a quartz watch on a bracelet, and the combo of outsized proportions, the quartz motion, and this heft work to create one of many toughest-feeling watches I’ve ever worn. Though the “Ecozilla” is greater than reliable in real-world phrases, the sensation of sporting such a stable chunk of metal works on an virtually instinctual degree to persuade the wearer that this can be a watch that may shrug off any problem or influence. Though it’s an undeniably massive watch, it’s additionally extra wearable than the numbers may counsel because of its building. The lugless cylindrical case profile makes for a remarkably quick span throughout the wrist, whereas the 9 o’clock “destro” screw-down crown alleviates the potential of the sq. guards digging into the again of the wearer’s hand. As well as, a delicate bowl-like case facet undercut additional mitigates the case’s footprint on the wrist, and a comparatively excessive strap attachment level works to visually compress the case vertically throughout common put on. Nevertheless, this concentrate on monolithic metal case parts results in a markedly small dial aperture, which arguably comes off as disproportionate on a 48mm-wide watch.

Citizen additionally packs a stable number of finishes and particulars into the Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” case design. The case sides showcase clear, even horizontal brushing, damaged up by an higher distinction ring in rugged diamond plate knurling. The crown additionally picks up this knurled texture for a unified look, whereas the higher surfaces of the case transition to radial brushing. Citizen makes the unidirectional dive bezel the actual focus of the case design, nonetheless. The outsized engraved Arabic numerals are full of shiny navy blue enamel, whereas every of the six recessed grip factors provides a spotlight to the design with brilliant sprucing. In step with the remainder of the case’s concentrate on solidity, the whole lot about this bezel setup works to additional the general sense of toughness. Slightly than a coin edge for grip, the raised outer segments of the bezel bring to mind the crenellations of a citadel, and Citizen foregoes the precision of a 120-click system for a satisfyingly heavy and safe 60-click rotation with zero again play. All these outsized, blocky parts may make the bezel troublesome to learn at a look, however Citizen solves this with an inside bezel ring in stark black and white with full 60-minute markings. Round again, Citizen completes the case with a stable caseback that includes a deeply recessed and well detailed engraving of a diving helmet. All these heavy, overbuilt case parts aren’t only for present, and the Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” packs a strong 300 meters of water resistance.

Just like the case, the dial design of the Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L delivers a beefier, extra muscular tackle the basic diver structure. On the coronary heart of this philosophy is the exaggerated Roman sword handset, that includes a minute hand in vibrant sign yellow for simpler at-a-glance legibility. Rather than the same old set of diver indices, Citizen opts for a set of broad printed semicircles and trapezoids for hour markers, every of which presents a beneficiant fill of luminous materials. Illumination is one other sturdy go well with for the ”Ecozilla,” which presents a vibrant lasting glow that rivals even Seiko’s legendary lume. The one potential weak hyperlink on this dial design is, satirically, the dial floor itself. Citizen’s Eco-Drive photo voltaic charging system dictates the dial end right here, which for this mannequin is a semi-matte set of diminutive azurage rings. As well as, since this mannequin makes use of a navy blue dial hue slightly than black, the underlying construction of the Eco-Drive photo voltaic panel is clearly seen at sure angles, which can be a disadvantage for some.

Citizen powers the Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L with its in-house Eco-Drive B873 photo voltaic quartz motion. The Eco-Drive B873 is a mainstay of Citizen’s heavy-duty quartz choices and presents a stable +15/-15 seconds monthly in accuracy alongside a stable six months of energy reserve after a full photo voltaic cost. The model pairs this new Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” with a closely tapering accordion-style rubber strap in brilliant hazard yellow. Though the intense yellow coloration is troublesome to pair with outfits, this vibrant colour ought to make the watch far simpler to identify if misplaced whereas underwater. Alternatively, this strap is noticeably stiff and uncomfortable out of the field, with a prolonged break-in interval.

Whereas its aggressive styling and beefy proportions might show divisive amongst fans, the brand new Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L proves there’s nonetheless loads of allure available in outsized watches and presents a uniquely satisfying sporting expertise. The brand new Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L is obtainable now via approved sellers. MSRP for the brand new Citizen Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L stands at $595 USD as of press time. For extra info, please go to the model’s web site.

Mandatory Knowledge
>Model: Citizen
>Mannequin: Promaster Dive “Ecozilla” BJ8058-06L
>Worth: $595 USD
>Measurement: 48mm-wide, 18.6mm-thick
>When reviewer would personally put on it: As a trip put on on a diving journey, or as a rugged and succesful weekend look ahead to heavy-duty work.
>Good friend we’d advocate it to first: Scuba divers in search of a way of reassuring safety; dive watch followers with giant wrists.
>Finest attribute of watch: Rugged and correct Eco-Drive motion, ultra-legible structure, stable ending for the value.
>Worst attribute of watch: Intentionally huge wrist presence won’t go well with everybody’s tastes; stiff strap; simplistic dial floor; on-wrist bulk makes it a magnet for dings and scratches.