Hellooooo! This is a reupload which you may have seen before. I pulled it the week that the channel got deleted and reinstated because it contained the word 'Fake' and I was paranoid! Time it made a comeback! Cheers, Jody
hi jody a shop on ali called flexfil has aquartz 1963 for 30 quid i kid you not...as well as a dubious longines heritage style watch also labelled seagull
I tried to buy another of the genuine version of this watch directly from China via my Chinese friend! She actually reached out to all of the sellers in China and they are all "fake" in that the actual 1963 reissue ended years ago and there are essentially NO genuine 1963s on the market anymore! The ones that ARE genuine costs around 1000 dollars! All sellers she reached out to in China have told her that the 200-300 dollar versions that they sell are copies made with the ST19 movement of the genuine 1963 sourced from seagull and some are even made by Seagull themselves but they are not technically the genuine versions which was the official reissue! Seagull also appears to have told watch manufacturers that they can copy this watch as long as they don't copy the back plate which are never see through on the actual reissue and has a three dimensional seagull logo on it!
Yeah the official tianjin seagull mall chinese website only has one chronograph with same same dial which has a non see through back case and black leather strap and cost almost $700usd when converted from rmb; I believe they do sell the st19 movement and other manufacturers can use it to make their own watches
And the irony fked up thing is, Seagull did it to sell movements. This is why I never had any interest in Chinese watch brands, they don't know how to protect their legacy.
Less than half price for sapphire and a display back for the most attainable mechanical chrono movement? Think I'll stick with the "unofficial" version.
Sapphire is not curved, the curved part is in steel on those versions. It's a totally different and not pleasant design feature not many people seem to take into account, because of too much focus on sapphire.
That’s funny, the sapphire on mine at least is slightly domed, it’s a “red star” 1963 off Ali. Mind you, the movement can have issues (mine will run down if the chrono is started, then stopped but not reset, other people report other QC issues) but it’s a lovely watch, and the mechanical chronograph is so much more enjoyable than the various quartz ones I’ve used.
I loved the change of presentation. You told me a wonderful story and I learned a lot. Thank you so much for the history lesson. I’ll always watch anything you have to say about my addiction to affordable watches!
So glad to see this one back up! Such a useful look into a really interesting watch. Horological history, business, politics and bit of intrigue! This videos has it all! Call me a nerd but this is one of my absolute favourite JOMW videos 🤓
I'm with you Gareth. The Sino/Soviet split?, stolen swastika gold & swiss bank shenanigans, Sea-Gull v Seagull subterfuge & the simple ST19. This story has everything!.. and lots and lots of "S's"!!! In all seriousness though, it is a great little watch and the mov't itself is phenomenal. ✌🏼️
I decided to pick one up a while back and I was met with so many variations, case size, price, swan neck, no swan neck, acrylic, sapphire, display caseback, non display. My head was spinning like Linda Blair's. In the end it was too much and I bought something else 🤣
Honestly I dont believe there is an "original" at all. China does things weird and I think they just make one "official" so they can push the price up. As long as you have the original movement, you pretty much have the original watch
Mine was $369.00 from Long Island Watch. Just like yours…Saphire both sides…..broken….chrono was in-op but Mark was great. He sent me a new one and it runs and looks great with 21 jewels, column wheel, swan’s neck, a lovely watch. Real enough!
Marc is THE MAN & I fully intend to get a SG1963 from him as well to allay any questions about authenticity... Just as soon as I get my Islander 38, and Islander 40 (in emerald 🤩) lol
By far the best intro to the Seagull 1963. The links are very helpful. Best compromise : the "official" seagull released in limited edition (5500 units) with a display case bought separately as Sea-gull does not supply them. But pricey...
very interesting video about the 1963, thank you so much for all the informations, in the final, I didn't quite understand if the movement(st1901) in the "not originals" 1963 variants, is original or just a different movement that is similiar to the st1901??? Thank your for the respond!!!
The "Sea-Gull" 1963 is now up to $580. I just bought a quartz movement 40mm that's got a nice solid back, a plex domed crystal, and very good dial for $35. If original is solid back, I'd rather have the no-hassle quartz and an extra $545 in my pocket. :) Great video btw!
the original watch was designed and conceived by government officials , and produced by state enterprise, so the design might be difficult to be copyrighted just like german flieger or british dirty dozen.
i am in China. I saw the watch on another channel and immediately fell in love. I quickly clicked on one of the e-commerce sites here and ordered one for RMB900 (about US$150). I was so impressed and happy, thinking that it is cheap because I am in China. I went to another e-commerce platform (regarded as more reliable) and found the same watch for nearly RMB 4800 (about US$800). Huge price difference. I immediately cancelled my RMB900 purchase as I was thinking it is a fake. After inspecting both sites, the 900 watch's back is flat with some inscriptions on it whereas the 4800's back has some embellishments on it. So even here it is confusing. I hate wearing something I have to make an excuse for but also don't want to be an idiot who is being taken for a ride. Urgh...
