How good are Chinese watches? Teardown + Giveaway!

Today we have a Chinese watch on the bench; a Seagull ST2502 D819.622. Apart from the sexy name, it looks good and is very cheap at just a little over $100. But is it any good?
Join me for a teardown of the entire movement and a discussion of the quality and value for money. And a subscriber will win this watch!
If you like the watch, check their current promotion at AliExpress and Amazon here:
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Amazon link: www.amazon.co....
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bit.ly/3J6UND7 Bergeon tools
bit.ly/3X21iwL Horotec tools
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bit.ly/3qAAPtX Ultrasonic cleaning solution
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[@Chris_the_Muso]

The best new Sea-Gull movement to learn on is probably the ST3600/ST3601/ST36K. This is a close copy of the ETA 6497 pocket watch movement, and fits nicely into a Panerai style case which can also be bought from Chinese manufacturers. You can get it for maybe US $40 to $50 if you hunt around for it. Some versions have the perlage on the visible plate bridges while others do not. There is a version of the ST3600 which is decorated (perlage) and has a decorative non-fuctional swan neck regulator. It may be possible to modify it slightly so that the swan neck part of the regulator is functional, at least within a limited range (needs a longer screw, and the swan neck spring needs to be a slightly different shape). Similarly the ST3621 is a copy of the ETA 6498. It's also recommended as a practice piece but is a little more expensive. I'd be interested to know if there are any quality differences that people might have noticed given that the ST3621 is almost double the price. The correct name is in fact Sea-Gull. The late fifties of course it was just "Wuyi Watch Factory", which became "Tianjin Watch Factory" in 1962 when the factory was relocated. The name of the watch being proposed for export around 1973 was the "Dong Feng" which means 'east wind' This wasn't very politically sensitive at the time so the name of the export watch became Sea-Gull. The name Sea-Gull as a brand for the company didn't come into existence until 1992, when it became "Tianjin Sea-Gull Watch Group Co. Ltd" I think the hyphenation is one of those "lost in translation" things that will often confuse the English speaking world when they come across it, and of course many of them will insist on calling it just "Seagull". Some histories state this company came into existence in 1997, but the difference may just be when the Sea-Gull company was incorporated in different countries and different markets. Care is needed with the Sea-Gull copy of the incabloc spring as it sometimes has the tendency to fly off (it is a spring and may go far if this happens). It also becomes extremely difficult to replace it without losing it again. Don't ask me how I know this... It's also true that these movements are made by other factories in China, so there is some variability that can be found. Sea-Gull manufactured items are probably the most consistent but quality control can be variable as noted in this video. Generally speaking, Sea-Gull movements will have ST designators, while Tianjin Watch factory will use TY designators. eg ST1612 is also known as TY2806. These are my notes regarding currently available Sea-Gull movements for those that may want to delve into these affordable movements for learning and hobby purposes. Prices are mostly Sea-Gull RRP for export, you may see different prices depending on where you buy them. ST36 Mech ST3600 K = skeletonised ETA 6497 seconds at 9 US$53.99 ST1901 Mech Chronograph 31.3mm 21600 21 jewels Venus 175 US$139 ST1612 Automatic Similar to Miyota 8216 (0.4mm dia difference) TY2806 Tiangin 26mm, center seconds, date US$35.49 ST2130 Automatic ETA 2824-2 Tianjin 2100 25.6mm center seconds, date. US$109.99 ST8000 Tourbillon Automatic 30mm US$369 ST3621 Mech ETA 6498 seconds at 6 37.2mm US$110.52 ST2100 Automatic ETA2836-2 25.6mm US$115.00 ST1812 Automatic ETA2892 26.2mm US$149.95

[@ASWCo09]

You can get ST3621's for $40 on AliX

[@freenational]

Is the ST8000 Tourbillon any good?

[@Chris_the_Muso]

@@freenational I haven't bought one, but from what I can gather from others that have, they are reliable and reasonably accurate. There's a few companies putting them into dress watches successfully, and as one of the cheapest serious tourbillon movements they do represent good value for money. I'm not sure what movement or design it is based on, but it is a real caged tourbillon which rotates once per minute. I would assume that whatever movement it is based on means that this, like all the other Sea-gull movements, is a snapshot of older proven technologies. I actually like the Sea-gull movements for that reason. Sea-gull/Tiangin use CNC engraving to do fake Geneva stripes and don't do a lot of fine polishing so the finish will never rival the best Swiss watches in that regard, but the underlying technology always seems to be sound. If you wanted to get a movement to learn on or put into your own case, or buy a dress watch based on this movement, I think it would be a reasonable way to spend your money.

