The 2022 Citizen OF collection Aviator watches hands on

With 2022 just kicked off, Citizen has just uncovered a bunch of new timepieces by extending the entry-level Citizen OF Aviator collection, first, and adding the new Citizen OF Seaplane you’ll find reviewed on our magazine anytime soon, too. Despite the Hakuto-R series being under the spotlight throughout the year, Citizen proves it’s time for an extensive refresh of the OF product range, a pillar across specific Eu markets since it is missing from the UK and US, judging by their respective websites.

With the new product launches, I much appreciate Citizen‘s effort in providing the new OF Aviator timepieces with more appeal, considering I never fully understood how this collection is placing itself amidst the signature offerings. I praise the brand for adding a kind of Navihawk feel to the new OF Aviator from an esthetic perspective. The Navihawk and the Nighthawk are US exclusive, and I’m looking forward to getting them this side of the ocean one day. Instead, the new models are Citizen watches on a budget and mimic a Promaster while not featuring any professional feature.

The Citizen OF Aviator Only Time

We are used to Citizen offering several variants out of a single template, and the new Citizen OF Aviator Time Only watches are no different. Pictured here is reference BM7550-10E, the only model available for photo-shooting; yet, we grouped all the current models in a single photo so that you can get a comprehensive view of all the models available.

Judging from the official photos, I’d quickly go for the bracelet option on paper; however, my current thoughts exclusively refer to the safari strap equipped model on here. As said, the new OF Aviator offers a “wannabe” Promaster attitude without offering any professional specification. Citizen designers were inspired by the professional models, including the Promaster Altichron in steel.

The case measures 43 mm and comes in steel, but the Eco-Drive calibre ensures lightness. It is aesthetically pleasing; the dial is ultra-legible and offers strong lume in the dark, and a thin bezel allows you to turn the watch into a compass, too. I’d place the date window elsewhere instead; it looks misplaced, cuts the Arabic numeral and is surrounded by an orange ring-enhancing its position on the dial.

The timepiece is waterproof up to 100 meters, and its Eco-Drive calibre ensures a six-month power reserve when fully charged. Here is an all-rounder for those searching for an accessible yet not professional, top-quality sports watch by Citizen.

The Citizen OF Aviator Chronograph

It adopts the same base template, adding an IP (Ion Plating) treated option to the value proposition. The OF Aviator Chronograph boasts the same case size and lug to lug as the Time Only but exclusively comes on a bracelet. As pictured above, here is the whole collection at your fingertips, alongside all the available references, in a clockwise direction.

We took our hands on a black case model – which looks “gun metallic” rather than black. The outcome is a quintessentially sports chronograph, showcasing a standard V-shaped Chrono layout mimicking mechanical analogue timepieces. Case in point, it’s a pity Citizen doesn’t offer any automatic Chrono any longer, thus extending its base audience.

Without a doubt, the price would increase over the Eco-Drive, but I’m sure many Citizen watch geeks would love to see the Japanese brand pairing such a well-designed template to a mechanical movement once again.

The base layout is unchanged if we exclude the Chrono complication; luckily enough, the date window is nicely placed here. From a technical perspective, the new Citizen OF Aviator Chronograph extends power reserve to nine months, when fully charged, and offers a 1/5 of a second chronograph plus sixty minutes Chrono counter. And, again, it’s a 100-meter waterproof watch.

Final thoughts

The Citizen OF Aviator costs either 149 Euros or 159 Euros, as a time-only option, and 199 Euros as a Chronograph (the IP Black retails for 219 Euros). They are both excellent entry-level Citizen watches pairing the legitimate Citizen robustness and quality to a more modern and attractive design, thus raising the OF collection‘s appeal as ever before.

Above all, I prefer the only time-variant without a doubt, and I find the bracelet option my cup of tea. It’s hard to find such a well-priced, and low-maintenance sports watch in the benchmark for as much as less than 200 Euros.

(Photo credit: Marco Antinori for Horbiter®)