Zoë Blade's notebook

1963

1963 tech specs

The 1963 (known in China as the 304, after its original project number)[1][2] is a mechanical chronograph made by Tianjin Seagull.

1961, Tianjin Seagull were tasked by the Chinese Ministry of Light Industry to make Project 304, the first Chinese chronograph, for the Chinese Air Force.[1] They bought the rights to Venus's 17-jewel 175 movement, and modified it into their own variation, the higher frequency 19-jewel ST1901 movement.[2][3] By the end of 1963, they had completed a second batch of prototypes. By the end of 1966, they had completed the official production run of just 1,400 units.[1][2]

In the 2000s, Tianjin Seagull recreated this somewhat historic watch.[2] It's known in China as Project 304, and everywhere else as 1963.

The recreation's face updates the original design in a few ways. It sports the red star emblem of the People's Liberation Army, instead of the original watch's arrow-and-circle logo of Tianjin Seagull's local Chinese branding, East Wind. The odd-numbered hours are now represented with inward-facing arrows rather than squares. Both the black and the gold hands are now blue, with only the red hand maintaining its original colour.[1] It somehow looks both less oldfashioned, yet still like a vintage military watch.

You can buy it with or without a gooseneck. With is preferable, as it allows you to more precisely regulate the escapement's frequency.[4]

As Tianjin Seagull also sell the ST1901 movement to other companies, some of them have made their own 1963 clones by simply adding near-identical faces and cases. So you can buy a cheaper clone complete with the genuine movement.

Some of these clones are identifiable by the text on their faces. Tianjin Seagull's own 1963 face reads "中国天津手表厂" ("Tianjin, China Watch Factory"); some clones read "中国制造" ("Made in China"), while others read "中国天津" ("Tianjin, China"). There are also bootlegs chancing the official text. Buyer beware.

Some people outside of China like this recreation (or, more likely, its clones) for its unashamedly Chinese twentieth century military aesthetic. Marketing materials romanticise its "rich history", which seems disconcertingly euphemistic.

In contrast, it seems Chinese people themselves mostly avoid it, rather understandably, due to its association with Mao.[5][6] Its introduction in 1963 — exclusively to the military, remember — was sandwiched between the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, not anyone's fondest memories. (Compare with, say, the similarly bird-themed Flying Pigeon bicycles, also originally manufactured in Tianjin.)

So it's (usually a half-clone of) a recreation of a totalitarian government's military chronograph, whose movement was based on someone else's. Nevertheless, it does have a certain charming utilitarian aesthetic, especially with an open back that lets you appreciate its inner workings. At any rate, the more reputable half-clones offer a genuine mechanical chronograph for around £100, which is pretty impressive any way you look at it. It looks nice, works well, and is fantastic value.

It's perhaps worth noting that the same great value ST1901 chronograph movement is also available with various civilian faces, for about the same price. Chiefly, it's in Sugess's clones of Breitling's Top Time series. Still, it's nice to see it here, openly being what it actually is: a solid Chinese watch, that's good in its own right.

References

  1. "Horological History: China's First Chronograph" Li Wei, East Watch Review, Oct 2015
  2. "Seagull ST19 Chronograph Movement (Review) + Brief History" Albert Kaminsky, Kaminsky Blog, Sep 2017
  3. "The Complete History of the Chronograph Movement: 1940s–1980s" Cheryl Chia, Revolution, Mar 2021
  4. "Amazing Precision, The Swan Neck Regulator — Watch and Learn #67" Long Island Watch, Jul 2019
  5. "[Seagull 1963] Finally Picked This Up After a Long Time — Couple of Stuff to Say In Comments for Everyone Who's Thinking About Picking These Up" Captainmorgan696969, Reddit, Feb 2023
  6. "[Seagull 1963] Finally Picked This Up After a Long Time — Couple of Stuff to Say In Comments for Everyone Who's Thinking About Picking These Up" Tick-Tock28, Reddit, Apr 2023

Mechanical watches: 1963 | Movement frequency