# What are your thoughts on the Citizen Campanola line?



## thodgins

I saw some up close pics of one and it was absolutely gorgeous. I read a great article about Citizen and how much precision goes into these Campanola watches.

I really like the complications they put into these watches. Also, from what I read they are hand assembled and they use only top quality materials.

I really like this one.










The article eluded to the fact that these are a level above the Eco Drive Calibre watches.

Any info and thoughts would be much appreciated.


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## NormanF

thodgins said:


> I saw some up close pics of one and it was absolutely gorgeous. I read a great article about Citizen and how much precision goes into these Campanola watches.
> 
> I really like the complications they put into these watches. Also, from what I read they are hand assembled and they use only top quality materials.
> 
> I really like this one.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The article eluded to the fact that these are a level above the Eco Drive Calibre watches.
> 
> Any info and thoughts would be much appreciated.


Its a beautiful watch and expensive for quartz - plus, its a Japan-only model that can only be obtained from a store in San Francisco, from 21 Jewels in Singapore and Higuchi San in Japan. The price is $1,500 to $2,000. A similar mechanical watch would set you back a few hundred grand. If you want it - I'd say its worth the money for a grand complication watch although you can get a Shellman grand complication watch in the same price range.


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## thodgins

I had read that Shellman watches were really good. Is that correct?? I know they have a history making quartz complications. Any info on Shellman would be great.


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## NormanF

thodgins said:


> I had read that Shellman watches were really good. Is that correct?? I know they have a history making quartz complications. Any info on Shellman would be great.


Yes, they are. A Japanese watch-maker and their premier watch is the Shellman Grand Complication:








You can learn more at the company's home page, which has an online store:

http://www.shellman.com


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## BruceS

They're beautiful watches! I'm sure Mr. Reding has some thoughts as he owns at least one 
Cheers,
Bruce


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## ronalddheld

They are well made and look more expensive then you would expect from a quartz watch.
For me, I cannot read the small dials easily and the dial layout does not really appeal to me, short of the Cosmosign. None are TC AFAIK.


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## Bruce Reding

BruceS said:


> They're beautiful watches! I'm sure Mr. Reding has some thoughts as he owns at least one
> Cheers,
> Bruce


Actually, I don't own one. I have heard they're exquisite, though, and have been tempted, especially by the Cosmosign.

It turns out that the Shellman movements are made by Citizen. Shellman does the cases and dials, though. I don't know how these compare with the Campagnolas.


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## BruceS

Bruce Reding said:


> Actually, I don't own one. I have heard they're exquisite, though, and have been tempted, especially by the Cosmosign.
> 
> It turns out that the Shellman movements are made by Citizen. Shellman does the cases and dials, though. I don't know how these compare with the Campagnolas.


 I thought I had read that you had a couple of them Bruce. My mistake! I remember showing my wife the Campagnola site once and nearly had to order her one!! She's almost as bad as I am :-D

Hey I just hit 1000 posts with this one!!


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## thodgins

1000 posts..Congrats:-!


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## thodgins

The Shellman looks great with the Roman numerals. Very classic look.

Thank you all for your thoughts.


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## BruceS

Thanks Todd! Who knows what it would've been if I hadn't had to re-register after the big crash. Of course, we all could say that 
Cheers,
Bruce


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## roba

*I saw some new ones today...*

Spectacular. The lighting in the shop wasn't great so these are really Q&D quality. This is one of the new Eco Drive ones, it's very substantial and has a real air of quality about it - a stunning piece.


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## thodgins

*Re: I saw some new ones today...*

Absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for the pics. Wow.


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## BruceS

Awesome piece Roba :-!


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## Gerry.GEG

*Love the looks and high quality of mine...*

nt.


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## Bruce Reding

*Re: Love the looks and high quality of mine...*

I've always loved the dial design of that one. Intriguing both because of the unusual elements and the 3D nature of it. :-!


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## sshark

*Re: I saw some new ones today...*



roba said:


> Spectacular. The lighting in the shop wasn't great so these are really Q&D quality. This is one of the new Eco Drive ones, it's very substantial and has a real air of quality about it - a stunning piece.


