Citizen Promaster NY0040. The Best ISO Rated Diver Under £200 in 2023. 

I love this. Someone finally pushing back against the 007. Hacking, hand winding, build quality and 20mm lug. All plus points that get ignored due to icon status of the 007. I love Seiko but do not own one 007.

I knew I was not crazy. The promaster and specially the Fugu version with the Miyota 8204 is the better watch when compared to the Seiko option. Just the fit and finish by Citizen has always been of higher quality. Thanks for proving I am not crazy.

Not only a better watch than the 007, but I must admit I love this “underdoginess” of the 0040, icon icon!

The Watch of the Marina Militare ! 💪😍

I agree with your review. I started buying citizens a few years back after getting a bit fed up with seikos price hikes and qc issues. I own the ny0040 and the skx and I like them both in their own way. The citizen is more of the quirky underdog, which has always appealed to me. Plus you've got better qc and a 5 year warranty. Win-win for the price you pay.

NY0040 vs skx007 - 1. Better looking 2. Better movement 3. Cheaper

Great review. I have two skxs, an orient kamasu, an orient triton, and a vostok amphibia scuba. But this is the watch I wear everyday. I can't take it off. Just got the new bracelet Mark from Long Island Watch, the o-style, and it is awesome. My ny0040 is usually around +7s per day.

I would say this is by far your best expressed and knowledgeable review. You have called out the Seiko bias by most channels to Seiko watch products over Citizen. I too am a convert to Citizen from Seiko. Your points on quality control are valid. My SKX was overhyped, no hacking, poor bracelet and actually not good value. It sits in my watch drawer now ignored. I love Citizen divers they are a true tool watch. Well done my friend you hit it out of the park this time. Go Citizen!

So right. I've loved this watch for ten years and have many iterations including this one. I've even got a few tucked away for the future. You're probably aware that Citizen have uprated (upsized, better bracelet version, sapphire crystal, and hacking 8204 movement, though you will find the 8204 in later models of these) this watch and pushed the price up to £400. There are still plenty of the older lefties around but they won't be here for ever. Time to grab one while you can. The Italian Navy connection said it all for me. They used it with no modification though the issued ones were marked accordingly. Originals are worth a few quid.

Received this beauty over the weekend. I bought it based on your review and I must say it's a beauty. I only discovered your channel last week, and it's great to see some quality watches at bargain prices. Thanks John 👍.

These are absolutely superb watches & with a whole range of colours & strap/bracelet options & imo far superior to the old skx. It's pretty much the only Citizen that I really like.😊

I bought my brand new NY0040-50E from a reseller for £230 and I couldn't be happier. I has all the yellow scuba tank, papers and all those s**t. My first automatik watch was the SKX but im loving this NY probably because its new but really... It looks better than the SKX which I bought for £150 in 2020 during the pandemic. But hey, prices of everything went up now. I still love both watches.

I prefer Citizen Promaster versus Seoko. Brilliant with tapering the bezel versus the high shoulders of the seiko bezel.

It's like a memory of looking through jeweler's windows as a child, in the 90s. I've just bought one from a private seller and this review has helped. Thanks.

John, i bought a black version of the NY0040 on rubber in 2005/6 and it was the first mechanical watch i’d ever bought. I bought it as it didn’t need batteries and the seal would remain intact as i was training to be a diver. It lasted 6 years as my only watch worn every day and on over 200 dives. Great watch though the 8203a movement wasn’t very reliable after about 4 years, it kept stopping even though i never took it off, sending it back to citizen after 4 years under the 5 year warranty didn’t really fix it and i stopped wearing it at that point.

John, I totally agree with you on the NY0040, I have two, a well used/worn 8203 with black dial & bezel etc, that could do with a service/movement change and a much more recent '8204 '17LE in blue that is almost factory fresh, I have the Promaster air tank case etc, I love them both. I also have 3 'SKX's a very late mint '009, an 013 and a modified '009 and I like/love them all. I also have several Citizen Eco-Drives and several other Seikos too, including an SLA023J1, so I think I maybe able to give a fairly representative overall view? The Citizens are better watches overall, but the Seikos design of dials and cases are probably more appealing overall, certainly more classic, but I think Citizen/Miyota get a bad rep for their movements, which I find tend to be at least as stable if not more than their Seiko counter parts? Many people seem to mention the rotor noise on the 8000 series automatics, I must admit I don't hear it in normal everyday usage. Thanks for you're reviews, keep up the good work!

