It can happen that in your Citizen Ana Digi Temperature all the functions work properly but watch, despite the settings and sync with the official time begins to slow down or runs too fast !

This means that your watch requires minor adjustments within the Electronic Circuit Assembly itself. Fortunately, the Japanese manufacturer has foreseen this eventuality.

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The watch hides a certain regulatory element, or even two such elements. Inside the watch, the Silver Trimmer Condenser can be used to slow down or speed up the measured time.

What’s more, the Citizen watch also has a Gold Trimmer Condenser – but reserved for temperature measurement regulation.

Click to enlarge...
Click to enlarge…

* In older models of this watch with a Temperature Sensor located not directly on the glass but slightly lower – in the metal casing, as in my case, the Gold Trimmer Condenser will be visible only after removing the green casing of the device.

Click to enlarge… The watch after inserting the power cell and removing the green cover of the device with the Gold Trimmer capacitor exposed. Prepared for thermometer adjustment.

* If you feel that the Digital Thermometer in your “Citizen ANA DIGI TEMP” watch shows the Temperature incorrectly and you would like to fix it yourself – see Adjusting the Thermometer

Theoretically, Citizen Ana Digi Temp Watch shouldn’t go out of adjustment because it was pre-adjusted at the factory and it doesn’t have elements that are sensitive to the passage of time – except of course the battery.

Scale of Smallness – The miniature Trimmer Condenser.

Crystal quartz, Resistors, CPU, they do not age and does not change the characteristics but just as in my case it if your Citizen Watch is 40 year old someone could alter the adjustment…

CIMG1243. copy2In watch factories, such adjustments are made using specialized measuring equipment. These are precise devices that measure frequency – directly on the watch.

The miniature Quartz Crystal Oscillator.
The miniature Quartz Crystal Oscillator.
The frequency being measured is the frequency emanating from the watch’s quartz oscillator (or more precisely, from the electronic resonant circuit).
* This “electronic resonant circuit” is marked with a green frame in the photo below …
The Citizen's Ana Dig Temp Circuit Diagram witch marked Quartz Crystal Resonator and Two Control Points for the measurement of frequency.
The Citizen’s Ana Dig Temp Circuit Diagram witch marked Quartz Crystal Resonator and Two Control Points for the measurement of frequency.

In your Citizen watch, this frequency is exactly 32,768 Hz ( that is, neither more nor less, but exactly 32,768 cycles per second ).

Then the microprocessor in the watch and the special electronic frequency dividers it contains divides this frequency many, many times – thanks to which we can all later read it in a simple and clear way and interpret it as seconds, minutes and hours …

The correct measurement result at check points...32768 Hz.
The correct measurement result at check points…32768 Hz.

By turning The Silver Trimmer Condenser we can slightly decrease or increase the frequency of this oscillator. This means that our watch will run slower or faster for a few seconds over a period of one month !

CIMG9774. trimmers 2 b

According to Citizen Developers, the time accuracy of this Citizen watch is plus/minus 15 seconds per month at Normal Temperatures.

* It should be mentioned that this “Normal Temperature” for the watch is not the same as the “Room Temperature” for us, which we are used to, i.e. 22°C = 71,600°F. So what should we mean by “normal temperatures” for a watch ?

25.6°C / 77°F ( the Normal Temperature of the inside of a watch on a human wrist

The crystal planes and tuning of a clock crystal are designed by the manufacturers to operate best at 25°C and more precisely 25.6°C / 77°F ( the Normal Temperature of the inside of a watch on a human wrist ). * This means that max. inaccuracy is 0,5 second per day ! In fact, the accuracy may be even greater !!!

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* It is worth noting that traditional watches with coil springs measure the time with an accuracy of plus / minus 15 sec ( not per month ) but per day …

So the accuracy of our watch is about 30 times greater than the accuracy of a good spring-driven watch !!!

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Today it may not impress us, but remember that 40 years ago, almost no one except James Bond had mobile phones and computers – synchronized with Global Atomic Time

The average computer in 1981

The Citizen Ana Digi Temp for accuracy is at the forefront …

Even today, the best electronic watches (with hands or LCD displays) can only match Citizen watches in accuracy at best …

Each particular watch had to be carefully adjusted

Every watch, including the Citizen, had to undergo a time adjustment procedure before it was allowed for sale. Using the tools I mentioned, it only took a moment.

