Description
A 1970 vintage Citizen Cosmotron X8 Transistorized ref. 4-480082TAn on a new black suede leather strap. Features the classic Citizen Cosmotron electronic movement and an original 'CTZ'-signed crown. Measures 37 mm in diameter with an 18 mm lug width. This model, being from 1970, features the Cal. 4840 that has an 18,000 bph rate and was the first Cosmotron to feature the date function! We offer a flat rate for shipping on every order and 30-day free returns. We also offer a 2-month mechanical warranty for every purchase. All prices are in CAD.
Citizen Cosmotron History
The Citizen Cosmotron goes back to the late 1960s when Citizen launched their own and Japan's first electronic watch. 1966 was the precise year of the first Citizen Cosmotron, which came equipped with the Citizen Cal. 0801/2 - an 18,000 bph movement. This first Cosmotron had "X8 Electric Watch" on the dial, which was upgraded to "X8 Chrono Master" in 1969. A chronometer grade Cosmotron was also produced in 1969 and was the among the first titanium timepieces. Ultimately the Citizen Cosmotron line was relatively short-lived, barely lasting until the late 1970s. Today it is highly collectible and one of the few widely known vintage Citizen models.
Citizen History
Citizen was founded in 1918, as Shokosha Watch Research Institute by Kamekichi Yamazaki. Yamazaki lead Yamazaki Shoten, a metals company focused on watches, and was Chief Secretary of the Tokyo Commercial and Industrial Timepiece Cooperative. The current Citizen was founded in 1930 by Kamekichi Yamazaki, Yosaburo Nakajima, and Ryoichi Suzuki. The two other men having worked in the watch industry previously, Nakajima became Citizen’s first President and Suzuki became its first plant manager. The name 'Citizen' came from Tokyo’s Mayor at the time, Count Shinpei Goto, who was a friend of Yamazaki’s. He named their first watch 'Citizen', as a symbol of his wish to make it a widely worn timepiece.
Citizen's first timepiece was actually released before Citizen was formed, in 1924, when they were still the Watch Research Institute. They produced a timepiece which used the Citizen Caliber 16 and was allegedly first given to the Emperor as a gift.
In 1931, Citizen released its first wristwatch, the Model F, which had a production run of 26 years, lasting until 1957. The Model F was followed by Citizen’s first women’s wristwatch, the Model K, in 1935. The 1950s saw the company release the first Japanese calendar watch, the Citizen Calendar, released in 1952. Citizen kept their innovative streak up throughout the 1950s, releasing an alarm and shock-resistant watch, but more notably, Japan’s first waterproof timepiece in 1959. This went further in the 1960s with the Citizen Cosmotron in 1966.