Citizen Promaster 'Fugu' NY0158-09L Review
I've always had a soft spot for entry level Japanese dive watches since I first started collecting 7 years ago, so when I went into town to get my haircut 3 months ago I decided to dive into H Samuel to see what they had to offer. Not much interested me & I was about to walk out when I noticed the Fugus in the display cabinet. At the full msrp I wasn't about to buy one, but I noticed the black PVD coated version was 40% off! After taking a closer look I decided sod it I'll buy it.
So after this waffle I begin the actual review!
Dimensions wise this is 44mm in diameter with a lug to lug of 49mm, a thickness of 12.7mm & has a 20mm lug width. It does wear smaller than those dimensions suggest however & more like a 42mm watch.
The design of this watch & the original promaster NY004 it is based on to some extent is inspired by the Seiko 7002 & the SKX, but it still has a character of it's own. The PVD version in particular looks quite aggressive in a satisfying kind of way.
The case finishing is pretty good for a watch at this price point & it has a signed crown & a deeply laser etched caseback. The bezel is 120 click unidirectional & has a very good action with little play.
The dial & hands are very legible which is what you want from a diver, the dial is a dark glossy blue which pops in sunlight, as it looks black in most other conditions. The markers are big which should be good for lume but I'll come back to that later.......
The strap is also pretty good quality, if a bit long for my 6.75 inch wrist, but it is flexible & made of Polyurethane rather than Silicone so it isn't a lint magnet
The movement is the much maligned Miyota 8000 series, specifically the 8204. The rotor is pretty audible even in a 44mm case, but what's worse in terms of crudness is the quickset for the date. When changing the day it feels like something is going break just before it actually changes lol. Accuracy wise it is running at + 17 spd which isn't great but could be worse.
As this is a dive watch (an ISO rated one at that) I feel have to mention the lume, which is terrible. It glows brightly initially but then fades dramatically after about a minute. After half an hour it glows no brighter than my vintage 6105, which is 50 years old!! The issue appears to be that it hasn't been applied thickly enough for some reason.
In conclusion I would say that this Citizen is far from a perfect dive watch & definitely has shortcomings, but somehow I don't care. It's got a good overall feeling of quality about it, I love the look of it & after 3 months I'm still wearing it so it must be doing something right!
Citizen Promaster 'Fugu' NY0158-09L Review
Yes
No
- Aggressive looks
- Sapphire Crystal
- Great Bezel Action
- 5 Year Warranty
- Agricultural Movement
- Terrible Lume
- Left Hand Crown May Put Some People Off
Welcome to my WatchCrunch profile.
I’m a fan of this Citizen lineup. Handsome looks and durability.
Need that book.... And maybe even the watch 😁
That’s a shame about the lume and average accuracy. Though I will say the rest of the watch is bang-on! That etched Fugu fish on the case-back is sublime!
Didn't know there was a 37mm version to be honest, hope you enjoy it!
Need that book.... And maybe even the watch 😁
Cheers, the book actually has black page edges so goes with the watch!
That’s a shame about the lume and average accuracy. Though I will say the rest of the watch is bang-on! That etched Fugu fish on the case-back is sublime!
Thankyou, yes it's still a very nice watch
One of the favourite citizen watches. One of their iconic models (Fugu)
I just can’t get past the cost of the Promaster automatics. They still use an 8000 series movement and are going for 300-500 bucks for what amounts to a basic dive watch. I’ll give them credit that they’re ISO certified, but you’re not getting much for the cost.
I just can’t get past the cost of the Promaster automatics. They still use an 8000 series movement and are going for 300-500 bucks for what amounts to a basic dive watch. I’ll give them credit that they’re ISO certified, but you’re not getting much for the cost.
Get the eco-drive variants of the Fugu instead of the 8000 series Miyota. They are better, thinner and silent. Plus the the Eco-drive variants have the crown at 4'0 clock which is more comfortable. You can pick them up for $150-300 depending on the variant.
I recently got a full lume ny0040, I was a bit worried the movement had an issue with that terrible date change feeling. I guess thats just how they are 🤣
Get the eco-drive variants of the Fugu instead of the 8000 series Miyota. They are better, thinner and silent. Plus the the Eco-drive variants have the crown at 4'0 clock which is more comfortable. You can pick them up for $150-300 depending on the variant.
Oh, I already have one of those. That was the first citizen I bought about a year ago. I’ve contemplated getting an automatic Promaster but the cost for what you get is not worth it, in my eyes.
Oh, I already have one of those. That was the first citizen I bought about a year ago. I’ve contemplated getting an automatic Promaster but the cost for what you get is not worth it, in my eyes.
The 9000 series Miyota Promaster models offer better value than the 8000 series movement variants. Watches with eco-drive or Seiko 4R movements are better options at the sub $500 price point.
I recently got a full lume ny0040, I was a bit worried the movement had an issue with that terrible date change feeling. I guess thats just how they are 🤣
That's a cool watch, I've had to restrain myself from buying one! Yes I think all these movements have a date change issue
Love mine and was the coolest unboxing I did last year! (but I agree with you that setting the date feels terrible lol)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeMpERtpJAj/?igshid=YmM0MjE2YWMzOA==
Impressive watch. It does need a smaller case size variant though
Damn, that's a cool colour combination on an equally cool watch, I dig it. Can't wait for a smaller version, some day.
Damn, that's a cool colour combination on an equally cool watch, I dig it. Can't wait for a smaller version, some day.
Thanks, they did make a smaller versions of this (42mm) I think they had a NY0080 reference. Most seem to be special additions though. There is also the older NY004 which is 42mm.
Love mine and was the coolest unboxing I did last year! (but I agree with you that setting the date feels terrible lol)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeMpERtpJAj/?igshid=YmM0MjE2YWMzOA==
Very nice! Did yours come with the oxygen tank packaging? Mine didn't unfortunately:-(
Very nice! Did yours come with the oxygen tank packaging? Mine didn't unfortunately:-(
Yep, check out the unboxing link I posted above
Yep, check out the unboxing link I posted above
Sorry should have checked that! Cheers
I think you could have rated the movement a little higher. Yes it is crude and old fashion but it is a workhorse and very reliable as well. That thing will be running long after you are done with it, that counts for something.
I love that vintage Golf on your profile pic, definitely a euro model.
Thanks, they did make a smaller versions of this (42mm) I think they had a NY0080 reference. Most seem to be special additions though. There is also the older NY004 which is 42mm.
Still too big for me, most citizen wasn't made for guys with smaller wrist
Still too big for me, most citizen wasn't made for guys with smaller wrist
There is a 37mm version just out with the Eco drive movement apparently, came up on my YouTube feed yesterday, 42mm lug to lug!
I think you could have rated the movement a little higher. Yes it is crude and old fashion but it is a workhorse and very reliable as well. That thing will be running long after you are done with it, that counts for something.
I love that vintage Golf on your profile pic, definitely a euro model.
I went back & forth on the rating for movement between 2 & 3. If the scoring had been out of 10 I would have given it a 5. I'm sure it's very robust it's just that it feels bad to operate compared to a Seiko 4R series or the movements in Orient watches for example, which are at the same price point.
There is a 37mm version just out with the Eco drive movement apparently, came up on my YouTube feed yesterday, 42mm lug to lug!
Alrighty, I'll check it out, thanks!
Have the NY0156-4E and love it, took it over a Seiko King Samurai/Turtle. Wear in good health!