Why the Frequency of the Oscillator is so Important ? … Look at the picture below

Click to enlarge...Increased The Oscillator Ferquency of only about one Hertz - Our watch will speed up to ~2.6367 seconds. Conversely, a reduction in the frequency of one Hertz the watch will slow down by ~2.6367 seconds per day !
Click to enlarge … Increased The Oscillator Ferquency of only about one Hertz – Our watch will speed up to ~2.6367 seconds per day. Conversely, a reduction in the frequency of one Hertz the watch will slow down by ~2.6367 seconds per day !

But we don’t have such specialized equipment, so – we’ll do it another way, in their own way !

How to adjust the time ?

A way that really works !

1. Firstly open the watch  ( description of how open the watch Is posted on –  How to replace the battery ) * There are valuable tips useful when opening the watch !
2. Rotate slightly the silver trimmer condenser – e.g. using a small screwdriver. Depending on whether your watch slows down or speeds up – you rotate in the correct direction !!!

Clockwise turn – gains of time ( the watch runs faster ) … And vice versa –

Turning to the left slows down the time ( the watch runs slower ).

* If you are not sure – in which direction turn the trimmer or how big is the inaccuracy of your watch – the whole procedure start from step 3.

3. Synchronize the watch with a source of accurate time e.g from your computer clock or any internet clock. I often adjust watches according to International Atomic Time the best site at the moment.

The World Clock - Worldwide
The World Clock – Worldwide

To do this, you need to reset your watch – preferably to a full hour – for example 12:00:00 * (In fact, we are only interested in “seconds” – and that’s all.

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The important thing is that your Citizen’s digital seconds measurement and your computer’s digital seconds measurement /internet, both showed the same value at the same time!).

Note…The watch should be reset exactly when the second of the computer/internet clock changes from 59 to 00.
Synchronizing an electronic watch with another clock

After a few tries, you will surely be able to do it precisely.

How to Reset Seconds to Zero – and thus synchronize with the computer/internet clock – you,ll find on – How to set Time .

I often adjust watches according to International Atomic Time – available at this link ( also mobile ver ). * This is Highly Precise Time Scale that is Calculated using data from about 400 Atomic Clocks. The Time it takes a Cesium-133 atom at the ground state to oscillate exactly 9,192,631,770 times per second !!! ( the screenshot of this page you can see below ).

International Atomic Time
International Atomic Time – Screenshot

* The computer updates its clock from time to time via the Internet (you may not believe it, but if it weren’t for this fact, its accuracy would be much worse than our Citizen).

Internet time, in turn, is synchronized with the Global Atomic Clockwith an accuracy of 0.000.000.001 seconds per day.

4. Now it would be best to leave the watch for a month, but after just a week you will see the difference! This time is enough to adjust your Citizen’s watch.

5. So put your watch away – I advise you not to close it yet because you will almost certainly have to readjust it. The process of opening a watch always carries an element of risk, so why provoke fate ?

  • Instead, during the adjustment, you can use, for example, adhesive tape to prevent the mechanism from falling out of the case, and then put the watch case aside without closing it with the caseback.
  • It would also be a good idea to place the watch case in a small box for this time, i.e. for the whole week. This way you will protect the inside of the watch against possible damage and dust.

6. Notice that after just a week – looking at the computer or smartphone display and comparing it with the time measurement on the watch – you will notice a difference of even a fraction of a second! This accuracy is completely sufficient for everyday use of the watch. Of course, the smaller the difference, the better !

Synchronizing an electronic watch with another clock

7. If the watch shows a higher value than the Atomic Clock, i.e. it measures time too fast, turn the trimmer capacitor – a little backwards and repeat the procedure from step 3.
8. If you are satisfied with the accuracy of your watch, you can close it … That’s all 🙂

The “Citizen’s Watch Service” also predicted the Time Adjustment Procedure – named as Wrong Time Rate ( Second Frame from the Top Left – Diagram Below ). This graphic is based on the Original Service Diagram.

Damage Diagram and Procedure
Damage Diagram and Procedure ( Click to Enlarge )

You can look at the diagram out of curiosity. Please note that one of the reasons for incorrectly indicating the time is – watch out – a weak battery. It is also worth remembering.

Although the Watch has a built-in low battery indication – then The colon on the digital display screen flashes … However, it is worth remembering and taking this fact into account !

This specific function is described in more detail and illustrated on Power Cell Life Indicator.

Tips on what battery is best to buy – I described it more accurately on page – How to replace the Battery.

 

 

4 Replies to “Adjusting Time”

  1. Amazing! This blog looks great, my man! It’s totally cool, and that layout/design
    I finally know how to adjust my Citizen Watch.

    Excellent written, photos and illustrations!

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