Thanks for the re-upload JodyOMW! It was good to see if again with a bit more experience under (the gut above) my belt. I have a 38mm 1963 from Sugess. I was constantly having to re-zero the chrono hand... until it fell off. So I got a lemon. Didnt 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 bother me, as it's a bit small for my 8“+ wrist, so I bought a 40mm version from Seakoss. Love it. Great dial proportions, and the 40mm X 50mm case is 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡. I've got a 38mm Pierre Paulin panda from Murkur, but again - bit small. Gonna flog that and grab a 40mm Panda from Sugess... again. But I've got a Hemel Air League with the mov't too and will be buying a Poljot Strela with the ST19 rather than the Poljot 3133. I really dig the mov't. I buy the swan neck regulator version (when possible) and always go Acrylic (also when possible). In fact, after I significantly down size my collection I'm going to collect ST19 powered chrono's. They're great looking, reasonably reliable, in-expensive 𝑎𝑛𝑑 I have a spare mov't (without a chrono hand yeah, but easily fixed). That'll give me the freedom to buy & sell the ~$1K re-issue tool & military watches I love and still have some $ to collect something I really appreciate. These mov'ts are special man, for those of us who dig retro chrono's but don't have the funds to fuck around with vintage or Swiss column wheel mov'ts, this is pretty much it. Cheers and thanks bud.
I was wondering where this video went, been looking for it for a while now, thanks for the re-upload Jody! The real Sea-Gull factory has loaded up their Ali page with tons of "information" and it all looks very much like an attempt to re-claim a lost spot. The telling bit is where they say someone looked again at the docs 50 years later... So what I think happened is someone else (HKED?) started making 1963 copies in the 2000s and Sea-Gull probably were not too interested. Some years later, and late to the party, Sea-Gull realized the market had run away with something they declined and they wanted to get back in the action. So Sea-Gull realized their own copy/homage and tried to shout to all concerned that theirs was the "official" "proper" "real" one. Hmmm, yeah well maybe. Maybe they can pull it off. One thing I do know is that Western values of copyright and trademarks don't apply 100% in China. They have their own values, different from Anglo-Saxon ones. Besides, as some other poster mentioned it was designed and made by state enterprise, so everyone's claim to anything is murky, even Sea-Gull's. Let the market decide. Quality should win out.
@@justinnicholson8372 I've not seen a Sea-Gull but I can attest to the finish of my HKed 38mm domed acrylic version is impeccably finished, and is very accurate. Tested against my Junghans Mega RC, I've not adjusted the HKed over 3weeks continous running and the minute hand has not yet reached 1 minute fast. I've read that he returns movements that don't reach his (higher) standards and by weeding out the poorer performing movements it really does look like he is able to offer a superior product, and whilst not the cheapest version of the watch, it is less than that charged by Sea-Gull themselves.
The "originals" were a side project by a Hong Kong seagull employee. Hong Kong seagull used to cater to 3rd party "own branders" who would work with them to design and manufacture watches in Seagull factories. The guy sold a handful of batches of them through various watch forums (if you have the patience to trawl through watch-u-seek It wasn't sanctioned by Seagull, wasn't an official model, but had "Tianjin Seagull Watch Factory" on the dial. The guy left but continued to make and sell watches. Seagull continued to make the "fakes" at their factories for own branders, the success and popularity of the model saw lots of different sellers flood the market. Seagull has sold a few "official" airforce watches throughout this time, but until 2016 none of these were identical to the "replicas". When they did make a "real" one, they retroactively laid claim to the original Hong Kong batches as "real" reissues.
Without knowing the rich history/discussion around the watch, I fell in love with the look. I went through this rabbit-hole hole myself the past few days and have decided I will get one the HKED recreations. He seems to have the best rep for quality and the look of the watch is apparently closer to the true original design.
Excellent video! I love my Seagull 1963 as it is the most charming watch I own. It is the 38mm version with display case back. Lovely movement to look at. I paid $138 and that included a second (and very nice) vintage leather strap.
@@oak6302 Aliexpress. They have gone up a bit since 2021 but you can get one for around $150 on sale (I have the Red Star version and it is a great watch).
I watched this video a number of times and a few years ago, it helped me buy a Sea-Gull watch made from the original factory. As you mentioned, that was just a personal choice. Love the watch and your channel/videos... If you ever find yourself in California, let's have lunch.
Maybe some are Seagulls, some are Sea-Gulls, some are Oyster Catchers, Ferry Terns etc, (not to mention the ocean going Duck), which would mean the 42mm version is an Albatross.
These two things are certain: 1) If any of the unofficials have "sea-gull" written on the caseback then that is a "fake/replica". 2) The HKED models are "homages" to the watches that actually went to production (the red star ones were only prototypes as far as I understand). As for all the other unofficial red star models... who knows? They're not outright replicas if there's no "sea-gull" written on them but they're definitely more than homages. I mean Pagani Design might make a Submariner homage but you don't see them using the Rolex crown as their logo. On the other hand the red star is not exactly sea-gull's logo...
Trying to work out if I want the closest to the original (38mm, acrylic crystal, 19 jewel etc) or a more practical but still beautiful one with the sapphire crystal (usually 21 jewel) maybe even with lume? Also, I will be getting that clear case back as the mechanism is just too beautiful to hide
Saw this for the second time. After the first time and went on and bought an official Seagull 1963. As a collector I believe the limited editions might make a good investment. Had it for almost one year now and I love. The only problem is that the movement is loud AF
Having seen these watches for sale since the early seventies in the so called "Communist China Stores"in Hong Kong,Kowloon and other Chinese based shops. It was interesting with all the tantalising watches on sale in the former British possession, the young engineers on board bought these watches, mainly based on price. Some years later having moved to Australia I met up with an old ship mate in Sydney for a beer or three, I mentioned that he had bought one of these watches and was told that he wore it only infrequently, because the he had it serviced in Aussie and it cost him a fortune. The reason is that original cost at Chinese production rates was and is cheap. However, the movement is still a complicate Swiss designed mechanism and western watch repairers do not work for Chinese rates. It is safely concluded that don't have the movement serviced, keep it for spares and purchase a brand new movement from any of the many clone manufacturers. Still nice looking watches , however.
