Citizen BN0000-04H: An Elegant Men’s Dive Watch?

If you’re like me, there are three main things you look for in searching for best dive watches: durability, functionality, and stylishness. Citizen Men’s Eco-Drive Promaster Diver (BN0000-04H) is among the highly rated watches.

But does it come close to satisfying all three requirements? Let’s see and find out.

Why the High Rating for Citizen BN0000-04H

Key Highlights

First, the Promaster Diver is very durable, making it a good candidate for best tough watch. The hardened mineral crystal face, stainless steel case, and polyurethane strap all make it extremely tough.

It is also water-resistant up to 984 feet (300 meters), making it one of the best dive watches too, perfect for various water-based activities like swimming, snorkeling, diving, or even just wearing it in the shower.

A Bit More Details

The Promaster Diver is also extremely useful. It has a date function, so you’ll never forget which day it is, and luminous details so you can always tell the time no matter how dark it gets.

Maybe its coolest feature, however, is how it is light powered–it can be fueled by either natural sunlight or indoor lighting. This means that you never have to worry about it running out of juice in the middle of a dive.

You also never have to open it to replace a battery, thus removing a potentially water-resistance compromising operation. The light-powered feature is definitely one of this watch’s most useful perks.

Finally, the Promaster Diver is, in my opinion at least, exceptionally stylish. The black face with white numerals is a classic and classy design that fits any occasion, no matter how fancy.

And the stainless steel case, luminous details, and black polyurethane strap mentioned above not only add durability and functionality but also elegance and class. It is an extremely attractive watch to look at and looks fantastic on any man’s wrist.

It’s Great, but not Perfect

The Promaster Diver is well-reviewed and extremely popular, but it does seem to have at least one major potential design flaw. The screw-down crown uses extremely short screws and several customers have had issues with the crown coming off because of this.

They are unable to ever fully screw the crown back down. This, of course, is extremely detrimental to the water-resistance of the watch, making its status as one of the best dive watches suspect.

You do not want the crown to just randomly pop off in the middle of a dive or at any point while interacting with water. An insecure crown setting is definitely something you must consider while searching for the best tough watch. This potential design flaw makes it difficult to fully recommend this watch despite all it has going for it.

My 2-cents Worth

Ultimately, this is a very good, solid watch. It is well crafted and looks terrific. It is, for the most part, very durable and solidly built, and it’s extraordinarily functional.

It’s light-powered design is a particularly attractive feature. If this were the end of the story, we would be able to enthusiastically say we had found the best tough watch money can buy, or at least one of the best dive watches.

Sadly, the very real problem in its design, the too short crown screws, means that its toughness and water-resistance can potentially become compromised. Barring this unfortunate fate, however, the Promaster Diver seems like an excellent diving watch.

If you are looking for the best professional dive watches, everyone dreams of owning a Rolex Submariner but it is a dream that is beyond the reach of most ordinary folks. Would you rather wait until you can afford it? If you need something affordable and practical, Citizen BN0000-04H Eco-Drive doesn’t look like a bad choice.

Image credit: Esparta Palma