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

Great info !!!!!

[@darcychu9652]

​@@freenational For US$369, I would go for ARSA(Hoga, Royal Elastic, etc.) with Swiss movements assembled in HongKong.

[@robertlugo3388]

I have a 1963 and I was shocked with its workmanship. It's one of my favorites.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Hello watch lovers, it seems the scammers are heavy at work in the comment field. Note that I will never ask you to message me on Telegram or similar shady services. Please report any scam attempts by clicking on their message and choose Report. Also, I have decided I'll ship the watch to the winner for free to avoid anyone paying anything to anyone :)

[@ReneAlexisPenalozaMunoz]

I have a Segull model 1963. It was a gift from my wife since I was born on that year. It's pretty decent and looks great on me. Very happy with it. Nice video. I always have in mind that China is an ancient country and are pioneers in many aspect of technology. Peace.

[@VintageWatchServices]

The 1963 is a fabulous watch in my view, great design and pretty good mechanics at a nice price 👍

[@SpeakersIsGod]

I absolutely love any of the mechanical watches. They are so fascinating and neat. The fact they were building these in the form of pocket watches in the early 18th century blows my mind.

[@erik149]

Thank you for the excellent video, your ability to keep track of where all the different screws and little parts go is pure magic to me. The fact that China is able to produce, package and ship such a watch for $100 is amazing. If they would put in $50 more, the movement would be world class when it comes to finish.

[@Layvors.]

@user-wv1pj6wh4hLearn how to spell before coming on here ranting lmao. Find me a Swiss watch for $100 (which is difficult in itself), then add a couple hundred dollars for the tools required. On top of all that you need to factor in the time and knowledge it takes. How about you do some critical thinking, trust me it’s a useful skill to have.

[@stavros_katsopr]

As there are not many comments, let me start with an honnest thank for your "subterranean" humor, great to hear you Stian, be well mate, cheers.

[@lorebare5089]

Never had a Seagull on my wrist, I like the way it looks, this kind of watches allows people to enjoy a classy-complication style without spending a lot. I hope Chinese watches industry would invest more money in making this watches (instead of bad fakes), because they have a lot of potential. Maybe I would appreciate a little more finishing (more accurate) on the movement. Thank you to let us know about this type of watches and learn how they look inside!

[@professorredfox]

I love that you got these two watches from this company and we’re still completely honest with the issues with this watch. Appreciate the giveaway!

[@johnhannon]

Hello Stian, I am enjoying your videos! The Seagull ST36 (6497) movement was a good movement to start learning for me. It was inexpensive and the larger size made it easier for a beginner to work on. I found a total lack of oil and debris/hair in the movement. Once cleaned and oiled, it will probably be a good movement. The incabloc springs do not hinge back and stay as well as the Swiss movements do and tend to come (fly) out of the holder. The solution for me was to add a tiny ball of rodico for the spring to rest on when hinging back.

[@watch-box]

A lot of people see Seagull as an Ali Express brand, and true their watches are for sale on the platform, but the brand itself has a history that most Swiss brands would love to have. I have been surprised by how good the finishing of these in house movements are (unless under high macro), a lot of watch for not a lot of money in many cases. Thankyou for sharing this video and your thoughts.

[@dudleysmithceramics]

This watch caught my eye some time ago. It's always nice to see a watch which has a clear back so you can see the workings inside. It's a shame the manufacturers don't go that little bit extra distance to lubricate it properly. After you gave it a service the readings on the timegrapher were very impressive. It's a shame they weren't as good straight out of the box.

[@rickdenney5772]

Stian--excellent video as always. I think your assessment of Chinese watches hits the mark pretty well. I have several of them, including an ST-19-powered 1963 PLAAF "reissue," and I agree it's a great value and a cool watch. I put the decoration in the "looks glittery with the naked eye" category--a 10x loupe exposes a multitude of sins that one might not see in a far more expensive Swiss watch. The Geneva stripes on mine seem to be cut with a flycutter rather than a polishing wheel, but that's not that inconsistent with the original Dong Feng with the original ST-5 movement, from the time before the brand name "Seagull" emerged. Those had hand-cut decorations designed to catch the light, with grooves much bigger than would normally be the case with polish. I have several of those original Dong Feng-era ST-5 movements, and each are different from the others because of that hand work. Of course, there is very little hand work now, except to deposit dust, puddles of oil, tiny hairs, lint, and fingerprints. 🤭The Seiko aesthetic of minimal decoration but high functionality is not so much in evidence here. Still, a lot of fun for a hundred-dollar watch.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Cool to hear, Rick! I'd say this movement certainly uses part of the Seiko aesthetic, more specifically the first half of it 😉

