[jezz59]

Hello everyone, I understand that the Chinese make their version of the Valjoux 7750 Chrono movement? is this correct? further more, is this an autowind mov`t ?. What are they like on accuracy and quality and what watch brand names are they to be found in?. Any info & comments gratefully recieved, thanks. Jezz

[tomshep]

They are to be found in a wide variety of fake Darklings and the like, as well as some highly respectable watches. Quality is said by some to be on a par with the real thing and, predictably, you'll hear the opposite opinion in equal measure. It is a drop in replacement for the Swiss 7750 and with ETA restricting supplies, might well be found in watches calling themselves Swiss Made.

[jezz59]

tomshep, on 13 December 2009 - 05:36 PM, said:

They are to be found in a wide variety of fake Darklings and the like, as well as some highly respectable watches. Quality is said by some to be on a par with the real thing and, predictably, you'll hear the opposite opinion in equal measure. It is a drop in replacement for the Swiss 7750 and with ETA restricting supplies, might well be found in watches calling themselves Swiss Made.

Thanks for that, food for thought indeed,didnt realize that the Chinese are capable of producing movements of such a quality.Im on the look out for an autowinding Chrono so your comments are of great help.Naturally I dont wont a fake but would be happy to purchase an openly cino watch on the basis that they are decent.

[Thian]

I have just been educating myself on these Chinese made watches, especially the Sea-Gull models. They are really excellent for the buck...on par with Alpha watches, which use the Chinese movements!!!
I have 4 of the Seagulls...chrono ST19 mil re-issued, M177s, ST5D from the 70s auto....check the WUS site Chinese Mechanical Watches and see the excitement....!

[Paulus]

Just waiting for these to start appearing in nice original designs (alpha newman not for me)

Google "ST1901 lysanderxiii" (not supposed to link direct I think) for a full strip down and analysis

[jezz59]

Thian, on 16 December 2009 - 03:20 AM, said:

I have just been educating myself on these Chinese made watches, especially the Sea-Gull models. They are really excellent for the buck...on par with Alpha watches, which use the Chinese movements!!!
I have 4 of the Seagulls...chrono ST19 mil re-issued, M177s, ST5D from the 70s auto....check the WUS site Chinese Mechanical Watches and see the excitement....!

thanks for your comments and info,this has enabled me to enquire about Seagull & Alpha which I did not previously Know about, Im begining to acumalate a collective picture. Greatly appreciated!

[Thian]

jezz, here is my first buy, the Seagull mil reissued 1963, with the ST1901 movement as mentioned above, analyzed by lysanderxiii (Ken Canaday in N. Carolina), brought out in 2008 by the Tianjen seagull factory... a real beauty, handwinding only! Original strap was a green mil nylon but I added my own...

[Thian]

Paulus, on 16 December 2009 - 10:24 PM, said:

Just waiting for these to start appearing in nice original designs (alpha newman not for me)

Google "ST1901 lysanderxiii" (not supposed to link direct I think) for a full strip down and analysis

Paulus, if you google the Sea-Gull USA website based in California and operated by Kevin Ma ( who has sole USA rights by the Tianjin Factory), you will see the original models, not Alpha hommage watches with Chinese movements. There is the Sea-Gull Canada site too, which has one or two models not shown on the USA site, for example the sporty hibeat M306S model.

[gigfy]

jezz59, on 13 December 2009 - 11:03 AM, said:

Hello everyone, I understand that the Chinese make their version of the Valjoux 7750 Chrono movement? is this correct? further more, is this an autowind mov`t ?. What are they like on accuracy and quality and what watch brand names are they to be found in?. Any info & comments gratefully recieved, thanks. Jezz

Google for Chinese Watch Wiki and you will find hours of good reading. If you click on Table of Contents, then Mechanical Chronograph, you should find the info you are looking for.

I own a Liaoning 21,600bph auto chrono in a Ticino watch. It is very nicely made and has performed very well. I also own a Shanghai 28,800bph auto chrono in the Prometheus CR1. Another very fine watch.

Sea-Gull makes the mechanical ST19 in a few different flavors. I own a 1963 re-issue and a Speedtimerkollektion that I intend to mod. Interesting factoid is that Sea-Gull has just introduced a new ST19 model. The automatic ST19. TY2940 (aka ST1940). But I haven't seen it in any watches yet.

