Citizen Reveals Next Generation Of Promaster Skyhawk With MIP Display; Laco Introduces Atacama.3; Sherpa Adds Two New Colors To The Ultradive; GP's Black And Green Aston Martin Laureato Skeleton

Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. We have an eclectic bunch of watches today, that’s for sure. And it just lined up so that they’re all pretty huge. Also, we’re heading into August, the slow month for watches. For the last two years, I just skipped days when there weren’t enough watches to post. This year, I’ll do something different to make sure you get a newsletter every day. That being said, I was planing for that to start next week. And I ran out of watches today. So, no newsletter today. But see you back Monday, when that Laco giveaway I mentioned starts.

In this issue

• Citizen Reveals The Next Generation Of The Promaster Skyhawk With MIP Display

• Laco Introduces The Third Version Of Their Ultimate Field Watch, The Atacama.3

• Sherpa Adds Two New Colors To The Ultradive, The Tuxedo And The Atoll

• Girard-Perregaux Has Another Aston Martin Themed Laureato Skeleton In The Lineup

• FOR WATCH CLUB MEMBERS: Watch School Wednesday: Scratches That Tell a Story; The Legacy of Watch Repair Marks

👂What’s new

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Citizen Reveals The Next Generation Of The Promaster Skyhawk With MIP Display

Despite Citizen celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Promaster last year, I’m fairly certain — and that’s based on just two releases, the new gold colored Aqualand and the watch we have here today — that 2025 is actually a better year for the collection. And you won’t see me complaining because what we have today is a very cool watch. It’s the Promaster Skyhawk U830s with an updated caliber and layout.

First of all, we get a redesigned case, which now measures 43mm wide, 13.9mm thick and has a 48.4mm lug-to-lug. The case is made out of stainless steel and now features more pronounced facets. On top is the same bezel we’ve seen before which features tons of functionalities, mostly for doing aerial-connected calculations on the fly. There are three versions of the case — an untreated case with a blue dial (ref. JV2000-51L), an untreated case with a ion-plated bezel and pushers paired with a grey dial (JV2006-55H) and a black ion-plated case paired with a black dial. Water resistance on all of them is 200 meters.

When we get to the dial, we see the biggest changes. Gone are the smaller asymmetrical LCD displays, replaced by a single larger display at 6 o’clock. We’ve seen this display in the Promaster Land, so you know that it’s a MiP (memory-in-pixel) display which contains pixels that can individually preserve their current color and state information. This means that the display draws power only when pixels change. Sort of like an e-ink display. The MiP displays are known for their great contrast, and you can choose between regular or negative. Along with the display, you get three more sub-dials — a power reserve indicator, a 60-minute chronograph counter and a UTC time with an AM/PM indicator.

So, inside is the Eco-Drive U830 movement which gets you all the functionalities you would expect — chronograph, alarm, perpetual calendar, world timer and a countdown timer. Since it’s a Eco-Drive, it charges via solar and should be able to run for three years on a full charge. The watches come on case matching steel bracelets.

The new Citizen Promaster Skyhawk U830s are available now, priced at $795 for the blue and grey dials, while the black dial and black case one is priced at $850. See more on the Citizen website.

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Laco Introduces The Third Version Of Their Ultimate Field Watch, The Atacama.3

While they are primarily a brand known for their pilot’s watches, the German brand Laco has been known to make a watch in other genres as well. Like, for example, a field watch. However, while the traditional field watch is a small tool watch with historical roots, Laco makes a much more modern, much more capable field watch. Also, one that takes up more real estate on your wrist. It’s called the Atacama and it’s a chunky black monster. While Laco previously made a fantastic quartz model, the exact type of movement that this watch needs, they are now updating the classic watch for purists, one with a mechanical movement. This is the new Atacama.3 from Laco.

