Blogger Sweephand is one of the leading experts on vintage Citizen's. Illustration from Sweephand:
Quote from Sweephand with my comments in brackets:
The key is knowing which decade the watch was produced in, and the Movement Table is useful for determining that. (The watch above is from the 70s).
The first three numbers in the serial are used for the date – the first number is the year. (Thus the watch above is from "3" = 1973 and "11" = november).
One more example:
This watch is a 51-1811 and has a caliber 8200A movement produced from 1975. The serial is "0" = 1980 and "03" = march.
And one more 51-1811:
Thank you for all your research. This was helpful! You had more information than I have been able to find elsewhere. However, I still am not able to "decode" what kind of Citizen watch that I have. Any further help would be greatly appreciated. llgreyhound61@yahoo.com
SvarSletHello,
SvarSletI received a Citizen watch as a graduation gift and would like to know when it was made and how much it might be worth. I am more interested in the date of manufacture than the value.
The watch is a Citizen with the following information on the back:
W.R. 10 bar
St. Steel
Sapphire
2500-S002591
HSW
201128
GN-4W-S
There is also a very small inscription on the dial side of the watch: JAPAN MOVT N-2500-5004417-KA
Any information you can provide about the age and value of this watch would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely, Cs.Frank