Citizen Aqualand Divers: Can't Stop, Won't Stop.

There are few series of watches as legendary for actual divers as the Citizen Aqualand.  From their first analog-digital Aqualand in 1985 all the way to the Anniversary Aqualand and its wildly designed contemporaries, the Aqualand range has been synonymous with real diving.  For those of who who are about to read this, a few words of caution:  I'm a huge Aqualand nerd and this post will look something like a loving ode to their greatness.  If you think "real" divers only wear Rolex Submariners and JLCs then this may not be the post for you...

Jump on any dive boat anywhere in the world anytime in the last 37 years.  Chances are that on the wrist of one if not more of the divers working onboard, there will be some iteration of the Aqualand.  Visit any military diving unit in the world and check their wrists.  If fact, find any gathering of scuba divers anywhere and the same is probably true.  The Citizen Aqualand's omnipresence is well earned.  These watches are affordable, extremely durable, and functional pieces of diving equipment that have in many cases survived the onslaught of the now ubiquitously used diving computers to become a trusted backup dive timer and complimentary depth gauge.

In addition to their storied heritage, Aqualand watches look badass.  Citizen has constantly updated the Aqualand range to suit changing tastes among several generations of divers while maintaining an extremely high level of utility and durability.  Speaking as a guy who has taken many different Aqualand divers on many different dives, both commercial and recreational, these things just work.  The depth gauges are constantly within one percent or so of my expensive dive computer's readings.  That's a big deal.  To be honest, I've taken a number of dives with no computer other than my Aqualand.  Many modern scuba divers will recoil at that idea but if we're being honest, they shouldn't.  People went diving with no more than a depth gauge and watch for decades and, surprisingly, many survived.

Further, Citizen Aqualand watches hold up to the sometimes harsh criticisms of watch nerd desk diver types.  This isn't easy.  These are guys who will sell a quartz because the second hand misses the markers by a hair's breadth or the bezel triangle doesn't line up perfectly by about .001 degrees.  All of my Aqualands have had perfect quality control.  The seconds hand hits the markers.  The bezel lines up.  The lume is impressively bright and perfectly applied.  Chapter rings are dead on.  Case finishing, while in no way ornate, is perfect.  I think we've all had much more expensive watches which fail one or more of these tests.  The manual says you aren't supposed to mess with with the buttons while submerged but I did just that with my JP1010-00e at about 40 meters or 130fsw just to see what would happen.  If the Aqualand could have giggled at my attempt to usurp its watertight integrity, it would have.  It just kept on ticking and dutifully providing my depth and bottom time.

Now, there are a lot of Aqualands.  From the first CO22 model to the more recent and crazy looking BN2029, Citizen have made dozens of different models.  I'm going to share my experiences with some of the ones I've owned, starting with my first Aqualand, the aforementioned JP1010.

I bought the JP1010 mostly because of its more accessible (to me) size of about 42mm not counting the depth measuring protuberance on the nine o'clock side.  I also bought it because it is the unofficial issue watch of the Royal Australian Navy's clearance divers which makes it cool.  I'm also a sucker for the analog-digital display which, while a bit busy, was always effective and telling me what I need ed to know.  I wore this watch all the time in commercial diving school even while welding, burning, and using the underwater chainsaw almost just to see if anything of these aggressive activities would damage the watch in any way.  To my surprise, even after all that, it looks new.

After owning the JP1010 more than once, I started to get really into the idea of getting a JP2000-08e which is essentially the technologically updated reissue of the original CO22 of 1985.  The JP2000 works on only one battery as opposed to its predecessor's somewhat extreme multi-battery setup.  The aesthetics are near identical.  My lovely wife was kind enough to help me out and hooked me up with a new one which she had to order from overseas as it doesn't seem to be very available in the US.  Though the watch is larger than the JP1010, it's mostly because of the width and the larger strap.  The bezel is a pretty regular 40 or 41mm.  I immediately put this watch on a zulu for 90s dive cred as well as the fact that the stock rubber strap, while excellent, is about six inches too long for my tiny wrist.  Although I haven't taken this one diving yet, I'm confident it would handle the job just fine.

Rounding out my collection are a couple of 90s era fully analog Aqualands.  I think the model number is AL0000-04e.  The first one I got is actually British military surplus, having been issued to and used by a clearance diving supervisor before being sold as surplus to me.  I don't have great images of it as it's currently away at service but I'll update with some more pictures when I can.  Finally, I have a PVD analog Aqualand which is the rarest variant of all.  Mine came from the original owner who doesn't appear to have even taken it diving.  I'm hoping to eventually have both of these in diving shape again.  It just feels like they deserve it.  

