Citizen Aqualand 1987 & New Model Comparison

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

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Subexplorer, a long-time collector and diver, shares a personal journey with the iconic Citizen Aqualand. His post highlights the evolution of this groundbreaking dive watch, comparing his original 1987 model with its modern successor. This comparison offers a unique perspective on how a beloved tool watch has maintained its core identity while adapting to contemporary horological standards.

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Hello dear friends:

I wish to share some shots of these brothers...

I bought my Citizen Aqualand in 1987, just a couple of years after it was introduced in the market in 1985. Reference is CQ-1012-50 equipped with a quartz movement C020. In those years I didn´t even dream with being a watch collector some day, and just wished to own another diving watch to make company to my Submariner 1680 from 1977.

This watch accompanied me in many scuba dives. It was an advanced watch for the epoch, when diving computers where just making their debut, and this watch not only informed the time, day date, chronograph, depth meter, alarm and even an alarm if the ascending rate after the dive was too fast.

During the years the watch became almost a cult object among old school divers and watch collectors too. The original model is a coveted timepiece among collectors of diving watches.

Around the year 2000 the watch was replaced by a new version, which is very closely following the shape and design of the original, now called Promaster Aqualand JP2000 - 08E with movement C-520.

A few weeks ago I got an example of the new watch and was surprised by the close likeness of both watches, though observing it more closely it differs in some bevels and curves and also in the way its many "complications" are set and changed.

There is a separate set of functions for scuba diving, alarms and a diving log of repetitive dives. Very interesting and a bit complex for an old timer like me not accustomed to work with modern digital watches. The old watch had a caseback closed with several little screws and three batteries inside. The new watch has a screw down caseback and only one battery inside.

In any case it is a pleasure to own both. The modern one comes with the same rubber straps of the old watch . The old one is presently fitted with a set of "sail clloth" nylon straps. The original ones rotted long ago. I changed for original rubber two times till I decided to not fit more of them as they are very very stiff and resisted only a few years.

The new watch has the same very stiff rubber with the some simple diving decompression tables engraved on one strap like the original of my old watch.

I wish you´ll enjoy these shots taken of both watches showing their differences but also will see that the watch is almost the same looks and character, typical of a 1980's style.

Best cordial regards, Abel

The 1987 model

Double wristing both

The new version with its original rubber straps.

Look very similar indeed!

Back side with depth meter sensor

Front side

Case back bevels back

Case back bevels front

Both case backs

Old case back

New caseback

These are the typical rubber straps with dive tables engraved on them…

Key Points from the Discussion

The original Citizen Aqualand, specifically the analog version, was a popular choice for divers in the early 90s, featuring depth, max depth, and ascent rate warnings, and sharing the same decompression chart strap as the digital model.
The original Aqualand was often purchased in unexpected locations, like duty-free shops, and came in a distinctive 'yellow diving tank' plastic case, which is now a coveted collector's item.
The Citizen Aqualand has a lesser-known feature: a trimmer capacitor accessible via a screw, allowing for fine adjustment of the quartz movement to achieve accuracy of approximately 1 second per month.
The Aqualand's robust design allowed it to endure over 100 dives and even survive a moray eel attack, highlighting its durability as a professional diving instrument.
While the original Aqualand used multiple batteries, the newer Promaster Aqualand JP2000-08E features a single battery and a screw-down caseback, simplifying maintenance.
Some older quartz watches, including the Aqualand, can experience rapid battery consumption, which might indicate an underlying malfunction in the internal circuits.

The Discussion

Cpt Scarlet

Feb 25, 2023

Citizen was the divers choice as a reliable watch. I still have my watch from the 80’s somewhere ! Thank you for sharing this with us.

myles721

Feb 25, 2023

Absolutely amazing how much functionality they built into that model!

Cpt Scarlet

Feb 25, 2023

And remember buying it at Bahrain airport, on route for the Maldives. It never let me down and I clocked up more than 100 dives with it on many trips. It even survived a moray eel attack. Lucky, I had a thick diving glove on at the time. A similar thing happened to a dive master friend, he wasn’t so fortunate and ended up in a local hospital with half a dozen stitches.

Subexplorer

Feb 25, 2023

Mine was bought during a trip to a less exotic place and nothing to do with diving: While visiting the famous and beautiful Iguazu Cataracts in the North of my Country. Included in the tour was a crossing of the river to a neighbour Paraguayan town full of free duty shops! Lol! I saw the watch in a shop window offered with the classic "yellow diving tank" plastic case and decided to buy it on the spot. Regrettably the case is long lost. The new model comes in a very spartan little card box. Grea

LiftAngle51

Feb 25, 2023

Interesting to read such a history of a Citizen dive watch. You’ve got a great time with it. The cool thing about the Citizen is it’s form. The depth sensor looks very cool.

Drek

Feb 25, 2023

Thanks for your post this brought back some memories, I learned to dive in the early 90s and was lucky enough to receive this for my 18th. I believe it was available at the same time as your version, but was analogue. It has depth, max depth and an ascent rate warning if I recall correctly. It shared the same strap as yours with the decompression charts. It’s been at the bottom of my drawer for ages, but I have started doing some snorkelling with my son and plan to hand it on to him.

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Citizen Aqualand 1987 & New Model Comparison

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