Uh-oh! More Cosmotrons.

(All images may be increased in size by clicking on them)

PURPLE FACE
Well, just one Cosmo wasn't enough - I saw two more which attracted my attention and their cost fell right within the price-range which I have allowed myself for this hobby.

 

This first one is distinguished by its mauve/purple dial which has an almost iridescent effect, changing shade slightly as it is tilted towards or away from the light. I find it very appealing and very similar to a Seiko Advan I have - also from the early 1970s - although the intensity of the colour on this Cosmotron is not as strong as that on its Japanese cousin.

Apart from the colour the dial and hands are rather simple, consisting of thin silver batons for the hour indices and hour & minute hands of matching colour and width. The sweep second hand is also a simple silver sliver (how's that for a catchy phrase?!).

At the top of the dial, under the '12' baton, are displayed the CITIZEN name in silver relief letters under which is the word ELECTRONIC in tiny white-printed lettering.
At the bottom, above the '6' baton, is the Cosmotron logo, in silver relief, and the word COSMOTRON printed immediately above in white.

The '3' position is taken up by the combined day/date display, with the day showing in both Kanji and English.

The crown is recessed at the '4' position, easily popped out by a fingernail when time or date needs adjustment.

The whole watch is set in a stainless-steel case with bracelet of matching material, the design featuring broad rectangular folded links in a satin finish, all secured by a clasp signed CITIZEN and the Cosmotron logo.
Case is 37mm across x 42mm top-to-bottom and the dial face is 29mm in diameter.

The overall condition of this Cosmo is excellent; it appears to have hardly been worn or, if done so on a regular basis, then it has been well cared-for.

It runs perfectly, keeping very accurate time. I have never adjusted it since it arrived (July) other than to initially set the time and date.

ORANGE FACE
SOLD March 2013
This is the third "safety watch" that I own!
You may recall the two Seiko items that I recently featured here. Well, Citizen made an orange-dialled Cosmotron several years before Seiko produced those quartz items.

This Cosmo has a cool name to go with its brash face - 'X8'!
And the '8' is a stylised 'X', so looks like the 'X' laying on its side. Fab move, Citizen!

So at the top of the dial we have 'CITIZEN' in the same raised silver characters as the purple watch (above) but under that wording is the 'X8' instead of 'Electronic'.
At the bottom is the special Cosmotron logo, just the same as the other watch, with 'COSMOTRON' printed above it, but now there is the word 'TRANSISTORIZED' underneath.

The hour indices are also really neat items, consisting of chunky rectangles of alternating silver/black stripes and featuring a bevelled surface on the inside face.The hour and minute hands are styled in a similar manner as the indices, made of a silver material with black striping along the length - 2 stripes for the hour hand and 1 stripe for the minute hand.
The sweep second hand is finished in overall white.
Around the circumference of the dial face is a register of a lighter orange and it is marked with 1-minute segments, a bolder mark at every 5-minutes.

At the '3' position sits a date-only window and the crown, like its sibling, is located at the '4' position, although in this case, although recessed, it is not shrouded from above by the case overhang.

The bracelet on this watch is made of solid stainless-steel links in a "tank track" style, tapering slightly from maximum width at the lugs to a tad narrower at the clasp, which is signed 'CITIZEN' but without any reference to the type of watch to which it is attached.

Dimensions overall are about the same as the first of these two, but the dial is slightly larger at 31mm in diameter.

This Cosmotron - which, incidentally, came with the original Citizen cardboard tag - keeps excellent time and has also not required adjustment since purchase in July (from a vendor in Spain).

So there you have them - two 40-year old transistorised timepieces, each with a bright face and both capable of providing colourful and cool time-keeping.

Brand-new Citizen Cosmotron - 41 Years Later!

(All photos enlarge full-size when you click on them) 
SOLD March 2013

This is the story of a mint-condition, never-been-worn, Citizen Cosmotron X8 that first saw the light of day in 1970 - 41 years ago.

The Cosmotron was Citizen's response to Seiko's Elnix electronic watch - and remember (if you've seen the article I have here about the Elnix) that these designs pre-dated the quartz electronic movement - also developed by Seiko.

