Ah, this may be exactly what I want

Indulge me just a little more on a new watch choice. I've now come across a watch that is nearly perfect. Definitely the new front runner.

It's the Citizen Promaster Tough. 

That's a strong kevlar fabric strap. I could swap in a silicone rubber strap. White would look stunning, but grey would be nice too. Thus enstrapped, the watch would go with any clothes I am likely to wear. But I am not treating it as a fashion accessory. It's for practical use. I agree that it seems so ready for adventure that people might think I spend my weekends and holidays in rugged terrain, battling against severe weather, and getting myself deliberately soaked in some river. If they do, I don't mind. 

The watch itself is built to withstand knocks and scrapes and very wet conditions. It's a one-piece hardened-titanium affair, with a thick sapphire crystal and a screw-down crown, completely waterproof and able to defy the worst weather. Why should I need such toughness? Well, let's be frank: I am likely to be accident-prone as I get older. I'll get clumsier, overbalance more, trip up more easily, and generally bump into things on the edge of my clear vision. Anything strapped to my wrist could easily get damaged. But this watch won't.  

Except for one thing, the face of the watch is just right for simplicity, large-figure clarity, and luminosity at night. That one exception is the date window. It's small and recessed, and not readable at a quick glance. But it's the only minus point I can think of, and not necessarily a deal-breaker. After all, there's nothing as good as this watch under £400. 

The Promaster Tough is light-powered. So there are minimum mechanical bits, and no regular servicing is needed. And once its light cells are activated, it'll keep going indefinitely, so long as it gets a dose of light energy, preferably sunlight, at reasonable intervals. But I'm out and about in daylight more than enough to ensure that it gets bombarded with sufficient light particles. Very much 'set and forget' then.

Charging a light-powered watch by simply wearing it is obviously much more convenient than recharging my current Garmin watch every week, which involves a cable, a charging plug, a power socket, and an hour or so off my wrist while I hang around for the procedure to finish. (Mind you, an automatic mechanical watch would be equally convenient, if one were active enough)

This watch is a very good timekeeper. I wouldn't need to reset the hour and minute hands (and the date) more than five times a year. (Best done at the end of February and each 30-day month: April, June, September and November)

The Citizen Promaster Tough's current full price is £367, which is not an outrageous amount for something that could last me a very long time. 

 

But I'm not going to make any impulse purchase. It occurs to me that a good watch would be a great way of marking my 75th birthday. I reach that milestone on 6th July next year. And by then I'll be able to spend more then £367. On the other hand, I haven't seen anything as convincing as the Tough for even double the price. 

Watch this space.

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