For most of us, I’m going to venture to say that dive watches are something we appreciate more for the style and ruggedness, and not necessarily so much for, you know, actual diving. There are folks who do use them for their intended design, and since 1985, the Citizen Promaster Aqualand has been doing it in a way that automatically knows when you’re in the water and switches to depth tracking mode.
The latest version of the Citizen Promaster Aqualand is definitely a beast (50mm by 15.9mm thick), but all that depth tracking has to show up somewhere. That’s over on the left side of the case, where it looks like a HotWheels rim set into the middle of a valve cover. At last, that’s what my mind sees. Anyways, once the water enters that, the watch knows it’s time to start tracking depth. This relies then on the pressure to tell how deep you are, marking out 3 meter increments through 15m, and then going to 5 meter increments all the way up to 50 meters. And then, as you rise, that will swing back around. Once you’re out of the water, the watch knows that, and you’re back to time-tracking mode.
The Citizen Promaster Aqualand is more than a one-trick pony with the dive depth tracking. It’s also got the quite lovely EcoDrive setup in it (meaning it’s powered by light), and it’s also packing a chronograph function in there to help you time whatever you need. That said, I’m guessing those pushers are something you won’t want to mess with while you’re under the water, just to keep that 200m WR intact. Maybe kick things off there before you head down under the waves, yeah?
So, if you’re looking a beefy and tech-filled puck for your summertime adventures, the steel-and-sapphire Citizen Promaster Aqualand could be what your dive doctor ordered. It’s available now for $795 in the standard edition (in three colors) or $1,095 for the 1,000 piece LE that comes in a gear box with a LifeLine JAWZ diving tool and sheath. citizenwatch.com
Tech Specs from Citizen
Features Overview
