One of the advantages of collecting Vintage Citizen Watches is the fact that most of them can be easily dated. This is important for any collector.
It is always nice to find a watch that was made the very same year you were born. And guess what, for Citizen you can go even further! You can date it by month also! How do we do it? Well it is a combination of different clues: 1. First of all, we turn the watch over and look at the caseback. Most of the time over there we have a lot of information regarding the case model, the watch model, the material and, very important in dating one, the serial number.
This serial number is usually 8 digits. Those 8 digits show the year and the month.
The first digit is an indication of the year. The next two are for the month. In the example below the first digit is 6 so it can be only a year ending in 6 such as 1956, 1966, 1976 or 1986.
The “water resistant” marking illustrates the fact that the watch was made after ’72-’73 because prior to this the term used was “parawater”. So we can narrow it down to 1976 or 1986. Read about “Parawater” here: 3.
After we identified the serial and the possible year we go deeper. We look at the model and at the movement. Certain models and movements indicate a specific time frame so it is easy to identify the exact year. We know this model was not made so late as 1986 so it is made in 1976. The next two digits are 07 so the month is the seventh one – July. By putting all the information together a Vintage Citizen Watch can be, this way, dated. The watch here is made in 1976, July.
Read more about Citizen history here.
Knowing how to find the serial number on watches provides vital information about its history. You can learn facts about when it was made, who made it and whether it’s counterfeit or the real deal.
Watch manufacturers placed serial numbers in different locations on a watch; some easy to see, and others, can only be found if you remove certain parts of a watch. Finding the serial numbers for Rolex, Bulova and Waltham watches can be a little tricky and without a steady hand, may require a professional. Use a magnifying glass and flip a Bulova watch over. The face of the watch should be facing down. On the back of Bulova watches there is a serial number engraved in the back. All Bulova serial numbers consist of one letter, such as, A; followed by one number. Every letter in the alphabet was used for Bulova watches except for the letters O, Q, R and S.
Remove the watch case from the back of a Waltham pocket watch, using a precision tool set. Use a magnifying glass to locate the notch for easy removal. Look for the serial number on the movement, or turning parts on the inside of the watch. Waltham produced watches from 1852 to 1957, and started with a serial number of 50 in the first year and ended with serial number 35,000,000. Remove the watch bracelet from a Rolex watch using a small precision tool set.
The serial number is in between the lugs, located directly above or below the six and the 12. Since 2005, Rolex has engraved the serial numbers on the inside face of the watch, right underneath the six. Use a magnifying glass to see this serial number clearly.
Click link above on how to ID your Swiss Army watch It has been a long time coming, but I am happy to finally launch a new section of the Watch Hunter site that will hopefully be useful to the watch community, and specifically, to collectors of Victorinox Swiss Army watches. Making an online database of various Victorinox Swiss Army watch models going back as far as possible is something that I have wanted to do for years. Of course, I have my own nerdy database of watches, but it contains less than 100 Swiss Army models. That database has everything from measurements, weights and release dates, but it is not repeatable on a grand scale because it took me years to get all that info myself. The starts with over 820 individual SKUs, and that number will only grow in time. I know there are watch models absent in it so this is work-in-progress.
I would like to think of this as a community effort, and it will be up to anyone using it to point out errors or omissions that they might encounter. I will certainly do my best to add additional and uncommon models like special editions and limited editions. These might not exist in printed catalogs that I have access to or rarely appear online (depending on the year it was released). In fact, I’ve spotted at least 10 models that still need to be added that I personally own, but were not in the original list of selected models that I compiled from the Internet.
If you notice anything, please with suggestions, corrections or additions that you would like to see in the. Click to launch the Victorinox Swiss Army Watch Identifier and Database on Watchhunter.org Since 1989, Victorinox Swiss Army has designed hundreds of unique and interesting watch models and manufactured untold thousands (millions?) of watches. Because the early days of Victorinox Swiss Army coincided with the advent of the Internet, much of the information about their earlier watches seems to be lost to time, or at least it is challenging to find on the web. I know this because I have researched older models for readers that did not look familiar like the or the.
In some cases, I would find a single pixelated image that held the revealing clue to identify the watch. In other cases, I would find nothing at all. I have painstakingly collected model numbers and whatever images I could find from common search engine image queries to compile this database.
Sometimes I could only get a low-res place-holder image generated by Google of a photo long since deleted (from the host site). If you see a blurry photo, then that is likely the reason why. If you want to contribute a clearer photo of a watch model, then I welcome the help.
Along with search engine sourced imagery, I sometimes went back to the “printed page” for watch photos. Dolby digital. The sources might have been Victorinox’s very own publications such as their catalogs, flyers and press releases.