Great info Jody...I may have to watch this twice to take in all the information...I did take away that I can also just wait for the Pagani photocopier to fire up and pump this thing out for $45
I read that Sea-Gull sells the movements to and officially licenses two other factories to make the 1963 - Red Star and Sugess - and that any that don't come from one of those three is a "fake" and might have a knockoff movement that's not an actual Sea-Gull movement. At least that's what I read about it.
In the Chinese forum, it is a believed “Sea-Gull Tianjin” did not authorize the licenses, but the licenses might exist. The reason was the Tianjin Watch Factory went through several reconstructions in the past 20 years. The “Sea-Gull” trademark were held by several holding companies, in Tianjin, Shanghai , Hong Kong and Singapore. These holding companies also went through reconstructions, so though the Tianjin Factory exists, there are several other legal persons own the right to use the trademark.
Very informative. The "big question" is ; if the official Tianjin factory which made Sea Gull "1963's" no longer makes them - what does the factory actually currently make ? Has it been closed down ? Is it still manufacturing watches or is it a watch factory that no longer makes watches ? So instead, does it make parts for lawnmowers ? Why operate and keep running a watch factory which doesn't make its most famous and popular product ?
Based on this video I bought the genuine Sea Hyphen Gull, and very glad I did. It is truly beautiful. Unfortunately the sapphire ones don't have the "bubble" shape to the glass, which really makes it look special. For those worried about acrylic vs sapphire, invest in a $5 tube of polywatch and give it a polish every few months, and it will look as good as it did on day one.
I got very confused from your video but not because of your video. It is very well detailed. I guess the bottom line is for me is the movement, i bought mine just for the movement so I opted for the cheaper model with the 2 lines of text and the signed crown.
My 1963 is the 42mm, gold tone dial, sapphire crystal, display back, and 1901 movement with the swan neck regulator. I love the thing. What never shows up on the photos online of the 42mm is the side of the case has an amazing reverse curve on the side from the middle toward the case back. It's almost like a covetto/cove or something.
I bought mine from Burnside Chrono in Australia and I'm happy-ish enough with it as a "homage" and/or "reissue". They tested it and made sure some of the QC problems they were having are ironed out. Mine is a Seagull 1963 ST1901 Venus 40mm Chronograph with a Sapphire crystal and Display Back. I think navigating the myriad options to buy the "original" was a bit too complicated for me and I just went with the one that made things easy.
I have the same style 1963 as you have there and I don't even care if it is original or not, I love it, it keeps excellent time it's pleasing to the eye and pleasing to wear, I realised it wouldn't be an original going into the purchase and after wearing it over the past year I would definitely purchase another
I have the so called "Official" version, I have also owned two other "None Official" versions, including an HKED. I don't know if I was unlikely, but both of the unofficial watches suffered from a slight stutter on the stop watch function, where as the official version performs flawlessly.
I've got the Seagull 1962 limited to 650. Great watch with all official papers and leather box. But don't expect great accuracy, even from the original Seagull company. Lol
None of them are "ORIGINAL". The original one has another logo instead of the star... it has an arrow with an oval thingy as the logo. The original vintage Seagull 1963 that was used by Chinese Airforce. Sea-Gull "official" is the one who purchased the rights to make the watch entirely, but they're selling the movement to many other watch makers, including the next one below. Seagull "unofficial" buys the movement from Sea-Gull and they make theyr own version... that is almost identical, BUT they offer sapphire glass and ofcourse, the transparent back so you can see the movement. Paying more for the same movement and without having transparent back and sapphire glass... is not worthed. In my opinion, Sea-Gull "official" or Seagull "unofficial" are both... "official" since they're both using the identical movement as the vintage one, they are both equal... "official" but not ORIGINAL.
I'm interested in the ST19 movement without sporting the red star. I like the look of some of the Sugress offerings, particularly the Stardust and the Moonphase Master. My question is about quality. Are these good watches that will perform well and hold up over time? Any help in this regard is appreciated, thanks.
Thanks for the explanation . I ended up buying one from Sea-Gull official store. My thought is that the design is named Seagull 1963. If you cannot tell me what is the name of your brand or factory, then it is not official
I went for the HKed version 38mm with domed acrylic. Simple, really, as it seems to me to get even closer than the official Sea-Gull reissue in that it uses the Star Trek style logo most closely relating to that of the original, although it does have the exhibition case, which is no mean thing, IMO, as it isn't often we get to see a chrono movement in all its glory.
I may be mistaken, but I believe that all modern ST1901 movements are 21 jewel. The '19 ZUAN' logo references the early remakes of the Venus172, which was a 19 jewel movement.
Not if you travel a lot as it makes the watches very vulnerable to magnetic fields. While travelling I even managed to get my strongly anti-magnetic Sinn 856 magnetized even though people say this is impossible and can't happen from airport security. Happens to me so often I had to buy a demagnetizer to take with me on my travels.
I don`t really care one way or the other. Mine keeps great time at +2 a day, and I like the looks of it. I did change the leather band to a nicer one though. It has the sapphire and swan neck, and is 38mm. Amazon.
Jodie, What of the "1963" Watches, that use a "Swan Neck" regulator ? As I see that; Not as a "feature", but a Benefit. As It will be easier to regulate the Movement to it's full potential. I would base my decision on that capability. All the other factors, Size, Dial Color, the Hands, the Caseback - Display Back or Not, etc. etc. - to me are secondary.
