Citizen offer a superb range of value for money professional underwater timepieces built to the highest Japanese quality standards. The Citizen Promaster Dive watches come with a choice of movements.
all images courtesy © CitizenWatch.com unless stated otherwise
Choose from either either Citizen Automatic (self winding) or Citizen Eco-Drive (solar charged) movements. Maybe not quite as broad as the collection offered by Seiko – but they have the innovative Citizen Promaster Aqualand. Popular among scuba divers due to it’s built-in Depth sensor – something Seiko don’t have.
Promaster Divers Quick Links
We have split this page in to four main categories. If they don’t mean anything to you at this stage – read on. Otherwise – please use the links below to jump to the section you are interested in.
- Citizen Promaster Automatic (self winding, mechanical)
- Citizen Promaster Aqualand (depth meter, ascent alarm etc)
- Citizen Eco-Drive Divers 200 (never needs winding, highly accurate)
- Citizen Promaster Aqualand JP2000 (hybrid, analogue hands / digital depth)
An Introduction to Citizen Promaster Dive Watches
The Citizen Promaster Dive watch range is a collection of high-quality dive watches designed for both professional and recreational divers. These watches are designed to be reliable, accurate, and durable, and they are constructed using high-quality materials such as stainless steel, sapphire crystal, and high-tech ceramics.
Some key features of the Citizen Promaster Dive watch range include:
- Water resistance: All Citizen Promaster Dive watches are water-resistant to at least 200 meters (660 feet), making them suitable for recreational diving and other water-based activities.
- Eco-Drive technology: Citizen’s proprietary Eco-Drive technology powers the watches using any available light source, so they never require battery changes.
- Duratect coating: Some models in the Promaster Dive range feature Citizen’s Duratect coating, which provides a scratch-resistant and anti-corrosive surface for increased durability.
- Depth sensors: Some models include a depth sensor that displays the current depth, maximum depth, and dive time during a dive.
- Helium release valve: Certain models are equipped with a helium release valve that allows any built-up helium gas to escape during decompression.
- ISO 6425 compliance: All Citizen Promaster Dive watches meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 6425 standard for dive watches, which includes requirements for water resistance, legibility, and shock resistance.
Overall, the Citizen Promaster Dive watch range is a well-respected collection of dive watches that combines precision engineering, durable construction, and advanced technology to deliver reliable and accurate timekeeping in even the most challenging underwater environments.
Citizen – the “other” big Japanese brand
Ask a diver to think of an affordable, quality dive watch and the brand most likely quoted will be Seiko – and rightly so. Seiko have decades of history making high quality dive watches at “everyday” prices. We don’t hide the fact that ChronoDivers.com are great fans of the Seiko divers watch range. ChronoDivers’ mission is to introduce our visitors to the best dive watches on the market – something that Citizen certainly offer – quality and affordability.
But don’t forget the other Japanese chronometer giant – Citizen. In my personal collection I have a Citizen Promaster Divers 200m BN0191-55L with Eco-Drive movement. A popular alternative to the entry level and mid-range Seiko dive watches. Citizen also offer great value for money and typically high Japanese standards of build quality.
A choice of movements and styles
The Promaster diver’s range has three primary product lines – the classic “original” Citizen Automatic divers, the Citizen Promaster Aqualand range and the Eco-Drive Divers 200m collection. The latter is the most popular covering a majority of people’s requirements. Also popular among collectors with an interest in innovative timepieces is the HYBRID – Citizen Promaster Aqualand JP2000 (originally the C023).
Replacement Citizen ND Limits watch strap
We sell a this quality replacement Citizen style diver’s watch strap from our UK store. Available in a range of colours this popular ND Limits watch strap is manufactured from a super soft, UV resistant, durable silicone. We’ve sold hundreds of these over several years and have them on our own Citizen dive watches. The print quality is excellent and, even after years of wear, the chart is still as visible now as the day it was brand new. More information about this No-Decompression Limits watch strap and what the ND Limits Chart means
A booming market in Pre-owned Citizen Dive Watches
The watches shown below were all discovered by ChronoDivers on eBay. Citizen’s range is wide and encompasses a majority of personal styles with a variety of designs. Their watch designs morph from classic diver like the vintage Promaster Automatic below (1st below) to the full on workhorse like the Citizen U106 Aqualand (3rd below). Whatever your sport, lifestyle and taste in watches – Citizen have a model for you. And remember – if you’re a serious scuba diver – all the Promaster dive watches are ISO compliant.
images © eBay under EPN permissions
eBay is a great place to go to check a) the current prices of a specific watch and b) to see what the watch looks like in the “real world”. Most product photos on eBay are taken with great care to best represent the watch. You get to see what it really looks like (not a computer enhanced brochure photo). All the watches shown above have been sold recently on eBay. These watches were selected as they give the Citizen newcomer a good feel for the range with all models covered from Automatic to Aqualand (new & old) and Eco-Drive.
Eco-Drive or Automatic?
