![]() In Europe, you can buy the 21-jewel one from Watchunique, a Seagull importer and retailer based in the Netherlands. In the US, Long Island Watch sells the 1963 model in a 19-jewel version. Basic 1963s from Ed feature the very same hour markers, hands, and dial markings as the original 304, but you do get several hands and dial options. If you want the most historically accurate version, you might want to check out an online dealer called hked, based in Hong Kong. There are a few places to get these watches, and everywhere they’re a bit different, as Seagull seems to make different ones for every retailer. You could say it’s the most basic version, but it’s also the one with the most vintage appeal. The watch I’m reviewing is a 21-jewel version, in a 38mm case with a closed back and a hesalite crystal. Well, you could say that the original re-issue is at the bottom of an extensive range. There’s a 38mm version, a 42mm version, “panda dial” versions. Some have a hesalite crystal, and some have a sapphire crystal. Some feature the ST19 in its 19-jewel version, and some have the 21-jewel one. ![]() These range from reasonably faithful to the original to loosely based on it. The new iteration of this historic piece comes in a variety of versions. The reissueĪ few years ago, Seagull (Tianjin), in cooperation with collectors and enthusiasts, decided to reissue Project 304. Only a few years later, the wildly popular Dong Feng became one of the first export goods of the Chinese watch industry. The very same year, 1965, the Tianjin Factory started producing one of China’s first mass-made watches, the time-only Dong Feng (East Wind). You could say that this was a kickstart for the Chinese watch industry. The plated case also wasn’t state-of-the-art. ![]() They looked as if they were designed a decade earlier. As far as 1960s watches go, it wasn’t typical for its era either. The original watch had a very civilian appearance: applied hour markers and no lume. By 1965, 1400 pieces of the Project 304 chronograph were given to the pilots. By 1963, prototype batches of the “Project 304” chronograph were delivered. A 19-jewel version, the ST19, was developed later. The first version of the 175 made by the Tianjin Factory was known as the ST3. ![]() The Chinese were more than happy to buy it. That company was Venus, and the movement was the cal. However, it so happened that a certain Swiss ebaucherie was very keen to sell all the tools and machinery used for making one of their movements. Besides, designing a chronograph from scratch isn’t an easy task. Of course, for a severely understaffed facility, that was no easy task. In 1961, the Chinese government ordered the Tianjin factory to create a watch for pilots of the air force of the People’s Liberation Army. So, how are they doing? I wanted to find out. Along with relatively young companies like Maison Celadon, they’re trying to go the “Made in China with pride” way. Old and established manufacturers, like the Tianjin Factory (Seagull) and Beijing Watch Factory, are trying to appear on the WIS’ radar. But we forget the watches that Chinese manufacturers made for the domestic market.Ĭhinese horology is going through a renaissance. Most people seem to think that made in China = made badly. The reputation of Chinese horology has been butchered over the last two decades. It turns out that they offer a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph for roughly 200 euros. But what if we were to put Switzerland and Japan aside, and look where people don’t wish to look – to China? Well, that’s if we’re talking about Swiss brands. Anything else is either priced similarly or way higher. The most accessible of them is the Omega Speedmaster Professional. Unless you get lucky, it’s hard to get a bargain on a hand-wound chrono.īesides, there are a few hand-wound chronographs still in production. These days, the market for vintage chronographs is bananas. Price – 209 euro (at Watchunique, within the EU, incl.Movement – Seagull ST1901 – hand-wound chronograph, column wheel, 21 jewels, 21 600 A/h, power reserve ca.45h.
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