Ground Control: We’re Digging The Latest Launches From Citizen’s Promaster Land Series

As much as we wish we could soar like birds or swim with sharks, humans are land mammals. That’s why so many of us choose to push our physical boundaries by embracing and exploring the majesty of the hills and valleys, the serenity of the plains and deserts, and the rugged beauty of the forests.

Some of our favorite companions on outdoor treks come from the Citizen Promaster Land series. These robust timekeepers help navigate the wilderness, because they are reliable and rugged, and their built-in technologies such as electronic compass and altitude sensors provide comfort as we interact with challenging environments. This, in turn, helps us build a better relationship with the natural world.

Here’s an inside look at Citizen’s newest outdoor watches.

As dress codes become more relaxed, (hello lawmakers in the Senate), watches once considered too sporty for the office are now perfectly accessible at work and even semi-formal events.

Launched earlier this month, the Citizen Promaster Altichron is not one of those timepieces. Its 47mm case in black DLC Super Titanium – a space-age material treated with the brand’s proprietary surface-hardening technology, Duratect – is too chunky and is built for high-altitude adventurers, not for climbing the corporate ladder. But that’s cool, it’s still a watch that commands notice.
 

Like all Citizen Eco-drive watches, this year’s model is powered by light, eliminating the need for regular battery changes (it’s nice not to worry about power loss when you’re traversing a mountain range).

It is also equipped with an altitude sensor, making it possible to measure elevation on the highest mountains on earth with a range of up to 10,000 meters (over 32,800 feet) above sea level and 300 meters (nearly 985 feet) below sea level.
 

All of this information is legibly displayed on analog dials rather than a liquid-crystal display so that climbers can take in the time, altitude and direction on the navy dial simultaneously.

In celebration of the launch of this updated Altichron, Citizen has signed up champion climber, UN-named “mountain hero” and climate activist Will Gadd to Team Promaster.

For armchair mountaineers, Gadd will be sharing his accounts online as he travels the globe raising awareness for the environmental protection of mountains, where early indicators of the effects of climate change have already become visible.
 

“Good relationships make us better together than when we are alone,” says Gadd. “Our relationships are living embodiments of our values. I share Citizen’s values: Be a good global citizen, add to the world, and preserve the environment. Innovate. Be better. And have some fun exploring the wildest places on earth, from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere.”

The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Altichron is available now and is priced at $995. To find out more, please visit the relevant page on Citizen’s website.

And while the big news about the latest iterations of the Tough is about two new dial colors – green and black – even these stylistic changes emphasize practicality. While not as bulky as the Altichron, they feature a robust, 41mm one-piece case construction that serves to protect the workhorse Caliber E168 mechanism.