Factory and Movement Codes

Many factories marked watches and movements with a code. Although lists have been compiled, none is complete. In an attempt to create as thorough a list as possible, I have combined them and added what I have learned from my own experience.

Most of the codes appear on movements, but some are found on dials or casebacks.

Codes and factories in italics appear on lists, but I haven’t seen them on a watch.

With a few exceptions, most notably Zhengzhou Watch Factory, a code with a Z in it is for a tongji (standard movement). Usually, simplified tongjis and non-tongjis don’t have a Z. Codes beginning with D, with the exception of DG, are quartz movements.

Often these codes had numbers and/or letters after them. Their meanings are not uniform, and the movement designations became even less uniform as time went by. There is some variation from factory to factory, but they usually follow these rules. A number following a factory code usually referred to a type of movement, and generally the numbers run in chronological order. For example, the ST5 was developed before the ST6. Letters following a code:

A = manual, no calendar

B = manual, calendar

C or D = automatic

G = gaijin (improved)

H = ?

K = kuaibai (fast beat), usually 21600 bph

R = rili (calendar)

Z = ?

3S Shanghai No. 3 Watch Factory

3SZ Shanghai No. 3 Watch Factory

AH 2J2 Hefei Watch Factory/Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory*

B Shanghai Watch Factory/Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory/Shanghai Diamond Watch Factory*

BJ Beijing Watch Factory

BS Beijing Watch Factory

CSZ Changshu Watch Factory

DBSE Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory

DG Dixmont Guangzhou Watch Company

DSE Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory

DSH Shanghai Watch Factory

DST Tianjin Clock and Watch Factory

DSZ Shanghai Watch Factory

NSH Shanghai Watch Factory

OSH Shanghai Watch Factory

JHB Shanghai Watch Factory/Shanghai Seventh Watch Factory*

JSW Shanghai No. 5 Watch Factory

SB Beijing Watch Factory/Suzhou Watch Factory*

SB Shanghai Watch Factory/Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory/Shanghai Diamond Watch Factory*

SD2 Shanghai Ballpoint Pen Factory/Shanghai Sixth Watch Factory*

SG Guangzhou Watch Factory

SHI Hongqi Watch Factory (Xian)*

SHY Hengyang Watch Factory

SHZ Hongqi Watch Factory (Xian)

SH19 Shanghai Watch Factory (SHI9?)

SJ Jilin Watch Factory

SJY Jieyang Watch Factory

SL Liaoning Watch Factory

SL5 Dandong City No. 5 Watch Factory

SM Shanghai Stopwatch Factory/Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory/Shanghai Diamond Watch Factory*

SN Nanjing Watch Factory

SNZ Zhengzhou Watch Factory

SS Shanghai Watch Factory*

ST Tianjin Watch Factory

STZ Tianjin Clock and Watch Factory

SYZ Yangzhou Watch Factory

SZ an early designation for tongji from a number of factories, usually SZ1 or SZ-1

SZB Beijing Watch Factory/Bengbu Watch Factory*

SZD Suzhou Watch Factory

SZH Wuxi Clock and Watch Factory?*

SZ1Z Zhengzhou Watch Factory (SZIZ?)

SZL Liaoning Watch Factory

SZN Nanchang Watch Factory

SZR Suzhou Watch Factory

ZB Beijing Watch Factory/Bengbu Watch Factory*

ZBE Beijing No. 2 Watch Factory

ZBH Nantong Watch Factory

ZBJ Beijing Watch Factory

ZCQ Chongqing Watch Factory

ZCS Changsha Watch Factory

ZCSH Shanghai Watch Factory

ZDD Dandong?

ZDL Dalian Watch Factory

ZFL Fenglei Instruments Factory (Xian)

ZGZ Guangzhou Watch Factory

ZHD Hudie Watch Factory (Xian)

ZHE Harbin Watch Factory

ZHF Hefei Watch Factory

ZHQ Hongqi Watch Factory/Hudie Watch Factory (Xian)*

ZHZ Hangzhou Watch Factory

ZJH Shanghai Watch Factory

ZJL Jilin Watch Factory

ZJN Jinan Clock & Watch Factory

ZJS Shijiazhuang Watch Factory

ZJSH Shanghai Watch Factory

ZJX Jiaxing Watch Factory

ZKM Kunming Watch Factory

ZLC Liaocheng Watch Factory

ZLN Liaoning Watch Factory

ZLY Luoyang Watch Factory

ZNC Nanchang Watch Factory

ZNE Nanjing No. 2 Watch Factory

ZNN Nanning Watch Factory

ZNS Zhengzhou Watch Factory

ZQD Qingdao Watch Factory

ZQH Yangzhou Watch Factory

ZSE Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory

ZSH Shanghai Watch Factory

ZSY Shenyang Watch Factory

ZSZ Suzhou Watch Factory

ZTZ Tianjin Watch and Clock Factory

ZWD Wuhan Watch Factory

ZWH Wuhan Watch Factory

ZWX Wuxi Watch Factory

ZXZ Xuzhou Watch Factory

ZYH Nanjing No. 2 Watch Factory

ZYQ Yangquan Watch Factory

ZYT Yantai Watch Factory

ZZZ Zhengzhou Watch Factory

Notes on codes with an asterisk (*)

AH 2J2: Found on movements in watches from both factories, but it is unknown which was responsible for its manufacture.

B: the Shanghai B movement, a joint venture by Shanghai Watch Factory and Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory. Also see SM.

JHB: A simplified tongji found in Yinling brand watches produced by both factories, but it is unknown which was responsible for its manufacture.

SB: Found on some non-tongji Beijing movements, and on early Suzhou movements. Also is seen as the first two letters of some Shanghai Watch Factory/Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory movements. See B.

SD-2: The factory changed its name.

SHI: Every source I’ve seen refers to marks on early Yanan watches as SHI, but conventions of the time suggest that it could be SH1, similar to SS1, ST5, SB5, SM1, SG3 etc.

SM: Shanghai Stopwatch Factory changed its name to Shanghai No. 4 Watch Factory in 1978, which in turn changed its name to Shanghai Diamond Watch Factory in 1986.

SS: Jie Fang watches, produced by Shanghai No. 2 Watch Factory, have movements marked SS1. Were the movements manufactured there or at Shanghai Watch Factory?

SZB: Seen on some Beijing Watch Factory movements and some Bengbu Watch Factory casebacks.

SZH: Seen on movements in Hongmei brand watches from Wuxi Clock and Watch Factory, but its origin is unclear.

ZB: Seen on some Beijing Watch Factory movements and some Bengbu Watch Factory casebacks.

ZHQ: The factory changed its name.