Citizen Navihawk – JN0040-58L/JN0040-07L
Released: circa 1998
Movement: C300 (Analog Digital Quartz with battery)
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Measurements
Case Diameter: 41.6mm
Lug to Lug: 45.9mm
Lug Width: 20mm
Height: 13.3mm
Weight (without band): 65g
DESIGN
The original Citizen Blue Angels watch. Coming with a choice of either a stainless steel jubilee-style bracelet or a faux-sharkskin leather strap, the OG watch is still, in my opinion, one of the best designs.
Whilst still a reasonably busy dial, the lack of the atomic timing information found on the later watches means that it is a cleaner and less cluttered face. The three sub-dials give the watch a classic chronograph feel, although the chrono function is actually controlled through the digital display.
Speaking of the digital display, three separate cut-outs provide different pieces of information. The one at 3 o’clock is the main display, with ancillary information shown in the 5 and 7 o’clock windows. The 3 o’clock window is quite large, and dominates the right side of the dial. Subsequent versions have been able to slim this cutout down, which is a blessing.
Due to the fact that the watch is battery powered, the dial does not need the glossy, glass-like surface that is the signature of the Eco Drive panel so it is a single matte colour, a very rich navy blue. The colour match to the bezel is excellent, something that the subsequent Eco Drive models haven’t been able to match in my opinion.
The hours are marked with rectangular markers which are split horizontally, with the inner section being high-polish chrome and the outer section being lume. Which would have been great when it was released, but has by now (2020 at time of writing) become exhausted. The hands are sword shaped and also lumed. The hour hand is skeletonised and much broader in style than the other hands.
An interesting feature of the watch is that it is crown-less: everything is controlled through the 4 pushers at 2-4-8-10 o’clock. The analogue watch time is synched to the digital time (more on that later).
There are a few design details on this first watch which have been carried over to later models. Some of the more prominent ones are:
- the “bezels” around the sub-dials, imitating the look of aircraft instrument dials
- the “screws” or “rivets” which appear to hold the “bezels” in place
- the rotating “function” dial which indicates the current mode of the watch
- rotating slide rule bezel to allow for those emergency mid-flight calculations (or more likely working out a tip at a restaurant if you live in a country that tips)
- the “Blue Angels” scroll on the dial
One of the defining features of the Blue Angels line-up, beyond the blue and yellow colour scheme, is the unit logo on the rear of the case.
FUNCTION
The various functions of the watch are accessed through the “function dial” which is controlled using the bottom right pusher. Each press advances the dial handle around the dial, giving access to the Calendar, Chronograph, Timer, Alarms and Settings functions. These are all displayed in the digital windows and controlled with the other pushers. Below you can see the Calendar mode displayed.
Another great feature of the watch is the ability to move the hands to the 12 o’clock position to get them out of the way of the digital display. It’s very cool pressing the pushers together and watching the hands rotate around the dial, then rotate back when you’re done.
STRAPS
As noted above, the watch came with a choice of either a stainless steel bracelet or a faux-sharkskin leather strap.
The bracelet is very much of its time: whilst they are solid steel links (so no ripped armhair like folded link bracelets), it is reasonably light and after a few years has developed quite a bit of play between the links. For me, that isn’t an issue. I prefer to wear my watches looser and the oodles of micro adjustment permitted in the clasp means that you can change it relatively easily.
Speaking of the clasp, it’s a 4 piece pressed-steel affair with a fold-over security piece to ensure a strong fit. It is, as I said above, very much of its time. The security flap has an engraved “Citizen” on it which is nicely machined. Both the main clasp and the safety piece are held simply by friction but even after 10 years of constant use it still holds firm.
One big advantage of being pressed steel is that the clasp has not two but seven (7!) separate positions for micro-adjusment, which accounts for nearly two full links in the bracelet.
Where the bracelet really does show its age is the pressed metal end links. Whilst the integration with the case is excellent, when taken off they look very flimsy.
The leather strap is surprisingly good. It is quite a stiff leather, and in the year-round warm weather in Australia it doesn’t get much wrist time if I’m perfectly honest, but I do enjoy getting the chance to put it on in the colder months. It’s a two part strap with the blue sharkskin-pattern on top and a softer brown leather lining. The top leather is quite firm, and the sharkskin pattern is pressed very deep into it, giving it a surprising depth and tactility. The buckle is quite substantial, in brushed stainless steel (which doesn’t really match the case) but it has an engraved Citizen logo which is again nicely machined.
The lining leather is supple and feels nice against the skin.
Overall both of the strap options are very good for the price point.
With a standard lug width of 20mm, and a helpful location for the spring bar holes, the watch readily accepts all different types of aftermarket straps including NATOs and Zulus. I purchased a matching blue and yellow NATO and have really enjoyed something fun and casual as a change.
OWNERSHIP
I remember when this watch first came out I had just finished high school. I had a bit of a love for the Blue Angels prior to this time – I had sunk way too many hours than I’d like to admit into the Blue Angels Flight Simulator on the Amiga 500, and had subsequently made a scale model of a Blue Angels F-18 which I was very impressed with. So when I saw this watch being advertised with the awesome print ad that they used (see here), I just knew I had to have one. Problem being that it was an expensive watch and as noted above, I was a poor recent high school grad saving to go to university. But I promised myself that after graduating, I’d get myself one.
After graduating though, I had caught the travel bug and it took me another 7 years before I finally purchased the watch, and I’m really sorry it took me so long to do it. But I had one, and I was in love. It was everything I had dreamed it would be and more. Comfortable, with a solid feel to both the case and the bracelet, so many useful functions and just downright good looking (to me anyway) in a gorgeous colour.
Maintenance has been quite easy. My local watchmaker was able to replace the battery for me, and when the movement failed, Citizen Australia was able to provide a new movement (although it took nearly 3 months to get the watch back). At the same time the movement was replaced, the pushers and hands were also replaced. All up, I’ve spent about $250 maintaining the watch over a 10 year period.
One thing I really need to do is replace the crystal. It is only a mineral crystal, and to be honest, I didn’t realise how badly damaged it was until I took some macro shots of the watch for this page.