The Citizen Eco-Drive diver watches should never need opening – offering years of maintenance free timekeeping. They use the natural movement of the wrist to charge the internal battery. It’s a combination of quartz accuracy and mechanical charging. The Eco-Drive technology is very similar to that found in the Seiko Kinetic watches. With an Eco-Drive watch you can leave the watch off your wrist for WEEKS at a time. If the battery gets too low, the watch goes into energy saving mode. Wearing the watch for a full day will charge the battery for MANY days.
For the old school diving purist it we have the mechanical Citizen Automatic watches. Many people, myself included, appreciate the precision clockwork movements found in this style of watch. Just like the modern Eco-Drive models – the natural motion of the wrist spins a rotor – however – this time that spinning winds the watch’s mainspring. With an automatic watch – if worn daily – it will never stop. However – put it down and you can expect about 30 to 40 hours “power reserve”
Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Diver’s 200m
The Citizen Promaster Eco-Drive Divers 200m models are all 200m water resistant (or more). They are powered by the reliable and maintenance free Eco-Drive system as describe earlier. Simply put – movement from the wrist charges an internal battery (actually a capacitor…) providing weeks of accurate time keeping. If you’re looking for extreme depths, then there’s the Citizen Promaster Diver Professional – certified water resistant to 1000m featuring a helium escape valve (as found on the Rolex Sea-Dweller and other “mixed gases” dive watches).
The current range of Eco-Drive Diver’s 200m
All the models shown below are featured in the current range of Eco-Drive diver’s 200m. The first two, the Citizen Eco-Drive BN0191-55L and BN0150-28E have been their best selling diver’s for many years and continue to grow in popularity. The last two models add a freshness to the collection with models like the gold toned BN0152-06E – a restyled version of the BN0150.
The final watch featured above is the Citizen BN0220-16E – a reinterpretation of the 1982 “Professional Diver”. Another ISO compliant timepiece with a bold look. These new models feature a Super Titanium™ case with sandblast finish and a black silicone strap. Other essential dive watch features include one-way rotating elapsed-time bezel, screw-back case, screw-down crown. The watch is water resistant to a depth of 200 metres and includes a wet suit strap extender.
The team at ChronoDivers have always been fans of Citizen watches. A company that can be relied upon to provide the best value for money dive watches at a level of quality normally reserved for timepieces of twice the price. There are definitely some very good, similarly priced alternatives out there, Orient and Invicta to name just a couple. But trust us, you simply can’t go wrong with a Citizen BN0150-28E – an outstanding daily wearer, tough as old boots, waterproof and, being mechanical, it will never need a battery or capacitor change.
Where to Buy a Citizen Eco-Drive Divers watch
Discover a collection of Citizen Eco-Drive divers watches on eBay today. Click the banner below to browse the latest offerings. This is a direct link to eBay with filtered results to show only the best Citizen Dive Watches on the market today.
Ernest Jones for Citizen Promaster watches (UK)
Our shopping partner for customers in the UK is Ernest Jones. Please click the banner below to browse their wide range of watches from leading brands including Citizen, Seiko, Bell & Ross, Breitling, Omega, Bremont, Tudor, G-Shock and TAG Heuer to name just a few
Citizen Eco-Drive watches sold recently on eBay
All the Eco-Drive Divers watches shown in the gallery below have previously been discovered by ChronoDivers on eBay. This range is their most popular as a majority of the watches are mid-sized (between 40-44mm wide) and can be worn as a daily wearer. Watches like the Citizen BN0151 (1st below) and the more formal Citizen BN0191 (3rd below) look great in any environment – whether in the office or on the beach.
images © eBay under EPN permissions
Citizen Promaster Aqualand – with depth sensor
There’s one thing that Citizen have Seiko do NOT – that’s a depth sensor. Look for the modern Promaster Aqualand models for this feature – or the original groundbreaking digital dive computer – the Citizen JP2000 (C023).
The Promaster Aqualand BN2031 & BN2038
The new Promaster Aqualand Diver’s have all the features you’d expect from an ISO-compliant diving watch. Standard dive watch features include water resistance to a depth of 200 metres and a one-way rotating dive time bezel. The case is both anti-magnetic and anti-shock with a screw-back case and screw-down crown. Unique features include a depth display to 70 metres and a rapid ascent alarm.
The latest versions like the BN2038-01L and the BN2031-85E (shown above) incorporate a water sensor with auto start dive mode. Other dive specific features include a power reserve indicator, maximum depth display and an extender clasp for fitting over a wetsuit. All the modern Aqualand watches are powered by Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology – charged by light, any light and never need a battery change.
Buy a Citizen Promaster Aqualand here
Discover a wide selection of Citizen Promaster Aqualand dive watches on eBay today. Click the banner below to browse the latest offerings. This is a direct link to eBay with filtered results to show only the best Citizen Aqualand watches on the market today.
