29 March 2024
CITIZEN announces sponsorship of pro surfer Connor O’Leary
The CITIZEN PROMASTER line of professional sports watches offers superior functionality to ignite the imagination. We are proud to announce that CITIZEN has signed a sponsorship agreement with pro surfer Connor O’Leary who will now become our PROMASTER brand partner.
Connor O’Leary (born October 12th, 1993)
CITIZEN PROMASTER was established in 1989 as a brand of watch to meet the demands of professionals active in the most challenging environments of the land, sea, and sky. The brand is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2024. To mark this milestone, CITIZEN has signed a sponsorship agreement with professional surfer Connor O’Leary, who has now been appointed as a brand partner for the PROMASTER brand. Connor is an elite surfer who is ranked number 10 (as of 18 March 2024) in the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, the world’s top professional surfing tour. The PROMASTER brand’s key message is GO BEYOND - Beyond Your Imagination. This message reflects CITIZEN’s affinity with athletes who push themselves beyond their limits in an often unpredictable natural environment and the company will be supporting Connor’s surfing career going forward.
■ Comments from Connor O’Leary
I recently signed a sponsorship agreement with CITIZEN Watch. A surfer like me being supported by a watch company is something new, and I feel honored that I have been able to sign a sponsorship agreement with CITIZEN, one of Japan’s leading companies. Watches are essential for surfers, we use them to track the timing of the waves and keep time during practice drills. They are a practical item in the surf, but they can also be used as a fashion accessory on land, and it’s great to know that I have a company like CITIZEN supporting me. As a professional surfer, I will focus on doing my best so I can produce some really great results.
■About Connor O’Leary
Pro surfer. Born in Cronulla, NSW, Connor O’Leary’s surfing journey began under the influence of his Irish-Australian father and Japanese surfing champion mother. Joining the prestigious World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour in 2017, he quickly rose to prominence, winning Rookie of the Year. Connor’s tall frame contributes to his powerful surfing style, currently ranking 10th on the WSL Tour. In 2023, he switched his national representation from Australia to Japan, aiming to deepen his connection to his maternal heritage. Selected to represent Japan in upcoming international competitions, Connor aspires to bring home gold, showcasing his talent and honoring his dual cultural identity through surfing.
■ Special web content: CITIZEN x Connor O’Leary - Riding Beyond Limits
https://www.citizenwatch-global.com/promaster/contents/connor-oleary/ 
Since 1989, the PROMASTER line of professional sports watches has blazed new trails together with adventurers all over the world.
A special website has been established to celebrate the brand’s 35th anniversary in 2024.
https://www.citizenwatch-global.com/promaster35th/index.html
<About PROMASTER>
Since its debut in 1989, PROMASTER has become an icon among professional sports watches, known for superior durability and reliability in extreme outdoor environments on land, at sea, and in the air. The three classifications in the series are designed with high-performance specifications and durability: MARINE - for divers, LAND - for climbers, and SKY - for aviation. PROMASTER is exclusively designed for optimum functionality, durability, and safety, inspiring the imagination of generations of active sports aficionados who push beyond physical and mental boundaries.
<About CITIZEN>
CITIZEN WATCH is a true manufacture d'horlogerie with the capabilities to carry out the entire watch manufacturing process in-house, from creating a watch’s individual components to its final assembly and adjustment. The company operates in more than 140 countries and regions around the world. Since its founding in 1918, CITIZEN has held the belief of “Better Starts Now” — that is, no matter who you are and what you do, it is always possible to make something better, and now is the time to start doing it. Sharing this belief, we began making mechanical watches, invented and improved technologies and explored the future of watches such as our proprietary light-powered Eco-Drive technology.