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According to Citizen these are proprietary finishing techniques and Chroma seems to be the chrome-like titanium finishing that looks marvelous. The case surfaces are both varied in color and texture, which lends to an extremely interesting look that you really need to see in person. Having said that, the case is more or less monochromatic, which lends itself well to having a face that is extremely colorful.

Therefore, while the large titanium case is finished in colors from white to black, the dial of the ACitizen Promaster Altichron Cirrus is a dazzling array of bright, almost electric colors such as orange, red, yellow, green, and blue. While I don’t normally gravitate toward watch dials with so many colors, there is something fun and interesting about the Altichron Cirrus.

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Part of that, of course, has to do with the excellent materials and depth of the dial. There are so many layers and unique elements, like the bent hour and minute hands, which add to the flamboyant design. The dial isn’t what I would call pretty, but it is decoratively functional, for sure. It is a very Japanese type of design, which is exactly what I want to see from a high-end Citizen watch. Having said that, it is also highly restrained. How so? Well despite the fact that the dial is very busy, Citizen left out many of the silly little decorative or whimsical elements that you often find on high-end Japanese watches. The design complexity here is in the overall construction and layering, not in having weird hour markers or plates affixed to the face. It is in all regards a wild design, but there is a certain elegance to it as well–much more so than last year’s Altichron model.

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The Citizen Promaster Altichron Cirrus case is water resistant to 200 meters and has a sapphire crystal over the dial. The altimeter is said to measure from 1000 feet below sea level to 32,000 feet high. That would appear to make it a dive watch, even though it can’t actually be submerged to 1000 feet. Attached to the case is a nicely fitting polyurethane strap with matching titanium buckle. While not a daily wear, something about the entirety of the design coming together makes me happy.

Citizen will produce the Citizen Promaster Altichron Cirrus as a limited edition, but we aren’t sure how limited it is. That usually tends to mean that they will produce it for a year or two and then stop. In many ways this is the epitome of an exotic watch. It is a tool watch from a Japanese company with a very unorthodox design. You won’t find it in most Citizen dealers and only a select range of watch lovers will understand or accept the price, which is high for the brand, but perhaps not out of the question for the design and materials. It is also more than triple the price of the $850 Altichron collection from 2013–though I would be aghast at paying for it. Price for the Citizen Promaster Altichron Cirrus BN5048-01E watch is $2,650. citizenwatch.com

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