I own two of these. A 40mm Chrono Heritage M1963/X - SEA-GULL ST1901 bought directly from Sugess Watch in China and a 40mm limited edition Red Star bronze Seagull 1963 that came from the official Seagull 1963 store in Belgium. The Seagull is a watch that is hard to fault and I‘m quite fond of both of mine but my customer experience with both companies was hardly satisfactory. In sum I was swindled twice. The Sugess was supposed to come with the Swan Neck movement but didn‘t and unfortunately too much time had elapsed before I found out for me to be able to do anything about it. As for the Belgian Seagull 1963, it was only after I had received it that I found out that they do not individually number their limited edition watches (instead all 300 are numbered 1/300) and that it was missing it‘s tag, manual and registration QR code. It was also shipped about two months past it‘s preassigned shipping date. The company in Belgium casually dismissed my concerns and when I asked to return it they informed me that the 14 day return policy had expired. Be very careful who you buy from. The Seagull 1963 company in Belgium seems rotten to the core. I wouldn’t deal with them again if they paid me. BEWARE.
So, what is a Sugess offered on aliexpress with and w/o gooseneck? 40mm, sapphire crystal etc.. Another from 'Turbillon Watch 0fficial Store' offers a version only described as a 'seagull movement' watch, looks very good, no name. ($30 cheaper). I had decided that this chronograph was going to be my next watch. Which one to choose? Please. Can you do a followup video with further thoughts as in, are they all equal quality etc.?
Many mamy thanks. I think this video is the best possible effort to understand the unuderstandable market of this watch and movement. Do you know something about the swan neck regulator version? And about the lume hands version? I thank you again and keep going
I Got the cheapest 1963 I could find on Aliexpress, $133 after the back to school discount, and I opted with the mineral Crystal since I wanted the supper domed Crystal and a but more durability, and so far I am very happy with it I even checked it on the time grapher it was running 4sec/day which is really good. I can't stop wearing it!
Bought a 'Red Star' 42 mm with caseback and sapphire glass, from a German importer. Is it an original Seagull? Guess not.... But it makes me smile to be wearing it.
I want to be able to see the movement I would get the original if was with the glass on the back... is not possible to see the movement in the original then I'm going to get the cheaper version
Clear. Like milk! LOL Lots of good info. I don't know what version I have. Bought mine from Long Island Watch in the US. I just know it runs strong and looks great. Thanks for what must have been a tedious exercise of getting all of these details together in an understandable video.
very interesting, i discover you channel today, now you win a new follower :-) from france. Im a LIP fan and love the sea gull 1963. Because the venus mouvement was on the LIP Geneva co produce with Breitling, those two modeles were more famous than rolex at this time. at the end of the 50's with the venus 175. so i feel than the sea gull 1963 s a kind of grand daughter of LIP and breitling. between the 50's lux models and the seagull, there is so many caracteristics such as the design, size and of course, mouvemenent. I order my seagull this week at 300€ with the swan neck regulator. Original or not, on this kind of watch, the prince, the mouvement and the feeling are really more important than to be sure if its really the original product.
Hellooooo! This is a reupload which you may have seen before. I pulled it the week that the channel got deleted and reinstated because it contained the word 'Fake' and I was paranoid! Time it made a comeback! Cheers, Jody
hi jody a shop on ali called flexfil has aquartz 1963 for 30 quid i kid you not...as well as a dubious longines heritage style watch also labelled seagull
Cheers 🍻
@@nickp97 its probably plated alloy and they claim its sapphire crystal which i doubt
It even comes in a bronze case now too.
I knew it was a reup, because I didn't hear the new intro :D
I tried to buy another of the genuine version of this watch directly from China via my Chinese friend! She actually reached out to all of the sellers in China and they are all "fake" in that the actual 1963 reissue ended years ago and there are essentially NO genuine 1963s on the market anymore!
The ones that ARE genuine costs around 1000 dollars!
All sellers she reached out to in China have told her that the 200-300 dollar versions that they sell are copies made with the ST19 movement of the genuine 1963 sourced from seagull and some are even made by Seagull themselves but they are not technically the genuine versions which was the official reissue!
Seagull also appears to have told watch manufacturers that they can copy this watch as long as they don't copy the back plate which are never see through on the actual reissue and has a three dimensional seagull logo on it!
similar story, I am trying to buy one from within China.
Yeah the official tianjin seagull mall chinese website only has one chronograph with same same dial which has a non see through back case and black leather strap and cost almost $700usd when converted from rmb; I believe they do sell the st19 movement and other manufacturers can use it to make their own watches
Do you think the 4k rmb one on taobao is legit to purchase? Im looking at it right now... thanks It costs alot compared to the 400dollar price...
And the irony fked up thing is, Seagull did it to sell movements. This is why I never had any interest in Chinese watch brands, they don't know how to protect their legacy.
Communists tend to not believe in intellectual property @@hinrei1986
Less than half price for sapphire and a display back for the most attainable mechanical chrono movement? Think I'll stick with the "unofficial" version.
Sapphire is not curved, the curved part is in steel on those versions.
It's a totally different and not pleasant design feature not many people seem to take into account, because of too much focus on sapphire.
@@H0kram It does sound nicer, but I don't know if it's worth an extra $250+. My main interest in the 1963 is the movement more than anything anyway.
That’s funny, the sapphire on mine at least is slightly domed, it’s a “red star” 1963 off Ali. Mind you, the movement can have issues (mine will run down if the chrono is started, then stopped but not reset, other people report other QC issues) but it’s a lovely watch, and the mechanical chronograph is so much more enjoyable than the various quartz ones I’ve used.
