An early watch from the launch year of the Citizen Chrono Master – their Grand and King Seiko rival. Model reference H0DS2901-Y.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the serial number on the case back we can accurately date this watch to being made in September 1967.
CONDITION
Citizen and Seiko were, and are, great rivals. Normally where Seiko lead, Citizen followed, and that is the case here. With Seiko pushing the boundaries of quality with the Grand and King Seiko range, the Chrono Master was Citizen’s response. With enormous thanks to this article on The Sweephand, we can clearly establish that this watch is an early example – the unsigned crown and early model number (later they were reference 4-180194 as Citizen changed their system.). We can also see that everything is as it should be, down to not having the case number on the movement and the medallion on the case back – these can be lost and while this one has some damage it is at least there. The hand winding calibre 1870 movement is clean and working well, and the dial is very good too. The stainless steel case is also without any notable wear or damage. The thick crystal is quite noticeable but doesn’t have chips or scratches. Chrono Master watches are half the price of a vintage Grand Seiko, so represent good value – they are not half the watch. More recently there are JDM releases for some modern solar Citizen Chrono Master, which are quite highly rated – there is a nice video here about them. The leather strap is new, and could be swapped for a different colour if preferred.
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 38.1 mm
Width without crown 36.3mm
Between lugs 18 mm
Lug to lug length 43.2 mm
Case Thickness 11.5 mm
All sizes are approximate.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.