Citizen made higher end versions of some their mainstream models, designating them ‘super’ with enhanced finish/features and more factory adjustment for greater accuracy. My last ‘Featured Watch’ was such a model, the Super version of the Crystal Date. This week I feature a super variant of Citizen’s first really successful watch – the Deluxe.

The hand-winding Deluxe was launched in 1958, with movement 2B/9200 and was Citizen’s first watch to achieve sales of over ¥100million. In the same year the Super Deluxe (https://sweep-hand.org/2011/05/09/this-weeks-featured-watch-3/) was also launched. Some years later, in 1965, Citizen added a further version to the Super Deluxe, using an enhanced version of the Homer 1810 movement, which added a date complication, and was designated 1850, 1851 & 1860. So, if you compare the movement shots you’ll see this later model uses a different design of movement rather than the original 9200 as seen in the Super Deluxe.

The case and dial is typical of the mid to late 1960s designs, and of course 3 applied stars are added to the dial to indicate the ‘super’ quality level. This model only came with 25 jewels as far as I know:

The case back is what I call the transitional type with the later style of general markings but the earlier model/case number of HODS2802 – production was in July 1967:

And here we see the upgraded finish on the movement of this Super version, with the immediately recognisable ‘Homer’ architecture. The movement also has ‘hacking’ or ‘second setting’, i.e. the watch s stopped when the crown is pulled out to set the time, allowing precise time setting :

This example is running perfectly, with no adjustment needed after over a week’s wear. Very nice 🙂

This date version is relatively scarce and well worth getting hold of if you can – a nice quality hand winder that is probably not far off its Chrono Master sibling using the same movement (designated 1870 in the Chrono Master). The dial, hands and markers look pretty well the same too. You could argue the Super Deluxe is better since it has the gold plated movement, not found in any of the Chrono Masters….