Speaking of paper references, I have posted links to the and that may be useful to learn more about a different model in more detail and put them in historical context for the brand. Some of these were very hard to find, especially the older ones that existed before Adobe’s PDF format became a common online distribution method. I might sound like a broken record by now, but if you have a catalog or manual PDF that I do not have in either library, I would greatly appreciate you sending it to me. It should be noted that there might be some manufacturing variances in Victorinox Swiss Army watches that have the same SKU number. Even if Swiss Army is fairly consistent, these kinds of variations can arise during a manufacturing run of several years. Logo Variations – There are 3 known major variations of the Victorinox Swiss Army Logo. The early versions did not have the word Victorinox in them but were altered later to satisfy copyright requirements.
The round logo version is an unsolved mystery at this point. There is some debate online on whether this was part of the Swiss company “Swiss Army” or another entity. For now, I am saying they are related, but I will continue to dig deeper. Additionally, there was already another watch brand selling watches in the United States under the name Swiss Army, those are not related to the Victorinox Swiss Army watch brand that we know, and in fact, represents a now-defunct company. Variations of the Swiss Army logo. The last one is a different company.
Lume Type – Early models of Swiss Army watches may have tritium-based lume on their dials and hands. Watches with the slightly radioactive glowing material are marked with the words “T SWISS MADE T” on the lower portion of the dial.
Tritium was later replaced industry-wide with the non-radioactive luminescent material under the brand name Luminova and Super Luminova. During the transition period of roughly the late 1990s to early 2000s, it was possible to have Victorinox Swiss Army models of the same product number or model name with a Tritium dial or a Luminova dial. These are not necessarily considered different models but should be considered subtle variations of a model. Dial markings determine the type of lume material used on the watch Dial and Hand Subtleties – There may also be subtle dial differences such as different fonts, different handsets or design changes like the example shown below. I originally thought these represented the same model number and were manufacturing variations, but they are actually 2 different model families that use the same case and bezel design. This can muddy the waters a little. If I cannot find the model number, I may just list it descriptively until I can find the model number, which is not always that easy.
This mostly pertains to earlier Swiss Army watch designs, and not modern ones with very specific DNA traits per family. Design variations on similar Swiss Army watches can be confusing. This is a Maverick on the left and a very early Garrison on the right (I think) Cross-referenced model numbers – Ready to get a little confused? It seems that Victorinox sometime has different model numbers for the same watch. It will take me some time to sort this out, so just know if you do not see the exact number, there may be an alias. For example, 24091 and V.25091 refer to the same watch, an Airboss Mach 1 Auto Black. The model number structure is different so maybe those were sold in different markets.
Eventually, I will have a cross-reference list for these horological doppelgangers. Learn about the age of your Victorinox Swiss Army watch Believe it or not, some Victorinox Swiss Army watches do not appear to have model numbers or even serial numbers.
These unique SKUs and item numbers can be used to identify your watch and determine the year when it was manufactured. This is different from a release date, which is the first year the watch was sold to the public. In the earlier days of the Swiss Army brand, the numbering was inconsistent or non-existent. I wrote an article about that may be useful, so check it out. It can let you know if you are looking at a watch from 2005 or 1995, and that can help to know what you are getting into in the area of rarity, maintenance for mechanical watches or what type of lume it will likely have.
Otherwise, you can use the to visually try to find your watch. Each major watch family is listed, but beware that some family traits changed significantly over time so an early model Airboss may look vastly different from a later model. It is best to just try to visually match your watch to the photos. Think of it as a giant game, and it won’t be so bad. However, you may easily become distracted browsing through Swiss Army models that you had no idea existed. I know I did and soon compiled a list of new watch models to hunt. That is easy to answer.
The need existed and somebody had to do it. Also, I built it for myself to save time and gain a greater understanding of the watches made by Victorinox, which is a vast collection of styles. Victorinox does not have anything like the accessible to the public, that I know of. I would suspect that certain vendors or internal employees have access to all this good information, but that leaves the Swiss Army watch collectors out of the loop, or at least they have to contact Victorinox for help identifying their watch. Looking at their current site reveals that they are in the business of selling and talking about current models only.
For example, last year, I remember trying to find information about a watch that was only 3-4 years old on their site, and there was not a single word about it. I understand advertising only “available models” from a business perspective, but I do not get it from a heritage perspective.
I am using that term loosely since Victorinox watchmaking has a history dating to 1989, but still, it is worth celebrating in my opinion. That is where the comes in because it fills in the gaps between current and past models. I have taken information that was diluted across the Internet and concentrated it in one place. This list is not sponsored or endorsed by Victorinox.
The information contained is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but there may be errors to correct along the way. If you see any errors or have a Swiss Army watch to include on the list, please with details.