What a nice looking piece B-) Do you know what is the watch model no and how much does it cost? Thanks.


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## roba

*Re: I saw some new ones today...*



sshark said:


> What a nice looking piece B-) Do you know what is the watch model no and how much does it cost? Thanks.


It's a CTY57-1071 and RRP is JPY470 000. There's a limited release black PVD version at JPY 500 000 (ex. tax).


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## kamerawerx

I also admire these. And to think, some day you could tell your grandchildren you once spent a half a million on a watch! 

Maybe twice!

Regards

P.S. - you don't have to tell them it was Yen.


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## Mitchell69

Hey Campanola is now in the US! I found mine at Vinca Jewlers in Kansas City! Same 5 yr warranty and the US service center works on them! It is a beautiful watch!


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## ronalddheld

Is this just a few stores or US wide?


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## darbyflier

That CTY57-1071 is one of the most attractive watches I have seen. And I was in love with my calibre 2100. I have never owned a watch over hundreds of dollars, but I would definatley go for that one if I could ever save enough (maybe after the kids get through school LOL).


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## elite

*Re: I saw some new ones today...*

what model is this, i really like it!!!!

anywhere I can take a look or get a price?

thanks - I know this is an old post 



roba said:


> Spectacular. The lighting in the shop wasn't great so these are really Q&D quality. This is one of the new Eco Drive ones, it's very substantial and has a real air of quality about it - a stunning piece.


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## DW-5600E

Here's another nice one:

https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=45487&highlight=blue


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## BMB

I was on my way to by a Raymond Weil Parsifal and stopped in a local Rogers and Holland jewelry store just to look around on my way to buy the Parsifal elsewhere.

After much deliberation, I bought a Citizen Exceed Campanola Grand Complication. It's complexity is at the extreme other end of the scale from Weil's elegant simplicity. Maybe I'm schizophrenic but I love both of these watches but can only affort one.

I bought the Campanola AH4030-51A. I have pictures of both watches but can't seem to insert them. If someone can advise me on how to include the pictures (jpgs) I'd be happy to do it.

I am experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse because:

I think I got a very good deal on the Campanola (paid $2,200, list is $3,200) I could buy the Parsifal for about $700 less.
My eyesight is getting worse for reading and the date on the Campanola is difficult for me to read.
I think the watch is worth the price but in the end it is a Citizen which doesn't carry the same cache as a Raymond Weil.
But the Campenola is so D*MN pretty! Help! I think I'm going to by the Raymond Weil so I can keep my options open. Any advise is welcome. Regards, BMB


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## dwjquest

BMB said:


> I was on my way to by a Raymond Weil Parsifal and stopped in a local Rogers and Holland jewelry store just to look around on my way to buy the Parsifal elsewhere.
> 
> After much deliberation, I bought a Citizen Exceed Campanola Grand Complication. It's complexity is at the extreme other end of the scale from Weil's elegant simplicity. Maybe I'm schizophrenic but I love both of these watches but can only affort one.
> 
> I bought the Campanola AH4030-51A. I have pictures of both watches but can't seem to insert them. If someone can advise me on how to include the pictures (jpgs) I'd be happy to do it.
> 
> I am experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse because:
> I think I got a very good deal on the Campanola (paid $2,200, list is $3,200) I could buy the Parsifal for about $700 less.
> My eyesight is getting worse for reading and the date on the Campanola is difficult for me to read.
> I think the watch is worth the price but in the end it is a Citizen which doesn't carry the same cache as a Raymond Weil.
> But the Campenola is so D*MN pretty! Help! I think I'm going to by the Raymond Weil so I can keep my options open. Any advise is welcome. Regards, BMB


OK, here is how you do it.

First, always use the advanced options when replying. That lets you preview the post before it becomes visible to all. This may help eliminate embarrassing errors.

*Use the following code to embed an image:*

















Be sure to leave no spaces after







. I left a space so the code would show up.

Always use lower case on the .jpg. I don't know why an upper case JPG does not work, but it doesn't seem to.

*For example if your image file is at*

www.mywebsite.com/photos/citizen1.jpg 

* you would use the inline code:*

















* Remember no spaces after*







.