If someone made a higher quality Rolex Daytona, it's still a fake.
@@ashleymalamute the movement matters the most
I loved the change of presentation. You told me a wonderful story and I learned a lot. Thank you so much for the history lesson. I’ll always watch anything you have to say about my addiction to affordable watches!
So glad to see this one back up! Such a useful look into a really interesting watch. Horological history, business, politics and bit of intrigue! This videos has it all! Call me a nerd but this is one of my absolute favourite JOMW videos 🤓
Thanks Gareth! It took me 18 hours, so I was pissed of when I had to delete it 🤣
I'm with you Gareth. The Sino/Soviet split?, stolen swastika gold & swiss bank shenanigans, Sea-Gull v Seagull subterfuge & the simple ST19.
This story has everything!.. and lots and lots of "S's"!!!
In all seriousness though, it is a great little watch and the mov't itself is phenomenal.
✌🏼️
You are nerd.
💯 Same. Nerdy? If that's wrong, I don't wanna be right!
I decided to pick one up a while back and I was met with so many variations, case size, price, swan neck, no swan neck, acrylic, sapphire, display caseback, non display. My head was spinning like Linda Blair's. In the end it was too much and I bought something else 🤣
Same
@@robertsacknoff952 😂
Sapphire no swan
@@CybertroninfiniteOfficial is the swanneck ver better or the non swanneck ver better?
@@longminh2759 depends if you plan on adjusting it yourseld
I'd pay the extra for the "original" but for one thing. They don't do a display back and I want to be able to see that movement, It's gorgeous!
Honestly I dont believe there is an "original" at all. China does things weird and I think they just make one "official" so they can push the price up. As long as you have the original movement, you pretty much have the original watch
Mine was $369.00 from Long Island Watch. Just like yours…Saphire both sides…..broken….chrono was in-op but Mark was great. He sent me a new one and it runs and looks great with 21 jewels, column wheel, swan’s neck, a lovely watch. Real enough!
Marc is THE MAN & I fully intend to get a SG1963 from him as well to allay any questions about authenticity... Just as soon as I get my Islander 38, and Islander 40 (in emerald 🤩) lol
By far the best intro to the Seagull 1963. The links are very helpful. Best compromise : the "official" seagull released in limited edition (5500 units) with a display case bought separately as Sea-gull does not supply them. But pricey...
very interesting video about the 1963, thank you so much for all the informations, in the final, I didn't quite understand if the movement(st1901) in the "not originals" 1963 variants, is original or just a different movement that is similiar to the st1901???
Thank your for the respond!!!
The "Sea-Gull" 1963 is now up to $580. I just bought a quartz movement 40mm that's got a nice solid back, a plex domed crystal, and very good dial for $35. If original is solid back, I'd rather have the no-hassle quartz and an extra $545 in my pocket. :) Great video btw!
A quartz 1963 for 35 bucks? Where did you find that?
@@TheMarslMcFly AliExpress
How’s it holding up? I’m considering the quartz as well.
the original watch was designed and conceived by government officials , and produced by state enterprise, so the design might be difficult to be copyrighted just like german flieger or british dirty dozen.
nice Tee Shirt Jodi the VW Bus is close to my heart and I know collectors that have gone down that rabbit hole.
What a great video Jody! I have been looking at this watch for sometime and all of this information was extremely informative. Thank you so much!
I absolutely love the inclusion of cultural pieces from the years discussed. Amazing stuff.
Hey Jody! I learned how to drive in a 1963 Bus! Thx for wearing the shirt and bringing back some good memories!
i am in China. I saw the watch on another channel and immediately fell in love. I quickly clicked on one of the e-commerce sites here and ordered one for RMB900 (about US$150). I was so impressed and happy, thinking that it is cheap because I am in China. I went to another e-commerce platform (regarded as more reliable) and found the same watch for nearly RMB 4800 (about US$800). Huge price difference. I immediately cancelled my RMB900 purchase as I was thinking it is a fake. After inspecting both sites, the 900 watch's back is flat with some inscriptions on it whereas the 4800's back has some embellishments on it. So even here it is confusing. I hate wearing something I have to make an excuse for but also don't want to be an idiot who is being taken for a ride. Urgh...
Thanks for the re-upload JodyOMW!
It was good to see if again with a bit more experience under (the gut above) my belt.
I have a 38mm 1963 from Sugess. I was constantly having to re-zero the chrono hand... until it fell off. So I got a lemon. Didnt 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 bother me, as it's a bit small for my 8“+ wrist, so I bought a 40mm version from Seakoss. Love it. Great dial proportions, and the 40mm X 50mm case is 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡. I've got a 38mm Pierre Paulin panda from Murkur, but again - bit small. Gonna flog that and grab a 40mm Panda from Sugess... again.
But I've got a Hemel Air League with the mov't too and will be buying a Poljot Strela with the ST19 rather than the Poljot 3133. I really dig the mov't.
I buy the swan neck regulator version (when possible) and always go Acrylic (also when possible).
In fact, after I significantly down size my collection I'm going to collect ST19 powered chrono's. They're great looking, reasonably reliable, in-expensive 𝑎𝑛𝑑 I have a spare mov't (without a chrono hand yeah, but easily fixed). That'll give me the freedom to buy & sell the ~$1K re-issue tool & military watches I love and still have some $ to collect something I really appreciate.
These mov'ts are special man, for those of us who dig retro chrono's but don't have the funds to fuck around with vintage or Swiss column wheel mov'ts, this is pretty much it.
Cheers and thanks bud.