Like previous Atacama models, this one also comes in a stainless steel case that has a black DLC coating. But unlike the previous mechanical version, this one is slimed down, a lot. The case measures 46mm wide and 12mm thick. But if you think that the width is substantial, wait until you hear what the lug-to-lug is: 63mm. However, there’s more here than the numbers. The watch was designed in cooperation with the German Army and special units, made to withstand a lot of abuse. That’s why the crown has been moved from the exposed 3 o’clock position to 12 o’clock, where it is integrated into the double jointed lugs for protection. The double joints also mean that the 63mm lug-to-lug won’t stick out past your wrist but rather hug it. Also contributing to that width is the extreme conical case shape, making the watch much more reasonably sized at the base, with an oversized black turnable countdown bezel on top with white markings. On top and bottom are sapphire crystals and water resistance is 50 meters.

The dial is matte black with a broad chapter ring that holds the white minute track. In the centre is a flat disc that has the Arabic numerals. All the markers that are covered in SuperLuminova C3 have a slight green tint to the them, including the hour hand, while the minute hand is fully lumed and painted orange. At 6 o’clock is a small aperture for the date, which has a white date disc inside.

Powering the watch is the Sellita SW 200-1 in the Elaboré grade, which means that it’s the familiar automatic beating at 4Hz, with a forty-ish hour power reserve. The watch can be had on either a black rubber strap or a case-matching metal bracelet.

The new Laco Atacama.3 is available now, priced at €1,130 on the rubber strap and €1,230 on the metal bracelet. Also, speaking of Laco, check back here on Monday. Remember that spectacular red Laco I’m giving away as part of their 100-year celebration? Well, that starts on Monday! In the meantime, see more of the Atacama.3 on the Laco website.

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Sherpa Adds Two New Colors To The Ultradive, The Tuxedo And The Atoll

Modern Sherpa watches are a very complicated thing. I don’t mean complicated in terms of number of complications they have. In that sense it’s a simple diver with a date complication. Where it gets very complicated when you consider what it is. It’s a simple diver with a familiar movement that sells for multiples of what you would expect. I had one in for review and I went into it lukewarm. I walked away from that watch as a believer and a huge fan. Now, the Sherpa Ultradive collection expands a bit more, with two new dials — the Tuxedo and the Atoll.

Modern sherpa is a continuation of the iconic Enicar Sherpa and has a masterfully (German) built case that features a compressor crown system that’s derived from Ervin Piquerez SA (EPSA) cases. They, along with the EPSA-STOP compressor bayonet caseback, allow for 200 meters of water resistance, without having to screw down. The stainless steel case measures 40mm wide and 13.5mm thick with an expansive domed sapphire crystal that reaches all the way to the edges. On the right side is a significant guard for the two crowns, the top of which operates the inner bi-directional rotating ring and the bottom adjusts the time.

As for the new domed dials, they keep the same setup but with great new colors. The Ultradive Tuxedo gets a sunray-brushed galvanic silver base dial, with a matte black inner rotating timing bezel and red date numerals. The Ultradive Atoll gets a beautiful summery shade of turquoise in the middle and white rotating bezel on the outside. You get faceted indices, diamond-polished hour and minute hands, all with Super-LumiNova X1, as well as the signature double-lollipop seconds hand.

Inside, you’ll find something interesting. It’s a movement Sherpa calls the Mantramatic MM01. In essence, it’s a top-grade Sellita SW200-1 automatic, a bit of a let down for such an expensive watch, but this then gets turned on its head by the fact that wheels inside the movement have been microscopically laser-engraved with a traditional Tibetan Buddhist mantra of Om Mani Peme Hung, often found on Tibetan prayer wheels. The watches come on either a black or white tropic-style vulcanised rubber strap, truly one of the best in that style that I’ve ever tried on, but you can also opt for their relatively new steel bracelet with polished and brushed finishes. The watches also come with a beautifully made Italian travel roll for two watches.

