Citizen "The Memory of Reversion – Okinawa 1972" – 920 silver, relief dial – Complete set with cassette and commemorative medal in NOS (New Old Stock) condition (Ref. 6700-673310 YO, May 1972)

This offer is not just for a watch, but for the complete commemorative set as delivered in 1972: the 920 silver watch with an embossed Shureimon dial, the engraved commemorative medal on its cord, and the original wooden case with the gold-embossed lid emblem — plus an accompanying original Citizen dial from the same caliber family.

The case back bears the engravings 920 SILVER, CITIZEN, the star stamp, the reference 6700-673310 YO, and the serial number 2051428. The dial and medal feature the inscription THE MEMORY OF REVERSION ★ OKINAWA.

May 15, 1972

Okinawa — the former Ryukyu Kingdom — was under direct American administration for 27 years after World War II, while mainland Japan had regained its sovereignty with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952. The island group had its own currency, its own identification papers; travel documents were required to visit Tokyo.

The Okinawa Reversion Agreement, signed simultaneously in Washington and Tokyo on June 17, 1971, and ratified by the Japanese Parliament on November 24, 1971, ended this state of affairs. Effective May 15, 1972, sovereignty over the Ryukyu and Daito Islands reverted to Japan.

For the Japanese public, this was an event of symbolic power most comparable to German reunification: the return of a separated territory after decades of foreign administration. Citizen — alongside Seiko, the most important Japanese watch manufacturer — honored the occasion with an elaborately crafted commemorative watch in 920 silver, delivered as a set with a medal and case.

Documented in Japanese Collector Literature

An example of this reference is pictured and described in the Japanese collector's standard work "国産時計博物館 / Museum of Japanese-made Watches" (edited by Masaaki Hasegawa, World Photo Press, July 1994, Volume 27 of the Mook series "Sekai no Udedokei"). The example documented there comes from the Antique Bunmeido collection (アンティーク文明洞所蔵).

This source also reveals that the reference exists in two versions: the embossed silver variant presented here and a significantly more common white variant with purely textual design. The embossed variant is more sought after by collectors. The oval case contour is explicitly highlighted as a 珍品 (chinpin, "rarity") in the standard work.

Design

The iconographic centerpiece of the dial is the Shureimon (守礼門), the second gate of Shuri Castle in Naha, the residence of the kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom — not printed, but embossed as a relief into the silver dial.

The gate was built between 1527 and 1555 under King Shō Sei, completely destroyed in April 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa, and reconstructed in 1958. The inscription above the arch, 守礼之邦 ("Land of Propriety"), expresses the self-image of the island kingdom. Since 2000, the Shureimon has been depicted on the Japanese 2,000-yen banknote. For the reversion in 1972, it was the obvious symbol: a structure that had not survived the war and had been restored.

Around the relief, the inscription THE MEMORY OF REVERSION ★ OKINAWA runs along the upper curve, and the year 1972 is in the lower section. The hour markers are reduced to small round dots, and the hands are slender black-lacquered rods. A second hand was deliberately omitted so that the relief scene would not be obscured — the dial is first an image and only then a display.

The accompanying commemorative medal repeats the motif and inscription in an embossed version and additionally bears the year 1972; it hangs from a braided cord. The wooden case has a gold-embossed plaque on the lid with the same motif and inscription.

Case and Movement

The case is made entirely of 920 silver — a common standard in Japanese precious metal standardization of the 1960s and 1970s, offering good workability with robust precious metal character. The contour is oval-cushion shaped, and the height is remarkably flat at around 8 millimeters.

Inside operates the Citizen caliber 6700, a mechanical hand-wound movement from the so-called Type-6 family. It is noteworthy that this was originally a movement size developed for ladies' watches. Citizen deliberately chose it: Only in this way could the flat height and fine proportioning of the case be achieved. This transfer of a refined small caliber into a unisex-sized commemorative model gives the design its character.

Dating

The serial number 2051428 follows the Citizen system: the first digit is the last digit of the year, the second and third digits are the month. This results in May 1972 — the month of the reversion itself.

This interpretation is supported by a second example of the same reference, whose serial number begins with 202 and is accordingly dated to February 1972.

Condition and Provenance

The watch comes from Japan and is in as-delivered condition (NOS).

The embossed Shureimon relief is clear, even, and completely preserved; all inscriptions are sharp and legible. The hands are original, straight, and undamaged. The silver case shows the uniform surface patina to be expected for 920 silver after over five decades — silver is naturally soft and susceptible to oxidation; the toning is not a defect, but the aging behavior of the material. The case back engraving is fully legible, the crown is smooth. The mechanical movement runs.

Unlike most examples available on the market, the original strap and buckle are preserved and unworn here.

Included are the original wooden case with gold-embossed lid emblem and blue interior, the embossed commemorative medal with cord, and — in a storage box — an original white Citizen dial from the same caliber family, marked CITIZEN, 23 JEWELS, JAPAN 6700 673341-Y.

Please note: This is a mechanical hand-wound movement that has been stored for over five decades. For regular use, we recommend a service by a watchmaker.

The actual condition is shown unretouched in the product photos.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Citizen
• Model: The Memory of Reversion – Okinawa 1972 (Commemorative Edition)
• Occasion: Reversion of Okinawa to Japan on May 15, 1972
• Reference: 6700-673310 YO
• Serial Number: 2051428
• Production Month: May 1972
• Variant: Embossed silver dial variant with Shureimon engraving (rarer than the white text variant)
• Literary Reference: pictured in the standard work "国産時計博物館 / Museum of Japanese-made Watches" (edited by Masaaki Hasegawa, World Photo Press, July 1994, Vol. 27 of the series "Sekai no Udedokei")
• Caliber: Citizen 6700 (Type 6)
• Movement Type: Manual winding, mechanical
• Functions: Hours, minutes (no seconds hand by design)
• Case Material: 920 silver (confirmed by case back stamp)
• Case Shape: Oval/cushion-shaped
• Case Dimensions: 31.2 × 33.1 mm without crown (please measure)
• Lug-to-Lug: 37.7 mm (please measure)
• Height: 8.0 mm (please measure)
• Lug Width: 18 mm (please measure)
• Crystal: Flat acrylic crystal
• Dial: 920 silver with embossed Shureimon engraving, inscriptions "THE MEMORY OF REVERSION ★ OKINAWA" and "1972", round dot indices
• Hands: Slender, black-lacquered stick hands
• Strap: Original strap, unworn
• Accessories: Original wooden case, commemorative medal with cord, original secondary dial (Ref. 673341-Y, Caliber 6700, 23 jewels)
• Market Availability: Exclusively Japanese domestic market; practically unavailable in Europe
• Origin: Japan

For Whom?

For collectors of Japanese contemporary history, for whom an object dateable to the month tells more than any description. For enthusiasts of mechanical Citizen watches from before the quartz revolution. For collectors of Commemorative Editions who prefer the complete set to a single watch — the case and medal are far less commonly preserved than the case for this reference. And for anyone looking for a piece that tells a story, rather than just claiming one.

Warranty

This is an unworn item from old stock. The statutory warranty applies, with a limitation period of 24 months from delivery.

Note on Water Resistance

Water resistance is not guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.