Category Archives: Vintage Watches

Jet Family Tree Published!

Posted on June 20, 2012 by sweephand

I’ve finally been able to complete a family tree for the Jet Auto Daters – after lengthy and patient searching I was able to get hold of definitive reference material. Interestingly the group incudes a hand winding model – essentially … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Featured Watch #35 – Custom V2 ‘Blackie’, 4-721331

Posted on June 17, 2012 by sweephand

Citizen pioneered the use of black coated cases in the early 1970s, producing a range of watches known as the  ‘Custom V2’. Last week I featured the alarm model, and in week 25 I presented my first automatic ‘Blackie’ https://sweep-hand.org/2012/03/07/this-weeks-featured-watch-25-the-custom-v2-blackie/ … Continue reading →

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Jet Family Tree On The Way!

Posted on June 16, 2012 by sweephand

I’ve finally been able to get definitive information on the ‘Jet’ group of automatic movements produced in the early to mid-1960s 🙂  This was one family tree I had been struggling with since I didn’t quite have enough reference material, … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Featured Watch #34 – The Custom V2 Alarm Date

Posted on June 8, 2012 by sweephand

Citizen made two versions of a hand winding alarm watch, both using a Swiss design which was later used by the Russian maker Poljot. The first type was launched in 1958 using the 9800 movement with 17 or 21 jewels, … Continue reading →

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36000 beats per hour in action

Posted on June 7, 2012 by sweephand

Following my previous post about the Highness, here’s a one minute movie to show what the sweep of the second hand looks like when running at 36000 beats per hour / 10 beats per second: http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk252/Sweephand/Highness/?action=view&current=MVI_0538.mp4 And this is what … Continue reading →

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Citizen’s version of the Snow Leopard?

Posted on June 3, 2012 by sweephand

Although Citizen’s range of ‘Leopard’ high-beat watches is probably fairly well known, there were one or two higher end versions in the line which are much less often spotted (!). Like the Snow Leopard in the animal kingdom, they are … Continue reading →

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Some Great 8110a Restoration Work!

Posted on May 26, 2012 by sweephand

If you’re interested in Citizen’s fine 8110a flyback chronograph there’s a very informative thread on the Watchuseek forum showing some excellent work by ’31jewels’, who is a master watch repairer. He shows in detail the restoration and servicing work he’s … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Featured Watch #33 – The Cosmotron GX

Posted on May 21, 2012 by sweephand

In 1969 Citizen’s electro-mechanical watches, introduced in 1966, became known as ‘Cosmotrons’. The technology in these combined new printed circuitry and a battery with a relatively conventional balance and hairspring. But one Cosmotron was an exception to this convention – … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Featured Watch #32 – the Crystal Date 17j

Posted on May 10, 2012 by sweephand

When the well known Crystal Seven series was launched in 1965, using the ’52’ base caliber, a number of other models were also produced with variants of this movement. I’ve covered two of them in previous ‘Featured Watch’ posts – … Continue reading →

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Citizen’s Jet Automatic Movement

Posted on May 1, 2012 by sweephand

I’ve added a new page focusing on what is a unique feature of Citizen’s vintage automatics from the early 1960s – the ‘Jet’ movement. With its circular geared rotor this was Citizen’s standard caliber for its automatics in the early … Continue reading →

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