[@thewatchworks1372]

To be honest, I’m pretty fond of the Chinese made movements, I only have two of the Tongji (Chinese standard) type movements. It’s amazing how much aware they are, they all have provisions for automatic Bridges of which both of mine are equipped with, and also room to allow for date complication, of which one of mine is also equipped with. Also it’s insane how many bots have ended up in the air channels comment section, they must’ve detected the word “giveaway” and are going absolutely berserk in the comments! KZbin decided to put my comment in the wrong video, hopefully this is still valid. Also, props to you for keeping your audience vigilant about all the stupid spam bots!

[@paulmorley1225]

That explains the 'giveaway' reply I received on one of my comments... I had a hunch it was a scam since the reply didn't come from VWS's verified account but rather some homophonic ripoff, and I sure didn't follow the link it provided.

[@keithwilliams9213]

I still find it amazing that they are able to produce such an intricate mechanical watch at that price. Copy or no copy, that's still a hard thing to pull off.

[@quinninstrumets8259]

Agreed. I’m finding watchmaking making schools use Seagull Movements.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Yep, it is in itself impressive!

[@veganbutcherhackepeter]

Modern technology. 3D scanning and printing and and high precision cnc cutting. They haven't had this in the old days, which is why I couldn't care less about these mass products and collect vintage watches instead.

[@vinceslapchopper]

Not an hard thing to pull off when you pay your employees slave wages, use cheap materials and designs and you have no R&D cost because you copy everything you do from your betters.

[@sj9918]

Working community still work 3 dollars a day. So they can sell at cheap price. Quality of material yet to be time tested life like 5 years or 50 years.

[@mnpd3]

I'm in my 70's. As a young man the worse thing you wanted to find on your newest prized gadget was the "Made in Japan" mark of junk. Hard to believe today, but post-War Japanese products were widely regarded as trash. I wonder if Chinese products are not going through the same phases now.

[@sp10sn]

Interesting observation. I suspect that the centrally controlled economy of China could never replicate what Japan's inherently competitive culture did.

[@emeraldhill8294]

@@sp10sn Also the japanese instantly saw that the way forward was corporate dominance.

[@carnivaltym]

​@@sp10snDon't forget they have the rest of the world to compete with, not to mention the invisible competition between the various competing factions in the CCP each of which own/control numerous companies thru family connections.

[@duc696monster6]

And USA made stuff is the other way around, it used to be relatively good quality, but last 2 decades that has gone down the drain, these days USA made is worse then Japan..

[@dialedmedia_]

Japan makes high quality things now tho, cant forget about Seiko.

[@javbw]

Love the channel - watch looks interesting too! Great to see the cheaper watches show up as a comparison. I am a computer screw-turner, and learned on 1995-2015 Apple products. The 2003ish PowerBook G4 12” is similar: 6 layers of 30 parts, ~90 screws of all varying lengths - I can’t imagine trying to do that assembly inside of something smaller than a jam jar! This is why I love your videos. With so many screws, I used packing tape as a sticky tray, laid the screws out on them as I disassembled the units, usually in a meaningful position to where they went on the specific part. Used a marker to circle make notes and delineations on the tape to separate them. Re-assembly was easy when you knew where every screw went. A ~5 hour job the fist time turned into 45 minutes with practice. Good luck to you with your new video schedule.

[@quinninstrumets8259]

Packing tape is a great idea, thanks

[@VintageWatchServices]

That's indeed a very good idea! The thing is that on pretty much all watches I work on there are certain characteristics to the screws, so you can pretty much always tell which ones are for bridges, which are for jumpers, which are for the keyless work etc. But this movement was all over the place, and I'm pretty sure I mixed up a few screws 😂

[@buckrogers5331]

I'm fascinated by Sea-Gull and I think they have great technical and market potential. I sincerely hope they keep focus and bring it to the highest level. Would surely love to own one.