The promaster titanium is also an excellent watch😮

Thank you for the honest review. I am picking up one of these watches today, super excited. I was thinking of a shark mesh bracelet, however, after seeing your bracelet with the watch. That is the one I’m getting.

Felt like you were calling me out with that thumbnail. 😂 As an SKX fan, I agree that this is objectively a better watch. I got so close to buying one so many times but never went through with it. I think I’ll need to give the NY0040 another look.

Love that watch! Bought mine just a few days ago but as the coke version.

Good video. I paid about £100 for a lightly used one of these lume versions about 7 years ago. They started to become a bit thin on the ground around 3 years ago as I believe they were discontinued for a while. As a result the prices went a bit mad and I sold mine on for £300! I always regretted selling that watch then came across the reissues on Amazon a couple of weeks ago and snapped one up again. It's as good as I remember it and the hacking movement is a nice upgrade. I currently have mine on a strapcode super engineer which I had on my old one. They do look good on the original strap but it's just a shame it's so stiff. One thing I did notice on mine is that there is a bit of play between the bezel and the case. I read somewhere that this is a deliberate design feature but who knows. I never owned an skx, even 10 years ago they were getting too pricey. I have however recently bought a ssk GMT which I believe is pretty much the same case and I have to agree the NY 0040s wear better.

The case design of this watch is more manly than the skx..I have three fugu watches, I don’t have an skx. Always have second thoughts about buying skx .. I would think, man I want an skx on my rotation but then I remember how some fans complain about qc issues, misalignment and 7s26 movement being “duh” so instead I bought an islander watch.. but then like I said the case design of the fugu Is more spikey, tooly and that’s just how I prefer it to be..

Pretty much agree on all counts, iv'e never understood why the 7s26 equalled or bettered the 8's in comparisons with most whinging about the uni-directional winding which realistically is not that noticeable plus with hand winding capacity & better accuracy , now i'm not knocking the Skx but given the choice the NY's are still the preferred option for all points mentioned plus the aesthetics. A thorough & well documented case put forward John which i agree with a hundred percent.

Exactly my opinion...SKX is not as solidity perfection as this Citizen. I have the same one with a newer caliber...I love it...and of course I bought two NATO straps in black and green (matches the number plate)...as well as a metal bracelet...but now in the summer at sea - of course worn with the original diving urethane strap. You have a new subscriber... greetings from Slovenia😃👍🇸🇮

Well John, you sold me. In fact, my last watch purchase of 2023 was this watch. Today it arrived and I've been enjoying it on wrist all day. You nailed it in your review. This piece is just great! Looks, specs, dimensions, bezel action and that lume! I got into horology after the SKX craze so don't have one to compare, but from what I see online this watch has it beat hands down. Cheers!

A skx 007 j version is a more refined watch that doesn't hack or handwind 😂, i just got this promaster and it has not left my wrist. My skx is officially retired now, thank you for content sir , great video

This Citizen and the Orient Kamasu are the best $200 automatic divers right now. Seiko doesn't have anything to compete at that mark, specially the discontinued and inferior SKX.

I bought an NY-0040 and I am getting +6.5 Seconds Per Day. It has the 84 Movement. I Love it!

I bought this watch a few days ago as a gift for myself and I also bought the strap that is shown here. Can't wait for both of them to come to my door soon!

I have a Fugu diver, a 009j and a 007j. I love all of them. The Fugu is much better in most areas. Inexplicably though, the 007 gets the most wrist time out of the three.

I've had a Promaster for years the blue with Pepsi bezel $189 bucks. Makes me wonder why i even look at micro brands . I just bought a Timex & Hodinkee Skindiver another great watch $220 . I put mine on a Engineer strapsco .

