A hand-wound chronograph with a three-hand structure. The dial features delicate detailing, especially in the 1/5 minute track area. The case is composed of sharp lines, giving a clean impression.
A beautiful, sharp slope runs from the tip of the case lugs to the sides.
The twelve grooved indexes have a sharp, unadorned shape. Combined with highly legible Arabic numerals and the delicate 1/5 minute track, these elements are packed in to ensure accurate time measurement.
The crown and push buttons have a simple, completely unadorned shape.
A clean side view. Even with a fully polished finish, the surface quality remains visually appealing. The back of the case features a reverse-arc chamfer, likely to reduce the perceived thickness from the side and to give a lighter impression.
A screw-down waterproof case back is used. The push buttons are of the crab-eye type, making them easy to press like a stopwatch.
The hands are dauphine-shaped with a mountain-cut design. The slender tips of the minute and second hands reach all the way to the minute track, ensuring excellent legibility for measurement.
ENGINEER'S EYE
Vertical Clutch
CITIZEN’s first chronograph. It is remarkable that a vertical clutch system was already adopted as early as 1967. In the traditional horizontal-clutch design, the fourth wheel and the chronograph seconds wheel are arranged separately, and start/stop is controlled by engaging and disengaging an intermediate wheel. In contrast, the vertical clutch design places the fourth wheel and the chronograph seconds wheel on the same axis and incorporates a clutch mechanism that connects or disconnects the two.
The greatest advantage is that a chronograph can be realized with only minor modifications to a basic three-hand structure movement. By isolating only the portion of the center-located fourth wheel’s axis and adding a heart cam and clutch mechanism to it, there is no need to change the positions of the gears.
Observing the components, the finish on the side surface of the column wheel where the lever slides is extremely smooth. This appears to use a special pressing technique, which leads to a light and pleasant push button feel. From design through component quality, this movement fully demonstrates CITIZEN’s true capabilities.