Citizen Chronograph Automatic – Caliber 8110 – Day/Date, Inner Rotating Bezel – October 1970 - Original Steel Bracelet

The automatic chronograph was the technical challenge of 1969 – and Citizen was among the few houses worldwide that had its own answer to it. The Caliber 8110 is that answer, and it remains the movement for which Citizen is known among chronograph collectors to this day.

The Caliber 8110

While three consortia in Switzerland were working on the automatic chronograph and Seiko presented its Caliber 6139, Citizen developed its own construction with a column wheel and vertical clutch. This resulted in the 8110 family – an automatic chronograph with a day and date display, two totalizers, and an inner rotating bezel operated via the second crown.

For collectors, this series is sought after for a simple reason: it is an entirely proprietary development from an era when the automatic chronograph was the ultimate discipline – and it was built in manageable numbers. Anyone looking for a Japanese automatic chronograph from the 1970s today will end up with the Seiko 6139 or the Citizen 8110; there is nothing comparable below that.

The case back bears the engraving CITIZEN WATCH CO. · 4-901045 TA · 01001086 · GN-4-S · 67-9119 · JAPAN.

Design and Character

The anthracite dial has a strictly functional layout: the thirty-minute counter is at 6 o'clock, the twelve-hour counter at 12 o'clock, and the day-date window at 3 o'clock. The applied indices and hands are filled with bright luminous material, while the central chronograph hand and the sub-dial hands are finished in a bold orange – a color accent that distinguishes the timed duration from the current time at a glance and immediately places the dial in the 1970s.

The inner rotating bezel with minute scale can be adjusted via the crown at 10 o'clock, adding a second, independent timekeeping function to the chronograph. The two pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock control start, stop, and reset functions.

The case measures 37.5 mm excluding the crown, with a 43.7 mm lug-to-lug and 13.9 mm height – remarkably compact for an automatic chronograph. The watch comes on the original Citizen steel bracelet, which provides the solid, high-quality feel at a total weight of 99 grams that belongs to a chronograph of this class. Original bracelets for this series are much harder to find today than the watches themselves.

Regarding the case material: The case back is stainless steel, the upper part of the case is chrome-plated base metal – the case back engraving explicitly identifies this with "BASE METAL TOP · STAINLESS STEEL BACK." This construction was common for Japanese chronographs of those years. We mention it here explicitly so that the material specification is clear from the start.

Condition

According to the dealer tag, it has been freshly serviced. Crystal is flawless, dial undamaged, case with only a few signs of wear.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Citizen
• Model: Chronograph Automatic
• Caliber family: Citizen 8110
• Case reference: 4-901045 TA, GN-4-S, 67-9119
• Movement: Automatic chronograph
• Functions: Hour, minute, central second, chronograph with 30-minute and 12-hour counter, day, date, adjustable inner rotating bezel
• Case material: Upper part chrome-plated base metal, back stainless steel
• Diameter without crown: 37.5 mm
• Lug-to-lug: 43.7 mm
• Height: 13.9 mm
• Lug width: 18 mm
• Weight incl. bracelet: 99 g
• Serial number: 01001086
• Dating: October 1970
• Bracelet: Original Citizen steel bracelet
• Origin: Japan

For whom?

For chronograph collectors who are looking for the Japanese side of automatic chronograph history and want to place Citizen alongside Seiko. For everyone who wants a vintage chronograph with its original bracelet instead of having to go hunting for one. And for buyers who appreciate a compact chronograph under 38 millimeters.

Warranty (pre-owned)

This is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.

Note

As this is a pre-owned watch, water resistance cannot be guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.