Reply With QuoteBravo! Another great find and great post.
I picked up this watch recently.
Sellers Photos.
He described the watch as ‘junk because it was not working correctly and the crystal was pretty well scratched up.
“There are scratches, dirt, etc. on the entire surface. Especially large scratches on the glass are noticeable.
Currently not in operation.
The word SET is displayed, but it does not respond when the button is pressed. If you press the button at the bottom right, only the menu needle will move.
Since the above status / other operations have not been confirmed, it will be treated as junk.”
The watch is pretty rare, it is the Citizen C300-Q01717 Promaster Navihawk Blue Impulse. I really like the look of the watch and because the watch was going cheaply I decided to take a risk and purchase it. I thought that it possibly just needed an ‘all reset’ and/or new battery to get it running again, these Citizen modules are pretty robust. I wasn’t too worried about the crystal scratches as I have polished these out many times before on watches. Crucially, the rest of the watch looked in very good shape, very little wear on the bezel etc. If the bezel is worn and scratched there is nothing you can do.
So I got the watch. On receipt the watch was indeed not working but I just did the ‘all reset’ procedure and the watch sprang to life. I set all the hands to their reference positions and it was working perfectly, didn’t even need a new battery. I then set to work on the crystal and managed to transform that. On close examination under strong light there are still a few marks but I will get rid of them next time I do a polishing session.
So here is the watch now.
The watch celebrates the Japanese Defence Force Aerial Display Team, the Blue Impulse, with the teams logo on the dial and caseback. Citizen seem to be fond of these aerial display teams collaborations, having done them with several, Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows etc. I find the blue bezel and the blue in the dial contrast nicely with the white dial.
The C300 modules have a 24 hour dial, a UTC dial and show world time on the main LCD display. it is easy to switch main time and world time with a push of a button. They have a 24 hour chronograph and 60 minute timer. They come with three alarms as well. The smaller LCD displays tells you the functions of the buttons in the various modes.
If the hands are covering the LCD’s, you can temporarily move them out of the way by a long press of a button.
Citizen refined and improved the usability of the watches in later modules of the iconic Navihawk and Skyhawk series but they lost the ability to move the hands out of the way of the LCD’s.
It doesn’t have a light, like the later models, so you have to rely on the lume, blue on the dial and green on the hands.
So I am very pleased with how this worked out, I have got a very attractive and pretty rare thing for not a lot of money and with the satisfaction of having rescued it from its pretty sorry state.
Here it is with a ‘Thunderbirds’ C300.
Some wrist shots.
Mitch
Bravo! Another great find and great post.
Great pick up and rescue, well done!
Excellent post, great work.
Good rescue!
A picture of the current Blue Impulse team, taken in May last year as they flew over my house:
They may be making another appearance for some sporting event opening later this month...
TT
Nice save, are you going to get the full set?
Great read, thanks. Nice that it worked out so well with no hidden issues lurking.
Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei
Good rescue!
A picture of the current Blue Impulse team, taken in May last year as they flew over my house:
They may be making another appearance for some sporting event opening later this month...
TT
Great photo.
Mitch
Love the look of that! Well done.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Love the story behind this - great to see your risk paid off and you have a lovely watch as a result. Good work.
I have four of these aerial team collaborations I think there are six but I am not actively chasing the others.
Mitch
great work Mitch, that looks really cool!
Which ones have you got and which are you missing?
I have the Blue Impulse, Thunderbirds, Blue Angels and Snowbird. I don't have the Red Arrows and the Smoke Squadron.
Mitch
Nice story and pics. This is a bad pic of mine - it's in desperate need of some work. It's the oldest watch I own.
Don’t be coy … how much ?
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
Well, after buying in Japan, paying fees etc over there, then paying for international shipping and custom charges, the total came to sixty quid.
Mitch
What platform do you buy from? Seems like there are some really interesting watches in japan that don't appear often in europe.
I caught them practicing overhead in Tokyo today...
I think we can see what they might be aiming for...
TT
Love this. So well described I feel as if I got the bargain!
Sent from my CLT-L09 using TZ-UK mobile app
Interesting thread and not a watch I was aware of, great save from the junk pile
I mainly buy from Yahoo Japan auctions but I occasionally buy from other places over there.
Mitch
Thanks, thats a rabbit hole I've just fallen in to.
Excellent watch and well done for rescuing it from the scrap heap! Sad to think how many get chucked for need of a reset or new battery.
I was previously unaware of this series, but that Blue Impulse is a stunner!
Posting Permissions
