This was my first real camera, actually, it was my Father’s, and only used on special occasions, but once he bought his AE-1…
Eventually, I got and still have both cameras!
The first Canonet from 1961 incorporated the company’s ‘Electronic Eye’ metering system, which involved wrapping the exposure meter around the lens itself. Canon claimed the meter would perceive light in the same way the lens saw it, thus creating a more precise automatic exposure.