We talk a lot about watches because we love them. We love to strap them on our wrists, to wind them, to play with the chronograph, to turn the bezels. We enjoy to hear them ticking and to look at them. Most of the times we appreciate the details of the dial, the fonts, the lume, the movement… But let’s take a closer look at the cases, at the way these cases are crafted and finished.
Citizen watches are made in-house so the cases are also produced by them. It is not an easy task to make so many models. This means that a lot of tools and work hours are needed. After all it is a business and profit margins should be there and case designing, producing and finishing are resource and time consuming. Let’s not take this work for granted. Today I will present to you three different watches. I chose one chronograph, one diver and one dress watch. The best of the best (in my opinion) when it comes to (not only) case finishing.
1 – Citizen automatic chronograph 67-9357, the octagonal “bull-head”
This piece has a stainless steel case, shaped like an octagon, and has 21 different surfaces, not counting the bezel. It is a combination of brushed and mirror polished ones. The top part (where the crown and the pushers are) is brushed laterally while the front part has a longitudinal finish. All the rest is polished. So manny angles and the way that the top part flows, from the powerful top part to the organic lower one! Lovely! This is for sure my favorite chronograph case!
2 – Citizen Super Autodater 39J 150m Parawater SADS52801-Y
The diver! The professional one, the first 150m with this design language. Well… this is the only uni body case 150m. This means that the movement comes out only if you remove the bezel and the crystal. Then you can remove the movement. The case-back is part of the case and it does not come off because it is safer this way when diving with it. After all it is the Professional one. All the case is polished, except the top part of the lugs. Now look at those lugs! Art! Just look at the beveled edges and the precision of the polishing. Perfect sharp edges everywhere. What a shape!
I can talk all day about it. After all, it is THE Glorious! Just look at the pictures and realize that they just don’t do justice to the watch. In reality it is much better. And together with all the other details, the crown, the case back GC gold inlay, the GC stainless steel signed buckle… mesmerizing! So clean, so powerful, so confident without being over the top. All the precise lines and angles, the edges, the compact elegant shape… Yeah, I know that I am stating the obvious so I will better end it here and let you magnify the picture for better understanding the beauty of VCW.
As a conclusion, I will let you have it your own after you click on the picture and magnify it. Also click on the links above to read more about these models, you wont be sorry, but I have to warn you… it is contagious and soon you will find yourself craving for more Vintage Citizen Watches. 🙂 Enjoy!
Vintage Citizen Watches 
I have. Acquired a Citizen Aqualand Dive watch and have a problem. In someplace cyber space I read that years ago the co. decided to include birth dates into the serial numbers
That said on the back of my watch which is remarkable due the uninterrupted surfaces the numbers and letters are first line…. co21_087372Y.Second CO_1063…Third GN_4_5. Forth and last 70 30314.IS THE LAST SERIES THE SERIAL#?AND WHAT YEAR DO THESE NUMBERS SAY TO THE CONSUMER IS THE DATE. 70 AS IN 1970?]No one can tell me.,and I have been everywhere, However I had the watch posted for sale and seemingly educated watch owners wanted to trade somewhat hpriced watches with little or no explanitation and Im having a problem in wonder if I have something unique or just another watch.
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Hello Steven! I am collecting and writing about mechanical Vintage Citizen Watches, so quartz is not in my area of interest and I have little knowledge about them. Here is how you can see when you Citizen was manufactured: https://vintagecitizenwatches.com/2014/02/23/dating-a-vintage-citizen-watch/
If you post some pictures with the face and the case-back maybe some other reader of the blog will answer you.
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Not too sure if i am posting in the correct area? Just wanted to ask anyone if Citizen ever made the 8050 which in other watches apart from the Adorex? Asking because from reading thevery informative post here on the Adorex i assumed they only came out in that model bewteen 1974-1977 approx? I have not been able to search google and find another but i have a nice Citizen Seven Star V2 ,Green dial which has the same movement. The dial is numbered correctly with the back of the case so it is not a “parts watch” Thanks for any help,cant seem to find another in the V2 lineup.
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Yes, they used different movements in different models.
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Hi, I am happy to inform that I am now in possession of Alarm Date Parawater ALDS 52902-Y and 52 0110, because of your blog! I would like to thank you for showing all these beautiful watches and awesome info, which is quite scarce. I could find way more reference images of some obscure soviet era (also fan) chrono, than of the Alarm Date! I would like to ask if you can tell me the direction of the brushed lines on the top of the lugs? I cant see it on the images i found and my pieces are quite worn out. I can see from a mile the circular finish on my vintage seikos (propably rougher grid). Is it straight vertical on the Citizens?
Thank you a lot once more and if you have any sources from the past for parts please share, anything will be super helpful, cos i feel it will be an adventure finding C – signed crowns and bezel inserts.
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Hello! Congrats on your watches! Nice ones! On the alarm they are vertical, on the diver circular.
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