A lot of forum members use Photobucket.com or some other image hosting website as their storage area. Then you can link to your images as above.

The other way to get an image into your post is use thumbnails. Scroll down a bit from the message area and you will see the *Additional Options *area. Then go to *Attach Files*. The *Manage Attachments* button lets you specify images (with an upper size limit) to upload. These images can be on your computer or somewhere that you can browse to. They will be uploaded to the Watchuseek website. A thumbnail of each image you upload is shown at the bottom of your post and by clicking on the thumbnail, someone can display the larger image.

*If you really want to get fancy, read this information on how to customize your posts:*

https://www.watchuseek.com/misc.php?do=bbcode

_You can do a lot of the_ *customization* _using the buttons at the top of the message screen. Use them just like in any word processor._

Just don't get carried away with the fancy stuff. It tends to distract from the message in your post.


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## roba

Welcome to the HEQ forum and congratulations on joining the Campanola.owners club. It's a small club, Campanola production is very small volume (piling on the cachet already ) Buyers remorse is common, whatever you buy there's always something "better", something else to get. If the Campanola fits into your lifestyle in the same way that the Parsifal would have then forget about the Parsifal. You bought the watch that you wanted and, in my opinion, got one that's significantly better than the Parsifal. As to each of your points:



BMB said:


> : * I think I got a very good deal on the Campanola (paid $2,200, list is $3,200) I could buy the Parsifal for about $700 less.


I don't understand how this can be a cause for buyers remorse.



BMB said:


> : * My eyesight is getting worse for reading and the date on the Campanola is difficult for me to read..


None of us are getting any younger. Worst case you'll at least have an approximation of the date ;-)



BMB said:


> : * I think the watch is worth the price but in the end it is a Citizen which doesn't carry the same cache as a Raymond Weil.


If you're considering the cachet of a watch then you're considering the wrong thing. Campanolas are limited production watches and are thin on the ground -- even in Japan. On that basis alone I'd reckon that the Citizen has more cachet than the Raymond Weil. If you're after cachet then recall that Citizen are a self contained company - everything is done "in house". To some this is a very important cachet tag and one that Raymond Weil does not have. Consider, also, that Citizen are, arguably, the only watch company in the world with genuine leanings towards horology (have a look at "what is horology" on the NAWCC page, its description of horology bears no resemblance to what the Swiss marketing machine says is horology. The Campanola has cachet in bucketloads, it just isn't the cachet that watch advertising campaigns shovel out.

Wear it and the buyers remorse will soon evaporate.


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## brietlingman

Gorgeous piece ... nice catch, and thanks for sharing! :-!

If I may be so bold, there is a gentleman on SCWF that has a very nice collection of these. Do a search, and check out some of his posts ... stunningly beautiful watches, all of them.


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## ronalddheld

Kurt Behm has a large collection of them. He often posts them on TZ and The PuristS.


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## brietlingman

Thanks Ronald .... Kurt is the same man I was referring to, I just didn't know how much info I'm allowed to divulge .....


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## BMB

dwjquest,

Thanks so much for the help on formatting messages. I'll post the pictures later (hopefully today) when I have time to do it properly.

Regards,
BMB


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## BMB

roba, brietlingman, and ronaldheld,

Thanks for your comments. I little explanation on mine:

I suppose when I used the term "cache" I meant reputation among the masses. In my very limited experience, Citizen's reputation is quite good but not at the same level as a fine Swiss watchmaker such as Raymond Weil. Few know anything about Campanola. That said, who cares? I know and that's good enough.

Regarding the buyer's remorse, it comes down to a difficult decision between form and function (here I mean my ability to use the watch). The Grand Complication is gorgeous in its complexity (great form) but difficult for me to use some of its features because of my poor eyesight (lacking in function _for_ _me_.) In some ways, it comes down to whether I'm buying a piece of art or a watch. The Parsifal is beautiful in its simplicity and very functional for me; the Grand Complication the reverse.

As for the $700 difference in cost, it is a factor but a minor one (not that $700 is not a lot of money to me but I tend to think of it amortized over the length of time I'll enjoy my purchase - I'm very adept at rationalization!)