May I ask why you prefer the acrylic over sapphire? Just for the vintage look?
I was wondering where this video went, been looking for it for a while now, thanks for the re-upload Jody!
The real Sea-Gull factory has loaded up their Ali page with tons of "information" and it all looks very much like an attempt to re-claim a lost spot. The telling bit is where they say someone looked again at the docs 50 years later... So what I think happened is someone else (HKED?) started making 1963 copies in the 2000s and Sea-Gull probably were not too interested. Some years later, and late to the party, Sea-Gull realized the market had run away with something they declined and they wanted to get back in the action. So Sea-Gull realized their own copy/homage and tried to shout to all concerned that theirs was the "official" "proper" "real" one.
Hmmm, yeah well maybe. Maybe they can pull it off. One thing I do know is that Western values of copyright and trademarks don't apply 100% in China. They have their own values, different from Anglo-Saxon ones. Besides, as some other poster mentioned it was designed and made by state enterprise, so everyone's claim to anything is murky, even Sea-Gull's.
Let the market decide. Quality should win out.
Great comment, good observations.
So who has the best quality? Is it HKED or Sea-Gull?
@@justinnicholson8372 I've not seen a Sea-Gull but I can attest to the finish of my HKed 38mm domed acrylic version is impeccably finished, and is very accurate. Tested against my Junghans Mega RC, I've not adjusted the HKed over 3weeks continous running and the minute hand has not yet reached 1 minute fast.
I've read that he returns movements that don't reach his (higher) standards and by weeding out the poorer performing movements it really does look like he is able to offer a superior product, and whilst not the cheapest version of the watch, it is less than that charged by Sea-Gull themselves.
The "originals" were a side project by a Hong Kong seagull employee. Hong Kong seagull used to cater to 3rd party "own branders" who would work with them to design and manufacture watches in Seagull factories. The guy sold a handful of batches of them through various watch forums (if you have the patience to trawl through watch-u-seek
It wasn't sanctioned by Seagull, wasn't an official model, but had "Tianjin Seagull Watch Factory" on the dial.
The guy left but continued to make and sell watches. Seagull continued to make the "fakes" at their factories for own branders, the success and popularity of the model saw lots of different sellers flood the market.
Seagull has sold a few "official" airforce watches throughout this time, but until 2016 none of these were identical to the "replicas". When they did make a "real" one, they retroactively laid claim to the original Hong Kong batches as "real" reissues.
Without knowing the rich history/discussion around the watch, I fell in love with the look. I went through this rabbit-hole hole myself the past few days and have decided I will get one the HKED recreations. He seems to have the best rep for quality and the look of the watch is apparently closer to the true original design.
Ouf! 😅 I'm out of breath!
What a journey. Thanks for sharing Jody!
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
Thanks for making this. Interesting layers of info!
Excellent video! I love my Seagull 1963 as it is the most charming watch I own. It is the 38mm version with display case back. Lovely movement to look at. I paid $138 and that included a second (and very nice) vintage leather strap.
Whered you get it
@@oak6302 Aliexpress. They have gone up a bit since 2021 but you can get one for around $150 on sale (I have the Red Star version and it is a great watch).
Hi mate
Have had both the domed acrylic and the sapphire crystal side-by-side? What would you suggest.
2:34 I'm sorry but why isn't the red second marker moving?
Because its a chronograph
LouieHodgson-sg4nu😂😂
really useful - i've been through the pain of trying to work this out - great video.
Here for the re-upload because this is great content and learning material 👍🏻
I watched this video a number of times and a few years ago, it helped me buy a Sea-Gull watch made from the original factory. As you mentioned, that was just a personal choice. Love the watch and your channel/videos... If you ever find yourself in California, let's have lunch.
Maybe some are Seagulls, some are Sea-Gulls, some are Oyster Catchers, Ferry Terns etc, (not to mention the ocean going Duck), which would mean the 42mm version is an Albatross.
These two things are certain: 1) If any of the unofficials have "sea-gull" written on the caseback then that is a "fake/replica". 2) The HKED models are "homages" to the watches that actually went to production (the red star ones were only prototypes as far as I understand).
As for all the other unofficial red star models... who knows? They're not outright replicas if there's no "sea-gull" written on them but they're definitely more than homages. I mean Pagani Design might make a Submariner homage but you don't see them using the Rolex crown as their logo. On the other hand the red star is not exactly sea-gull's logo...
and considering they use the exact same movement, don’t see homage watches sourcing rolex, omega etc. movements much 😂😂
Great video. Very details & clear explaination. Thank you.
This video is exactly what I've been wanting to see about this watch!
Trying to work out if I want the closest to the original (38mm, acrylic crystal, 19 jewel etc) or a more practical but still beautiful one with the sapphire crystal (usually 21 jewel) maybe even with lume?
Also, I will be getting that clear case back as the mechanism is just too beautiful to hide
Saw this for the second time. After the first time and went on and bought an official Seagull 1963. As a collector I believe the limited editions might make a good investment. Had it for almost one year now and I love. The only problem is that the movement is loud AF
Loud???? Mine is not.
This was a great video. Glad it’s back up😀
glad you are using my favorite background of yours!!!
Having seen these watches for sale since the early seventies in the so called "Communist China Stores"in Hong Kong,Kowloon and other Chinese based shops. It was interesting with all the tantalising watches on sale in the former British possession, the young engineers on board bought these watches, mainly based on price. Some years later having moved to Australia I met up with an old ship mate in Sydney for a beer or three, I mentioned that he had bought one of these watches and was told that he wore it only infrequently, because the he had it serviced in Aussie and it cost him a fortune. The reason is that original cost at Chinese production rates was and is cheap. However, the movement is still a complicate Swiss designed mechanism and western watch repairers do not work for Chinese rates. It is safely concluded that don't have the movement serviced, keep it for spares and purchase a brand new movement from any of the many clone manufacturers. Still nice looking watches , however.
