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Citizen Red Arrows NB6048-53E Promaster Automatic GMT Watch - Limited Edition - W38374
Ref. NB6048-53E
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.Released to mark the 60th display season of the RAF Red Arrows, this is one of 4,999 examples made globally — a hard ceiling that gives the edition genuine scarcity rather than the soft kind. The Red Arrows connection is not decorative: the Diamond Nine formation is engraved on the caseback, the GMT hand is tipped in the team's signature red, and the official insignia sits on the sunray dial. The calibre 9054 is the detail that separates this from a commemorative watch that happens to tell the time. It is a true flyer's GMT, meaning the local hour hand can be nudged forward or backward in one-hour steps without stopping the watch or disturbing the running seconds — the correct way to handle a time-zone change in flight, and still relatively rare in an automatic movement. At 12.7mm thick for a 45mm case with 200m resistance, the proportions are more restrained than the specification might suggest; it wears closer to the wrist than a diving watch of equivalent rating. The slide-rule bezel, operated by a secondary crown at eight o'clock rather than the crown position, keeps the main crown clear and reduces the chance of accidental adjustment. Magnetic resistance to 16,000 A/m and a 50-hour reserve complete what is essentially a working pilot's brief.
- Reference
- NB6048-53E
- Brand
- Citizen
- Collection
- Promaster
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 12.7mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 9054
- Functions
- GMT, Date
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
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
Your new watch
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 is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. 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
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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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