One factor very much in the Grand Complication's favor is passion. I am very passionate about everything in which I involve myself. Your passion and that of the other forum members is an added benefit of owning a Grand Complication.

Regards to all, I'll let you know how it works out. I need to decide today.

BMB


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## BMB

Folks,

Thanks for your advice and patience for a novice. I've learned a lot over the last week (even how to spell "cachet"  )

I am happily keeping the Citizen Exceed Campanola Grand Complication (I just like typing the entire name). I've attached an accurate stock picture as well as one for a Raymond Weil Parsifal I was considering.

The picture of the Campanola is a good one but does not do justice to the glow of its silver lacquered faceplate and bezel. The only way I can describe it is that is reminds me of moonlight. In the end, the beauty of the Campanola won out. I showed it to a number of sales people in jewelry stores I visited looking for Parsifals and most had the same reaction I had when I first saw it: Wow! A woman at Bailey Banks and Biddle said she'd be happy to order the Raymond Weil I was interested in but couldn't understand why I would want her to.

Sidenote: If you look at the Parsifal you'll see that its simplicity is ruined by an inexplicable use of bright red on the automatic meter scale. Even my 15 year old daughter couldn't understand why Raymond Weil would do this. And she loved the Campanola.

Thanks again. I'm planning to hang around the forum. Your passion for these timepieces is infectious.

Regards,
BMB


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## Bruce Reding

Congrats on a gorgeous piece! :-! 

I have a few watches in my collection. (Well, more than a couple dozen.) I find that I'm attracted to a number of very different designs. Some complex. Some elegantly simple. Some retro. Some rugged. To me, it's like music. There's no sinngle genre that's superior to all the rest. Each song rests on its own merit. Same with watches.


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## roba

BMB said:


> I am happily keeping the Citizen Exceed Campanola Grand Complication


Congratulations again, I hope that it serves you well for many many years.

I'll take this as a chance to post gratuitous photos of my Campys . They're few and far between even in Japan.


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## BMB

Beautiful! They are eye candy.

The rectangular piece is fascinating. Please describe its functions.

How is the faceplate of the other finished? It looks like a cross between marble, quartz, and granite in the picture you included.

Regards,
Bruce


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## BMB

I'm envious. I've lived most of my life not paying much attention to watches (and I own a LeCoultre alarm/automatic my father gave me on my 16th birhtday in the early 70's) but am really getting drawn in.

Regards,
Bruce


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## funkright

*I have this Citizen Campanola on the way...*

Heres to hoping it lives up to the hype :-! :-d










It sure is a sweet looking watch


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## roba

BMB said:


> Beautiful! They are eye candy.
> 
> The rectangular piece is fascinating. Please describe its functions.
> 
> How is the faceplate of the other finished? It looks like a cross between marble, quartz, and granite in the picture you included.
> 
> Regards,
> Bruce


Bruce, 
Thanks. 
The tonneau one has a star map as the background to its dial. This rotates backwards in sidereal time -- one revolution is about 23 hours and 56 minutes -- to give an indication of the positions of constellations in the sky. The metal arc across the inner part of the dial indicates the twilight area.

The other one has an Aizu lacquer dial. Aizu is a region in the Fukishima prefecture -- just north of Tokyo -- that's famed for lacquerware over the last four hundred years. The surface of the dial is absolutely smooth and the marbling effect comes from ground pearl dust and silver dust mixed in with the lacquer. These are apparently polished by finger alone - no cloth or other tools.

One of the nice things about some Campanolas is the way that they combine traditional artisanal crafts with modern watchmaking. It's nice to see them being appreciated outside of Japan.

Odakyu, one of the major department stores here, has an annual watch fair and last year they had a special twenty only edition of blue lacquered dial watches. I know that at least 10% of that edition now lives outside of Japan.


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## Bruce Reding

*Re: I have this Citizen Campanola on the way...*



funkright said:


> Heres to hoping it lives up to the hype :-! :-d
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It sure is a sweet looking watch


Congrats! :-! Let us know your thoughts when you get it. I've always thought that that one has an extremely innovative, and very nice looking design.