And any dive watch collector has to appreciate a fully lumed dial .i know I do .walking indoors from outside on a bright sunny day is the best .the only thing I don't care for on the citizen promaster divers are the resin straps they come on .but u can always swap them out. Easy peasy japeneasy

I've been wanting to add a watch with a fully lumed dial to my collection, this could be the one. I like the military connection too. I'll definitely be picking up one of those bracelets though, looks good. Will remember to do it via your link.

I AGREE with you about TGV's review, he rigged it. I have the NY 0040 in blue. I don't have the skx, but I have a really nice Turtle, they both get equal Wrist time. I always wanted the NY, one day, recently, I saw it on Amazon for $166 I snapped it up!

Great video. Couldn't agree more. Have two of these myself. Awesome watches! 👍

I love my Promaster diver eco drive I did not know they came in automatics, awesome! I am going to (eventually) compare it to my Seiko padi solar watch, it punches well above its price point, other than the terrible plastic strap although even it has grown on me a little to the point I am wearing mine on it. The bezel on these are really great though I would like the gnurling to cover the entire bezel. I got an engineer style bracelet for mine and it is awesome with it! I do prefer my crown on the right hand side. I think for what you get one of the main reasons this is a contender to be better than skx is the price, that along with the bezel which is near perfect on the citizen….that lume is also comparable if not better than the skx, I think the lume on mine is better than the padi prospex I have. Great review John!

The internet fluffed the skx. I own a few of these and some seikos. My miyota movements destroy my seikos when it comes to time keeping. Plus with the position of the crown on these citizens makes it wear way better on wrist all day.

I actually have both my SKX and Promaster, but I prefer my Promaster because it keeps better time and I just feel I do not have headaches with its caliber to be calibrated again because the hairspring has a problem. Compared with my SKX I had experience a lot problems which remained no choice but to just buy a new caliber for my SKX.

Great video. I've got the Kermit version w/ the 8203 and love it. Although this is the one watch I'd recommend not getting it on the steel bracelet. It's absolutely awful.

Great revue, my skx got me into watches, love it, super tough and reliable, had to swap it as my beater for a g shock, just because I didn't think it was fair to subject it to such abuse. I also thought TGV was a little biased in his revue, due to the fame of the SKX but with the scores on the doors you make up your own mind. Promaster is my next diver, just got to chose which one. Thanks for the revue.

I own both SKX007 and Citizen. Both are good, but I prefer the Promaster on a jubilee bracelet. BTW I am a certified diver and helicopter pilot.. for whatever it’s worth..

My old vintage 0040 does suffer from age though, and the bezel click has decayed, buI I'm no diver so it won't ever be a problem. But yes, the precision in the new ones are just amazing.I laugh whenever I get the 120 vs 60 argument.

I own the NY086 Pepsi Fugu . Mine has the 8204 movement and hacks . I also own the Seiko SKX009 and thank goodness I have no alignment issues on my SKX . I absolutely love my NY086 but I can’t help but cherish my SKX009. Both are amazing in their own right and to me it’s pointless as to which is better because they both are outstanding.

I used to own a black and silver 43mm seiko PYH018 150 m - skx style but quartz and accurate, the lume was brilliant when planting explosives on night diving exercises as a navy diver in the 1980s. After I discharged it was stolen from my car. Back into diving these says so I bought a Casio MDV106 duo as a workhorse diving watch while cleaning my yacht's hull, but lumes no good. I like night diving and I like the lumes feedback on this and other videos, so I will be adding this Citizen NY 040 to my collection. Prefer the black and silver with a NATO strap.

Cheers for the review John, excellent content on the channel. I decided to purchase this watch after watching your review… I’m very impressed! Fantastic watch for the price and I shall be purchasing that Ali Express strap as I think it compliments the watch very nicely!

