Slide Rule Bezel Watches... ? Nighthawk?

I have that Nighthawk and love it, despite it being too big for my particular wrist. It's really striking and the bold white against the black reminds me of a Speedmaster, ultra legible.

That said, I am terrible at math and have literally never used the complications. Just a cool looking dial and extra crown for me to futz with.

I agree, I think it looks fantastic and highly legible. Eco drive, GMT and 200m WR are also added bonuses. I have a 7inch wrist and thought it wore well on me. I've surprised myself as it should be "too busy" for me.

I've had mine going on 10 years now, and the only time I've ever used the slide rule bezel was the first day I got it and tried to do some multiplication. Since then, it's functioned as a fidget spinner at best lol.

The watch itself is amazing though. It was my first proper "enthusiast" watch, which is to say, the first time I spent what seemed like a lot of money (relatively) for a watch that felt special and significant. It'll always have a special place in my collection.

Sure, my Casio Edifice has an inner rotating bezel with a bunch of functions.

I'm like you though, in that generally I like a clean dial but for some reason on occasion I'm drawn to these busy dials too. Must be the STEM part of me. 😉

I find them virtually impossible to see clearly and even if I could it would be a pain to use in a round 42mm circular configuration.

Are slide rules even used anymore?

I went with the Skyhawk, I liked the colors better and easier for me to read. I normally wear it on my right wrist since the crown for the slide rule is on the left. I hardly use it, only when I'm in places where phones aren't allowed. People think you're a magician when they see you actually using it.

I know they're still used in certain parts of the military, like artillery units. They're expected to be able to continue fire missions without computers and such.

I do not have a slide rule nor do I know how to use one...but it's really cool!

I agree that this watch wears smaller than expected. I like mine a lot, but I've never used the computation complication (my interest was in the unique GMT setup). As someone who also usually wants an economical dial, I suspect this one remains readable because the small err... scale of the scales allows them to fade into the background when not in use.

Anyway, this is one of Citizens' more iconic designs and it's built to excellent standards for the price. It's a great intro to the brand!

Does anyone not a boomer know what a slide rule is? The last time I needed one was in the 80s

I don't use the slide rule, but think they look pretty cool on the Seiko Flightmasters and Hamilton X-Wind.

✅

I love my flight master! Took the time to learn the slide rule but quickly forgot how 😂

I have that watch, and I learned to use the slide rule bezel. Truth be told, I never found a real practical use for it, I figure if I have a feature on a watch, I should at least know how to use it. Both my parents are particle physicists, and I learned to use my father's slide rule when I was a kid. But even back in the 70s, the slide rule had gone the way of the dodo.

I don’t own this model but I do own several citizens and I’m confident you will love this watch if you get it.

I love Slide Rules and have a few. The coolest for functionality by far, is the Breitling B1. Followed closely by the Navi.

IMHO. Great looking piece you have.

I looked at one for a bit as I agree its crazy dial looks awesome, and would be a conversation starter I am sure!

One of the best and most underrated uses of a slide rule is converting currency when you're overseas. I have the Navitimer GMT B04 (48mm).

When I'm overseas the GMT gives me the time back home and the slide rule helps me make sure I keep my expenses within the company travel policy.

When I'm home, the GMT is set to the last place I traveled to, or the next place I'm going. Right now it's on London and the GMT is set to convert £ to $.

The white slide rule contrasting with the black dial also makes it faster/easier to read when I am using the bezel.

Very functional. I like it

I have done a lot of comparisons between the Nighthawk and Flightmaster

It's quite impractical to do calculations on the Nighthawk because you have to turn the crown so much, but I have used it a lot to convert from US gallons to liters when I refuel my plane. The fuel pump shows liters but the fuel is calculated in USG on the plane. You fill roughly the same amount of fuel each time, so you only need to make small adjustments on the dial to get the right number 😀

It just looks cool 😎

I just looked at the bezel again. It's not all that precise. When I do a unit conversion, it's off by a tick. Also, it's really hard to see. I have take off my glasses, and even so, finding and seeing the markers takes a lot of squinting and hunting. I can't imagine fiddling with with it in a dark, shaky cockpit trying to make it out.

Thanks for having a look and letting me know your thoughts 👍

Got the same, however I have no idea how to use the bezel🙄.

Me neither! 😜

I bought one of the Navihawks years ago for my nephew and I can tell you it is as tough as nails. He abuses and abuses it and it is not only still alive, but looking decent from a normal distance. Close up of course you can see it has had a life.

These days I much prefer the Navihawk A-T over the original for both style and functionality. I made a friend of mine pick one and I am pleased to say it is also tough as nails and looks great while getting abused.

I got married in that watch. Still runs great… almost 15 years later. Fun to show my nephews how to use the slide rule. Love it! And the bracelet, for that price point is amazing.

Similar situation, my slide-rule-understanding husband has enjoyed a slide rule Citizen as his only watch for the last year.

Wish Citizen had a bit more of a fan following because it is surprisingly difficult to keep track of all the different Promaster models! Needing a slide rule barely narrows down the field at all. We ended up going with this 2023 release for a couple reasons:

• After experimenting at some department stores, an external bezel was strongly preferred.

• Really liked the brass colourway. The faux-tactical look of many Promasters was a personal turnoff.

• The ana-digi layout allows for a lot of features while keeping the dial relatively uncluttered. I can't believe I'm calling this watch "relatively uncluttered".

Some of the digital features are a little odd: the countdown timer is hard to set, it's kind of inelegant to see the second panel always reading "HOM" for Home if you're not tracking a second time zone, and I don't think he gets any use out of the 24-hour UTC subdial. But, the feature richness and the slide rule (which we use more than once a month!!) has made it the perfect daily driver for a guy with big wrists.

Thanks for sharing your info. Interesting.