The analog Aqualands are very cool.  It's hard to imagine fully understanding how to read the watch's many hands while narc'd at 125fsw when it's kind of difficult to read even on land.  It almost seems like the engineers of the analog Aqualand made it analog as a challenge as much as anything.  Once you get used to reading the watch, it's actually pretty intuitive and easy.  Keep in mind, the Royal Navy clearance divers somehow managed/manage to use these so I'd say they're more than adequate for the amateur frogman.    

To summarize, these divers are as real as it gets.  The Aqualands have earned their place in tool watch history having been validated on thousands of dives on the wrists of thousands of divers.  Trusted by recreational divers, commercial divers, military divers, and even commandos, the Citizen Aqualand is as real a diving tool as a knife or a pair of Rocket Fins.  Considering the low cost of entry into Aqualand collecting, I'd say take the dive.  You won't regret it.

And finally, here are a bunch of badass pictures of Aqualands and their wearers (mostly RAN Clearance Divers) getting it done.

This is the US Navy.  Hooyah and all that.  Classic Aqualands on several guys.  

The zulu game is strong with this one.  

And one of the wife and I sailing off of Santa Barbara, CA.  Note the trusty JP1010 on the wrist.

Watch Photography: My New Nikon D3300 and Some Classic Divers

The Seiko SRP775 on a MN strap.  Shot in pure natural Chicago window light.  

Watch photography is one of those things.  We can all take passable watch shots thanks to the nowadays incredible cameras which accompany our mobile devices.  However, I've always been interested in picking up a more premium camera with the specific interest of taking some better "blog quality" watch photos.  I want to provide better photos for my dedicated (I know you're out there) readers.  I recently acquired a "nice" camera, the Nikon D3300.  I bought it completely as stock from an Amazon seller who sells returned or refurbished items.  Though the camera did not come in Nikon packaging, it came with all the stock accessories and a standard 18-55mm zoom lens.  Here are a few of my early attempts at actual photography with the new camera.  Any insight or advice is much appreciated.

Thanks to my lovely wife for the action shot taken before a quick trip to Michigan.  The bike is a Cannonade CAAD10 if anyone is interested.  

The Zodiac Sea Wolf is one of my all-time favorite divers.  These classic and underrated watches share a rich history with watches like the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and can be had for a measly few hundred dollars.  

The incredible CWC SBS issue watch resting on a completely functional WWII era Chelsea ship's clock which saw service aboard a small USN barge numbered YF287.  This is shot in auto mode with natural light from a large window and a simple light bounce.  

CWC SBS Diver's Watch: A Currently Issued Tool Watch Reviewed

If you're a tool watch person, then you're aware of CWC.  If you're not, you're about to be!  The British brand has been producing watches (they're made for CWC in Switzerland) since 1972.  Founded by Ray Mellor, former UK distributor for Hamilton Watches, the brand has supplying the Ministry of Defense (MOD) since their inception.  In their 44 years of existence, CWC has supplied tens of thousands of their W10, G10, and somewhat fewer chronograph models to the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.  In addition, they've supplied at least hundreds of their 300 metre (spelled that like that for you Brits) divers to Royal Navy divers, the SBS, and other "specialist diving units".

All of the watches CWC makes are purpose built, whether for pilots, infantry, or divers.  With that in mind, their designs are all business and their watches are intended to handle a beating.  In a world where most military organizations use G-Shocks, it's refreshing to see that some still believe in an overbuilt analog watch when the going gets tough.

I've owned almost every CWC, except for the automatic diver model and the chronograph.  I keep coming back to the brand because they sell you a solid, dependable Swiss made tool watches for a reasonable price.  In this review, I'll be taking my dedicated readers through the CWC SBS diver's issue watch, as CWC calls it.  It's an instant classic based on the basic CWC Royal Navy diver which takes many design cues from previous Royal Navy issued watches like the Omega Seamaster 300 and the mighty Rolex Mil-Sub.  The SBS differs in that it has a PVD coating for durability and low reflectivity (for when you're operating secret squirrel-like) and a Swiss day/date movement.  They were supposedly designed after SBS operators requested a version of their CWC divers which were less reflective.

If this is your commuter, you might just need the CWC SBS.  It also works pretty well for less extreme efforts.  

For full disclosure, I've owned this model before.  I regretted selling my first example and always wanted another one but never got around to getting one until CWC so kindly informed us, the watch nerd public, they were once again being issued.  CWC had several Instagram posts which I'll reproduce here which showed the SBS diver's watches being packed up and sent to the MOD, pretty freaking cool.