Years (maybe 10) ago I bought the SKX007 and the Seiko Orange Monster. I was not aware of CItizen Promaster. All teh watch sites and forums pished Seiko. I liked the Monster, 1st gen. But I felt the SKX was overrated. I did not like the flat matte, printed dial. I sold both, although I regret selling the Monster. Now I have several Citizen Promasters. I like them a lot better than the SKX. Hacking, handwinding, better proportions. If the 803 movement is more accurate than the 804, it does not matter, a sin real life a hacking movement will most of the time be more accurately and easily synchronized to a computer, satellite or atomic clock

I had the chance to get the black version of this a while back. By the time I made up my mind, I'd missed out and it wasn't available. Instead I bought a Promaster 300m diver albeit Eco Drive. Love it. That being said, the original NY0040 is available again and I'm tempted to get one to compliment the Promaster I already own. Can decide which colour though. 🤔 Great video 👍

Nice review good or great value per dollar. Is it just me or the comment everything lines up perfectly. Not quite. The 12 o clock marker is set right of the 12 marker on the chapter ring . Yes or no?Just like the Seiko's and I love Seiko but it's a fact?

Big fan of these promasters, such a good watch. Heimdallr do a fugu homage which I keep thinking about, if only just to compare to the citizen.

That 12 O'clock index is pants.

I have both I find both remarkable watches ⌚

I share you're love/your appreciation for the NY0040 series, IMHO a better watch than the venerable 'SKX' etc, BUT/However, I think the SKX is/has a better and classically recognisable face, just without the better movement of the NY0040-???

Well i managed to buy the old version but new watch .I believe the price will just keep going up

Just bought this in the 50W full lume version. Absolutely love it! I had a Seiko Pepsi Turtle a cpl years back that was HORRENDOUS at time keeping! It was losing 45 seconds to two minutes per day! I returned it after about a week and swore I’d never purchase an automatic again. Fast forward to three weeks ago and I found the NY0040-50W full lume on Jomashop under $200. So I pulled the trigger after seeing many reviews on it, including this one. WOW, was I wrong! I have had this watch on every day now and take it off every night to sleep. I tested it for one week without any reset. Came in at a loss of -12 seconds! That’s -12 seconds out from internet time synchronization for ONE FULL WEEK! That Myota 8204 engine is incredible!

Good video thanks, I'm in need of a watch my orient ray crapped out I got 7 years out of it, not bad but I thought it would last a lot longer. I'm torn between the lime color and the blue citizen?

I like the NY 0040 better than the SKX. The one issue with the all lume dial and hands is that: when the lume fades in darkness, it is difficult to see the hands due to lack of contrast. The hands need to be all black to widen the contrast.

SKX007J version insanely at over €600 now with honestly more inferior 7S26 mechanics vs NY0040 (miyota 8204 - much better accuracy+hacking+handwinding),arguably better build quality at less than half the price. I would be so happy getting 2 new citizens now, wearing one while keeping another one unworn as my collection.

Thanks for the video! Do you notice any vertical play with the bezel? Mine has just under 1mm of play and if I push down, it will "tap" the case.

i love the watch but the lume on mine (the hands) doesnt perform as well as you report. I paid under £200 and t would be superb at twice that price. An all day everyday, every environment beast.

Nice review. I liked the watch. do you Think the eco drive version wears too big in a wrist like yours?

I have to say that I’m in “camp”promaster, but you can’t really say that one is better than the other when it comes to accuracy. I’ve had a couple of Promasters and a 009 and my SKX had significantly better accuracy than the promasters. So, it all depends on the individual watch. That being said, I do prefer the Promaster, hands down.

Yes, I like mine a great deal, it's only irritation is their failure to have a White background for its Day Date Complication the Black makes it almost impossible to read unless you turn it into the light just right. I'd have sent it back were it not for loving it's overall design.

What a great video. Your Scottish tones are very relaxing aswell 😊

Seiko killer.😁

I can see from here your chapter ring is not aligned with the dial, which is normal seeing how this watch is built, the movement being held by a very basic plastic ring inside. I sold my ny0040 because of that. It's a cool looking watch but what you say there is just wrong. The dial on mine was even moving under the chapter ring when I was adjusting the time, just operating the crown 😅

I love mine, but I want my air bottle!!!!

Second hands with lume at the wrong end, never a good idea?

The reason why seiko always wins over citizen in TGV reviews, simply is because he's bias ! He's a Seiko Fan boy!!😂😂😂 Citizen Promaster ny0040 is simply the best diver for around 200 £,€ or$ ! And always will be !

For honest I think the whole dial is very odd

You