Citizen Promaster Air Automatic GMT: take to the skies

If you think of an iconic Citizen watch that is focused on aeronautics, you’re probably thinking of the Skyhawk. Add in the Promaster designation, and you can end up with a very complicated – and quartz-driven – watch. What if you wanted to keep some design cues, but strip it back and make it mechanical? Then you get something like the recently-announced Citizen Promaster Air Automatic GMT.

Powering this watch is the Citizen 9054, which is what we call – these days – a traveller’s GMT. This means that the main hour hand is set independently, letting the second time zone (and minutes) untouched when you land at your destination and adjust the time to match local time.

What we might not expect on a GMT watch is that the Citizen Promaster Air Automatic GMT has a sliderule scale printed on it. We’re more accustomed to seeing these on a chronograph, with the chrono seconds kicking off – always – at the start of the scale. If you want to use this scale, however, you can still do it here. That’s what the crown over at 7 o’clock does, shifting it to where you need it. This also means that we would not be surprised, at all, to see a world time inner bezel at some point down the road.

If you’re looking to go for an air-inspired watch that looks over complicated but is actually fairly simple (nothing says you have to use the slide rule scale), this is a very solid option in our eyes. Past that, it’s a very solid way for the brand to mark 35 years of the Promaster lineup. The Citizen Promaster Air Automatic GMT is available now at $1,125 (in stainless steel) or $1,175 (in grey ion plating). You can check out the full Promaster Air lineup over at citizenwatch.com

Details

The dial features large, highly legible hands as well as numbers and bar indices to create a distinctive rugged look.
The bezel has a rounded shape reminiscent of an aircraft fuselage, providing an appealing accent to the GMT function of the watch.

The connection between the case and strap is inspired by the image of air flowing over the cross-section of an aircraft wing.
The case back is engraved with an image of a flight helmet, symbolizing a piece of equipment that pilots trust to keep them safe. Just like the helmet, this model is another tool that offers superior reliability and functionality.
Movement with magnetic resistance to maintain the accuracy of the watch by reducing the effects of magnetic fields.

Tech Specs

MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGY
- 9054
- Automatic
- Powered by the release of a wound spring, mechanical movements never require a battery. Automatic mechanical movements have an oscillating weight that winds the spring with the motion of the wearer’s arm.
CASE WIDTH (MM): 44.5
LUG WIDTH (MM): 22