Citizen claimed a world first back in 1985 when it made its first diver’s watch with an electronic depth gauge.
That watch became the Promaster Aqualand in 1989, and has been the flagship professional’s dive watch for Citizen ever since.
The range has been improving for over three decades, and is now ISO-compliant water resistant up to 200 meters. A dedicated depth gauge hand now measures up to 50 meters below sea level.
A fresh collection for 2021 comes in a steel 50.4mm case with a matte black dial that makes the watch’s chunky luminous hands stand out against the dark background.
It uses the Cal. B740 solar-powered Eco-Drive movement, which is accurate to ±15 seconds per month and will run for two months on a full charge or indefinitely if exposed to light.
The watch simultaneously displays the current time as well as the current dive depth. It can also display the maximum dive depth after the dive has finished.
A water sensor detects when the watch enters the water, automatically switching to dive mode, indicated by the water depth hand pointing to DV.
The depth meter automatically engages when the watch is underwater, and the water depth hand automatically shows the current depth.
Its dial ring indicates depths commonly used by divers (3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 meters) in 3 meter increments down to 15 meters.
The water depth hand gradually returns to its original position as the diver resurfaces. When the watch is taken out of the water, it automatically switches from dive mode to regular mode.
To commemorate the release of the new Aqualand and, Citizen has partnered with the tactical tool company Lifeline, which provides rescue tools to military, police and fire rescue teams around the world.
Every Aqualand Special Edition blue dial model — limited to 1,000 pieces — will be sold with a JAWZ dive rescue too that is designed to cut through netting, seaweed and even laminated glass in case of an emergency.
JAWZ tools and the Special Edition Aqualand timepiece will be packaged in a collectible tackle box. They are limited to 1,000 pieces and costs $1,095. Other colourways of red and black or green and black are priced at $795, without the JAWZ tool.