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## heb

*eh.....*

Too much "clap trap" for my taste. The stuff on all those subdials are too small for me to see anyway.

heb


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## BMB

*Re: eh.....*



heb said:


> Too much "clap trap" for my taste. The stuff on all those subdials are too small for me to see anyway.
> 
> heb


One man's clap trap is another's Grand Complication.

Regards,
Bruce


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## BMB

roba said:


> Bruce,
> Thanks.
> The tonneau one has a star map as the background to its dial. This rotates backwards in sidereal time -- one revolution is about 23 hours and 56 minutes -- to give an indication of the positions of constellations in the sky. The metal arc across the inner part of the dial indicates the twilight area.
> 
> The other one has an Aizu lacquer dial. Aizu is a region in the Fukishima prefecture -- just north of Tokyo -- that's famed for lacquerware over the last four hundred years. The surface of the dial is absolutely smooth and the marbling effect comes from ground pearl dust and silver dust mixed in with the lacquer. These are apparently polished by finger alone - no cloth or other tools.
> 
> One of the nice things about some Campanolas is the way that they combine traditional artisanal crafts with modern watchmaking. It's nice to see them being appreciated outside of Japan.
> 
> Odakyu, one of the major department stores here, has an annual watch fair and last year they had a special twenty only edition of blue lacquered dial watches. I know that at least 10% of that edition now lives outside of Japan.


Whether they are practical or not, they are beautiful. I doubt if the moon phase complication on my watch will ever be of much use to me (or the minute repeater) (or the chronograph features) (or the ... you get the idea) but I am glad to have them anyway. They make the watch feel as special as it looks. Yours have that in spades.

Regards,
Bruce


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## roba

BMB said:


> ...(or the minute repeater)...


The minute repeater is very useful, when I'm running down stairs I'll use the repeater to check the time - glancing at the dial would be instant death. It's also useful in packed-like sardines commuter trains and it's great to watch about 50% of fellow sardines within earshot trying to check the time on their watches once they've figured out that it isn't some odd mobile phone ringtone.

The repeater and "dial" time can be set independently so when I'm abroad I'll use the repeater to keep track of home time. It's one of those luxuries that isn't really needed but there are som many uses for.

I like the quirkiness of having a repeater *and* luminous hands. Belt and braces . Campanolas are wonderful.


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## Bruce Reding

roba said:


> The repeater and "dial" time can be set independently so when I'm abroad I'll use the repeater to keep track of home time.


Very interesting! An excellent enhancement of the function enabled by electronics. Do you think that they deliberately designed the function for this purpose, or did you just notice this quirk and figure out how to make use of it?


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## Tragic

These are beautiful pieces and not really as expensive as I had thought.
Are the prices on this site competitive or can one do better elsewhere?
http://www.21jewels.com/sitemap.asp
Bruce, please remove the link if inappropriate.
Thanks!


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## roba

*Multi time zone repeater*



Bruce Reding said:


> Very interesting! An excellent enhancement of the function enabled by electronics. Do you think that they deliberately designed the function for this purpose, or did you just notice this quirk and figure out how to make use of it?


When I changed the time on vacation the penny dropped - "I can track home time with this as well - excellent!" The manual simply mentions setting the dial time and repeater time.

I love emergent behhaviour.


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## aBlogtoWatch

I am a big fan of the Citizen Campanola line of watches. I talk about them extensively on my watch blog which is: www.ablogtoread.com. Of particular interest to me is how Citizen is able to enter a whole new market with this watch. I have owned several Citizen watches before, but the Campanola line really blows the rest away in terms of build quality and looks.

I wrote a review of the Citizen Campanola grand complication I have here. I have been thinking about getting another Campanola. I spent some time looking at the limited edition eco-drive version. The one in black with red trim. I had an opportunity to buy one, but the price was not right for me yet. It is a gorgeous watch however, and simply stunning. There is a charge indicator, tantamount to a power reserve on a mechanical watch, but I that is almost there for kicks as the watch will last for months on a full charge.

- www.ablogtoread.com :-!


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## Raveot

The Campanola line is absolutely stunning but the cost is a little bit too much for me. Does anyone have a recommendation of a simliar watch (i especially like the 3D-effect) for less money?

I think I have seen a Swatch watch which looked a bit like Campanola.


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