Seagull 1963 40MM Sapphire Crystal ST1901 Movement Men's Chronograph Watch 1963 SU1963S40

Product Information

The case is made of polished 316L stainless steel. On mine, the crystal is acrylic. This is more authentic and easier to polish. Faithful to the original, both versions of crystals are domed, lending a vintage feeling.

This Seagull model does what it says on the tin. It’s a Bauhaus model. Simple, spartan and with a pared-down look. Over the years, they’ve released multiple takes on the Seagull 1963. There are many different remakes, each emphasizing different design elements. Special features have included: 19 and 21 jewels, different dial colors, acrylic crystal and sapphire, and a range of dial sizes. Yes, it’s updated. The case is bigger and it has a sapphire crystal. But aesthetically, it’s true to the spirit of the original. It looks like a military watch from communist China. Since 1997, Seagull has become a major player in the global watch industry. Incredibly, today, Seagull manufactures a quarter of the world’s mechanical watch movements. Project 304 It works for me. And it’s very affordable. Particularly if you factor in the in-house mechanical movement. You’d pay significantly more for a German equivalent.Seagull has faithfully remade this 1960s piece - albeit with a larger 40mm case. They’ve taken an iconic aviation watch and recreated it down to the smallest details.

The secret code for this official aviation watch was ‘Project 304,’ although it was sometimes also called ‘ the 1963.’ The accuracy is 10 s/day, while the power reserve is 42 hours. That said, there have been some reports of a 51-hour wind. As I mentioned, the original project 304 featured the Seagull ST3 in it. However it has since been updated to the ST19. As the name and text “19 ZUAN” on the dial indicates, it has 19 jewels. I got the 38mm model and, after receiving it in the mail, I asked a few of my friends to try it on. Believe me, it looks great on any wrist size from 15 cm to 19 cm (5.9 to 7.5 inches). (For reference, my wrist measures 17.5cm, or 6.9 inches, around).

SEAGULL1963

I want to show you something much better. Still affordable and still Chinese. Watches that represent great value for money but also have excellent workmanship and an interesting heritage. The text on the dial of this watch varies between models, which leads some people to question the authenticity of certain models. After several prototypes, the final version was unveiled in 1963, becoming the official watch of the Chinese Air Force. Despite the monumental effort it took to develop ‘the 1964,’ only 1400 watches were manufactured. Seagull 1963 The Seagull ST19 movement is a beautiful column wheel chronograph which is a must-have for collectors. The movement is a hand winding Seagull ST1908 mechanical chronograph with a frequency of 21,600 bph and a power reserve of approximately 42 hours on a full wind without the ST19 chronograph running.

It’s well-made but still feels like an old piece. If you like vintage but don’t want to buy a used watch with unknown origins, you can’t go wrong with the Seagull 1963. It’s also a watch for history lovers and watch collectors alike. All things considered, I was satisfied with this watch.

In the 1960’s Venus needed more space for the caliber 188 chronograph movement. They put the rights, plans, and machinery necessary to manufacturer their older model, the caliber 175, up for sale. How many companies can claim to produce their own in-house movements? At the affordable end of the market, there is only a handful. Vostok, Seiko, Orient and a couple of others.

To sum up my experience and thoughts on the watch: the case looks and feels perfect on my 17.5 cm (6.9 inches) wrist after I swapped the strap. I enjoy wearing it, and I’ve also received a few compliments.This is the most widely available Seagull watch. It’s been a real success in the West and I love mine. It wasn’t my first Seagull watch, but it is my favourite. It takes its design cues from similar dive watches from the 1950s and 60s. It’s less obviously Chinese than the 1963 Chronograph but it still represents tremendous value for money. The company, founded in 1958 as Tianjin Wuyi Watch Factory, has over 50 years of experience in the business. An early pioneer in Chinese watchmaking, Seagull’s ST5 is the very first watch movement to be 100% built and designed in China. You wouldn’t think that gold, red, blue, and brown colors would look good next to each other, but somehow, the Seagull 1963 makes it work.