[@red75v67]

Very interesting Stian. I have one watch with a Sea-gull movement: a Merkur chronograph. Incredible value for a column wheel movement with Swan neck regulator. Thanks for the great photography as per usual. Cheers, Howard

[@robertsweeney1174]

Please consider me for the competition. I'm wearing a Hanover swiss military at the moment. I'd be Very happy to wear this Sea-Gull and show off this model. I look forward to watching your shows and find them very therapeutic and calming and informative to view. Many thanks Rob

[@El1988Che]

That's an awesome giveaway! Now as for Chinese watches, you're 100% correct about the QC. I purchased a HKED 1963 (ST19), and it came in running between COSC numbers and I had it for close to two years without any issues... A friend of mine purchased one for him from the same seller and his was a complete dud... I felt bad for him, but that's QC issues like you said.

[@richardosborne815]

Thanks for the breakdown. Never heard of Sea Gull watched or movements,but it's nice to learn from pros, who are also willing to pass on their knowledge, love and passion. Keep up the great vids!

[@akhtarkh]

Your closeup shots are great. They give so much detail about the watch quality and function. Also it would be nice to see a teardown of a superclone watch.

[@michaelmoore2487]

A very thorough, fair, and balanced review of this watch. You identified both the strengths and weaknesses of both the product and the manufacturing practices of the country of manufacture, without any prejudice.

[@pasttenseSara]

Thank you Stian. I appreciate your take on Sea Gull.. I've been repairing and/or servicing this brand for about 6-7 years now and overall, I'm impressed with a number of their calibers, especially the copies of the ETA based movements (St3600, ST2130 in particular). They're fairly reliable and I've come to expect a fair level of performance. However, like you mentioned, QC is an issue.

[@sheemondallasgeorgia]

Quality is a matter of attitude. If you care, you put in the extra effort to cull off the defects. If you do only what is necessary to avoid the tyrannical wrath of a Godless 5yeant you end up with the CCP stepping on your neck.

[@peteanddrake4242]

it depends on the factory and the grade. Seagull is a generic moniker applied to movements from many factories and companies.

[@youmaarludwig5647]

The issue is the intrinsic bias....thus the QC issue 😊

[@alvinpillay9995]

My favorite part as always is seeing the hairspring spring to life. Great job.

[@paulschumacker9901]

These are interesting movements but I would think it’s difficult to keep track of which screws go where. This is especially difficult during cleaning, unless you want to run multiple cleaning cycles. In any case, these are great videos!

[@yuglesstube]

My wife has a cery similar SeaGull. She loves it. It keeps good time and is reliable. I bought her a Samsung Galaxy watch some time ago, and she hasnt worn it in over a year.

[@clivesouthafrica2086]

Interesting video as usual. Nice change of focus. Amazing that, quality and finishing notwithstanding, such a mechanical product can be made and assembled for such a price. That is the selling price, and includes the profit margin for the manufacturer and others in the distribution chain.

[@allegedkurd]

I've owned a couple Sea-gull watches, and I've been generally pleased with them, so long as they're simple dress watches. There are some designs that I even really love, but yeah, the finishing isn't great, and in one case, I got a watch that was advertised to have a Sapphire crystal and it was very clearly mineral. I brought it up to Sea-Gull and they replaced it for free, but like, come on.

[@camarocarl7130]

So solly.

[@LawrenceMacMacster]

I used to buy them for a friend collector who doesn't like to buy online (he passed away late last year) we had two with mineral glass marked as sapphire, I can't say the customer service is bad they refunded us full and said to keep the watches! But yeah c'mon lots of dirt and messed up screw heads, even saw a loose little chunk of metal floating inside one!

[@dsell993]

Great video and discussion, Stian. As a hobbyist I've had my eye on the Sea-Gull chronographs as a good entry into working on chronograph watches. Glad to see they have your endorsement!

[@pensioner43enginedriver13]

I love to watch these Guys dismantling and rebuilding watches.

[@magh1]

I love your videos! The watch with the white dial is a handsome looking timepiece. I have bought a few Chinese watches and they are getting better in quality although one I bought recently had a number of production issues. Thanks for the video - it was something different and I am always impressed with your professionalism and extensive knowledge!

[@robertrimmer4276]

Really enjoying the restoration and review videos. Your explanations of how things work and highlighting the unique features of the different movements, insights into the company histories etc. are fascinating. Often wondered how the Chinese movements compare, good to see Seagull "coming out" and producing watches under it's own name. Can't beat the price, not all of us can afford the high end stuff.

