{"product_id":"citizen-homer-date-parawater-ref-63-1019-homer-werk-17-steine-handaufzug-edelstahl-marz-1969-frisch-revidiert","title":"Citizen Homer Date \"Parawater\" – Ref. 63-1019 – Homer movement, 17 jewels, manual wind – stainless steel – March 1969 – freshly serviced","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThere is a word on the dial that no longer exists today: \u003cstrong\u003eParawater.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCitizen coined it in 1959 for the first fully water- and dustproof wristwatch manufactured in Japan—“para” for protection, “water” for what was being protected against. The original design shows just how important this innovation was to the company: on the first Parawater, the name was placed on the dial where the brand logo usually sits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe story behind it\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe construction relied on O-rings made from a specially developed nitrile rubber—a large sealing ring on the case back, plus a completely redesigned crown with its own seal. The result was rated for 50 meters. The watch was sold for ¥6,000, at a time when the starting salary for a Japanese school leaver was about ¥12,500 per month.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCitizen had the technology, but not yet the trust of the market. So they set out to prove it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn 1962\u003c\/strong\u003e, Kenichi Horie took two Parawater watches with him when he became the first person to cross the Pacific Ocean alone and non-stop in a sailboat—ninety-three days on the “Mermaid,” from Nishinomiya, Japan, to San Francisco. Horie was twenty-three at the time. After his return, he gifted one of the watches to Citizen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStarting in 1963\u003c\/strong\u003e, Citizen took a systematic approach. Together with the Japanese marine research industry, Parawater watches were attached to research buoys and released into the Kuroshio Current—one hundred buoys in three waves, which set off across the Pacific from the ship. The watches hung below the waterline. Years later, buoys were recovered on the American West Coast, including one in 1966 off Manzanita, Oregon. The watches were still running.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThat was marketing, but also genuine ocean current research—and proof that a Japanese watch could survive for years in the open ocean.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c!--h3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Homer – the watch for every day\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Homer series emerged from this development: not a prestige line, but Citizen's best-selling everyday watch of the 1960s and early 1970s. A hand-wound movement with seventeen jewels, a solid stainless steel case, a date display—and the water resistance that came from the Parawater development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Homer was the watch you wore when you had to work. Citizen offered it in countless variations; the 1800 series movement family was introduced in 1962 and remained in production until about 1975—a period that speaks for itself, considering how quickly watch technology changed in those years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor collectors, that is the appeal today. The Homer is not a rarity, but it is the quintessential Japanese utility watch of those years, and well-preserved examples with clean dials have become significantly rarer than the production numbers suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe movement\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eManual wind\u003c\/strong\u003e, Homer movement of the 1800 family with date\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e17 jewels\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate display\u003c\/strong\u003e at three o'clock with an applied frame\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTwo peculiarities are part of its operation: the movement has no hacking feature, and there is no quick-set date. To set it, you turn the hands past midnight—or, common for these movements, move them back and forth multiple times between about 9 p.m. and midnight, which advances the date each time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is not a defect, but the state of technology in 1962. If you wear a watch from this era, you operate it the way its owner did back then.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDial and case\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial is executed in a light silver-white with a fine, uniform grain that scatters light instead of reflecting it. The hour markers are applied, faceted batons with polished flanks; next to each sits a small, round luminous dot. This is complemented by slender polished hands with a luminous channel and a fine central seconds hand.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial is inscribed in three lines: the cursive \u003cem\u003eCitizen Homer Date\u003c\/em\u003e lettering at the top, followed by \u003cem\u003e17 JEWELS\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePARAWATER\u003c\/em\u003e. The date window at three o'clock is enclosed by an applied, polished frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe stainless steel case has strongly downward-sloping, faceted lugs and a narrow, slightly recessed bezel—a shape that makes the watch appear much more present on the wrist than its 35.6 mm suggests. At 42.5 mm lug-to-lug and 10.7 mm high, it remains proportionately suitable for everyday wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe case back bears the engraved inscription “WATER PROOF – STAINLESS STEEL” as well as the case number 4-180241 YD, the model number 63-1019, and the serial number 9033453.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRegardless of this historical marking, the note at the end of this description applies: with a watch over fifty years old, water resistance cannot be guaranteed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTechnically flawless. The watch was professionally serviced by a watchmaker in Japan in the spring\/summer of 2026—completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and regulated. The hand-winding mechanism and date function work perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial is remarkably well-preserved for its age: uniform grain without spots, discoloration, or fading; lettering complete and sharp; applied indices firm and free of corrosion; the date frame intact. The luminous dots and the luminous filling of the hands have aged to a warm cream tone and no longer glow—the rule for watches of this period and visually more of an asset than a flaw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe stainless steel case shows light, age-appropriate signs of wear; the facets on the lugs are preserved, and the watch does not appear overpolished. The case back has the usual fine scratches from opening and wearing, and all engravings are complete and clearly legible. The crystal is clear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFitted with a new black crocodile-embossed leather strap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTechnical specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand \/ Line:\u003c\/strong\u003e Citizen, Homer Date\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModel number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 63-1019\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4-180241 YD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSerial number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9033453\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduction date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 1969\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMovement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Citizen Homer movement of the 1800 family, manual wind, 17 jewels\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFunctions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hours, minutes, central seconds, date\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase:\u003c\/strong\u003e Stainless steel, case back with Parawater marking\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter (without crown):\u003c\/strong\u003e 35.6 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10.7 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLug-to-lug:\u003c\/strong\u003e 42.5 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLug width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 18 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight (incl. strap):\u003c\/strong\u003e 47 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStrap:\u003c\/strong\u003e new black leather strap\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCrystal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Acrylic glass\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eService:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring\/summer 2026, Japan – complete disassembly, cleaning, oiling, regulation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor whom\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor someone starting a collection of Japanese watches. The Homer Date is the most accessible way to wear a mechanical Citizen from the company's golden era—at a price well below that of the Seiko equivalents from the same years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor anyone looking for an unobtrusive, fully mechanical everyday watch with a date. No logo sticker on the glass, no battery, no radioactive lume—just a spring, a gear train, and a balance wheel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAnd for collectors who value markings: Citizen replaced the “Parawater” lettering with “Water Resistant” around 1970 after labeling regulations were changed. A watch from March 1969 is therefore one of the last vintages allowed to bear the word at all—and one of the last mementos of a Japanese company that let its watches drift across the Pacific as proof.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWarranty (used)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage \u0026 JDM (Japan Domestic Market)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54777009307986,"sku":"A503","price":369.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0911\/3908\/0530\/files\/E06CDDD5-B9AC-4E0A-9E73-250F7F337879.jpg?v=1789846440","url":"https:\/\/japanese-microbrands.com\/en\/products\/citizen-homer-date-parawater-ref-63-1019-homer-werk-17-steine-handaufzug-edelstahl-marz-1969-frisch-revidiert","provider":"Japanese Microbrands - Mario Lenke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}