Citizen’s new "Blue Angels" Promaster Nighthawk is a solar-powered pilot watch with serious credentials

Citizen has announced a new Promaster pilot watch with solar-powered atomic timekeeping. The latest Promaster Nighthawk JY8046-08L is created in partnership with the U.S. Navy's flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and it’s another solid addition to the company’s long-standing line of high-performance pilot watches.

The 48mm stainless steel watch pairs a dark blue dial and matching perforated strap with bright yellow accents inspired by the Blue Angels’ signature colors. A blue bezel and yellow outer scale frame an exceptionally busy dial, while the squadron’s insignia appears between 7 and 8 o’clock as well as on the caseback. Unlike the Red Arrows Skyhawk, the Nighthawk skips a Memory-in-Pixel display in favor of two conventional LCD windows.

As is usually the case with pilot watches, the dial is jam-packed with details. Three analog sub-dials display UTC, radio reception, and additional timekeeping functions, while two rectangular digital displays handle the date, day, and other readouts.

The smaller display sits at 9 o’clock, opposite a larger window at 3 o’clock. The watch also packs a 1/100-second chronograph, dual-time display, two alarms, a 99-minute countdown timer, and a perpetual calendar.

The inner bezel and surrounding rings are equally information-dense, with multiple scales and numerals for aviation calculations, including fuel and distance conversions. These include markings for liters, U.S. gallons, imperial gallons, nautical miles, and miles, which sit between the UTC and compass scales.

The watch is powered by Citizen's Eco-Drive Caliber U680, which runs on light and eliminates the need for battery replacements. The movement also offers atomic timekeeping, allowing the watch to automatically synchronize time with radio signals in 43 cities around the world. The package also includes a digital backlight and 200 meters of water resistance.

The Citizen Promaster Nighthawk A-T JY8046-08L is a standard edition in the Promaster lineup. It's priced at CA $1,095 and is currently exclusive to Canada. It's not clear when the watch will make its way to the US and other markets.

Citizen Blue Angels Promaster Nighthawk: Specifications

• Model number: JY8046-08L
• Case size: 48mm
• Case material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue with yellow accents
• Crystal: Mineral crystal
• Strap: Blue polyurethane with yellow underside and perforated detailing
• Movement: Citizen Eco-Drive Caliber U680
• Power source: Light-powered; no battery replacement required
• Timekeeping: Radio-controlled atomic timekeeping with synchronization across 43 world cities
• Display: Analog dial with two digital LCD displays
• Bezel: Blue bezel with yellow aviation scales and fuel/distance conversion markings
• Water resistance: 200 meters (660 feet)
• Collaboration: U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron
• Functions: 1/100-second chronograph (up to 24 hours), dual time, UTC display, perpetual calendar, two alarms, 99-minute countdown timer, digital backlight, and power reserve indicator