News · Citizen

Citizen Marks 50 Years of Eco-Drive With Two PROMASTERs

A radio-controlled Skyhawk and retro Tsuno Chrono bring separate light-powered approaches to Citizen's latest 50th-anniversary release.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 4 min read · 2 September 2026

• Citizen's anniversary Skyhawk combines radio control, world time and a 1/100-second chronograph in a plated 45.7mm steel case and bracelet.
• The 44.5mm Tsuno Chrono uses Eco-Drive calibre E210, a dark green dial and an analogue 12-hour chronograph with gold-coloured accents.
• September releases are limited to 5,200 and 5,000 pieces, with current US list prices of US$995 and US$1,350 for the two models.

Citizen announced two PROMASTER Eco-Drive 50th Anniversary models on 1 September 2026, pairing gold-coloured details with contrasting finishes. The Skyhawk JY8144-50E is a radio-controlled ana-digi pilot watch with a black dial, while the Tsuno Chrono AV0104-06W uses a dark green dial, silver-tone steel case and brown leather strap.

The pair marks 50 years since Citizen released its first light-powered analogue watch in 1976. Both use Eco-Drive movements, both are limited worldwide, and both are scheduled for release during September. They share the anniversary brief without pretending to be the same watch.

Citizen's global announcement supplied projected US prices, while the brand's live US product pages now show current list prices. The technical details are unusually comprehensive, but the company notes that availability, product codes and specifications can vary by market.

The shared colour treatment makes the pair look more closely related than their functions suggest. Gold-coloured plating marks the anniversary, while the black Skyhawk dial and green Tsuno dial split towards aviation density on one side and retro chronograph symmetry on the other.

Skyhawk JY8144-50E

The Skyhawk is the denser of the two. Its 45.7mm stainless-steel case is 13.8mm thick and receives black-coloured and light-gold-coloured plating. A matching plated steel bracelet, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating and 20-bar water resistance complete the external package.

Calibre U680 combines analogue hands with digital displays. It can receive radio time signals, show world time and manage a perpetual calendar, power-reserve indication and LED. The chronograph measures to 1/100 of a second for up to 24 hours, while a slide-rule scale adds the visual and functional language of an aviation watch.

Without radio reception, Citizen rates accuracy at plus or minus 15 seconds per month. Eco-Drive can run for 3.5 years on a full charge when power-save mode is used. Recycled material is included in selected dial components, and luminous hands and indices support low-light reading.

The Skyhawk is limited to 5,200 pieces worldwide. Its gold tone is not solid gold: the official specification identifies a stainless-steel case and band with black and light-gold-coloured plating. That distinction is important on a watch whose colour is central to the anniversary treatment.

At 45.7mm, the Skyhawk is the larger model by diameter, though its 13.8mm thickness is lower than the Tsuno's. The combination display fills the available space with practical information, so buyers should expect a cockpit-like dial rather than the open layout of a conventional three-hander.

Its radio function also depends on compatible signal coverage. Citizen specifies the watch's independent monthly accuracy for periods without reception, which gives owners a clear fallback rather than making the model's timekeeping entirely dependent on synchronisation.

Tsuno Chrono AV0104-06W

The Tsuno Chrono takes a more mechanical-looking route while remaining light powered. Its 44.5mm stainless-steel case is 15.3mm thick, with partial yellow-gold-coloured plating, a dark green dial and brown leather strap. A spherical sapphire crystal sits above the dial, and water resistance is again rated to 20 bar.

Citizen's E210 calibre drives an analogue 1/5-second chronograph that can time up to 12 hours. The company highlights an instant-return-to-zero action for the chronograph hands. Accuracy is rated to plus or minus 15 seconds per month, and the movement can run for eight months from a full charge.

The name comes from the pushers positioned high on the case, which give the watch its horned, or tsuno, silhouette. Citizen says the design takes cues from classic cars of the period when its first light-powered analogue watch appeared. The dark green, brown and gold-coloured palette makes that reference clear without copying a specific dashboard.

The Tsuno Chrono is limited to 5,000 pieces worldwide. Like the Skyhawk, it uses recycled material for selected dial components and luminous material on the hands and indices. It is the less digitally complex watch of the pair, smaller in diameter but 1.5mm thicker.

The leather strap gives the Tsuno a warmer, more period-specific finish than the Skyhawk's plated bracelet. It also leaves the pair with different wearing propositions: one is a feature-heavy steel aviation watch, the other a tall analogue chronograph framed by green and brown.

Pricing and availability

Citizen schedules both models for September 2026. The brand's current US product pages list the Skyhawk JY8144-50E at US$995 and the Tsuno Chrono AV0104-06W at US$1,350. These are US list prices, not converted Australian figures. Citizen has not published confirmed Australian pricing or allocation in the global announcement.

The two-watch release works because it shows separate sides of Eco-Drive. One applies light power to radio control, world time and a dense ana-digi display. The other uses it for a retro analogue chronograph with instant hand return. Buyers are choosing between different instruments, not merely two anniversary colours.

Neither model treats light power as a background specification. Their long stated running times and contrasting chronograph systems show why the technology can support watches with very different demands. The anniversary theme is strongest in that breadth, not in the gold-coloured plating alone.