Two Broke Watch Snobs
12 Best Dive Watches From Japanese Under $1,000
A hands-on guide to the best Japanese dive watches under $1,000, including Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio picks with real pros and cons.
479 articles · 4 videos found · page 2 of 17
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on guide to the best Japanese dive watches under $1,000, including Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio picks with real pros and cons.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A hands-on guide to the best Japanese dive watches under $1,000, including Seiko, Citizen, Orient, and Casio picks with real pros and cons.
Worn & Wound
We’re back in Chicago and we feel it! From July 10–12, Windup Watch Fair Chicago returns for its fifth year, bringing together over 70 watch brands, thousands of enthusiasts, and some of the best conversations in watch collecting. This year, we’re excited to welcome everyone to an all-new home: Morgan MFG, a stunning industrial event space located just steps from Chicago’s vibrant Fulton Market district. Windup Watch Fair Chicago Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12, 2026 Morgan MFG 401 N Morgan St Suite #100 Chicago, IL 60642 Free and open to everyone. No registration necessary. The move to Morgan MFG marks an exciting new chapter for Windup Chicago. The venue offers significantly more room to explore, gather, and discover, along with something every watch enthusiast appreciates: incredible natural light. Whether you’re photographing your latest find, evaluating a new release, or simply enjoying a weekend surrounded by fellow enthusiasts, Morgan MFG provides an ideal backdrop for what promises to be our biggest Chicago event yet. As always, admission is free and open to everyone, making Windup the perfect place for seasoned enthusiasts and newcomers alike to get hands-on with watches they may have only seen online. We’re also thrilled to announce our lead sponsors for Windup Watch Fair Chicago 2026: Atelier Wen, Christopher Ward, Citizen, eBay Live, and Oris. We’re so grateful to our returning Lead Sponsors with their enthusiast-tuned collections. Stay tuned ...
Hodinkee
There are few things better in the realm of watch ownership than using your watch for its stated purpose – diving with a diver, flying with a pilot watch, traveling with a Worldtimer. Even better still, getting to do so while taking your watch back to the place where it was created, experiencing the country and culture that brought it to life. This past spring, in the height of that most cherished of seasons when the cherry blossoms in Japan bloom, I had the opportunity to do just that with the Citizen Attesa Platinum Shine. Attesa is, in many ways, a distillation of everything that makes Citizen special. It is the collection that showcases the most advanced technologies and techniques. They are modern, even futuristic-looking watches, designed with a forward-looking perspective on who Citizen is, and where it is going. Radio or satellite-controlled Eco-Drive movements, unique and complex dial materials, various cutting-edge methods for utilizing some of the best titanium alloys in watchmaking – these are all hallmarks of the Attesa collection. Like all of Citizen's watches, regardless of collection or price, Attesa is assembled by hand with the utmost capability and care. An evolution of the radio antennas used in Eco-Drive watches throughout the years. First released in 2025, when the Attesa collection was re-established in the U.S. as part of Citizen's new Premier category, the watch is available in several variations. Each one has a different reference number, an...
Worn & Wound
In the horological sphere, we associate the 1970s with the quartz crisis, but there was a more significant threat facing the world at large: an energy crisis. Oil consumption was reaching an all-time high with widespread international travel and car ownership becoming more prevalent and mainstream. Simultaneously, domestic oil production was dwindling in many countries, increasing pressure on imports. The situation reached a crisis when OPEC (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) imposed an oil embargo in 1973. So, getting back to watches – you’re probably wondering, what’s the connection? Like the United States, Japan was one of the countries impacted by this energy crisis. In response, Citizen Watch Company established an internal initiative to work toward developing a more sustainable and eco-friendly power source for its timepieces. In short order, the brand looked toward solar cell technology and had developed its own light-powered prototype by 1974. Two years later in 1976, we saw the world’s first light-powered analog watch, the Crystron Solar Cell. This technology would later come to be called Eco-Drive and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026. You’ve probably already read about the flagship anniversary Eco-Drive model covered by our own Zach Kazan at its launch earlier this year, but this spring, in peak cherry blossom season, Citizen opened the doors of its manufacture for the first time in years to pull back the curtain on just how the ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Are Citizen watches any good? See how models like the Promaster Diver, Nighthawk, and NY0040 prove Citizen’s value through durability, comfort, and low upkeep.
Worn & Wound
The post Tool/Kit: Packing for Japan with Neall Brick and the Citizen Promaster Land GMT appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion. Citizen CQ Crystron Diver Welcome to the all-divers edition of eBay Finds! It’s not often I find one or two decent divers to bring you, but this week there is a cornucopia of divers. We’ll start off with this awesome vintage Citizen CQ Cryston diver. Yes, it’s quartz, but it’s a cool quartz watch! The smallish steel case is in nice shape, looking unpolished with sharp edges and nicely preserved crown guards protecting the unsigned crown. The elapsed time bezel insert is in good shape as well. The black dial is excellent, as are the unique hands. The hour hand has a paddle shape that really stands out. There is of course a day/date window at three, with a Kanji day wheel. The watch comes on the original rubber strap with original signed buckle, which is a rare find. No pictures of the quartz movement, but the watch runs well per the seller. Great vintage Citizen! View auction here Vintage Waltham Diver Next up is this classic vintage 1960s Waltham diver. I’ve owned one of these before, and they are definitely well made. The steel case is excellent and unpolished, with crisp lugs and original brushed finish on the caseback. The seller doesn’t state the size, but it should ...
