Sicura Chronograph MG - A collection of serial numbers

Okay, this is nerdy. A collection of Sicura MG's where the unique serial number on the back can be seen. I have found these (updated March 2019):

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0029". The lowest number yet.

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0046"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0262" (My watch)

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0357"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0428"
(Sold at eBay auction June 2018 for 720 GBP)

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0528"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0584"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0602"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0675"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0683"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0768"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0814"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "0966"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "1172"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "1648"

Sicura MG Limited Edition - hard to see - but probably no. "1924"

Sicura MG Limited Edition "1932"

If you have a Sicura MG please leave a comment below with the serial number.

Read more about the Sicura MG here. And about the Sicura history here.

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Sicura Chronograph MG "Pilot"

In the Sicura brochure from 1975 this "Pilot" chronograph can be found:

Sicura "Pilot" fra eBay. Not the MG-version.

Also in 1975 British Leyland celebrated the 50th anniversary of MG with a special edition MGB GT. It was painted in british racing green with gold stripes. In total 750 Jubilee models were made. (Source).

To celebrate the anniversary MG approached Sicura and also had a special limited edition of the Sicura Pilot made. It has the MG logo on the dial. And on the backcase it says: MG, 50th Anniversary, CommemorativeWatch, 1925-1975 - together with a unique serial number on every watch. Read about the story of the Sicura brand here. And find a collection of MG serial numbers here.

My Sicura MG has the serial number 0262.

I bought mine for a very low 262 euros from a french seller on eBay. The watch has a very solid cushion case with a radial brushed finish on the upper surface. The dial has some fine details and a fine gold tone - maybe to match the gold stripes on the special edition MG. 

Sicura MG Valjoux - click on pictures to see them larger

Measurements:
Width w/o crown: 43,0 mm
Width with crown: 45,8 mm
Length: 45,1 mm
Depth: 13,4 mm
Lugs: 21,9 mm

The movement is a nice manual-wound Valjoux 7734. This is a higher quality and more expensive movement than what Sicura normally used. These Sicura MG watches seems to be selling for higher and higher prices on eBay. This is absolutely one of my favorite watches that gets a lot of wrist time. It has a very nice heft and still feels classy. Highly recommended.

Some photos borrowed from the Internet:

Sicura MG with the original bracelet. Source

Pictures showing the original box and papers:

"We certify that this watch has been manufactured entirely in our Factory by skilled watchmakers ..." Hmmm ... maybe a little bit exaggerated. The movement was bought from Valjoux.  

Letter to MG Car Club members that showed interest in the watch. The price was GBP 40.95 which is equivalent to GBP 330 in 2020. The letter is from Time Importers Ltd in London, the british importer of Sicura watches. Source 

Fun fact. It seems that MG in 1975 also made a commemorative watch with Le Jour, a brand commonly known as the brand under which French watchmaker Yema distributed watches to the US. So maybe this model was made only for the American market. It must be very rare and I have only seen this one specimen.

A Le Jour Chronograph with MG logo on the dial and engraving on the back: "Golden Anniversary commemorative watch 1925-1975" and the number 0005. Source 

CLICK HERE - AND READ THE STORY OF THE SICURA WATCH BRAND

The history of the Sicura watch brand

Sicura is one of the most important brands in the world of large, vintage and affordable watches.

Sicura originated from a company called "Joh. Gobber, Horlogerie" established in 1939. And then supposedly in 1951 the company was listed as "Sicura, Joh. Gobber" and finally the 2 May 1955 the company can be found in the Swiss Handelsregister as "Montres Sicura SA".

Ad from 1949 from Joh. Gobber with the Sicura brand on the watches.
Click to view this nice ad in hi-res. Source: eBay seller groovedetector1966

Watch ad from 1956 using the brand name Sicura

Sicura watch ad from 1959 promoting Sicura as "your specialist for calendar and bangle watches".

The company was owned by a Théodore Sfaellos and when he died in the beginning of the 1960s Sicura was taken over by his son-in-law Ernest Frédéric Schneider.

Ernest Schneider at his desk

Ernest Schneider - the godfather of Sicura watches in the 60s and 70s

Ernest Schneider was born in 1921 and thus was around 40 years old when he took over Sicura. He had been in the Swiss Army since the age of 20 and ended as an officer in the 10th Brigade. Ernest Schneider became the driving force behind Sicuras growth and a maker of affordable watches that followed the latest trends. The watch cases were often brass plated metal with standard pin-lever movements to keep production cost and prices low.

Ernest Schneider was a pilot himself (yes, this a newer picture were Ernest wears a Breitling cap)

Ernest Schneider, owner and CEO for Sicura and later Breitling 

Sicura watch ads from 1970 and 1971

Sicura coat-of-arms on the backcase.

Sicura ad from 1974. In the 70s Sicura popularized watches with "digital" displays and simple mechanical movements. 

Sicura watch brochure from 1975. Download as pdf here.
This is very important in documenting original Sicura watches.

What we know from this fantastic brochure is that Sicura SA in 1975 had four watch assembly factories, one case factory and one jewel factory, employed 450 people and produced more than 1 million watches per year. In 1975 almost all the watches in the brochure had mechanical movements and a few had electromechanical - no quartz yet.