The goal of the SEIKO 5 Finder is to provide the world's most complete online searchable catalog of Seiko 5 automatic watches. Whether you are looking for the perfect watch or trying to find out more about a watch you already own, the SEIKO 5 Finder can help. Search our database by selecting your preferences on the right then click the search button. For each watch you'll find model numbers, pictures, specifications and a list of similar watches as well as links to sellers and appropriate accessories.
Citizen Watch Model Number Search
Our goal at the SEIKO 5 Finder is to provide the world's most complete online searchable catalog of Seiko 5 automatic watches. Whether you are looking for the perfect watch or trying to find out more about a watch you already own, the SEIKO 5 Finder can help. By clicking on this link or on the Search button above to show the search options where you can choose from an extensive list of criteria to help you find exactly what you are looking for. For each watch you'll find model numbers, pictures, specifications and a list of similar watches as well as links to sellers and appropriate accessories.
Popular Models Here are a few of the most popular models. What is the '5' in Seiko 5? There are a few variations online for what the five main attributes are in a Seiko 5 but the list below is the most widely accepted in recent years. Automatic Winding. Day-Date Window. Water Resistant.
Unbreakable Mainspring (Diaflex). Shock Resistant Design (Diashock) The as defined by Seiko are no longer true for all Seiko 5s. The crown is no longer recessed or at the 4 o'clock position.
Automatic vs Kinetic - Automatic watches are driven by a spring, not by electricity. They are able to harness motion to automatically rewind the spring. Another term for an automatic watch is a self-winding mechanical watch.
Kinetic watches on the other hand are driven by electricity, not by a spring. They are able to harness motion to recharge their battery or capacitor. Seiko 5s are automatic watches, not kinetic.
If you are interested in kinetic watches be sure to visit our catalog. Popular Styles Here are a few of the most popular styles. Additional styles can be found in the search criteria. Site Contents Our site offers quite a few features to aid in your watch search. You can access them at any time from the header and footer of each page. Here is a brief description of each item.
A list of the most popular Seiko 5s on our site. A tool for comparing any two Seiko 5s side-by-side. An explanation and a few examples of how to search on our site. A guide to finding your perfect watch. Images showing every Seiko 5 in our catalog.
A log of the latest additions and changes to our site. A form where you can send us comments and suggestions Help Us Improve If you notice that any information is incorrect or missing we encourage you to use the to help us improve the site. You can also click the Edit link on any watch detail page then use the icons to contribute information for specific items. Our collection includes over 1,500 watches and is still growing so be sure to visit us again in the future and check out the page to see what's new. Other Useful Sites Seiko has a site dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Seiko 5 line but in general they do not provide very much information online about Seiko 5 watches. That is one of the main reasons we created this site.
Free fall unblocked. Another reason is the fantastic 'Show off your Seiko 5' thread on the Watchuseek forum. That is the thread that convinced us of the greatness of the Seiko 5 line and prompted our first Seiko 5 purchase, the watch shown in the banner image.
Determine the Age of your Vintage Pocket Watch How to Use our Vintage Watch Serial Number & Date Lookup Tables Instructions for using our serial number look-up tables This page contains INSTRUCTIONS for using the serial number look-up tables that are found on many of our watch company history pages. The example below uses information from the American Waltham Watch Company, but that is just an example. You should consult the serial number table for the specific brand of watch movement you are trying to date by selecting a company from the menu on the left. Not all vintage watches can be dated using the serial number.
Some American watch brands did not use a consistent series of serial numbers, but most of the big manufacturers did. Most vintage Swiss pocket watches did NOT have serial numbers and can't be dated by this method. Can't find YOUR exact serial number in our lookup tables? Many watch companies made hundreds of thousands of watches, and some companies made millions of watches!
It would be impractical to list the individual serial numbers of EVERY watch made. That would make some really long pages! Our serial number tables list RANGES of serial numbers. So to determine when your watch was manufactured, you will need to find where your serial number fits within the range of numbers. Serial number look-up example: Let's say you have a Waltham watch with serial number 21,607,210 as shown in the photo below. Note that we're using the serial number from the watch movement, not from the watch case.
Looking at the table of Waltham serial numbers (see example below), you can see that number 20,900,000 was made in 1917 and 21,800,000 was made in 1918 (marked in red in the table below). Since your serial number falls between those two numbers, you know that your watch was made in 1917 or 1918. Not sure which serial number to use? You must use the serial number from the MOVEMENT of the watch. The working part with the wheels and gears. Not the serial number from the watch case. Cases and watches were often made by different companies and each usually has its own serial number.
You usually have to take the back off the watch case to see the movement serial number which may appear anywhere on the watch movement. Use the movement serial number. Do NOT use the case serial number!
This is an example only. Your movement serial number may not be in exactly the same location as the one in the photo, but you are looking for the serial number that is on the watch mechanism itself.
Not the serial number on the external case.
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