Vintage 1974 Citizen Cosmotron Electronic 7804A Hi-Beat JDM Watch – Teal Sunburst Gradient Dial & Original Bracelet

Citizen electro-mechanical wristwatch

MADE IN JAPAN

The Citizen Legacy: A Pioneer of Precision
Founded in 1918, Citizen is now one of the largest watch and movement groups in the world. The Japanese brand is known for its highly accurate and reliable Eco-Drive solar-powered watches. The Citizen group owns Bulova, Alpina, Frederique Constant, and Arnold & Son, as well as movement manufacturers Miyota and La Joux-Perret.

🕰️ A Revolution in Horological History: The Citizen Cosmotron Series

Before quartz took full control of the watch market, a brilliant, short-lived era of horology birthed the hybrid electromechanical watch. The Citizen Cosmotron was Citizen’s most technically advanced analogue watch of the period. Combining a conventional balance wheel with a battery-powered transistorized circuit in place of a mainspring and escapement, this series delivered a genuinely smooth second-hand sweep at a true high-beat frequency.

Description

This JDM Citizen Cosmotron features a well-preserved teal-to-silver dual-tone sunburst gradient dial that shifts under lighting. Housed in a sharp, angular stainless steel case, it retains its original steel link bracelet with fitted end links and a Citizen-stamped clasp.

At its core runs the advanced Caliber 7804A hi-beat movement operating at 36,000 beats per hour. This model features Citizen’s distinctive gravity-actuated quickset mechanism: when holding the watch upright (12 o’clock high), pushing the crown instantly advances the date; flip the watch upside down (6 o’clock high) and push the crown to rapidly advance the Kanji/English day wheel.

Technical Details

• Brand: Citizen

• Model: Cosmotron Electronic

• Reference Number: 4-790138 Y

• Movement Caliber: 7804A (Electronically controlled balance motor)

• Jewels: 8 Jewels

• Frequency: 36,000 bph (Hi-Beat)

• Case Size: Approx. 38 mm (excluding crown)

• Lug-to-Lug: Approx. 41 mm

• Lug Width: 18 mm

• Case Material: Stainless Steel

• Bracelet Material: Original Stainless Steel

• Calendar: Day/Date window at 3 o’clock (Dual Language Kanji/English)

• Quickset Function: Gravity-based push-crown system (12 up for Date, 6 up for Day)

• Country of Manufacture: Japan

This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.

Comes complete with original steel bracelet*.

(*)Note: Stock bracelets are often shortened by previous owners and may not fit you(see bracelet size in the product images). We match the strap to this watch’s lug width, so there is nothing for you to measure — just pick a padded leather strap for Citizen from the options at the top of the page.

Why Collectors Seek the Cosmotron Today

• The Missing Link of Horology: Collectors highly prize the Cosmotron because it represents the short-lived, fascinating transition era between pure mechanical movements and the quartz revolution. It delivers the mechanical soul of a beating balance wheel paired with electronic battery power.

• The Mesmerizing 36,000 BPH Sweep: Unlike modern quartz watches that tick once per second, the caliber 7804A runs at 10 beats per second (36,000 vph). That is the same frequency as the hi-beat mechanical watches of the era, and it gives the second hand the same smooth, fluid sweep.

• The Ingenious “Gravity” Quickset: The movement features one of the most quirky and inventive complications in watchmaking history. Pushing the crown with 12 o’clock facing up changes the date, while flipping the watch upside down with 6 o’clock facing up and pushing the crown changes the day.

• Pure JDM Aesthetic: Featuring a bilingual English/Kanji day wheel, these watches were primarily intended for the Japanese Domestic Market. Cosmotrons turn up regularly, but a clean example on its original bracelet with an unfaded gradient dial is worth holding out for.

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We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.

The Spirit of Innovation: The Citizen Legacy
Founded in 1918 with the mission of creating timepieces that are “Citizens” of the world, the Citizen Watch Company has spent over a century redefining the boundaries of horology. From its origins as the Shokosha Watch Research Institute, the brand has remained steadfast in its philosophy: “Better Starts Now.” This belief—that it is always possible to make something better—transformed a local Japanese workshop into a global powerhouse of precision and craft. By controlling the entire manufacturing process in-house, from the individual components to the final assembly, Citizen ensures an uncompromising standard of quality that few manufacturers on earth can match.
What truly sets Citizen apart is its relentless pursuit of pioneering technology paired with environmental consciousness. The brand made history by introducing the world’s first light-powered watch, the Eco-Drive, which eliminated the need for battery replacements and forever changed the industry’s approach to sustainability. Beyond its eco-friendly milestones, Citizen’s history is decorated with “world firsts,” including the first professional diving watch with an electronic depth sensor and the most accurate satellite-synchronized timekeeping systems. When you wear a Citizen, you aren’t just wearing a watch; you are wearing a piece of history engineered for the future.
Why Choose Citizen?

• In-House Manufacturing: Citizen designs and builds its own movements — its Miyota calibers are among the most widely used in the world.
• Built to Last: Citizen engineered its 1960s–70s calibers to be serviced rather than discarded, which is why so many are still keeping good time today.
• Heritage of Firsts: The first light-powered analogue watch (1976, the technology that became Eco-Drive), the first dive watch with an electronic depth sensor, and satellite-synchronised timekeeping.