Citizen reinforces their commitment to yacht racing with a new Promaster Wave Tracker. Release details with pricing and commentary.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
A closer look at the best Citizen watch releases of 2026 so far, including the Tsuyosa Shore, Series 8, Eco-Drive Photon, and more.
Monochrome
While we often publish articles in our Industry News section, those are mostly focused on the financial results of Swiss and/or European brands and groups, by looking at major actors such as the Swatch Group, Richemont or LVMH, the exports of Swiss Watches, or estimated rankings by Vontobel and Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult. What we have never […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Citizen and Ibanez team up for a 500-piece quartz chronograph inspired by the iconic Tube Screamer pedal. It's $277, it's gorgeous, and it's Japan-only.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
John Krasinski's Jack Ryan is wearing a Citizen ATTESA CC4055-65E in the new Ghost War film. We break down watch, what it replaces, and why this matters.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
After reviewing the Seiko Turtle, Citizen NY0040, and Orient Kamasu, we compare which affordable dive watch has the best mix of character, value, and staying power.
Fratello
When discussing super-affordable entry-level watches with enthusiasts, the name Citizen Tsuyosa is likely to come up. Since the Japanese brand first unveiled the Tsuyosa in 2022, the line has become incredibly popular. Over the past four years, we have seen striking new dial variations of the inaugural 40mm versions, smaller 37mm variations, and a series […] Visit Hands-On With The New Citizen Tsuyosa Shore Series to read the full article.
Hodinkee
Collaborations are an established part of the modern watch cycle: a new model is introduced, colors follow, maybe a complication is added, and eventually a collaboration enters the mix, often positioned as a moment of creative divergence within an otherwise predictable trajectory. With the Citizen Tsuyosa seconde/seconde/, the brand hits that phase in a way that feels both familiar and slightly off-script. Collaborations are also never entirely expected, yet the best ones have such a natural fit that they rarely come as a genuine surprise. While they can serve to keep a collection feeling fresh, there's a sense that many collaborations struggle to reflect a true meeting of perspectives. Instead, they can feel like extensions of ideas that brands are already circling, gently guided by an external voice to test whether something slightly unconventional might resonate. Too often, these ideas feel like early expressions that brands later refine and incorporate into their main collections. As such, limited editions can feel like testing grounds, and collectors, whether knowingly or not, become participants in that process. That dynamic can feel slightly hollow, as what was once framed as exclusive can quickly become part of a broader rollout, which is what makes what seconde/seconde/ feels notably different. Because if there's one figure consistently delivering something closer to a proprietary and fully authored take on collaboration, it's Romaric André of seconde/seconde/....
Fratello
The Citizen “bullhead” chronograph returns in the form of the Challenge Timer, a design that dates back to the 1970s. Citizen now reintroduces this formerly Japan-only model to the European market with the eponymous layout, with the pushers and crown at the top of the case. This reissue matters for a simple reason. Demand for […] Visit Hands-On With The New Quartz Citizen Challenge Timer “Tsuno” to read the full article.
Hodinkee
A little over a month ago, Citizen celebrated the 50th anniversary of Eco-Drive with a massive bash in New York and a few new releases. The most striking, and unlike anything they had released in the past, was the new Photon. Aptly named, of course, because of the very particles—oh wait, or is it waves?—that power Eco-Drive movements. And before we get any further, these aren't solar watches like most watch movements that could be considered a "competitor" on the market. They are powered by any light around you, whether it's your office lights, home lights, or yes, the big bright ball in the sky that's starting to peek out more and more in New York. If you want to know more about Eco-Drive, our friend Griffin recently published a story about the technology (and its history) here. But this watch requires a slightly different history lesson. If you take a look at the dial below, you'll see it has a very unusual design. It's also out of the ordinary for Citizen, which prides itself on creating watches that can pass for any other watch aesthetically and don't require slits in the dial to transmit light (a problem other brands have struggled to engineer around). The new Citizen Eco-Drive Photons are two watches measuring 39.6mm by 9.9mm with integrated bracelets, all of which are made of Super Titanium with Duratect coating. One features a titanium carbide finish, while the other, with a two-tone dial and case band, uses a DLC finish. Each is limited to 5,000 pieces and ava...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The new Citizen Attesa Mandalorian Beskar leans on Super Titanium and restraint to deliver one of the brand's more tasteful Star Wars releases.