[@ygrbooks]

Dear Stian: thank you for this wonderful video. I also bought a Seagull watch, though the one with the tourbillon. And while the watch was way more expensive - $700+ - I am happy with it, since a Swiss made tourbillon is not affordable for me. The cool thing about my rosé colored watch is that there is no name on the dial, which is kind of a starry night blue. The bad thing is that the hands look very cheap. Still, it is an eye-catcher and a lot of people have commented on it. And, except for the minute repeater - I now have all of the major complications in my collection: chronograph, perpetual calendar, tourbillon.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Very nice! I also have a Chinese made tourbillon, the BHI 150 year anniversary watch, and I really like it. Not a high quality watch, but a tourbillon at that price is just not possible to overlook for a watch lover :)

[@weeklyautoorient4685]

ive always found seagulls to be very good value for money, they're an actual brand that has decent quality control, its a shame people mark off seaguls as cheap inauthentic watches just because its Chinese.

[@kerryburns6041]

Casual racism and China is an easy target for the ignorant. I run a small farm with Chinese equipment, ride a Chinese scooter and have several Chinese musical instruments, all are good quality, and inexpensive.

[@llary]

The main issue I have is that they are all straight copies of ETA movements. If they design and build their own high quality movements from scratch like Japanese manufacturers then great, I will support that. Until then a "good quality" copy is still a copy that should not be supported from an ethical standpoint.

[@jakekaywell5972]

@@llary You're forgetting about the ST19 chronograph movement. Sea-Gull bought all of the tooling and the rights to make it from Venus back in the 60s. No theft there. Also, they have made their own movements before from scratch. Check out the ST8000 tourbillion some time.

[@felixt1470]

@@kerryburns6041 Most watch enthusiasts are kind of snobbish. Same reason ppl won’t buy the Kia Stinger eventho it’s a great sport sedan simply because it is a Kia!

[@UNSCPILOT]

Deffinitly interested in getting a seagull st1901 based chronograph as it's well within my budget while still being quite cool. The trick is picking one because there are so many interesting watches based on it!

[@sweetCaroline65]

This has me intrigued about older seagull watches. I'd like to see you do a video on a 50s or 60s seagull. based on the tear down, and seeing the level of quality, I'd wear it. I like the look of a lot fo their watches; the dial in particular has a good combination of retro throwback modern interpretation quality to it.

[@fredrikandersson9809]

Thank you for yet another interesting video! I have used chineses automatic watches as edc for a few years now since I’m working in a pretty bad environment for any fine mechanics. They last about as long as a battery in a quartz watch and cost less than an annual service so I see it as a sound practise from an economic perspective to keep replacing them when they stop working. Sure, they aren’t the prettiest thing you ever saw in terms of finish but they keep time resonably well and that is of course their intended purpose as far as I’m concearned.

[@vincenttarnier9773]

Hi Stian, many thanks for all your videos. Putting this movement under the scope reveals quite a few shortcuts in the making (noticed how the escape wheel’s club teeth were raw?), however the overall value is excellent. Keep up the great, inspirational work ! Bonsoir from France 🇫🇷

[@VintageWatchServices]

Yes indeed, there's a lot of "potential for improvement"! 😂

[@wikwyre]

I would normally not buy one of these, but after watching this tear-down and build, i may consider checking out their line for a cheap daily wear watch. Thanks!

[@Surplusx21]

I find seagull watches particularly interesting... Small pricetag for a watch that is absolutely fine! Great video as always! :)))

[@valdachef]

I'm in the middle of a seagull myself, pallet fork jewel came out after buying it second hand. Hope to get it going again. Love the show and your builds.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Good luck!

[@9feetfrog]

Thanks for the giving us an insight of the watch with the professions view. An eye opener to have learnt a bit more about Chinese watch movements. I have a sea gull given to me from by grandpa who used to wear it as a daily watch for at least 20 years. It sat in a drawer for the other 20 years or so and it still runs losing just around 2 mins a day!

[@michaelwillett7442]

I have never had a sea gull but i would like to have one i am just starting in the hobby thanks to people like you and marshall and the fellow they call mike from retro watchs. You guys makes it very interesting and challenging.

[@VintageWatchServices]

😊👍

[@joelukorito4412]

Great review. I've had my eye on Seagull flywheel watches and it's so satisfying seeing them taken apart and assembled right back. Thanks for sharing Stian!

[@1300BlueStar]

Really enjoy your videos, the part I like best are your commentaries on both the good points and bad points of the watch in your opinion. I liked that this time this was a watch anyone could own, seeing the rare or expensive movements is great as well but I'd personally like to see some more of the older but still common.

[@lowersaxon]

Its always exciting to see a professional working on a watch. Here comes a verdict I would trust a 100%. Thank you.