These ads from 1977 shows that Sicura later produced watches with quartz movements and LCD displays. Sicura also introduced the "Stunt Watch" with "Sicura Quartz" which is said to be sold into the 80s.

Sicura ad from 1977 with quartz watches. Sicura also used the brand "Sikato" for their watches with LCD-display.

Sicura ad from 1977 with a solar powered quartz watch with LCD

As a consequence of the quartz crisis the watch company Breitling suspended operations in 1978, laidoff all workers and sold their assets to the highest bidders - Sinn bought completed / partially completed watches and Ollech & Wajs bought the machinery and unassembled parts. And in April 1979 Ernest Schneider from Sicura signed an agreement with Willy Breitling to buy the right to the names "Breitling" and "Navitimer".

I think Ernest Schneider with Sicura had been better than most to navigate through the turbulent times and the quartz crisis in the 70s. He was a master in adapting and deliver what the consumers wanted - inexpensive fashion watches - check, affordable watches with digital displays - check, large colorful divers with lots of functions - check, quartz watches - check. When he saw the opportunity to buy one of the old, well esteemed watch brands this was an opportunity not to be missed.

Ernest Schneider, owner and CEO for Sicura and later Breitling

Ernest Schneider introduced new models and breathed new life into Breitling with succes and during a few years the brand Sicura was phased out and Sicura became Breitling. At 29 Nov 1993 Montres Sicura AG officially changed its name to Breitling AG. Ernest Schneider continued as President for Breitling until his death in 2015 at the remarkable age of 94. Ernest' son Theodore Schneider today is the owner and undisputed leader of Breitling.

Ernest Schneider with daughter Valérie Reboul-Schneider and son-in-law Rémy Reboul in front of château d'Estoublon which Ernest bought and Válerie and Rémy has turned into a renowned producer of quality olive oil, wine etc. But that's a totally different story.

Thanks to these super sources:
www.fhs.ch/eng/2015_05_28_02_Breitling.html
www.lagruyere.ch/nachrufe/ernest-schneider.html
www.moneyhouse.ch/u/breitling_ag_CH-254.3.000.140-4.htm
breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=16070
www.welt.de/print/die_welt/vermischtes/article119338772/Sei-nur-zufrieden-mit-Perfektion.html
www.sometimeago.com/the-smaller-watch-brands-sicura/
forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?204623-1975-Sicura-brochure-Retrotastic!
thedigitalwatch.com/articles-ads-media/media-n-z/media-n-z-vintage/
www.sometimeago.com/the-smaller-watch-brands-sicura/
70swatchesgallery.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/sicura-squared-box-brochure/
www.breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23072

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Citizen compressor-style watches from the 70s

I have researched Citizen for some time. It seems they only made very few models in the 60s or 70s that had a watch case at 42 mm or larger. And these models are undeniably cool.

Citizen 51-1811 Diver and Aviator

Dial: Citizen Automatic 21 Jewels
Movement 8200A, introduced in 1975
Width: app. 42-43 mm
Length: app. 46 mm
Cushion-style case.
Two crowns and rotable internal bezel which gives the watch a resemblance to a large super compressor.

Examples of different color combinations which are supposed to be ok:

Vintagecitizenwatches.com calls this model for the aviator.

According to this discussion at Watchuseek some combinations of bezels and dials are more likely to be Frankenwatches. Please note that this is not confirmed. Coincidentally they are from the same eBay-seller... Examples:

I'll like to add this version as a possible Franken. It has "Custom V2 23 Jewels" on the dial. The 8200A movement has 21 jewels...

Citizen 61-5111

Dial: Citizen Water100Mproof Automatic 21 jewels
Movement
Width: app 42 mm
Super discussion here.

And a version with red dial:

The models with "Seven Star" on the dial seems to have the same large watch case. A blue:

And a silver dial:

Citizen 61-5773 Diver

Dial: Citizen Seven Star, Para100MWater, 23 jewels

  OR Citizen, Water100MProof, Automatic, 21 jewels

Width: app. 42 mm

Length: ?
Cushion-style case.

See pictures here: Sweephand

Citizen 68-0516 GMT Worldtimer

Dial: Citizen Automatic 21 Jewels
Movement 7450, introduced in 1971
Width: app. 42 mm
Length: app. 46 mm
Cushion-style case.
Great article here.

Two different color combinations:

Citizen 63-0314 Record Master

Width: app. 43 mm
Length: app. 45 mm
Black case.

The Spaceman and the Record Master side by side:

Citizen 67-9178 Spaceman Chronograph

Dial: Citizen Chronograph Automatic 23 Jewels
Movement 8110
Width: app. 42 mm
Length: app. 45 mm
Black case.

A black and a white dialed version:

At this link are Citizen catalogs from 1974, 1977 and 1979 but strangely not one mention one of the watches above.

Other vintage Citizens

All other vintage Citizens seems to be smaller than 42 mm.

Including 52-0110 diver (41 mm), 67-5172 Moon Dater (40 mm) and all Citizen bullheads.