Specifications

Brand: Citizen

Collection: Date Seine

Reference: DSES8801 Y

Serial Number: 60414635

Movement: Japanese Automatic (21 Jewels)

Country of Manufacture: Japan

Estimated Era: Late 1960s to Early 1970s

Case

* Approx. 23.8 × 24mm

* Stainless steel case

* Stainless steel case back (S.S.)

* Para Water

* Distinctive fluted bezel

Dial

* Original silver sunburst dial

* Applied silver-tone baton hour markers

* Date display at 3 o’clock with cyclops magnifier

* Silver-tone baton hands

* Signed “Date Seine”

* Signed “Citizen”

* Signed “21 Jewels”

Crystal

* Acrylic crystal with integrated cyclops date magnifier.

* Light vintage wear consistent with age.

Strap

* Replacement black leather strap fitted for comfortable everyday wear.

Price

₱3,500

All prices are negotiable — feel free to contact us.

Condition

The watch remains in honest vintage condition with visible signs of age that reflect decades of careful use. The original dial has developed a warm vintage character while remaining highly legible, and the fluted bezel continues to give the watch an elegant appearance. General wear is present throughout the case and crystal, consistent with its age.

The automatic movement is currently running. The date mechanism is functional but somewhat difficult to adjust, requiring extra care when setting. This has been reflected in the pricing.

Notes

Elegant yet surprisingly ambitious, the Citizen Date Seine is one of those vintage watches that quietly showcases how competitive Japanese watchmaking had become by the late 1960s. While many collectors immediately recognize the fluted bezel and cyclops date magnifier as features popularized by luxury Swiss dress watches, Citizen was producing its own interpretation with in-house engineering at a much more accessible price point.

Inside is a 21-jewel automatic movement, demonstrating that Citizen did not reserve its finest mechanical calibers exclusively for men’s watches. During this era, Citizen invested heavily in developing refined automatic movements across its entire lineup, including compact ladies’ models like the Date Seine. Producing a reliable automatic movement at this size required considerably more precision than building a larger men’s caliber, making watches like this an impressive feat of engineering for their time.

One particularly charming detail is the fluted bezel. While primarily decorative on this model, it reflects a broader design trend of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when manufacturers experimented with luxury-inspired styling while developing distinctly Japanese identities. Combined with the magnified date window and clean sunburst dial, the watch captures a period when Citizen was transitioning from simply competing with Swiss manufacturers to confidently establishing its own design language.

The name “Date Seine” is relatively uncommon within Citizen’s vintage catalog today. Unlike well-known collections such as Crystal Seven, Leopard, or Cosmotron, the Date Seine appeared as a refined dress line and is encountered far less frequently on today’s vintage market. That relative rarity makes surviving examples particularly interesting for collectors who enjoy discovering lesser-known chapters of Japanese watchmaking history.

Disclaimer

Every watch at WatchFind has its own story. As an independent collection of pre-owned and vintage watches, we are not affiliated with any watch manufacturer. Each timepiece is sold as-is and may show signs of age, wear, or previous servicing consistent with its history. We do our best to describe every watch accurately, so please review the photos and details carefully beforehand and manage expectations accordingly.