The question is how much does it cost to have someone do a movement swap on it?
The Version with Red Star and transparent back is more beautiful so i prefer this one
Take a drink for every time Jody says “Seagull 1963” as a fellow Scot I’ll happily down my drink and start a fresh before I start! 😂
It’s nice to hear the old theme music. Love your stuff.
Compared with that limited edition bronze case, this one is gorgeous! I WOULD LOVE ONE!
Great info Jody...I may have to watch this twice to take in all the information...I did take away that I can also just wait for the Pagani photocopier to fire up and pump this thing out for $45
Thanks mate appreciate the work that would have gone into this.
I read that Sea-Gull sells the movements to and officially licenses two other factories to make the 1963 - Red Star and Sugess - and that any that don't come from one of those three is a "fake" and might have a knockoff movement that's not an actual Sea-Gull movement. At least that's what I read about it.
I strongly doubt that fake st19 movements exist, due to the extreme complexity of a mechanical chronograph, and that a real st19 costs $70 retail.
With the official supplying of parts to these 2, Seagull also used to sell rejected parts cheaply to everybody, they subsequently stop doing that.
In the Chinese forum, it is a believed “Sea-Gull Tianjin” did not authorize the licenses, but the licenses might exist. The reason was the Tianjin Watch Factory went through several reconstructions in the past 20 years. The “Sea-Gull” trademark were held by several holding companies, in Tianjin, Shanghai
, Hong Kong and Singapore. These holding companies also went through reconstructions, so though the Tianjin Factory exists, there are several other legal persons own the right to use the trademark.
Hands down the best explanation about this watch on TH-cam!
Thank you!!!
Great explanation Jody......can you tell us all that again? LOL.
😳
Very informative. The "big question" is ; if the official Tianjin factory which made Sea Gull "1963's" no longer makes them - what does the factory actually currently make ? Has it been closed down ? Is it still manufacturing watches or is it a watch factory that no longer makes watches ? So instead, does it make parts for lawnmowers ? Why operate and keep running a watch factory which doesn't make its most famous and popular product ?
Based on this video I bought the genuine Sea Hyphen Gull, and very glad I did. It is truly beautiful. Unfortunately the sapphire ones don't have the "bubble" shape to the glass, which really makes it look special.
For those worried about acrylic vs sapphire, invest in a $5 tube of polywatch and give it a polish every few months, and it will look as good as it did on day one.
Where did you buy an actual one? Shows sold out.
@@travr6 aliexpress on the official sea gull store.
I got very confused from your video but not because of your video. It is very well detailed. I guess the bottom line is for me is the movement, i bought mine just for the movement so I opted for the cheaper model with the 2 lines of text and the signed crown.
My 1963 is the 42mm, gold tone dial, sapphire crystal, display back, and 1901 movement with the swan neck regulator. I love the thing. What never shows up on the photos online of the 42mm is the side of the case has an amazing reverse curve on the side from the middle toward the case back. It's almost like a covetto/cove or something.
Great history here on this watch…thanks mate…!!!
It's $630 now! Wow ...
I bought mine from Burnside Chrono in Australia and I'm happy-ish enough with it as a "homage" and/or "reissue". They tested it and made sure some of the QC problems they were having are ironed out. Mine is a Seagull 1963 ST1901 Venus 40mm Chronograph with a Sapphire crystal and Display Back. I think navigating the myriad options to buy the "original" was a bit too complicated for me and I just went with the one that made things easy.
I have the same style 1963 as you have there and I don't even care if it is original or not, I love it, it keeps excellent time it's pleasing to the eye and pleasing to wear, I realised it wouldn't be an original going into the purchase and after wearing it over the past year I would definitely purchase another
I have the so called "Official" version, I have also owned two other "None Official" versions, including an HKED. I don't know if I was unlikely, but both of the unofficial watches suffered from a slight stutter on the stop watch function, where as the official version performs flawlessly.
Thank you for this review!!!
Is the swan neck version worth it? What does it do
I've got the Seagull 1962 limited to 650.
Great watch with all official papers and leather box. But don't expect great accuracy, even from the original Seagull company. Lol
Thanks for this 😊 it helped.
None of them are "ORIGINAL". The original one has another logo instead of the star... it has an arrow with an oval thingy as the logo. The original vintage Seagull 1963 that was used by Chinese Airforce.
Sea-Gull "official" is the one who purchased the rights to make the watch entirely, but they're selling the movement to many other watch makers, including the next one below.
Seagull "unofficial" buys the movement from Sea-Gull and they make theyr own version... that is almost identical, BUT they offer sapphire glass and ofcourse, the transparent back so you can see the movement.
Paying more for the same movement and without having transparent back and sapphire glass... is not worthed.
In my opinion, Sea-Gull "official" or Seagull "unofficial" are both... "official" since they're both using the identical movement as the vintage one, they are both equal... "official" but not ORIGINAL.
do you still have the watch? how is it now? issues?
OUF! What a journey! I'm out of breath after all that information 😅
Thanks for sharing.
Great show Jody, for what it's worth I bought this off watching your show and really enjoy my Fake:)) keep up the great work!
