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Citizen Promaster AV0106-01L Bullhead Chronograph Watch - Limited Edition - W38448
Ref. AV0106-01L
Sits in Citizen’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Citizen watches we list, which start at £199.
Price range £199 to £1,145 across 42 Citizen watches in stock.The original Citizen Bullhead of 1973 was built around the demands of motorsport timing: pushers and crown clustered at twelve o'clock so a driver's gloved hand could operate the chronograph without the crown digging into the wrist. This limited edition — one of 4,973 pieces — revives that configuration directly, and the dial makes the reference explicit. Sub-dials are arranged like dashboard instruments, the power reserve reads as a fuel gauge, and red racing accents run through a blue face that would not look out of place on a period rally car. The bullhead layout does something useful at 45mm: because the crown sits at the top rather than the side, the case runs shorter between lugs than a conventional chronograph of the same diameter, and there is nothing protruding to catch on a cuff. At 15.5mm the profile is substantial, but the watch sits against the wrist rather than away from it. The E210 movement underneath is hand-assembled and carries a reputation for a chronograph action that feels more mechanical than the quartz underneath it — the pusher engagement is crisp and the flyback motion smooth rather than stepped. The perforated leather strap with blue accent stitching connects the wrist feel to the dial's motorsport register, and the deployant clasp releases on twin push-buttons for a clean one-handed operation.
- Reference
- AV0106-01L
- Brand
- Citizen
- Collection
- Promaster
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 15.5mm
- Lug width
- 12mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Solar
- Calibre
- E210
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter, Alarm, Solar powered
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Learn more about Citizen
The Shokosha Watch Research Institute began in Tokyo in 1918, and the Citizen name was given to its first pocket watch in 1924 by the then mayor of Tokyo, Shinpei Goto, who wanted a watch that would be available to ordinary citizens rather than only the wealthy. The company formally took the name in 1930.
That founding intention has held. Citizen is the largest watch manufacturer in the world by volume and is fully vertically integrated, making its own movements, cases, and electronic components.
Its most significant technology is Eco-Drive, introduced in 1976 and refined over decades. A photovoltaic cell beneath the dial converts any light — including indoor light — into stored energy, so the watch never needs a battery change. Citizen has sold well over a hundred million Eco-Drive watches, and the environmental argument is substantial: hundreds of millions of cells not discarded.
The company also produced the first analogue quartz watch with a titanium case in 1970, the first professional dive watch with an electronic depth sensor, and the Caliber 0100, an Eco-Drive movement accurate to within one second a year — the most accurate independent watch movement ever put into production.
Citizen owns Bulova, Frederique Constant, Alpina, and the movement manufacturer Miyota, whose calibres power a large share of the affordable mechanical watch market worldwide.
- 1918
- The Shokosha Watch Research Institute is founded.
- 1924
- The Citizen name is given to its first pocket watch.
- 1976
- Eco-Drive light-powered technology is introduced.
- 2018
- The Caliber 0100 achieves accuracy of one second a year.
Manufacturer’s guarantee
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Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It charges from light, and the cell behind that is designed to last a decade or more.
What size strap does it take?
12mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both F.Hinds and Goldsmiths list it at £895, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
Who are F.Hinds?
F.Hinds has been run by the same family since 1856 and is now in its fifth generation, with more than 115 shops across England and Wales. They are a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council and an Authorised Diamond Dealer.
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