The Cosmotron, like its neighbour, was fitted with a conventional balance-wheel but was powered via an electrical circuit and, in this case, one that was transistorised, as Citizen told the world at the bottom of the dial.

I found this watch on Ebay.
It was advertised as mint, complete with its original tags and the only new item was a battery that the vendor had fitted.

 

One of the tags displayed the original price - 19,800 Yen  in 1970.
I did a conversion and that equates to $242 dollars at today's rate of exchange so forty-one years ago that was a lot of money.
Oddly enough - almost eerie, in fact - that was within 63 cents of what I paid for this watch just two weeks ago. Including postage from Japan it cost me $242.63.  As I said - weird.

I was tempted to just store this watch away with my collection and then I thought, bugger that......I wear my watches and this one should be no exception.
So the tags and instructions were removed and popped into a spare Citizen watch-case I had, the X8 was given a polish with a microfibre cloth and now sits on my wrist, to be worn to the office when I feel like it, rotating its usage with the others.

The solid-link bracelet is a work of art in itself - one of the nicest bracelets I've seen on any Japanese watch and certainly equal to anything Seiko produced in that style.

When not being worn this will sit on display next to its contemporary, the Seiko Elnix, and they can chatter away to each other.

After all, they have all the time in the world to do so.

A Trio of Accutrons

The Bulova Accutron "Tuning Fork" watch (thus the logo seen on the dials of the watches shown below) was developed in the early 1960's and had, like its electronic competitors from Seiko, Citizen and others, been surpassed by quartz technology by the end of the 1970's.

Bulova watches were extremely popular in the United States, being worn by corporate executives, movie stars, politicians and many high-profile celebrities. They were also that country's most popular "30-year" watch, thousands being presented to those entering retirement after a lifetime of company service.

The Accutrons shown here cover the period in which they were produced, with the oldest being manufactured in 1965, the second in 1970 and the youngest in 1976.

This model, from 1976, has a stainless-steel case and backplate, with a silvery dial, indices and hands.
It sports the original Bulova sharkskin watchband complete with signed buckle.
The watch is in excellent shape and keeps accurate time.
Like all "tuning-fork" electronic movements, it has a high-pitched hum, which can be clearly heard when held to the ear and is unlike the sound made by any other type of electronic movement.


SOLD April 2015
This beautiful gold (10k gold-filled) Accutron was manufactured in 1970 and is in superb original condition. It is set off by the integral mesh bracelet, complete with original signed clasp.
The creamy textured dial is unmarked and the hands and indices are perfect.
A beautiful watch in anybody's language.

Finally, from 1965 comes another gold-filled (14k) item, this one being a 30-year presentation gift to a gentleman who retired from "C&M" in 1969 after many years of loyal and faithful service.

Once again, it is in original configuration, with the exception of the after-market lizard-skin watchband. The case, dial, hands and indices are all in wonderful condition after more than 40 years and the watch hums along beautifully.

I really like the Accutron models, not just for their interesting technology but also because they were a stylish watch, a very elegant accessory.
Even today they do not look out of place peeking out from under the cuff of a business shirt.

First of the Electronics - Seiko's Elnix SG

SOLD APRIL 2015

I was attracted to this watch by its quite beautiful crystal, with nine facets, and the striking emerald-green dial. The way that the crystal captures the light is quite lovely.

I soon learned that the Elnix was part of Seiko's venture into the world of electronic watch movements.
Not quartz; that technology was just around the corner.
These watches still used a balance-wheel and should not be confused with quartz-controlled movements or Bulova's Accutron "tuning fork" technology.

The Elnix featured here - manufactured in June 1975 - is 99% original, including (as mentioned above) the faceted crystal and also its stainless-steel bracelet made up of solid, toothed links. (The 1% non-originality is the battery - it has a new one fitted.)
The case is in very good condition and only displays natural wear marks of its 34-year life. It is undamaged.

The watch keeps time quite accurately, losing about one minute in twenty-four hours, but as I have not yet had it serviced since acquiring it, some inaccuracy is to be expected.
When held up to the ear, a high-speed metallic "chatter" can be heard - the unique signature tune of the Seiko movement.

A beautiful and technically-interesting watch that was bypassed very quickly by the quartz movement.

For more information on electronic/electric watches, see http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/