Cheers,
gigfy

[Paulus]

Thian, on 17 December 2009 - 09:10 PM, said:

Paulus, if you google the Sea-Gull USA website based in California and operated by Kevin Ma ( who has sole USA rights by the Tianjin Factory), you will see the original models, not Alpha hommage watches with Chinese movements. There is the Sea-Gull Canada site too, which has one or two models not shown on the USA site, for example the sporty hibeat M306S model.

Thanks mate, I'd found the US site and whilst they're quite pretty and clean the pastiche-vintage roman numeral thing isn't doing it for me at all, going that way I'd rather they were doing retro 70s-style colourful chunks.

Your re-issue is much more like it, not seen one of those, IMO a vintage Strela marginally edges but still very cool. M306S certainly more original design but again not my thing. Very much each to their own of course and I appreciate this is all an entirely subjective business.

The quest continues!

(good tip gigfy, will keep an eye out for x940 stuff)

[jezz59]

Thian, on 17 December 2009 - 09:06 PM, said:

jezz, here is my first buy, the Seagull mil reissued 1963, with the ST1901 movement as mentioned above, analyzed by lysanderxiii (Ken Canaday in N. Carolina), brought out in 2008 by the Tianjen seagull factory... a real beauty, handwinding only! Original strap was a green mil nylon but I added my own...

thanks very much for posting the pic and replying, the attraction and interest value is obvious, it is as you correctly state a real beauty, may I crave further indulgence and enquire about the mov`t being as it is hand wound, it is of swiss origin or a Chinese design? pardon my ignorance but thats because, well, Im on the learning curve about Chinese watches. Thanks again.
Jezz

[AlbertaTime]

jezz59, on 19 December 2009 - 03:55 PM, said:

thanks very much for posting the pic and replying, the attraction and interest value is obvious, it is as you correctly state a real beauty, may I crave further indulgence and enquire about the mov`t being as it is hand wound, it is of swiss origin or a Chinese design? pardon my ignorance but thats because, well, Im on the learning curve about Chinese watches. Thanks again.
Jezz

It's a Swiss design, but not a fake or a stolen design. The movement is based on a Venus calibre 175 movement. The tooling and plans etc were purchased by the Chinese Ministry for Light Industry which had the Tianjin/Sea-Gull factory build the movements for use in Chinese Air Force chronographs (Venus sold the tooling to raise capital for the caliber 188).

[Thian]

jezz59, on 19 December 2009 - 10:55 PM, said:

Thian, on 17 December 2009 - 09:06 PM, said:

jezz, here is my first buy, the Seagull mil reissued 1963, with the ST1901 movement as mentioned above, analyzed by lysanderxiii (Ken Canaday in N. Carolina), brought out in 2008 by the Tianjen seagull factory... a real beauty, handwinding only! Original strap was a green mil nylon but I added my own...

thanks very much for posting the pic and replying, the attraction and interest value is obvious, it is as you correctly state a real beauty, may I crave further indulgence and enquire about the mov`t being as it is hand wound, it is of swiss origin or a Chinese design? pardon my ignorance but thats because, well, Im on the learning curve about Chinese watches. Thanks again.
Jezz

jezz, you should google AlbertaTime's Museum site to see some pretty impressive Chinese vintage watches. Also google WUS forum chinese Mechanical Watches forum and read alot. In the reference section is a teardown of my watch ST1901 caliber by a fellow called Lysanderxiii (Ken Canaday in the USA).

[gigfy]

AlbertaTime, on 21 December 2009 - 03:30 AM, said:

jezz59, on 19 December 2009 - 03:55 PM, said:

thanks very much for posting the pic and replying, the attraction and interest value is obvious, it is as you correctly state a real beauty, may I crave further indulgence and enquire about the mov`t being as it is hand wound, it is of swiss origin or a Chinese design? pardon my ignorance but thats because, well, Im on the learning curve about Chinese watches. Thanks again.
Jezz

It's a Swiss design, but not a fake or a stolen design. The movement is based on a Venus calibre 175 movement. The tooling and plans etc were purchased by the Chinese Ministry for Light Industry which had the Tianjin/Sea-Gull factory build the movements for use in Chinese Air Force chronographs (Venus sold the tooling to raise capital for the caliber 188).

Just wanted to add that the tooling was purchased in the early 1960's.

Cheers,
gigfy

[Xantiagib]

how come its taken so long for these 175 based chronos to hit mainstream after all these years?

was the tooling put away after the military didnt need those type of watches anymore?
then to be refurbished and put into use again in the 00's?