That’s Enough for Divers, Here’s Something for Drivers….

Posted on December 4, 2012 by sweephand

In  the late 1960s / early 1970s Citizen produced a number of sports models besides the divers – watches designed for soccer referees, yacht helms….and rally drivers – well co-drivers I should think 🙂

Most of them were automatics in the Seven Star (52xx movements) and the later Custom V2 (72xx movement) lines. The models for drivers are known as the ‘Rally Custom’, which feature an inner rotating ring so that calculations can be made to determine speed and elapsed time. This is the Seven Star version:

Citizen also produced a Rally Custom version of their first chronograph model – the hand winding Record Master (57xx movement), again with an inner rotating wheel for calculations, but also featuring a fixed outer tachymeter:

That’s it for now, more to follow when these two take their places in the ‘Featured Watches’ slot.

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Vintage Diver Page Published!

Posted on November 21, 2012 by sweephand

I’ve now uploaded my article on Citizen’s divers, from the 1960s to 1980. I hope it’s useful – I’ve not seen this information brought together in this way anywhere else.

As I say at the beginning of the article, if you see one of your images in there let me know, so I can acknowledge it properly or remove it if required.

And if you have additional information I would love to hear from you – this is still work in progress so it can be developed and improved over time.

Quick link: https://sweep-hand.org/citizens-vintage-divers-1962-to-1980/

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Divers Page is Finally on its Way

Posted on November 21, 2012 by sweephand

After a long delay, I’ve now managed to get on with a new page dedicated to Citizen’s vintage divers. Just need to organise and upload the images, so I should be able to publish it later this week…

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This Week’s Featured Watch #43 – The 62-6198 150m Diver

Posted on November 13, 2012 by sweephand

In the late 1960s / early 1970s, Citizen produced several 150 meter rated divers using different movements up to and including the 8200. All the models, and their earlier and much rarer ones, will be covered in a special article soon, so for now here’s one example – i.e.  the one I have! – the 62-6198. Note the red date wheel which is original to this model:

The back shows production in 1975, so this is probably one of the last to be made as the 8200 came into production:

The screw down crown is large and easy to use – the movement is hand wind-able as well:

The 6000 movements are automatics, running at 21,600 beats per hour – the 6001 is the date only version (the day/date version is the 6501). The 21 jewel version is used in this diver:

The movement number is under the balance:

The first image shows the original bezel – these have now been reproduced to the original specification, so here’s what it looks like with one fitted. Note also that the letters of the Citizen logo are separately applied:

Here’s an example of a typical applied logo, this is on a 6501 dress watch:

 

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Want An Original Citizen Bullhead? – A Quick Buying Guide

Posted on November 8, 2012 by sweephand

I’ve added a page about buying a vintage Citizen ‘bullhead’, correctly called the Challenge Timer.

I’ve seen a lot of Challenge Timers on auction sites – well, on eBay – which have been re-furbished and often have after market dials. So to provide a bit of advice and information to help potential buyers, the new page provides key information as a guide to buying, especially if originality is what you’re after.

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Chronograph Article Update – Another Walter Wolf Special

Posted on November 4, 2012 by sweephand

The only ‘special’ version of the 8110A models that I now about was designed for the Walter Wolf Formula 1 racing team. Besides the unique design of case, dial and hands, it is also notable for the case material – titanium – and was one of the earliest watches to use it, following Citizen’s world first titanium watch in the form of a Cosmotron (see here: https://sweep-hand.org/2011/05/25/japanese-auctions/)

I’ve had an image of a black cased version, but only recently found a pic of the back of such a model showing an appropriate case material code on the back, along with the case number / model number – 8110-901240. Here’s the dial:

And the case back:

So this can now go in the Chronograph Article….

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Automatic Chronographs Article Updated

Posted on October 27, 2012 by sweephand

A small addition made tonight to the Challenge Timer section (aka ‘Bullhead) – the ‘standard’ 67-9011 with silver dial and black sub-dials has two case numbers. I’m not sure at the moment why this is so, but I’ve seen authentic case backs, both marked 67-9011, with the following numbers:

4-901177 and (now added) 4-901053

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The Week’s Featured Watch #42 – The Master

Posted on October 24, 2012 by sweephand

The ‘Newmaster’ model is quite often seen for sale on the auction sites, usually based on the Homer hand winding movement, and dating from the early 1970s. But a model which immediately preceded that is much rarer – the Master. First produced in 1959, using the 910 movement also seen in the Junior, it was made only with 19 jewels and seems to have been replaced by the Newmaster only a year later. No doubt this accounts for the relative rarity of this model – it was the last of the ‘center second’ line as new models and a wider range came to the market at the end of the 1950s.

Typical of its day, this example is gold plated, with a simple design, and marked with the model name and the phynox (spring alloy) and para shock logos:

The snap on back, with the old style model / case number and no serial number:

No serial number inside the back either, but it is marked so has been serviced I suppose (could be the Showa date – December 47 – which equates to 1972):

The 19 jewel 910 movement, marked as having ‘3 adjustments’ indicating it was more than just a basic time piece:

Finally, the main dial logo logo – a font style unique to this model I believe:

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52 Crystal Seven / Seven Star Family Tree Updated

Posted on October 16, 2012 by sweephand

Just uploaded V2 of the 52xx Family Tree. Only a minor revision, but I’ve added the ‘Superking’ to the 5270 movement box. This was an export model, with a name probably given to watches using more than one movement, including a ‘Jet’ rotored version (yet to really confirm that though).

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A Little Movie – Jet and Standard Automatic Movements

Posted on October 15, 2012 by sweephand

Citizen’s main automatic movement in the early 1960s was their ‘Jet’ circular geared rotor design. This was replaced from around the mid-1960s with the more familiar swinging weight rotor. So here’s a little video which shows the two side by side:

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk252/Sweephand/?action=view&current=20121003170746.mp4

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