This is a cool shot because it shows the serial numbers of the watches being sent to the MOD.  

This one shows that they're apparently sent with straps separate.  It looks like they all get the most basic grey Phoenix G10 with stainless steel hardware.  

Apparently, this is how they get sent out to the MOD after being carefully arranged for Instagram photos.  

I couldn't resist and ordered one straight away after selling a watch or two to fill up the ol' PayPal.  After a two week hold in the evil vortex which is postal customs in Chicago, the watch arrived to my door.  Here's the obligatory and completely staged opening the CWC tin shot...

To start with the basics, here are some stats.  The watch is 40mm wide, about 47mm long, and 11mm thick.  The case is essentially the very classic Monnin style made famous by Heuer and others but with solid lug bars which necessitate the use of a pull through strap like a nato or zulu.  The watch features 300 metres of water resistance, a positive feeling, 60 click, one-way bezel, a screw down crown (obviously), and a ETA 955.122 Day/Date movement with an end of life indicator.  It comes on a British made Phoenix nato strap (more on that later), housed in a  simple little tin.  Once again, it's all business.

The SBS is extremely comfortable on the wrist, being fairly lightweight and also needing to be worn on a nato.  This photo shows the stock Phoenix nato in grey.    

On the wrist, it's pure joy.  This watch is one of my all time favorites.  It's relatively short lug to lug and not very wide either.  It wears about like a Submariner and plays very well on smaller wrists like my own.  The fact that the watch can only be worn on a nato and has a quartz movement makes for a very light overall package which is extremely comfortable.  I sleep with it on and completely forget it even exists until I need to read the time from the incredibly legible dial.  The SuperLuminova on the dial glows brightly all through the night even after limited exposure to light and is green in color.  The SuperLuminova is a recent advancement as previous versions had tritium lume.  Though I haven't taken the watch diving yet, I will and I promise to GoPro the hell out of the experience.

After the removal of VAT from the price of this watch, it was a fairly reasonable buy at around $500USD.  However, shortly after I purchased mine, CWC raised the price significantly to about $615USD shipped to the US.  Though that's a lot more money, it's still a lot of watch for the price.  Quartz will scare some away, especially at that price, but the watch is an instant favorite and the quartz movement makes it a real grab and go piece which can handle just about anything.  You can try to wait for a used one, but they come up for sale on the secondary market very rarely and are snapped up quickly.  That should tell you something by itself.

The color also varies from batch to batch with Phoenix straps.  

Older Phoenix on the left, note the smaller keepers which are not stainless steel.  On the right, the new Phoenix which has stainless keepers (and a signed buckle) but is thinner and cheaper feeling.  

 And now for a brief note on Phoenix nato straps.  They are, without a doubt, the most authentic option out there when it comes to a British mil-watch or a nato strap in general.  However, their quality varies from one to another (probably production batch by batch) and some are pretty thin and flimsy like those which came with my watch.  Now I'm a watch nerd and have a lot of natos lying around but for someone who doesn't, you might want to grab something heavier to go with your SBS if you pick one up.  I put mine on a vintage Phoenix I had lying around which is much thicker and balances out the watch head much better.  As a diver, I always want the most secure strap setup for a diving watch and the included Phoenix straps just really didn't hit the mark for me.  I'm sure they're fine for desk diving.  It's worth noting that the watch comes with a black nato with PVD hardware and the issued version probably ends up on the standard grey nato with stainless steel hardware.  If you want the "real" look, you've got to go grey!

SBS here with a somewhat flashier friend from the deep...

All in all, this is an awesome, highly capable watch.  If you're going for a classic watch design with military roots and tactical flavor, the SBS is for you.

Vintage Diving Videos: The MkV Diver's Dress

The iconic MkV (pronounced "mark five") diver's dress has been around.  Originally produced in 1916, the classic helmet was used by the US Navy all the way up till 1980.  It was used concurrently by military organizations and commercial divers all over the world.  It is perhaps the most iconic symbol of diving and its likeness is often used as a logo by military divers, commercial diving companies, and even scuba enthusiasts (funny how that works).   Because they are huge pieces of brass, extremely durable, and relatively simple in construction, there are still many MkV hats in existence and many are still in dive-able shape.  I got the chance to dive one at the end of commercial diving school and it was an experience I'll remember forever, not only because the whole rig weighed about 175 pounds... One of the coolest parts of diving the MkV was the care and tradition in how you put on the dress (dress as in diving helmet, drysuit, boots, weights, etc... not cross-dressing).  It's a slow and careful process intended to ensure everything is where it needs to be and put on the diver correctly.  The method by which the tenders dress the divers is standardized and done the same way every time.  The US Navy even produced some classic videos showing the process which I'll attach here.

