REVIEW: CITIZEN NIGHTHAWK

The CITIZEN ECO DRIVE NIGHTHAWK might be old news to a lot of watch people out there. It’s been around for a few years and has gotten a decent amount of attention in its day. But despite that we felt that it had a place on worn&wound, because it’s one of the best mass-market quartz offerings out there in terms of affordability, good design and value. For $237, the Nighthawk delivers in ways that many more expensive watches don’t. It has useful complications and features, distinctive looks, solid build quality, good water resistance and a solar powered movement that lasts 180 days on a full charge and never requires a new battery. Forgetting that it is a cool looking watch for a second, between the GMT hand, the slide rule bezel and the solar movement, you have 3 outstanding features that can actually be useful on a daily basis. As James Enloe pointed out in his guide of GMT watches, being able to track a second time zone has very practical implications. Slide rule bezels can allow you to do division, multiplication, convert various distance units and much more on the fly. And knowing that your watch is never going to suddenly stop as long as it sees a little sunlight here and there is a great feeling.

Case

The Nighthawk has a 41mm stainless steel case with a lightly brushed finished on the body and around the outer bezel. The case is constructed of 3-parts, as is standard, but has a very pronounced outer bezel that houses the internal slide rule. This gives the 12.5mm tall body a slightly greater perceived height. The main portion of the case has a unique form with harsh geometry and strong faceted shapes. It is an interesting form that emphasizes the aviation roots of the watch, and gives it a unique and modern look. At 8 and 3 are two crowns, operating the internal bezel and basic time setting functions, respectfully. Both crowns are straight cylinder shapes with a knurled finish and chunky crown guards protecting them. The knurling provides both excellent grip and a visually pleasing texture. Both crowns also operate very smoothly and are indicative of a good quality build. The crown at 3 also screws down, facilitating the 200m water resistance, and is adorned with a Nighthawk logo. The case back is a standard screw down type made of polished steel. It has a very light etching with basic information and a Citizen Nighthawk logo in the center. The case back could have used a drop more attention, in my opinion.