Great video! I noticed that for these movements, before removing the crown you need to pull it out completely to the hour setting position. I also find it best to but the wire springs of the calendar work through the opening on the cover plate. Although these movements are cheap, because of their simplicity for cost reduction purposes, they tend to be difficult to work with. Many wheels under a thick bridge/cover plate, thin floating wheels, etc. And, very surprisingly, it is not easy to find spare parts for it. One of these movements was actually my first movement to disassemble and assemble. I would not recommend them for first movement.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Certainly not a first movement candidate! I should have done the wire springs a bit differently indeed, but honestly didn't really put much thought into it...

[@MichaelSmith-fb9jz]

Such a pretty watch. Just goes to show not every watch has to cost the earth to look good. Thank you for your channel.

[@overlandmotorcycletours4785]

Another great video, amazing how something so complex can be produced for the price. I would like to see inside the factory.

[@rotax636nut5]

I like the look of the second watch, it's a bit bigger on my wrist than I would prefer but I think but I would wear it when going out or in company but take it off at home so it doesn't weigh down my arm

[@jananders1351]

The Sea-Gulls do seem to be pretty good value, for the price they ask they deliver quite a lot. It was nice to actually see how much they pack into their movements.

[@HansZarkovPhD]

I have a china corguet brand i have worn for years with no issues.

[@michaeltroster9059]

I must admire the patience necessary needed to work on these mechanical timepieces. I would go crazy in about a few hours if I had to work on these mechanical watches.

[@gustaff.weldon]

I have a Seagull 1963 and is a joy to look at from both sides :) Must be a cheapest new chrono on the market.

[@mphtails6830]

Great video Stian! I enjoy that many of the watches from seagull have an exhibition back. It's always a real buzz for me, being able to see the components working together. Art and a convenient way to know what time it is. :-)

[@PMELKUS]

Thanks Stian for taking the time to go though one of these which is a movement I've look at before to get some experienced with automatic movements but in my watch making learning have yet to do. I have had experienced with Seagull watch movements 6497/6498 which is the ones you start with when starting this hobby and like you I found there quality control a bit lacking, one I remember didn't even have any lubrication.

[@Coolersson]

As always, great job! I had no idea that a Chinese watch could be made into a working timepiece... I once bought similar equipment, I liked it very much, but it turned out to be very "Chinese" 😉

[@scottmcclellan3744]

I bought a 1953 and love it. Interesting comments on quality control. Mine is working fineso far.

[@carlrees5574]

Great Stuff as usual Stian. I have 2 watches with the ST19 movement, Red Star and 1963. Love them both but both have had to have the backs off to sort issues. Luckily i am able to do that and as you say its just poor quality control in the assembly. Love them both and they get plenty of wrist time. Would be nice if they sent you the tourbion next time for a play 😁

[@raypedia]

I got a Seagull for practice, a simple clone of an ETA 2824. Only cost about US$75 and it’s been fun to play with. Thanks for the exploration of this Seagull.

[@JSGilbert]

I have a pretty nice watch collection at quite a few different price points. I find it amazing that a movement like this Seagull can be placed in a handsome case and sold for $100 retail. I have a Chinese watch with a different Seagull movement and it keeps time as well as my Longines and Vacheron Constantin watches. What I find distressing are the very many “fake” luxury watch companies springing up all over the internet. Many of them are selling watches with inexpensive quartz or mechanical movements in the $600- $1,200 range. I particularly detest their use of FOMO or scarcity by saying the watch is a limited edition. Beginning collectors and others looking to give a lavish gift can easily fall for these scams. But $100 for this Seagull watch is definitely a bargain as far as I’m concerned.

[@simkool77]

not a "normal video," but your experience shines through with every watch.

[@mw9984]

How in the world do you put that watch back together? I’m impressed.

[@VintageWatchServices]

😊

[@hoodoo8]

Really good fun seeing these watches taken apart, I’m sure many are surprised by the quality-Seagull are certainly the real deal. Thanks for the giveaway!

[@thomasflynn5366]

I'm glad that you brought up that you can't expect from a $100 watch what you do with a luxury watch. So many watch people try to hold a budget watch to the same high standards as a luxury watch and it makes not sense.

[@mygamingchannel8555]

Luxury watch are still watches.. They're just for rich people to spend on something

[@glenntongue7639]

Really enjoyed your constructive discussion of the issues, since the brand is generally considered higher quality tier. Thanks!

[@jumperpence]

Thanks Stian, This is just what I wanted to see! As much as I love seeing the beautiful, rare (and expensive) watches, watching you work on and explain more accessible watches now and again is fascinating. Keep it up!

