CITIZEN Seven Star ref. APSS 52904-Y cal.5270 / 1960s Automatic Diver

— Citizen's answer to the Seiko 5 —

The Citizen Seven Star appeared in the late 1960s, when Japanese watchmaking was breaking onto the world stage. It is said to have been created to meet the hugely popular Seiko 5 series head-on.

With its black dial and rotating inner bezel, this is one of the more sporting pieces in the Seven Star line.

Half a century on, the design still has a strength that gives nothing away to contemporary watches.

The Citizen Seven Star, a symbol of Japan's 1960s watchmaking surge. A sporting diver's look built on a black dial and inner bezel. In-house Cal.5270 with "PARA 100M WATER" on the dial and a black-finished rotor. A 43mm case and burnt lume carry the sheer force of Citizen at its peak.

— Built as a diver's watch —

Crown guards and a rotating bezel give the watch its diver's character. The "PARA 100M WATER" text on the dial is the detail that tells you this model was designed around real-world use.

— A black in-house movement —

The movement is Citizen's own automatic Cal.5270. With 23 jewels, it continues to run steadily.

The rotor is finished in black — a visual signature, and a sign of how much the engineers of the day cared.

— A big case that still sits well —

The 43mm stainless case has presence, yet settles naturally even on a Japanese wrist.

Polished and satin surfaces are used against each other along the case lines, and the years have given them a particular quality; the thoroughly burnt indexes speak for the period.