Unlike a lot of watch enthusiasts, I didn’t start out with a Seiko SKX. That role went to the Orient Mako instead—a watch I still own, still wear, and still have a soft spot for. What’s always struck me as odd, though, is how conversations around the often-overlooked Citizen NY0040 almost always orbit the SKX. It rarely comes up on its own terms. It’s usually framed as a substitute, a consolation prize, or lately, a response to the way discontinued Seiko divers have ballooned on the secondary market.
“Is the Citizen NY0040 a viable SKX alternative?” is the question everyone seems to ask. It’s also a question I’m not particularly interested in answering. Because the more time I’ve spent with this watch, the more convinced I’ve become that it isn’t filling in for anything. In a few important ways, it’s simply doing a better job.
This particular NY0040 recently made its way into my collection, and it’s given me a chance to explore a diver that deserves to be discussed on its own merits.
Citizen, Tools, and the NY0040’s Place in the Lineup
Citizen has always occupied a strange space in enthusiast conversations. It’s one of the most technically capable watchmakers on the planet, yet it rarely gets talked about with the same reverence as its Swiss or even Japanese peers. Part of that is Citizen’s own doing. They’ve never seemed especially interested in courting collectors all that much. They build tools, solve problems, and then move on.
The NY0040 comes from that exact mindset. It was built as a legitimate ISO-rated tool watch, issued to and worn by professional divers, most famously by the Italian Navy’s COMSUBIN unit. What’s interesting is that the NY0040 never really evolved into a “moment” watch the way the SKX did. It stayed in production, largely unchanged, sold globally, and largely ignored by the enthusiast mainstream. In many ways, it wasn’t mythologized.
And that, I think, is why it keeps getting framed as an alternative instead of what it really is. The NY0040 exists because Citizen needed a serious, no-nonsense diver and executed it with the kind of industrial competence the brand has always been better at than storytelling.
Case Design, Crown Placement, and Proportions
One of the things that immediately separates the NY0040 from the rest of the affordable dive watch crowd is the case layout itself. Citizen made a decision here that feels deliberate rather than decorative, and it shows the moment you put it on your wrist. The crown sits on the left side of the case, which already puts this watch outside the usual muscle memory most of us have developed over years of wearing traditional divers.
On wrist, the reasoning becomes obvious pretty quickly. With the crown tucked away on the opposite side, there’s nothing digging into the back of your hand, even when the watch is worn a little lower than usual. I tend to notice crown placement more than I should, and this setup removes one of those small irritations you only realize was there once it’s gone.
There’s also a practical upside for anyone who wears their watch on the right wrist or happens to be left-handed. Accessing the crown feels more natural here than on most divers, and that sense of accommodation feels intentional. Coming at it as a right-handed wearer, it did take a bit of adjustment. Winding and setting the time felt unfamiliar at first, and I found myself slowing down slightly each time. After a few days, that hesitation faded into routine.
Size plays into this comfort story more than the spec sheet initially suggests. On paper, the NY0040 reads as a nearly 42mm watch, but that number doesn’t reflect how compact it feels once it’s strapped on. A big part of that comes down to proportions. The lug-to-lug measurement lands just over 47mm, which keeps the case planted and balanced even on my 6.75-inch wrist.
The bezel being slightly narrower than the case helps visually shrink the footprint, and the overall thickness stays surprisingly restrained for a proper ISO-rated diver. The dial itself is tighter than expected, which further compresses the visual weight of the watch. Taken together, the NY0040 wears smaller than its dimensions imply.
In hand, the NY0040 feels appropriately serious. There’s a reassuring density to it that reads as quality rather than bulk. The main case does a nice job balancing finishes, with brushing across the upper surfaces and polished flanks catching the light when the watch moves. It feels on par with what I’ve experienced from Seiko and Orient in this price range, which is to say solid, confident, and free of any obvious shortcuts.
The case shape itself deserves a bit of attention. Those broad, tooth-like shoulders give the watch a softer profile than the straight lugs found on most modern dive watches. There’s a subtle curvature to them that breaks up the geometry and keeps the case from feeling slab-sided. If you squint a little, there’s even a hint of old-school skin diver character there, which adds some visual warmth to an otherwise very utilitarian design.
The bezel is where opinions tend to split, though it won me over pretty quickly. From a functional standpoint, it’s excellent. The coin-edge grip offers real usability, even with wet fingers, and the alignment on my example is dead-on. Even more impressive is the lack of play. There’s no wobble here, no slack between clicks. The bezel locks in with a sense of precision that feels rare at this level.
Citizen also kept things refreshingly straightforward. The 60-click action and aluminum insert feel appropriate for the watch’s tool-first identity. Rotation is smooth and confident, without any weirdness, and the overall action actually feels a touch more satisfying than the bezel on my own Eco-Drive Promaster Diver (our hands-on review here).
