The Citizen dive watch is amongst the best regarded, established dive watch available today. Far be it from creating expensive diving watches that are unobtainable to the average scuba diver, a Citizen diving watch is both sturdy enough to resist the rigors of a seawater environment, yet affordable enough to serve as either a primary or back-up watch. This is possibly why the Citizen watchmaker has such a loyal following amongst not just scuba divers, but swimmers, water skiers, wake surfers, wind surfers, jet skiers, sailors and surfers.
Citizen was originally established under the name "Shokosha Watch Research Institute" back in 1918. The trading name "Citizen", arose from a pocket watch of the same title which was traded on the market in 1924. During the last 75 years, Citizen extended its business to eventually attain global recognition. The last twenty-five year period in particular, saw the company experience its most impressive growth, leading to the commanding position maintained today as one of the biggest watchmakers on the planet.
Citizen is best recognized for its "EcoDrive" solar system. Citizen "Eco" watches possess an environmentally friendly technology that captures ambient light sources to significantly increase watch's power level. Using solar panels, the Citizen watch can top up the battery even under fluorescent and other kinds of non-natural light sources.
Eco-Drive watches also contain a smart power saving mode that activates when the power generating mechanism stops gathering energy due to lack of light energy input. In this power saving state, the power save effects vary from model to model, the watch halts the second hand at the 12 o'clock point. If the watch is stored in darkness for any more than three days, the other hands as well as the calendar also cease to move to reduce battery drain entirely. In all power save states, the inner time is maintained, so that when more light is obtained by the dial, the watch will restart regular operation with the correct time.
In fact, when you purchase a new Citizen eco watch, you can anticipate that the watch battery will remain "topped up" by the natural light in your environment, meaning you may not ever be required to change the battery. On the other hand, Citizen do recommend a regular service which will assure your analog watch operates reliably over the long haul. It is also recommended that that gaskets (in watches that have them), be replaced every two or three years so as to preserve their water tolerant qualities.
There are a number of time-pieces within Citizen's "diver watch" range. The majority can tolerate water pressure equivalent to 200 m below sea level. Others like the Mens Diver Watch 1000 meter NH6931-06E Automatic Professional (priced at 00 plus) exceed these depths by a long shot, but for virtually all scuba dives, 200m is certainly adequate.
Citizen watches across the board are marked either as "Diver's 200M (air diver's 200m)" or "Water resistant 20 bar (200m))" - (or to the depth rating of the given watch). The difference between the two depth rating systems are that Diver's 200M (Air diver's 200m) are subjected to a series of severe water resistant trials prior to delivery from the factories, whereas WR200 (Water resistant 20 bar) watches are created for consumers who are often in contact with water in their daily lives. These watches are not upheld to the same standard tests as the Diver's 200M, so are not assured to stand up when subjected to the tougher conditions of scuba dives.
The most popular Citizen product series in the dive category are Promaster Carbon, Aqualand, Professional Diver and Perpetual Calendar. All modern day Citizen dive watches have the Citizen EcoDrive light powering system. A full coverage of each of Citizen's diving watch range can be found on our website.
