krogerfoot
·Up for sale is another Citizen Homer “Second Setting” watch, a model issued to Japan National Railway workers in the 1960s and 1970s. They have a hacking movement and the year of issue and the train line they were issued for stamped on the back. The bygone pre-privatization National Railway divisions stamped on vintage Homer Second Setting models makes them a lot of fun to research where on the map the watch put in its service.
This particular watch was issued in 1969 to the Tokyo Southern Railway division, which administered lines running between Tokyo and Shizuoka prefecture, including much of the present-day Tōkaidō line, Yokohama line, and the Yokosuka line. The stamp on the back reads:
昭 44 (shō 44, abbreviation for Year 44 of the Shōwa Era, or 1969)
腕 90 (ude 90, “arm 90,” presumably the 90th 腕時計 udedokei wristwatch issued that year)
東南鉄 (tōnantetsu, abbreviation for 東京南鉄道管理局, tōkyō minami tetsudō kanrikyoku, Tokyo Southern Railway Management Bureau)
I believe these watches were issued to station employees rather than engineers. Train drivers, even today, carry massive pocketwatches that slot into a wooden holder on the control panel. The name “Homer” might be based on hōmu, “-form,” or station platform. The English “-er,” rendered ā in Japanese, is broadly appended to loanwords like hōmu regardless of whether it makes sense in English (e.g., a guy who drinks a lot is dorankā, a “drunker”). So, the model name seems to evoke the watch’s intended use by “platformists” rather than train personnel. (Citizen made other lines of “Homer” watches that have no apparent connection to trains, so who knows.) “Second Setting” likely refers to the hacking mechanism, which freezes the second hand while setting the time.
This watch has no service marks; it runs a little fast but better than others I’ve had. The 36mm case on this example is the sharpest I’ve seen, with signs of use and a few dings. The crown has a few dings. The numbers and script on the dial are crisp, with one small break in the printing of the n in “Second.” The dial itself is free of discoloration or unevenness; I haven’t polished the crystal, which makes the dial hard to photograph close up. The lume on the hands and indices, which often turns minty green, has remained a very pale yellow.
You get a lot of watch for your money with these Citizen Homers. My price is $259 net to me, including shipping and insurance from Japan. Please check the photos carefully; no returns unless grossly misrepresented. My references, they are below.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-an-amazing-seller.168945/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-perfect-seller.165946/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-wonderful-seller.162509/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/excellent-purchase-from-krogerfoot.151603/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-seller-krogerfoot.152343/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-great-seller.149917/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-standup-guy.157198/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-transaction-with-krogerfoot.145970/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/welldeservedrest-is-an-excellent-buyer.144761/#post-1974479
https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/show/rating?userID=grace_5330
This particular watch was issued in 1969 to the Tokyo Southern Railway division, which administered lines running between Tokyo and Shizuoka prefecture, including much of the present-day Tōkaidō line, Yokohama line, and the Yokosuka line. The stamp on the back reads:
昭 44 (shō 44, abbreviation for Year 44 of the Shōwa Era, or 1969)
腕 90 (ude 90, “arm 90,” presumably the 90th 腕時計 udedokei wristwatch issued that year)
東南鉄 (tōnantetsu, abbreviation for 東京南鉄道管理局, tōkyō minami tetsudō kanrikyoku, Tokyo Southern Railway Management Bureau)
I believe these watches were issued to station employees rather than engineers. Train drivers, even today, carry massive pocketwatches that slot into a wooden holder on the control panel. The name “Homer” might be based on hōmu, “-form,” or station platform. The English “-er,” rendered ā in Japanese, is broadly appended to loanwords like hōmu regardless of whether it makes sense in English (e.g., a guy who drinks a lot is dorankā, a “drunker”). So, the model name seems to evoke the watch’s intended use by “platformists” rather than train personnel. (Citizen made other lines of “Homer” watches that have no apparent connection to trains, so who knows.) “Second Setting” likely refers to the hacking mechanism, which freezes the second hand while setting the time.
This watch has no service marks; it runs a little fast but better than others I’ve had. The 36mm case on this example is the sharpest I’ve seen, with signs of use and a few dings. The crown has a few dings. The numbers and script on the dial are crisp, with one small break in the printing of the n in “Second.” The dial itself is free of discoloration or unevenness; I haven’t polished the crystal, which makes the dial hard to photograph close up. The lume on the hands and indices, which often turns minty green, has remained a very pale yellow.
You get a lot of watch for your money with these Citizen Homers. My price is $259 net to me, including shipping and insurance from Japan. Please check the photos carefully; no returns unless grossly misrepresented. My references, they are below.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-an-amazing-seller.168945/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-perfect-seller.165946/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-wonderful-seller.162509/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/excellent-purchase-from-krogerfoot.151603/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-seller-krogerfoot.152343/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-great-seller.149917/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/krogerfoot-is-a-standup-guy.157198/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/great-transaction-with-krogerfoot.145970/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/welldeservedrest-is-an-excellent-buyer.144761/#post-1974479
https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/show/rating?userID=grace_5330