A limited edition dive collection with lineage, performance and affordability.

The new Citizen Promaster NY008 limited edition dive watch collection works on many levels but most appealing of which, for us, is its tantalising mix of exclusivity and accessibility. Not as incongruous as it sounds, the Asia-exclusive delivers on both accounts. There are seven references and prices start from approximately S$455 for the ‘regular’ 1,000-piece limited editions, and peaks at about S$610 for the 500-piece Singapore and Malaysia limited edition (pictured above).

So what does S$600 or less get you? How about a slice of horological history for starters? Boasting proper dive watch lineage, the collection is based on Citizen’s legendary NY004 dive watch series from 1993, which was in turn a descendant of the ‘Parawater’ from 1959, touted as the first Japan-made water-resistant watch with a depth rating of 100m. Here’s another trivia: the NY004 has authentic military experience, having been once been adopted as the official watch of the Italian Navy SEALs.

Armed with military-grade specs, the Promaster NY008 boasts a similar built to the NY004. Housed in a 42mm steel case with unidirectional bezel and powered by Citizen’s Miyota automatic Calibre 8203 automatic with quick-set date and dual-language day display, the watch is water resistant to 200m. (The NY004 with the same technical specifications survived a pressure test to 500m, conducted by the Italian Navy SEALs.)

Like its predecessor, the Promaster NY008 sports a very distinctive profile. The crown is at the eight o’clock position, and the bezel sports grooves on the side that recall the look of a pufferfish, hence its ‘Fugu’ nickname.

The main differences between the NY008 and NY004 are found on the dial, featuring reworked indexes and hands that hark back to the look of the Aqualand JP2000 that Citizen launched in 1992; as well as on the caseback that’s engraved with a pufferfish logo and the words ‘Limited Edition Asia’.

From left: NY0080-12E, NY0080-12X, NY0081-10L

Citizen fans will have a field day deciding which ‘Fugu’ to go for. Among the popular models are the NY0080-12X with a full-lume dial, the NY0088-11E with ‘Pepsi’ bezel, and the two 500-piece country-specific special editions – rose gold plated case with brown dial and green bezel (Malaysia and Singapore), and steel case with black dial and green bezel (Thailand). Word has it that the revived Promaster NY008 has been a hit, with some of references selling out within months of the collection’s launch.

From left: NY0088-11E, NY0083-14X, NY0082-17X

Case	42mm steel or gold-plated steel
Dial	Black, blue, brown or luminous
Movement	Automatic Miyota automatic Calibre 8203
Strap	Rubber
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, day and date
Water resistance	200m
Price	From S$454.75