Citizen 8110A Bullhead 1972
As the Automatic Chronograph Wars were unfolding in the late 1960s and early 1970s, another noteworthy development emerged from Japan. Citizen, one of Japan's leading watch manufacturers, was also working diligently on its own automatic chronograph movement. Their contribution to the arena was the highly-regarded Citizen 8110A movement.
The Citizen 8110A, introduced in 1972, was a high-beat movement, oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It was an automatic, flyback chronograph, capable of operating continuously. One of its distinct features was that it could be "flybacked" or reset without needing to stop the chronograph first, a feature common in pilot watches.
With the ability to measure up to 12 hours, a day-date complication, and a compact design, the 8110A was a complex and highly functional movement. Its twin register layout (with subdials at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions) gave the 8110A a unique and balanced look on the watch face. The movement was used in a wide range of Citizen's chronograph watches throughout the 1970s.
The introduction of the 8110A showed that Citizen was also a significant player in the Automatic Chronograph Wars. Although Seiko, with its 6139 movement, and the Swiss brands, might have been more in the limelight, Citizen's 8110A demonstrated the breadth of innovation happening across the industry during this period.
While not as globally recognized or as groundbreaking as the Swiss Calibre 11 or Zenith's El Primero, Citizen's 8110A was a highly respected movement, appreciated for its sophistication and performance. It is still sought after by vintage watch enthusiasts today.
I'm an ardent watch collector and historian, tracing the ebb and flow of time through the lens of horology. My fascination began with the intricate mechanisms that tick beneath each dial and has grown...
Looks fabulous. Every day is a school day!
Looks fabulous. Every day is a school day!
Thanks! I'm going to do more posts about Watch History on here. I have a lot of pieces that people don't really know are on the radar and comments like this makes me more inspired to continue. Tune in tomorrow!
With the Seiko powered cheap chrono's on the market you can get one for under $100.00 USD that is a quality time piece. Just the service on one of those mech chrono's start over $300.00. The Chinese 1963's are around $100.00 on sale at Ali.
With the Seiko powered cheap chrono's on the market you can get one for under $100.00 USD that is a quality time piece. Just the service on one of those mech chrono's start over $300.00. The Chinese 1963's are around $100.00 on sale at Ali.
No doubt, but this is an automatic chronograph with some serious heritage. It was a big deal and a sign of a real watch maker to do what Rolex couldn't do. Rolex ended up using the El Primero movement while this is an in-house automatic chronograph. Which to me is incredibly impressive. I bought this watch for about 450 USD, but the typical price for these goes for about 500-600
No doubt, but this is an automatic chronograph with some serious heritage. It was a big deal and a sign of a real watch maker to do what Rolex couldn't do. Rolex ended up using the El Primero movement while this is an in-house automatic chronograph. Which to me is incredibly impressive. I bought this watch for about 450 USD, but the typical price for these goes for about 500-600
the point is that you will pay for servicing it almost the purchase price.
the point is that you will pay for servicing it almost the purchase price.
I guess we have different views on collection. This piece can easily be replaced by perhaps a 1963 chronograph from China, but you can't find an Automatic Chronograph from China unless you buy a knock off 7750. The watches from China aren't serviced but thrown away once they stop working and frankly I haven't had a single reason to service this watch at its age it still keeps incredible time and is a great looker.
The advancements wouldn't have and cannot proceed if we buy watches to be disposable. The 1968 itself was a movement made originally by Venus Watch Co. And the Chinese purchases it in order to satisfy their military watches, that itself is a cool story but personally not as cool or mechanically impressive as an automatic chronograph day date, fly back. China is working it's way through the ranks for sure, but this post was about how cool this piece was, and it seems irrelevant to bring up at this point. Good on you for finding alternatives, however if you struggle with finding one of these online.
That’s a cool watch!
Great, educational post - thank you and looking forward to more 🤙❤️👌
So unique...gotta love them