The new Sherpa Ultradive Tuxedo and Ultradive Atoll models are available now, priced at €6,500 (or $6,700 with shipping and customs in the US), with a €600 extra charge for a steel bracelet. That’s a huge sum of money, especially for a watch that could be dismissed as a SW200 powered diver. But you’ll have to trust me when I say, this watch is so much more. Not only is it one of the most comfortable watches I’ve ever worn, it’s also entirely European made. And not in the way big Swiss brands will claim Swiss made on watches that have their cases made in China and movements assembled in India. Sherpa actually makes all their parts in Europe. There’s a whole section of their website that lists every single supplier. See more on the Sherpa website.

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Girard-Perregaux Has Another Aston Martin Themed Laureato Skeleton In The Lineup

If you type in Aston Martin into Chrono 24, you’ll be greeted with way more watches than you expect. They’ve been partnering with watch brands for decades. There’s a handful of TAG Heuers co-branded with the car company, and even more Jaeger-LeCoultre watches. But I would say that their best collaboration era has been its latest one, the one with Girard-Perregaux. Based on a number of Laureato models, these are very modern, very high-tech sports watches. Their latest collaboration comes in the form of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Aston Martin, which gets a really nice shade of black ceramic.

The Laureato is GP’s sportiest watch. This version has a black ceramic case and measures 42mm wide and 11.13mm thick. The case keeps the familiar barrel shape with a octagonal integrated bezel on top. The entire watch gets a brushed finish for an even sportier look, and like a good sports watch, water resistance is 100 meters.

The dial is skeletonized, which suits it just perfectly. Around the perimeter of the dial is a black chapter ring which holds the suspended green indexes filled with lume. Everything else on the dial are the black PVD-treated mainplate and bridges, which feature multiple finishing techniques, including bevelling, sandblasting, traits-tirés, and circular satin finishes. Time is indicated with green and lumed hands, and you can see the mainspring, balance wheel, and pallet lever through the front.

Inside is the GP01800 automatic in-house movement. It beats at 4Hz and has a 54 hour power reserve. It operates with a variable inertia balance, eliminating the need for an index-adjuster. By modifying inertia weights on the balance wheel, watchmakers fine-tune precision while improving shock resistance. The recessed positioning of these weights reduces air turbulence, further refining accuracy. You can see the rotor, which gets a green PVD coat to match the hands and markers on the front and Côte de Genève finishing through the caseback. The watch comes on a black ceramic bracelet.

The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Aston Martin is limited to 88 pieces and priced at €57,200. See more on the Girard-Perregaux website.

FOR WATCH CLUB MEMBERS: Watches You Might Not Have Seen, Week 46: The Military Failures of the Pulsar G10 Field Watch

How the Pulsar G10 became a cautionary tale in military watchmaking. Read it here.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• Gloria Liu chronicles 18-year-old Nima Rinji Sherpa’s historic sweep of all 14 eight-thousanders with clear eyes. His achievement marks a seismic shift for Sherpas, long cast as anonymous porters for foreign climbers—so much so that many Westerners don’t even realize “Sherpa” is an ethnicity, not a profession. Yet Nima’s rise isn’t purely an underdog tale: he’s a precocious teen, buoyed by family wealth and a father intent on reclaiming Sherpa honor after watching “so many strong Sherpa boys working for the glory of others.” Nima stands at the crossroads of athletic prowess and digital influence, embodying the new era of the athlete-influencer as much as mountaineering talent.

• Over the past few months, watching people pull off intricate and seemingly impossible trickshots has become my most reliable source of joy on social media. It’s not just the feats itself, but also the particular rhythm they move to—a fail-fail-fail-fail-WHAT cadence that delivers a real sense of satisfaction. For The Guardian, Richard profiles some of the niche’s luminaries; consider the story a fascinating off-ramp from doomscrolling.

• From Dina Gachman at Texas Monthly comes the snail appreciation piece you didn’t know you needed. Meet Gary, a once-doomed milk snail who spawned an undying love of all things gastropod in Jorjana Gietl, and learn about a community of enthusiasts who share tips and tricks on how to keep their snails happy and healthy.

👀Watch this

One video you have to watch today

The main reason to follow Adam Savage’s videos is because he has access to some insanely cool stuff. Like Darth Vader’s Lightsaber.

Thanks for reading,
Vuk