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-Drivecalibre 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.
left to right: CA0791-81X, CA0790-83L, CA0790-83E, CA0797-84X
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.
A leather, rubber or other material band that secures the watch to the wearer's wrist.
Date
It indicates the date of the month. There are different types of display: via a window or a pointer, where an additional hand is usually placed centrally or on a…
Case
It encases the mechanical movement and is crafted in one or more parts. It can also be a single piece, as with some professional diving watches, or made of unconventional…
Calibre
A calibre is the type of watch movement encased in an assigned timepiece. Its name is usually associated with the manufacturer's name and a standard code, e.g., ETA 2824.
Bezel
The bezel is particularly useful on diving watches, allowing you to check dive times. In this case, it unidirectionally rotates and usually comes in two parts: a metal (or ceramic,…
Power Reserve
A mechanical watch feature displays, on the dial or the case back, the remaining power in a watch movement, showing the length of time until the timepiece must be rewound.
Chronograph
Complication that helps the wearer to measure time intervals without affecting the watch's standard time-telling function.
Complication
The addition of any mechanical complication to a movement that usually displays the time.
Great Review, I have not seen these models yet but the look awesome!