Just done an update on the Chronographs reference page – I needed to make a couple of small corrections to the 67-9038 section, and add new images from a 1970s catalogue. The models in that catalogue, which I think was for the Australian market, shows slight variations.
Before going to the page, test your knowledge first 🙂 Can you spot what’s different between these two?
Find the answer on the page here: https://sweep-hand.org/citizens-vintage-chronographs/
I’m delighted to let you know that I have just uploaded a new page featuring more of the work of Master Watchmaker Brian Leiser. This time he is showing us restorations of early 1970s automatics – all members of Citizen’s big cat family 🙂
It promises to be a fascinating page to follow – if you already know Brian’s work, you’ll also know he doesn’t shirk at what to many may seem impossible challenges! The first instalment tells us that he will work on seven watches and introduces four of them – one of which, I am pleased to say, is my Leopard Highness which required some significant mechanical work to get back to a fully functional state.
This page will provide a great insight into Citizen’s craftsmanship and quality, and most of all, a window into the world of a great watchmaker. Although the page – ‘A Tale of Citizen’s Big Cat Family’ – is pinned to the Home Page, here’s a direct link: https://sweep-hand.org/a-tale-of-citizens-big-cat-family/
Further instalments will of course follow, so be sure to bookmark it and I welcome your comments 🙂
I’ve just added three new restorations carried out by Brian Leiser (aka 31 Jewels), to his Speedy (67-9313) Restoration page. It’s great to see the results of his very skillful work, especially on those examples that others might easily have given up on. Here’s the link:
https://sweep-hand.org/brians-8110a-restoration-the-speedy-67-9313/
The new ones are #10, #12 and #13
It’s been a long wait, but I’ve finally got hold of one of the second generation Rally Custom automatic models. This is a ‘Custom V2’, and uses the same case as the original Seven Star model, but it is somewhat rarer than it’s already fairly rare older sibling. Not much older though, since my Seven Star example is from 1969, and the V2 from 1970. The former uses the 5290 movement, running at 18,000 beats per hour whilst the latter has the 7290, running at 21,600 beats per hour. Otherwise the features are the same – both ‘hack’, i.e. the movement is stopped when the crown is pulled fully out to allow accurate time setting – and use the same dial and rotating ring designs although in different colour combinations. The V2 dial has lost the ‘Rally Custom’ mark, and is now a very deep blue – a rather beautiful colour in fact, which appears black at first glance but a dark blue hue catches the light and creates a stunning contrast with the silver details and red sweep hand.
There’ll be more about each of these in due course, but for now here they are together:
I’ve just uploaded a new page with a chart showing the production runs of Citizen’s second generation hand winders, i.e. from 1958 onward. It includes some of Citizen’s best known models, such as the Homer and Deluxe, but many others too. There’s a link in the header on the home page, and here’s a direct link:
https://sweep-hand.org/production-runs-citizens-2nd-generation-hand-winders/
It’s all well and good acquiring a nice, and rare, high end automatic:
….but what if it is no longer an automatic?! A completely worn out rotor thread left the rotor detached:
I am no watchmaker, so there’s nothing I could do about this; but I know a man who can 😉
This is a quick trailer for a post on how master watchmaker Brian Leiser (aka 31 jewels) fixed my Leopard Highness. Watch this space 🙂
Happy New Year to everyone, thanks for visiting and following my blog – I hope you have a peaceful and prosperous 2017.
Sweephand’s Vintage Citizen Watch Blog
