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As my thirties pass by and more gray hairs emerge, I can’t help but notice the unironic fondness I’ve been feeling for two-tone watches. Much like my inability to understand the slang my kids use, feeling that the rizz of two-tone slaps (am I doing that right?) seems to be an inevitable part of aging. And while Citizen’s decision to opt for gold accents to mark the 40th anniversary of the Promaster Aqualand probably isn’t a nod to middle aged collectors and is more likely a heartfelt way to honor the original Aqualand C0023, it feels satisfyingly appropriate that this icon is embracing two-tone to celebrate being over the hill.
In full transparency of my own horological biases, I went into this review feeling burnt out on dive watches, which in retrospect seems inevitable after owning about a dozen black dialed divers over a five year period. In recent months I’ve also developed a bit of a pro-quartz preference as my first mechanical watches start to show their age and I’m seeking out watchmakers on a limited budget, another seemingly inevitable result of my collecting journey. I share this because, no longer dazzled by ratcheting bezels and mechanical movements in the way I once was, I thought it would be nice to get my hands on a robust and worry free quartz watch to take on my annual road trip from New Hampshire to Michigan. One text to our Managing Editor Zach Kazan during which I forgot to clarify that I would be content if I never saw another black dial dive watch again, I soon had a tracking number to let me know when the new Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Edition would be on my wrist.
The Aqualand is one of those ubiquitous forefathers of watch history that just seems to be there from the first day you stumble into a forum. And yet, despite its online pervasiveness, I never actually crossed paths with one in the wild and had never owned one due to being quartz averse when I was in my dive watch collecting phase (which I see the irony of now). So, when the 40th anniversary Aqualand arrived, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning that was finally opening the elusive toy after seeing commercials of it on TV all year. It was immediately apparent that the two-tone diver was just as fun and wonky in the metal as it was online, feeling like something straight out of a 1980’s time capsule. Which, thanks to DNA that has remained mostly unchanged over its four decade span, it sort of is.
One of my favorite habits when spending time with a loaner watch is soliciting opinions from family and friends. It’s a grounding exercise that reminds me most people don’t think about things like crystal material (this one is mineral) or accuracy (the C520 movement is accurate to 15 seconds per month), and instead let vibes inform their opinions and purchases. It became quickly apparent that normal people might not be the target demographic for this objectively weird watch, evidenced by questions I fielded such as “why is it so long?” and “what’s that circle for?” And so, acknowledging that the Aqualand is an enthusiast watch, lets explore a bit of its history and capabilities that make it a watch worth celebrating.
At its core, the Aqualand is a dive watch that, following in the footsteps of the original dive watches from the 1950s, utilizes a uni-directional bezel that can be used to time dives. But just as the combination of gaskets and a rotating bezel was revolutionary technology in the 50s, the 80s saw the introduction of the dive computer, a technological advancement that offered capabilities hashmarks on a bezel simply couldn’t compete with. When the first Aqualand was released in 1985, dive computers had already been commercially available for two years and Citizen had to do something big to stay relevant. Enter the Aqualand: an ana-digi oddball that featured the world’s first electronic depth sensor on a watch, allowing it to act as a viable substitute for the dive computer without sacrificing the familiar feel of an analog watch. Unlike some transition phases with bold choices we’d rather forget (frosted tips paired with Aéropostale visors come to mind), this attempt at bridging the gap between dive computers and watches achieved cult status, and is taking a much deserved victory lap four decades in the making with a limited run of 5800 pieces.
By the end of the first day with the Aqualand on my wrist, I realized the simple cure for dive watch fatigue is… buttons. Specifically, three of them that allow for intuitive operation of a calendar, 1/1000 second chronograph, an underwater depth display up to 260 feet, and various alarms including depth and dive alarms and even a dive time alarm that I managed to set for the middle of the night. While all of these complications are great when they aren’t pulling you from a deep sleep, I have little need for a water resistant chronograph, but did find daily enjoyment in watching the digital screen display the counting seconds. One standard by which quartz quality assurance is measured seems to be if the second hand hits indices with precision with each tick. My particular Aqualand had a second hand that met its mark every time. Satisfying on its own, the feat was enhanced by the simultaneous advancing of the counting seconds on the digital display.
This multi purpose display is paired with a glossy black dial that features lume packed (a calling card of the Promaster line) and gilt lined indices. Gold accents that contrast nicely with the brushed, gray matte finish of the case can also be found on the sensor perimeter, 60 click bezel, hands, pushers, and the signed screw down crown. An orange minute hand and a stubby hour hand scream “vintage diver” that I found to be a nice finishing touch that make the overall package feel sporty yet elegant, and retro yet still relevant in 2025. With the oblong case and depth sensor stealing the show, it can be easy to initially miss other details on the watch, but in time I grew to appreciate the less dramatic touches such as the recess at the inner side of each pusher that doesn’t aid in usability but sure looks cool and the clever substitution of a depth sensor silhouette for a zero in “40” on the engraved caseback.
In what came as no surprise, my time with this watch was defined by the expectedly unique wearing experience. With a diameter of 50.7 mm at its widest (43.5 excluding the protruding sensor) and sitting at 14.8 mm tall (slightly more than the Black Bay Pro), the Aqualand isn’t a small watch. But it’s also not nearly as obtrusive as the dimensions suggest. Unlike your fibbing friend that swears their Omega Ploprof is comfortable, I’m not going to pretend the elongated case wasn’t noticeable. After all, it managed to redefine my long established watch tan line, but I also didn’t find its rounded edges to be nearly as uncomfortable as some crowns that have dug into my wrist on watches with much more modest dimensions. Like most watches, it quickly felt natural on my wrist, even though I was aware of its presence.
Speaking of big proportions, the 24mm lugs are home to a BENEBiOL™ strap, a plant-based polyurethane. I only learned this wasn’t a typical rubber strap after I read the specs a few days into my trip, apparently finding the environmentally friendly material to be an unquestionable stand-in for the accordion style rubber straps found on other Promasters I have personally owned. This comfort is good news for potential owners that are unlikely to have a stash of 24mm straps. As a reminder that the Aqualand is ultimately a purpose built tool, the 40th anniversary model also comes with an extension strap made of the same material designed to fit over a wet suit.
Final Thoughts
Though I quickly connected with the two-tone design of the Citizen Promaster Aqualand 40th Anniversary Edition, it wasn’t until I opened the Notes app on my phone to read my jumbled notes about 1980s dive computers that I wrote hastily on I-90 or my thoughts about robust versatility and quartz enabled capabilities that I typed with greasy sun screen fingers on freshwater beaches that I was finally hit with the gravity of how truly monumental the Aqualand is. Test driving the Aqualand made me realize this anniversary edition is less about a new look, and more about celebrating an icon that has transitioned from a tool for divers to a watch that feels made specifically for watch enthusiasts.
After putting the Aqualand through its paces on a 2000 mile trip to the Midwest and back, I’m grappling with the conclusion that this eccentric dive watch that prioritizes specs by embracing pure absurdity and now has a newly elegant look might just be the king of all summer watches. After all, I can’t think of another limited edition available at a comparably attainable price ($595) that stays this true to the original while offering a modern interpretation fresh enough worth taking. Citizen