Hodinkee
We're not paying enough attention to Citizen. Or, at least, I haven't been. Sure, the occasional Aqualand or Promaster might sneak through my net, but if I'm being totally honest, going into my week spent exploring Japan with Citizen in celebration of 50 years of Eco-Drive, Citizen is not a brand I'd ever felt much urgency to think about. It seemed too ubiquitous, too familiar, to register as something enthusiasts were meant to seriously consider. That perception is probably common for a reason. For plenty of people, Eco-Drive was the watch you first saw in a mall case, on a relative's wrist, or that was explained to you by someone excited about it being powered by the sun. Citizen has sold Eco-Drive watches on an enormous scale, and that kind of visibility can sometimes obscure what's actually interesting about them. Eco-Drive's popularity is substantial. Since its introduction in 1976, Citizen estimates that the technology has prevented the use of roughly 100 million watch batteries. Stacked end to end, that's the equivalent of about 3,600 Mount Everests. But it turns out that achievement only scratches the surface. What I hadn't appreciated is that ubiquity and serious watchmaking aren't mutually exclusive. Beneath the scale and familiarity is a product backed by a half-century of innovation and, what surprised me most, a watch that still involves a meaningful amount of hand assembly. The original Eco-Drive watch, the Citizen Crystron Solar Cell, from 1976. A "reflect...
Hodinkee
In the second installment of our look at the Promaster, we take to the air.
Hodinkee
Citizen doesn't just make some of the toughest dive watches in the world, it makes some of the smartest as well.
Hodinkee
When the going gets tough, the tough wear Promaster.
Fratello
The team at IFL Watches doesn’t sit still. It’s been barely a month since the brand unveiled its fun Citizen Tsuyosa Calavera. For the latest project, IFLW chose a new platform for its artwork. To celebrate the idea of freedom, the brand created hand-painted dials for two Festina On The Square models. The larger 36mm […] Visit IFL Watches Celebrates Street Art With The Festina Freedom to read the full article.
Fratello
It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time for another installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. It is the last showdown before Watches and Wonders 2026 starts on Tuesday. During the event, we will see lots of new watches that will certainly return in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. For this week, though, we decided to stage […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Citizen Tsuyosa 37 Vs. Casio Edifice EFK-110 to read the full article.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Three new Citizen Eco-Drive chronographs just landed in Japan with clean dials, a tachymeter bezel, and solar power. Here's what we know.
SJX Watches
Citizen continues to celebrate five decades of solar-powered watchmaking with the limited-edition Photon, a sleek titanium watch that combines the brand’s signature technologies, namely Eco-Drive and Super Titanium, in an attractive and affordable package. Initial thoughts In the age of low-cost micro-brands and connected smartwatches, it’s never been harder to stand out with a relatively simple quartz watch. Citizen, however, is more than up to the challenge, and is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its industry-leading Eco-Drive technology with a slate of new models that includes the Photon. The Photon embodies Citizen’s strengths, with a solar-powered quartz movement and durable Super Titanium case, which benefits from the brand’s leading position in the field of scratch-resistant surface coatings. The result is an affordable and appealing pair of integrated bracelet sport watches with a distinctive case shape and multi-layered dial. Unlimited energy Citizen didn’t invent the solar-powered watch - that honour goes to the Synchronar 2100 - but it quickly took the lead in bringing this technology to maturity. The Japanese titan has never looked back, and today licenses its category-leading Eco-Drive technology to brands like TAG Heuer. To generate electricity from light, the engineers at Citizen have developed a number of semi-opaque dial materials over the years. For the Photon, Citizen has opted for a multi-layer dial with overlapping slits, creating a d...
Worn & Wound
Superlatives are thrown around often in watch conversations. We all enjoy videos like “the best” dive watches under $1000. When chatting with our friends we love to declare bracelets to be the most comfortable and dials to be the easiest to read. But if we are being honest with ourselves, that exaggerated language is often used to capture our fleeting excitement about great (though not necessarily the best) watches before moving onto the next shiny thing. When exaggerated language fueled by initial infatuation seeps into reviews and forums, it has a tendency to leave fellow enthusiasts feeling misled when they accept it as truth and hit the buy button only to be let down by reality. I bring this up because, after having been burned myself, honesty and grounded language are top priorities when I sit down to write a review. But in full disclosure, I found myself smitten as soon as I unboxed the Limited Edition ATTESA Shades of Red Super Titanium from Citizen. It wasn’t until I found myself questioning design choices after a few days of wear that I finally felt ready to put pen to paper without that honeymoon phase bias. Unsurprisingly from the photos of this watch that are stunning yet don’t fully capture its depth, my first jottings focused on the dial. The Watch On March 3rd a total lunar eclipse was visible across all of Japan, an event Citizen commemorated with two “Shades of Red” watches inspired by the red moon visible during totality. The watch that has ...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Torn between Citizen and Casio? After years of hands-on use, here’s which one actually fits your routine and gives you more value per dollar across key aspects.
Hodinkee
Two countries, one community came together to honor five decades of light-powered technology.
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