Sakura

This watch review first appeared on Zeitaku 贅沢 on January 25, 2023.

The limited edition diver’s watch by Citizen that celebrates the Japanese national rugby team and their national flower, the Sakura (cherry blossom)

Likes:

The complete package – love the striking look!
Super Titanium build makes this watch very comfortable to wear.

Dislikes:

The push pins and sleeves Citizen uses on their bracelets make it difficult to alter the length as they are easy to lose.
Tri-fold push-type clasp feels a tad flimsy, but I am nitpicking.

I have a few vices that can consume my time, and indeed my finances. One of those vices is watches. Yeah, I shouldn’t call watches a vice, but when you have more in your collection than there are days in the week, then yeah, they become a vice. I am sucker for limited edition watches, and I’m an even bigger sucker for good looking functional timepieces. Luckily for me, the Citizen Promaster Limited Edition ‘Brave Blossoms’ (Model BJ7115-85E) ticks both boxes & then some.

Celebrating Japan’s national rugby team, affectionately known as the Brave Blossoms, and the colours of the Sakura, Japan’s national flower (the cherry blossom), this Citizen watch oozes appeal from its impressive super titanium case and bracelet to its sapphire crystal glass, antimagnetic build and very useful GMT complication. The solar quartz movement powered by Citizen’s amazing Eco-Drive is coupled with the B877 caliber, which on full charge provides 6 months of continuous operation, even if left in the dark – another feather in this impressive watch’s hat.

If you are one to take your watch for a swim, then you won’t have to worry getting this Promaster wet, as it is rated at 20bar (200 metres water resistance) and has a screw-down crown for maximum water resistance. The gorgeous bezel rotates anti-clockwise with a satisfying 120 clicks.

The overall look of this JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) only Citizen is simply stunning. The super titanium makes the watch light on the wrist, and the 43mm wide case size with a thickness of 13.8mm is perfect for 6.75″ to 7″ wrists! The burned-out charcoal colour looks amazing when coupled with the rose gold bezel trim, screw-down crown and the outline on the lumed markers and hands. The colouring on the outer rim on the dial represents the colours of the Japanese national flower (the cherry blossom), which against the black face, is an absolute beautiful contrast. The cyclops over the date at 3 is under the sapphire crystal, which means there is no bulge protruding above it, thus making it easier to clean the crystal. The caseback is just as gorgeous, with the engraving of the Japanese rugby team’s cherry blossom symbol.

I still can’t believe this watch bypassed me when it was released in 2019. Being a limited edition means that you’d be hard pressed to find a new one at a stockist, so your best bet would be to hit the second-hand market online – but be prepared to pay over its original retail price. The Citizen Promaster BJ7115-85E is truly a lovely built watch which would give watches 10 times its price a run for their money. This watch is so good, that if you look closely, Breitling’s new Superocean Automatic range of watches have an uncanny resemblance to it.

If you have the means or are in need of a titanium watch, then I highly recommend you check this one out.