New Citizen watch is born from the skies – but it's ready for modern adventures

Citizen Promaster Sky U830.

Quick Summary

The new Citizen Promaster range combines a chronograph with a digital display.

The result is aviation-inspired, but should sit comfortably in any environment.

While certain watches are intrinsically linked to a profession or type of person, others have the ability to morph and switch. These pieces are able to find themselves at home across an array of different use cases, making them a seriously compelling prospect.

That's exactly the case with the new Citizen Promaster Sky U830 collection. Those watches take their inspiration and heritage from the world of aviation, with a neat chronograph complication.

That's paired with a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display at the six o'clock position. That offers a digital readout, which can give users extra information not available from the traditional analogue handset.

The MIP display offers higher resolution, and is much easier to read in outdoor light than classic alternatives. Here, it even offers things like an indication of the power generated by the Eco-Drive movement.

For the unaware, Eco-Drive is arguably the greatest achievement the brand has to offer. That takes any light source – not just UV light – and uses it to charge the battery in the watch.

Opposite that display is a trio of sub-dials which offer a range of functionality for users. The overall design is very reminiscent of the dials you'd find in the cockpit of an aeroplane, tying in with the aviation theme.

(Image credit: Citizen)

The models are crafted from stainless steel, with a matching three-link bracelet. Users can choose between a blue-dialled option, or a sleek blacked out model, complete with blackened steel.

Priced from £599 (approx. €695 / US$800 / AU$1,230) this model offers a sensible option for most people. Aviation fans will enjoy the styling and heritage, but it's the perfect hybrid style which will suit all sorts of people.

I can see it being a perfect watch for outdoorsy types who fancy something useful, with a lot of different complications, but also with the kind of long battery life and easy recharging which most smartwatches can't attest to.