Citizen calibre 2100 price1/14/2024 ![]() Japanese Domestic Market 7L22s: Brightz SAGE007, Ignition SBHV003 and Prospex SBDV003Ĭomparisons: Cal 2100 vs Seiko’s 7L22 Kinetic International market 7L22s: Arctura SNL009P, Sportura SNL017P and Premier SNL042P The most expensive 7L22 models are the ones from the Brightz range while the least expensive are from the Arctura lineup. The 7L22 caliber became quite successful in terms of sales that Seiko also included the 7L22 models into their Sportura, Ignition and Premier range of watches. Meanwhile for the home Japan market, Seiko also introduced the 7L22 into its domestic Prospex and Brightz lineups. Seiko debuted the 7L22 with their Arctura SNL001P model in early 2003 for the international market with high profile advertising and promotion.Ībove: An early Seiko ad for the 7L22 based SNL001P and the actual watch (right) For a further detailed explanation of the 7L22’s dial design, read this excellent article written by “Tempus Fugitive" in the GMT+9 watch blog. The 7L22 also carried forward the unorthodox design elements from the 9T82 but with the perpetual seconds housed in its own subdial. The 7L22 movement is also produced in Japan but unlike the 9T82, it is not individually hand assembled. This new movement borrowed the power generation unit from their existing 5M62 Kinetic caliber and its geartrain was taken from the proven 7N-series quartz caliber. Thus the more affordable 7L22 caliber was born. Instead of designing a caliber totally from scratch, Seiko’s designers decided to use components from their existing calibers to save design and manufacturing costs. Their engineers were faced with a daunting challenge to come up with a completely new caliber at he lowest possible design and production cost. Seiko, always at the forefront of watchmaking technology also experimented with hybrid mechanical chronograph movements.įollowing their triumphant engineering excellence with their inaugural Kinetic chronograph, the very expensive Seiko 9T82 caliber, Seiko decided to make a mainstream Kinetic chronograph caliber for the masses without the cost and complexity of the 9T82 caliber. The Promaster AV-series chronographs are probably the most widely recognized Cal 2100 models and there are specific variants made for the U.S., Japan, Europe and Asian markets.Ĭitizen spent a lot on advertising to push their Cal 2100 models into the market and touted them as the In other words, with the Cal 2100 you have a watch that is as accurate as a quartz but with the feel of an automatic chronograph. Timekeeping is still quartz but operation of the stopwatch is done by mechanical means, just like an automatic chronograph. Instead of employing conventional electronically controlled chronograph mechanisms used in conventional quartz chronos, the 2100’s stopwatch is mechanically actuated. The Caliber 2100 is indeed Citizen’s breakthrough chronograph movement. Two Citizen E2100 chronographs side-by-side: the CTZ66-0471 “Bullhead" (left) and an AV0037-55 (right). On the opposite scale, Citizen produces high end quartz calibers for their Chronomaster models (also dubbed “The Citizen"), which is a high accuracy, thermocompensated quartz watch and complicated quartz movements for their exotic Campanola line. Citizen also has a sub-brand under the name “Q&Q" which are very low cost quartz watches targeted to mostly Asian and Middle Eastern markets. The company also makes low, medium and high grade quartz movements through its Citizen Miyota manufacturing facility. Most of their automatic movements are found in their NY-series diver’s watches and some of, their Oxy sub-brand watches. □Ĭitizen has been concentrating on their Eco Drive range of watches and it looks like they have not only perfected their solar powered watch technology, they are also producing more and more models based on their Eco Drive movements.Īlthough Citizen still makes automatic watches it appears that (unlike Seiko) they’re not interested in pushing their automatic movements into the high end range bracket. Let’s examine the merits and demerits of both animals. The most glaring difference between the Cal 2100 and the 7L22 is that the former is solar powered while the latter is a motion powered movement. These two hybrid calibers are also mainstream calibers and both companies have manufactured numerous models based on them. Why am I comparing these two movements? Well, for starters they are both quartz-controlled watches with unique, mechanically actuated chronograph functions. ![]() Being an owner of both the Citizen Promaster Eco Drive E2100 and Seiko Sportura 7L22 Kinetic chronograph, I thought a comparison between these two distinct yet similarly featured movements would make an interesting subject. ![]()
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