It’s hard not to smile when a brand pulls something straight out of the archives and actually gets it right. The original Citizen Aqualand that dropped in ’85 was a geeky, glorious collision of analog dive chops and digital gadgetry. You didn’t need to love diving to want one; you just needed to be the kind of person who liked pushing buttons to see what they did. I was that person. Still am.
Now, 40 years later, Citizen’s doing something pretty rare in the reissue world: they’re leaning all the way into the weird. The new Aqualand Promaster 40th Anniversary Limited Edition doesn’t modernize, streamline, or tone anything down. It’s a faithful tribute with just enough late-‘80s brassiness to feel like a statement.
The asymmetrical case is back in full 50.7mm-wide, 14.8mm-thick form. It’s not shy, but if you’re buying this, subtlety probably isn’t your thing. You get a matte grey steel finish that looks like it was forged inside a VHS player, topped with gold-plated crown, pushers, and bezel, lifted straight from the C033 variant of the original lineup. It’s big, clunky, tool-forward, and I kind of love that.
On the dial, we’re in familiar territory. The top half is taken over by a digital screen, framed by a steep minute track that gives it a real depth-gauge aesthetic. The rest is all black sunray brush, with bold lume-filled indices and fat hands—orange minute, gold second—because there’s no reason this shouldn’t still work as an actual dive watch. Branding is subtle and retro, with a nice touch: they swapped out the original “water 200m resist” text for a modern “Diver’s 200m” label.
Powering the whole thing is Citizen’s Calibre C520, a quartz movement that’s as function-packed as you’d hope. Along with the time, you get a calendar, alarm, 1/100th chronograph, ascent alarm, dive timer, and that all-important electronic depth meter that you’ll probably never use. It’s all a little ridiculous in the best way. Two-year battery life, +/- 20 seconds a month—nothing fancy, but nothing you’ll need to think about.
The strap is polyurethane, of course, because what else are you going to mount this techno-brick on? But it’s made from BENEBiOIL™, a biomass-based material that gives you just enough eco-feels to balance out the size of the thing. Classic Citizen wave pattern, seems comfortable enough, and honestly… it looks right.
So here’s the thing. I didn’t expect to want one of these. I really didn’t. It just wants to be the best version of that very specific, very nerdy 1985 vibe. For $595, limited to 5,800 pieces, you’re getting a big chunk of quartz-powered nostalgia that still wants to get wet. If you ever lusted after the original, this one might hit the sweet spot. It’s not for everyone, but that’s exactly why it works. Let’s see if Citizen takes a similar approach and releases versions in full steel or black-PVD titanium. Taking the plunge would be hard to resist at that point.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.