Citizen Forma – October 1986 - slim quartz dress watch, gold-tone – Caliber 4631

A slim Japanese dress watch from Citizen's Forma line, the program through which the manufacturer brought the minimalist everyday watch to mass production in the 1980s: clear dials, low profile, no decoration.

The case back is stamped with CITIZEN WATCH CO., the indication WATER RESIST 5BAR, the case reference 4631-E63051 TA, the serial number 600301, as well as the identifiers GN-4-S, YP, and JAPAN.

The dial is marked with CITIZEN and FORMA, and at the bottom edge, it bears the movement indication JAPAN 4630-E08391 KA.

Forma – Citizen's answer to over-engineering

At the beginning of the eighties, the Japanese watch market had spiraled into a functional arms race: alarm, chronograph, world time, radio signal reception. Citizen consciously took a stand against this with Forma — a line whose selling point was not what it could do extra, but what it left out.

The result was watches with highly legible Arabic numerals, thin hands, and a height that disappears under a cuff. They are interesting for collectors today because they document a design philosophy that would not become the mainstream in Japanese watchmaking until twenty years later.

Design

A white dial with a complete Arabic numeral ring from 1 to 12, with a fine dotted minute track in between. The lettering CITIZEN is positioned below the 12, FORMA above the 6 — there is no other inscription.

The hands are slender and finished in black, with the second hand executed as a hairline. The round case, with its polished bezel and short, sharply defined lugs, frames the dial tightly and makes it appear larger than it is.

Please note: The case back stamping identifies the case, via the YP mark, as base metal with a yellow plating. This is a gold-colored coating, not gold.

Dating

The case number 600301 follows the Citizen system, where the first digit denotes the last digit of the year and the second digit denotes the month. The leading character of the second position is read as the identifier for October. This results in October of a year ending in 6, which, in conjunction with the 4631 caliber and its status as a Forma model, most likely points to 1986. We provide this as a guideline, not as certified dating.

Condition and provenance

The watch comes from Japan and was inspected and fitted with a new battery before sale.

The dial and hands are in perfect condition; the printing is complete with no flaws. The crystal is clear. The gold-colored coating of the case is intact; slight polishing and handling marks are visible on the lugs and the edge of the case back. The back shows fine scratches; the engraving is fully legible.

The fitted gold-colored expansion bracelet is a replacement and not original; it shows its own signs of wear on the tops of the links.

The actual condition is shown unretouched in the product photos.

Technical specifications

• Brand: Citizen
• Line: Forma
• Case reference: 4631-E63051 TA
• Dial reference: 4630-E08391 KA
• Serial number: 600301
• Case identifier: GN-4-S
• Movement: Quartz, battery-operated
• Functions: Hour, minute, second
• Case: Base metal with yellow plating (YP)
• Diameter without crown: 32.7 mm
• Height: 5.7 mm
• Lug-to-lug: 37.8 mm
• Lug width: 18 mm
• Weight incl. bracelet: 44 g
• Dial: white with complete Arabic numeral ring
• Bracelet: gold-colored expansion bracelet, not original
• Dating: October 1986
• Provenance: Japan

For whom?

For slender wrists that benefit from a size of just under 33 millimeters. For wearers looking for a highly legible watch to pair with a suit, devoid of status-signaling. And for collectors who view the early Forma line as an independent chapter in the history of Japanese design.

Warranty (used goods)

This is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects under the statutory warranty is 12 months from delivery.

Note on water resistance

Water resistance is not guaranteed. The case back engraving denotes the condition at the time of original delivery. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.