Promaster Aqualand watches discovered on eBay
The Citizen Promaster Aqualand Dive watches shown below were all discovered by ChronoDivers on eBay.
images © eBay under EPN permissions
Citizen Automatic Divers – the purists choice
For the old school diving purist it has to be a mechanical, self winding Citizen Automatic diver’s watch. As discussed early on this page – the Automatic watches have a spinning internal rotor that “winds” the watch’s mainspring. Keep the watch on – and it will never stop. Put it down – and it should be good for between 30 and 40 hours (power reserve). In this range you’ll find models like the Citizen NY0085, the NY0040 and NY0100. You can still find some of the classic Citizen 8203 automatic divers watches on eBay – but expect to pay well over original retail.
Unfortunately – Citizen have discontinued the Automatic collection with the exception of the models below. Fortunately – there are dozens of good condition pre-owned models on eBay and similar and several old stock – new in box watches on the market > scroll down for LIVE EXAMPLES currently for sale.
New Automatic models – Promaster Super Titanium
Several brands have recently “rediscovered” their classic dive watches and re-released them taking advantage of modern technologies and materials. Citizen have done the same with their 1977 Challenge Diver watch – an automatic diver’s watch
The Citizen Promaster Mechanical Diver pays homage to the original 1977 timepiece. The same 41mm case, a tough sapphire glass with a flat cut top and a domed underside. The sides have been bevelled to provide a distinctively retro appearance. Other essential dive watch features include a uni-directional bezel inset into the case and a highly visible green lume dial and a Super Titanium™ case. The automatic movement has a power reserve of up to 42 hours and an average accuracy of -10 to +20 seconds per day.
Where to Buy your Citizen Promaster Automatic
Discover a collection of Citizen Promaster Automatic dive watches on eBay today. Click the banner below to browse the latest offerings. This is a direct link to eBay with filtered results to show only the best Citizen divers watches on the market today.
Citizen Promaster Automatic Diver’s discovered on eBay
The selection of Citizen Automatic Dive watches shown below were all discovered by ChronoDivers on eBay. If using the watch for diving please ensure the seller can provide details of the present water resistancy tests undertaken.
images © eBay under EPN permissions
ISO Certified Diver’s Watches
All modern Citizen Promaster Dive watches conform to the ISO 6425 dive watch certification – being Eco-Drive means they should never need to be opened. Unlike a quartz watch that needs a battery change – an Eco-Drive watch can remain factory sealed unless it needs repairing. The benefit of buying such a model on eBay is obvious – there is no reason why it’s water resistancy shouldn’t be as good as the day it left the factory.
Classic Promaster Aqualand JP2000 / C023
This was a watch that transitioned from basic “dive time watches” to complicated “dive computers” like those made by Suunto etc. It was a unique and very popular model when introduced as the Citizen Aqualand C023 back in the early 1980’s. A clear analogue display, massive luminous hour markers, with a dive time bezel PLUS a digital readout of depth. No computer up load but the C023 allows the diver to recall max depth and dive time.
In the early 1990’s the C0023 was rebranded as the Citizen Promaster Aqualand JP2000-08E. The classic style of the Promaster Aqualand is shown below. A true icon of a watch in the diving fraternity with ISO 6425 certification.
images © eBay under EPN permissions
Consider DIY Watch Club – Build Your Own Dive Watch
If you’re really interested in Diver’s Watches like we are – there is an option to Build Your Own Watch for the same price as an entry level Citizen or Seiko dive watch. With the DIY Watch Club you get EVERYTHING you need to build your own high quality timepiece made from trusted components. Chose from a list of movements like the super reliable Seiko SII NH35A. We were fascinated to learn more so we bought this stunning DWC Diver’s Watch kit with it’s distinctive blue and black BATMAN bezel.
The entire construction took less than half a day and we have documented the build in a couple of videos available on the ChronoDiver’s YouTube channel. For more information on building your own Diver’s Watch please visit our Review of the DIY Watch Club
Best quality alternatives to a Citizen Dive Watch
Two other brands that may appeal to shopper’s considering a Citizen diver’s watch are Invicta and Orient. The Invicta range of dive watches include the hugely popular Invicta Pro Diver and the 300m water resistant Invicta Grand Diver (both pictured below). Invicta Dive watches feature very good quality Japanese movements like the Miyota 8215 (Citizen owned) and the Seiko produced NH35 (automatic / hacking).
An Orient Mako – a quality dive watch at a sensible price
ChronoDivers mission is to bring the best dive watches to the attention of everyone. Orient is a brand with Seiko origins that shouldn’t be overlooked. Orient watches are a wholly owned subsidiary company of Seiko Epson. All Orient dive watches use movements Made in Japan – in other words – great quality at a sensible price. The most popular from this brand are often referred to as the Orient Mako – a Rolex Submariner styled divers watch – and the Orient Kamasu. However, Orient themselves do NOT refer to these watches by those nicknames.
Further Reading & External Shopping Links
It’s simple, free and greatly appreciated if you can show your support for ChronoDivers. Just click on the shopping link below to browse the selection of Citizen watches either on eBay or with our shopping partners (where available). You don’t need to buy anything – just click the link – thank you very much!
- eBay Filtered Selection – (eBay)
- Ernest Jones Authorised dealer – browse our shopping partner’s range of Casio G-Shock
- Official Website – Citizenwatch.co.uk