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.