Ok, that last one is me diving the MkV in dive school.  I think this video is on BottomTimer somewhere already but it's my pride and joy so here it is again and here are a couple pictures from the day.  

 

Casio G-Shock and the DW-5600: The Everyman Tool Watch

The classic DW-5600E-1V is the most basic G-Shock available and shares DNA with the original G, the  DW-5000C.  

If you're into watches at all, you know the Casio G-Shock series.  You also probably know the DW-5600.  Even if you're less of a watch nerd and you don't know the reference number, you'd recognize the now retro styling and thin, square case of this iconic tool watch.  It's a watch which bridges the gap between watch people and people who absolutely don't give a shit what kind of watch they have because it's been available for around $40-50 from every retailer for decades.  G-Shock durability, style, and low cost have made this the watch of choice for skinny jeans wearing hipsters, elite military units, and even astronauts.  The DW-5600e is a true tool watch you should know about, respect, and for the price, probably own.

For starters, what makes a watch a tool watch?  Is it the durability, the legibility, the comfort, or the practicality?  It's probably all of these and more.  I'll argue that other important features are attainability or replaceability.  The phrase "tool watch" gets thrown around a little too easily.  I'm unlikely to use a ten thousand dollar screwdriver because if I wreck it or lose it, I'm out for ten thousand dollars.  I'll probably use the least expensive high quality screwdriver I can find.  That screwdriver in the watch world is the DW-5600.  It does exactly what you need it to do, without fail, in arduous circumstances, for cheap and if you lose it you can head down to Walmart and get another one.

This is cool but if you're imagining some burly Navy SEAL walking around Afghanistan wearing it, you're probably wrong.  The guy is probably wearing a G-Shock. 

Case in point.  This guy sure doesn't look to be wearing a JLC or a Luminox or any of the other brands which use the SEAL name to sell stuff.  Looks like a DW-6600 to me.  

Therefore, no matter what the marketing execs tell you, the Rolex of today is not a tool watch.  The JLC Navy SEALs super alarm 10000 meter double split seconds chronograph ninja special Torneau limited edition is also certainly not a real tool watch and has probably never even been worn operationally.  If someone can produce pictures (not from a marketing campaign) of real military members wearing such watches whilst doing real military work I'll humbly edit my post.  I may be ruffling some elitist feathers, but it is what it is and in some ways the watch world needs to get real.

Let's take a quick look at what we're working with.  The most basic model of the 5600 family is the aforementioned DW-5600E-1V.  The watch features 200m water resistance, extreme shock resistance,  EL backlight, stopwatch, countdown timer, auto calendar, and 12/24 hour formats all in a fairly compact 42.8mm wide by 13.4mm tall case.  The whole things weighs only 54 grams.  This one of the best parts of the 5600 series.  Most G-Shocks, while awesome, are bulky and tall.  The 5600 is lower profile and works well with any kind of other gear you need to sport like tactical stuff or clothing.  There are dozens (probably hundreds) of variations on the 5600 style with as many features as you can imagine including solar power and atomic time keeping.

5600 in higher tech solar atomic form, the GWM-5610.  I just bought one of these and will have a photo/review post coming soon.  

Now, for proof.  The military has a long history with G-Shock, with Navy divers and SEALs grabbing them right when they came out in 1983 and often throwing their suddenly antiquated Rolex and Tudor submariners in their sock drawers (insert gasp here).  The Casio G-Shock 5600, 6600, 6900, and 9052 models have all been awarded Nato (or National) Stock Numbers (NSN) which indicate they are "standardized items of material supply" and available for military issue.  Currently, military divers attending training at Naval Dive and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) are issued the classic DW-9052-1V.  So obviously, the military is down with G-Shock.  In the interest of sticking with my 5600 theme, here are some pictures of the brave men and women of our nation's service sporting the mighty DW-5600.

And if that weren't enough, the DW-5600 is also often sported by astronauts.  If that doesn't make it cool, what would?  Astronauts as you may know are often associated with Omega watches, specifically the Speedmaster (which was worn on the moon) and the newer X-33 which seems to be often worn inside the International Space Station.  However, there's plenty of video evidence to support astronauts wearing the forty-freakin-dollar-freakin-Walmart G-Shock in the ISS.  Don't just take my word for it.  Check it out.

This is a classic case of "good enough for them, more than good enough for me".  In no other watch will you get the mix of classic and necessary functions with extreme low cost and a cool look.  If you're going for the semi-vintage real tool watch look or have need for a super durable, go anywhere watch, consider the classic G-Shock.