[@noambellomo4965]

Its very nice to get a good review on a Chinese watch. Usually watchmakers don’t deal with those watches at all. Video is well made and I learned a lot from it! Thanks

[@clivewiddall3430]

Well you’ve certainly increased the reliability and longevity of that watch just by working on it.

[@nigelh8985]

Good video. I enjoy your work. It’s really amazing value for money when you consider how intricate this movement is. I would like it in my small collection.

[@mickboakes7023]

Only a simple watch maker. I just wish I were only half as simple as you. A totally fascinating channel. I could watch and listen to you for hours. And I don’t even own a watch All the best Mick.🇬🇧

[@VintageWatchServices]

Wow, thanks! 😊

[@peterbroderson6080]

I have a nice collection of older mechanical watches but have now, bought several China made complicated watches and am impressed that you can get new such a watch under $50 delivered.

[@steveshusterman12]

The movement is pretty straight forward, however, it's definitely worth the value. Thanks, it's been very educational!

[@patch6476]

I think it's fantastic to improve their manufacturing skills, I love your honesty and your steady hands!

[@jimzielinski946]

The lighting was fine. As someone who spent years disassembling and reassembling PCs and microscopes, I'm amazed at how you can work on anything so small! The other amazing thing is not that someone can take a gadget apart, but that you can put it back together! Whoever wins this watch gets something better than what came out of the factory - it comes with a free "clean and lube". I still work on my own PCs and microscopes, though since I retired, I am starting to get interested in watches. Your video was a great intro into this technology.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Very cool to hear, Jim!

[@keithfucious7067]

From one watchmaker to another, well done. Very meticulously thorough. In reality I never bother taking these apart anymore because I would have to charge more to OH it than it cost to buy a new movement but I understand your point was just to show the build and design quality. This one has the look and feel of Japanese but some of their swiss copies are getting shockingly good. It is amazing how far they have come so fast. PS, sorry, I just cant help myself as a typical watchmaker watching anothers technique haha.. BUT! I disagree on your greasing every spring surface levers etc but I just love the fact that you used such a small amount. Most people over do it making it more of a detriment than an assset. Its all a matter of experience, feel and instinct and you obviously have mastered the art..

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thanks a lot, Keith :) I learn new things every day and change some of my habits as I go along and find better ways of doing stuff. And always great to hear from a fellow watchmaker that I'm not completely botching things! 😂

[@neilpiper9889]

I have several Sea-gull St5 hand wound movement watches from the 1980s. All excellent. I also have a 1963 column wheel chrograph bought from Poljot 24 in Germany. I have had it for 4 years now and it runs beautifully.

[@Nefville]

I recently got a Merkur salmon dial, handwound 3hz and I cannot believe the quality of it for $101. Its incredible, the dial and hands are beautiful, the movement is very well finished, it has a steel movement holder and its just gorgeous. Honestly I don't know how they do it. There's a solid caseback, I opened it to regulate it and was VERY pleasantly surprised.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thanks for sharing!

[@GatorGlider]

It is impressive that they can actually machine all those parts and assemble it for that amount of money. BTW, I've really been enjoying your videos. Excellent content with good humor and discussion.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thanks a lot, Michael!

[@llary]

They can do it because there is no R&D budget required, just copy existing movements.

[@perfessorh]

Just stumbled upon your channel! After having tried taking apart some cheap, nonfunctional movements just to tinker, I really appreciate watching it done properly!

[@eshwarrao7358]

Great teardown as always... I love how you make the watches run even better after you tear them down... thanks for the video Stian!!

[@VintageWatchServices]

Glad you like them!

[@eshwarrao7358]

@@VintageWatchServices You are right about the company name, from what i understood, SeaGull 1963 with Venus movement beccame very famous and then people started making many fakes (same movement but their brand name), then Seagull decided to make it Sea-Gull to stand out from others. Hope that helps.

[@jegtugado3743]

Can’t believe I spent time watching the entire video. Amazing deconstruction and reconstruction of the movement. First time watching this, hope the YT algorithm recommends me more. Thank you! 😊

[@VintageWatchServices]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Blitterbug]

It's hilarious that Seagull have added a simulated tourbillon - I thought you were quite tactful in not calling them out on it! Great video, fascinating to see one of these movements up close that are all the talk in the amateur horology world.

