There are watches that wear their history on the dial, and watches that hide it on the case back. This one does both. On the front, in small lettering, it says "Urban Traditional – For Exciting Professionals"; on the back, engraved in a flowing script: Noli Metuere. Latin for "Do not fear".
The fact that a Japanese wristwatch from 1992 carries a Latin motto on its back, is housed in a solid sterling silver case, and is powered by a manual-wind movement—at a time when virtually the entire industry had switched to quartz—says a lot about the intention behind this model series.
Club La Mer – Citizen's quiet counter-movement
Within the Citizen group, Club La Mer was never the prestige line, nor was it intended to be. The series was created in the 1980s as a deliberately simple, classically designed collection for an urban, professional audience—the claim "Urban Traditional" should be taken literally. While Citizen was working at the technical cutting edge with Eco-Drive, radio reception, and titanium, Club La Mer stuck to round cases, printed numerals, and, in some models, manual winding.
That is precisely where its appeal lies today. The line is a Japanese counterpart to what was only marketed in Europe years later as a conscious return to the mechanical. Citizen later revisited this concept itself, relaunching Club La Mer after a long break—the early examples from the 1980s and 1990s remained untouched by this and are only occasionally encountered outside of Japan.
The case: 925 sterling silver
The case is made of solid sterling silver, stamped "SV 925" on the case back and additionally identified on the dial as "CITIZEN STERLING SILVER 925". The case back itself is made of stainless steel—a structurally sound solution because silver is soft and a screw-down steel back holds the seals more durably.
Silver behaves differently than steel. It is warmer in tone, wears softer, and develops a patina over time that collects in the edges and transitions. That is exactly what can be seen on this specimen: on the long, angular lugs, the material has darkened, outlining the shape. If you don't like that, you can return it to a high polish in a few minutes with a silver polishing cloth. If you like it, you leave it.
The lugs are the strongest design element of the watch: short, strong, clearly offset from the round case body, almost like attached brackets. They give the watch, with its reserved 32 mm dimensions, a presence that the pure diameter would not suggest, bringing it to a size of 38.4 mm lug-to-lug.
The movement: Caliber 6630, manual wind
The watch is powered by the Citizen caliber 6630, a manual-wind movement with a central second hand and no date. No complications, no quick-set, no rotor—just the basic function, cleanly executed.
Practically speaking, this means the watch wants to be wound once a day. The crown is easily gripped and can be operated without taking the watch off. Anyone who has ever worn a manual-wind watch knows the effect—it is a small daily act that makes a watch your own in a way that an automatic does not.
The watch was professionally serviced by a watchmaker in Japan in the spring/summer of 2026: completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and regulated. It runs reliably.
Dial and overall impression
The dial is finished in a light, finely grained silver tone that diffuses light rather than reflecting it—keeping it easy to read in any lighting. The Arabic numerals are printed in a slender, slightly old-fashioned font, supplemented by a fine, railway-style minute track. The hands and lettering are black, with no luminous material.
The entire design is deliberately graphic and unexcited: no applied indices, no sunburst finish, no date window. It is a dial that looks like a pocket watch sitting on a wrist.
Dating
The case number 2120024 allows dating according to the Citizen system: the first digit indicates the last digit of the production year, and the two following indicate the month. "2 – 12" results in December of a year ending in 2; since the Club La Mer series was introduced in the 1980s, December 1992 is the only possible classification. The very low serial number suggests a small production batch.
Condition
The case and lugs show the patina typical of silver as well as light signs of wear; the case back shows the usual fine scratches from opening and wearing. The crystal has occasional fine scratches that do not impair readability. The dial is clean, with no spots or discoloration, and the lettering is complete and sharp. Technically flawless after service.
Mounted is a blue suede leather strap that complements the warm silver tone well.
Technical specifications
-
Brand / Line: Citizen, Club La Mer
-
Reference: 6630-664400 Y
-
Case number: 2120024
-
Production date: December 1992
-
Movement: Citizen Caliber 6630, manual wind, central second
-
Case: 925 sterling silver (stamped SV 925), stainless steel back
-
Case back markings: “Noli Metuere", CITIZEN WATER RESISTANT, 6630-664400 Y, SV 925, ST. STEEL BACK, GN-4-S JAPAN
-
Diameter (without crown): 32 mm
-
Weight (incl. strap): 42 g
-
Height: 9 mm
-
Lug-to-Lug: 38.4 mm
-
Lug width: 18 mm
-
Strap: blue suede leather strap
-
Crystal: Mineral crystal
-
Service: Spring/summer 2026, Japan – complete disassembly, cleaning, oiling, regulation
For whom
For anyone looking for a small, quiet watch with genuine materials and a story of its own—and for collectors of Japanese watches who look beyond Seiko and the major Citizen lines. The silver case and manual wind make it one of the more distinctive Citizen versions of the early 1990s. Due to the understated 32 mm, it is also well-suited for smaller wrists and as a watch to wear with a suit or shirt.
Warranty (used)
This is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.
Note
As this is a vintage watch, water resistance cannot be guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.