Crystal, Movement, and Dial Practicality
Sitting just inside the bezel is a flat crystal, and there’s no pretense about what Citizen chose here. This is straightforward mineral glass. It lacks the scratch resistance you’d get from sapphire, and on paper that always sounds like a compromise. In practice, it’s been a non-issue for me. I’ve never been especially precious with my watches, and mineral crystals have held up better in my own use than their reputation would suggest.
Down near the bottom of the dial, the familiar 200 meters of water resistance is spelled out. This is a watch that’s comfortable around water without asking to be treated like specialist equipment. Swimming, snorkeling, the occasional poor decision involving saltwater, it all feels well within the NY0040’s comfort zone.
While the silhouette traces its roots back to the 1990s, the Citizen NY0040 hasn’t been frozen in time. Citizen has made small updates over the years to keep it relevant, and the movement is the most biggest example. Inside is a Miyota automatic, specifically the caliber 8204 from the 8000 series. It brings hacking and hand-winding to the table, along with accuracy expectations that are realistic rather than romantic.
Living with it reminds you exactly what kind of movement this is. The rotor is LOUD. It’s something long-time Miyota wearers will recognize immediately. For some, that mechanical awareness adds character. For others, it can be distracting. I fall somewhere in the middle.
Lume performance lands exactly where I’d expect it to on a watch like this. It’s solid, dependable, and practical without trying to steal the show. It doesn’t flare up as aggressively as some Seiko divers I’ve owned, but it holds its own once your eyes adjust. Both the hands and the hour markers carry enough luminous material to keep the dial readable in dim conditions, which is really the baseline requirement for a proper dive watch.
In daylight, the dial is a big part of why the NY0040 works so well as a tool watch. The black dial keeps things grounded and legible, with a day and date window at three o’clock that feels thoughtfully executed. The dark background paired with lighter text avoids unnecessary contrast and blends cleanly into the overall layout.
Up top, the branding is refreshingly straightforward. “Citizen Automatic” sits beneath twelve o’clock, stating exactly what the watch is without any embellishment. Just below that, the small red arrow adds a touch of character. It’s a detail long associated with Citizen dive watches, and it brings a bit of visual punctuation without disrupting the balance of the dial.
Near six o’clock, the water resistance rating is printed plainly, reinforcing the watch’s purpose rather than decorating it. Taken as a whole, the dial feels unapologetically functional. It’s clear, orderly, and slightly austere in a way that reads as very Japanese in its priorities.
Straps, Daily Wear, and Living With It
Out of the box, the NY0040 comes on a thick rubber strap, and this is one of those areas where personal taste matters more than objective quality. The strap itself is perfectly serviceable, but it never really clicked for me. Thankfully, Citizen didn’t make it difficult to move on. Strap changes are straightforward here, and that flexibility immediately takes the pressure off the stock option.
I didn’t waste much time before pulling it off and rotating through a few of my go-to NATO straps, which suit the watch surprisingly well. The case has enough presence to carry fabric without looking underdressed, and the overall tool-watch character actually feels more honest once it’s paired with something simple and utilitarian.
There’s also a healthy aftermarket for this model, which adds to its appeal. Several companies make stainless steel bracelets designed specifically for the NY0040, and the jubilee-style option from Long Island Watch is particularly tempting. It looks like the kind of pairing that could completely change how the watch wears and presents itself. For now, I’m happy keeping it on NATO duty, but it’s nice knowing the option is there when the itch for steel inevitably returns.
In day-to-day wear, the Citizen NY0040 has been surprisingly easy to live with. Over the short time I’ve had it, it’s felt more comfortable on the wrist than the SKX divers I’ve owned in the past. Visually, it presents itself as a smaller watch than the measurements suggest, and that impression holds up once it’s actually worn.
A lot of that comes down to how the case is shaped. The dial opening stays compact, the lug width and length remain restrained, and the crown never dominates the profile. The bezel slopes inward toward the dial, keeping the watch from feeling top-heavy. Everything pulls toward the center.
Where the Citizen NY0040 Lands
Both the SKX007 and the Citizen NY0040 offer genuine value for what they are. They’re capable, ISO-rated dive watches that don’t need to be babied and feel appropriate for everyday wear, travel included. Either one can handle whatever you throw at it without much thought.
Where my preference starts to lean is in the details. I’ve always admired the simplicity of the SKX, but the NY0040 gives me more to engage with without feeling busy. The finishing feels slightly more refined, and the ability to hand-wind the movement adds a small but meaningful layer of interaction. Taken together, it gives the Citizen a presence that feels more considered on the wrist.
In the end, what’s stuck with me about the Citizen NY0040 is how little it seems to care about being noticed. It doesn’t trade on nostalgia, it didn’t chase trends back when it was released, and it doesn’t ask to be defended as a workaround for something else. It just shows up and does its job well. The more time I spend with it, the more it feels like one of those watches that slips into a collection (for under-$200 these days) and ends up staying far longer than expected. For a brand that’s always been better at building tools than telling stories, that feels exactly right.
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.