[@erictai1537]

I am amazed with your mechanical skills to uninstall and refitted back all the mechanical parts. Big salutes to you.😊

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thank you very much! 😊

[@perrystevens5913]

The best review I have seen here on KZbin showing the dismantling of a Segull Chinese watch and to reassemble was awesome to watch. Very well narrated ! This review made me want to purchase a Segull watch as I am a watch collector knowing that the watch is worth the money spent. Thank you for showing this on KZbin. God Bless!!

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thanks for watching!

[@karstensiegmarsson5304]

That´s really a nice piece. I like Seagull as a daily, so it´s not a big issue when getting a scratch on it. They are pretty consistent an precise, too.

[@johnhelt5475]

Very intriguing. When mass production reaches certain volumes, they tend to sacrifice attention to detail for volume. Thank you for sharing.

[@rogers531]

I used one of this type for good wear. I oiled it but everyday I wore it people always compliment it. Nice work.

[@nicolasduhil329]

Thanks for this video on a Chinese movement. I knew a French watchmaker who categorically refused to touch them because of their low manufacturing quality. For anecdote, in a Swiss magazine in French dating back at least a decade, a communication manager of Seagull (Tianjin Seagull Watch Group) declared that this state company wished to reach in less than 10 years the quality level of the ETA movements. I am afraid that this statement is still relevant today. More revealing, on the Chinese market, several dominant brands are owned by private Chinese groups such as Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited or FIYTA Holdings Limited. They only use Chinese movements for the "tourbillon complication". The rest of the range of mechanical watches uses Japanese Miyota movements or Swiss movements such as ETA for chronographs. This is very revealing of the perception of Chinese watch manufacturers within the country itself.

[@zonablazer]

Excellent video as always. It's seems like seagull is the leader in Chinese mechanical watches. I believe even armitron has used their movements. For the price point you absolutely can't go wrong. Appreciate the review and tear down Stian!

[@VintageWatchServices]

Hello Sean, you might have seen in the video released today that you won the draw, congrats! To get your prize, please send me a mail at [e-mail]. I'll then give you a code that you need to paste in a response to this message, so to avoid any further scam attempts.

[@zonablazer]

@@VintageWatchServices Thank you very much! Email sent.

[@zonablazer]

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[@RIH_Photography]

Looks like fine watch. I would love to have this as I have just started on my watch Hobby. I have an old Waltham that is completely dead and needs to be striped /cleaned and a new Henry London that has a cracked crystal. Thanks far all the videos as I am learning so much 🇬🇧

[@robintan502]

生米煮成熟饭 or 米已成粥 ， 28.22 the train has left the station, the ship has sailed, or as the Chinese say, the raw rice has become cooked rice, or in HK, you've overcooked rice, and now it's porridge . Love that you're taking apart and putting together the movement. The Chinese has to start somewhere, and with your thoughts and pointers, I'm sure Sea-Gull is listening and learning, they will be going places for watchmaking as they mature and grow in confidence, skills and horology culture

[@dutchcanuck7550]

Thanks for bringing this brand to my attention. I'm just getting into Chinese mechanical watches over the last 4 months.

[@barriestephenson8289]

Your skill, patience and knowledge are something to be admired, but the steady hand is what I'm envious of, another great video, thanks.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Thanks, Barrie! 😊

[@peterdeblois960]

Thank you for another very informative video. I love how your sense of humour stops the videos from becoming too dry.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Glad you like them! 😁

[@tooslow8150]

I have a couple watches with Chinese movements and completely agree with the sporadic nature. I have two that perform flawlessly and one that was a mess from ciga that had to be completely replaced. The new one worked fine. Thx for the vid!

[@kenfritz9565]

This is my first, but certainly not my last, visit to this channel. Very educational and interesting! Many thanks for your patience and tutorial remarks. Your talent and professional expertise is obvious. Very enjoyable!

[@VintageWatchServices]

Welcome aboard!

[@jakelabete7412]

This is my first visit to your channel. I'm impressed with your no-nonsense approach. I do not work on watches, or have any connection to the industry, other than wearing one (occasionally). Good luck.

[@VintageWatchServices]

Welcome aboard!

[@rauliorga3823]

I have a Parnis open-heart with ST2505 i think. I am very pleased with it, fantastic value for money, and had it run for 90 days with just +90 seconds total.

[@milanchristi7939]

R-e-a-l-l-y interesting! Thanks for sharing this deep-dive inside a Chinese movement. I bought an homage to see if I could comfortably wear a larger watch than my regular drivers. For $75 (!) I am still impressed with the superficial quality and the timekeeping ability. And what a great surprise to have a VWS video in the middle of the week!!! I got my fix early😃! Thanks!!~

[@VintageWatchServices]

😁👍