Hands-On: Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited-Edition Watch

Growing up in a non-watch enthusiast family in a Southern California beach community, I didn’t notice too many timepieces in my youth, but there was a throughline that always stuck with me. Nearly everyone who worked in the ocean, from sport fishers to surfers, wore a Citizen diver, and the truly hardcore ones — dive instructors, underwater photographers, marine mammal veterinarians, and the like — generally sported the funky, asymmetrical, and ultra-capable Aqualand. To say that the Citizen Aqualand has had an impact outside of the enthusiast community is an understatement, and as the line celebrates its 40th anniversary, the brand returns to the high-impact two-tone look that started it all in 1985. The new Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition offers a visually and functionally faithful reimagining of the classic depth gauge-equipped ‘80s model but renders this throwback design with modern build quality and finishing.

Like its ancestor, the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition is far from demure on the wrist. Measuring nearly 51mm wide at its widest point and a substantial 14.8 mm tall, this matte-blasted stainless steel and gold tone case is instantly recognizable by silhouette alone, but this loud, distinctive wrist presence comes with its own brand of character. Of course, the blocky, protruding depth sensor at 9 o’clock is the definitive element here, but there’s plenty of ‘’80s-era funk to go around. For example, even without the sensor (leaving the case at a still large, but much more manageable 43.5mm wide), this sporty, muscular case design is still slightly asymmetrical. While the lugs at 2 o’clock, 8 o’clock, and 10 o’clock all sport aggressive truncated flares to emphasize their gold-tone pushers, the 4 o’clock crown cuts far deeper into the case side, giving the appearance (if not the reality) of a more substantial flared lip to act as an integrated crown guard. Despite all the case design complexity, it’s the unidirectional dive bezel that (literally) shines brightest on the wrist, with a knurled edge that gives its gold tone finishing ample chance to sparkle from any viewing angle. Around back, Citizen adds a light, simple 40th anniversary caseback engraving, incorporating the distinctive sensor design. With this being a hardcore, multi-function dive watch, heavy water resistance is expected, and if anything, the Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition’s 200-meter depth rating is a touch on the lightweight side given the piece’s ambitions.

For the most part, the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition’s dial is relatively simple. Oversized, gilt-rimmed trapezoidal indices give the design a bold and blocky look, while the brand’s distinctive cathedral and orange arrow handset make for exemplary legibility. While the subtle, restrained sunburst texture beneath the glossy piano black dial surface lends the layout a touch of nuance, it’s the digital subdial at 12 o’clock that dominates the layout on the wrist. On dry land, this multi-function display operates as a day/date indicator, a 1/1000-second chronograph, and an alarm indicator. Once the watch is submerged, though, this subdial automatically converts into dive mode. As water enters the gauge and is detected, the subdial begins a readout of the current submerged depth and keeps a log of the wearer’s deepest-ever reading for future review (up to a maximum of 260 feet, which is less than the watch’s overall depth rating, but far deeper than the vast majority of divers will ever reach). On the safety side, this subdial also issues a rapid ascent alert if a wearer’s rise from the depths exceeds safe rates, potentially preventing the bends.

While some purists might balk at a quartz powerplant, the in-house C520 quartz movement inside the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition remains nearly as unique and novel in its functionality as the original Aqualand was in 1985. Beyond the aforementioned suite of hardcore diving-oriented complications, the C520 offers a solid +15/-15 seconds per month in accuracy. To complement this ‘80s throwback design, Citizen updates an old favorite from its diver collection: a black rubber accordion strap. Rather than the usual FKM rubber or silicone, the brand renders this familiar strap design in BENEBiOL, a more eco-friendly plant-based polyurethane. Although this material is more resistant to the chemical wear and tear of seawater, it’s worth noting that it’s significantly stiffer and less comfortable than silicone on the wrist. With that said, the accordion construction does allow the strap to be remarkably breathable in hotter conditions.

Beyond being a major step forward in dive watch technology, the original Citizen Aqualand proved to be both a favorite among serious marine professionals and a formative moment in my watch-spotting youth. As a celebration of this 1985 classic, the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition delivers faithful proportions, robust, straightforward construction, and even more unique tools for the serious diver. Only 5,800 examples of the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Limited Edition will be made, and the watch is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at $595 USD as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.