I'm interested in the ST19 movement without sporting the red star. I like the look of some of the Sugress offerings, particularly the Stardust and the Moonphase Master. My question is about quality. Are these good watches that will perform well and hold up over time? Any help in this regard is appreciated, thanks.
Are there any automatic versions?
A great subject and highly interesting history.
That said I'm pretty sure the one I own is fake as it cost £21 and has a quartz movement in it ;)
Wow!! Are the quality same?
Such an interesting vidéo !!!!
A really useful video - thanks!
Miss the old background 😌
Ha! I don't miss my old apartment though mate. It was small and mouldy 😬😬
Thanks for the explanation . I ended up buying one from Sea-Gull official store. My thought is that the design is named Seagull 1963. If you cannot tell me what is the name of your brand or factory, then it is not official
I went for the HKed version 38mm with domed acrylic. Simple, really, as it seems to me to get even closer than the official Sea-Gull reissue in that it uses the Star Trek style logo most closely relating to that of the original, although it does have the exhibition case, which is no mean thing, IMO, as it isn't often we get to see a chrono movement in all its glory.
Got mine from Ed today - a beautiful watch, and a great guy to do business with.
@@danielmccarthy1982 Agree on both counts. He always responded to my enquiries. He really thinks about his customers.
Спасибо огромное, удивительно приятный интересный и информативный экскурс в историю! Thanks a lot, very interesting!
Lol , just sniped the 38 mm Sapphire on eBay for $ 48 & it's brand new & running great ! Didn't even know what version it was until it arrived. 😁
You’re correct there’s a whole industry of non original “seagulls” out there
This may be the time to “buy what you like” since you really don’t know what you are buying!
Why are some of these numbered differently on the dial like zuan 19 or 21?
Biggest question, acrylic (19 jewels) or "sapphire" (21 jewels)?
I may be mistaken, but I believe that all modern ST1901 movements are 21 jewel. The '19 ZUAN' logo references the early remakes of the Venus172, which was a 19 jewel movement.
What about sugess? They seem to be pretty established on aliexpress selling the same thing
Where did u get your VW T-shirt?
I prefer the one with transparent back. That is the essence of having a mechanical watch...for you to see how it moves.
Not if you travel a lot as it makes the watches very vulnerable to magnetic fields. While travelling I even managed to get my strongly anti-magnetic Sinn 856 magnetized even though people say this is impossible and can't happen from airport security. Happens to me so often I had to buy a demagnetizer to take with me on my travels.
Jody, where do you get those funky T-shirts from?
Get any fake seagull and enjoy - you can not get more authentic chinese watch than that!
I don`t really care one way or the other. Mine keeps great time at +2 a day, and I like the looks of it. I did change the leather band to a nicer one though. It has the sapphire and swan neck, and is 38mm. Amazon.
Jodie, What of the "1963" Watches, that use a "Swan Neck" regulator ? As I see that; Not as a "feature", but a Benefit. As It will be easier to regulate the Movement to it's full potential. I would base my decision on that capability. All the other factors, Size, Dial Color, the Hands, the Caseback - Display Back or Not, etc. etc. - to me are secondary.
Thank you !! It made it clear for me !!!
I own two of these. A 40mm Chrono Heritage M1963/X - SEA-GULL ST1901 bought directly from Sugess Watch in China and a 40mm limited edition Red Star bronze Seagull 1963 that came from the official Seagull 1963 store in Belgium. The Seagull is a watch that is hard to fault and I‘m quite fond of both of mine but my customer experience with both companies was hardly satisfactory. In sum I was swindled twice. The Sugess was supposed to come with the Swan Neck movement but didn‘t and unfortunately too much time had elapsed before I found out for me to be able to do anything about it. As for the Belgian Seagull 1963, it was only after I had received it that I found out that they do not individually number their limited edition watches (instead all 300 are numbered 1/300) and that it was missing it‘s tag, manual and registration QR code. It was also shipped about two months past it‘s preassigned shipping date. The company in Belgium casually dismissed my concerns and when I asked to return it they informed me that the 14 day return policy had expired. Be very careful who you buy from. The Seagull 1963 company in Belgium seems rotten to the core. I wouldn’t deal with them again if they paid me. BEWARE.
So, what is a Sugess offered on aliexpress with and w/o gooseneck? 40mm, sapphire crystal etc.. Another from 'Turbillon Watch 0fficial Store' offers a version only described as a 'seagull movement' watch, looks very good, no name. ($30 cheaper). I had decided that this chronograph was going to be my next watch. Which one to choose? Please. Can you do a followup video with further thoughts as in, are they all equal quality etc.?
Many mamy thanks. I think this video is the best possible effort to understand the unuderstandable market of this watch and movement. Do you know something about the swan neck regulator version? And about the lume hands version? I thank you again and keep going
I Got the cheapest 1963 I could find on Aliexpress, $133 after the back to school discount, and I opted with the mineral Crystal since I wanted the supper domed Crystal and a but more durability, and so far I am very happy with it I even checked it on the time grapher it was running 4sec/day which is really good. I can't stop wearing it!
Anyone have any idea which company produces the Moon Phase 1963's? That's the one I've really got my eye on!
Bought a 'Red Star' 42 mm with caseback and sapphire glass, from a German importer.
Is it an original Seagull? Guess not.... But it makes me smile to be wearing it.
So what about the ones from AD's that cost $400 like long island watch? Are those the real deal?
Jody you tell great stories lol 😂 Great video mate 👊🏽
I want to be able to see the movement I would get the original if was with the glass on the back... is not possible to see the movement in the original then I'm going to get the cheaper version
The panda one with a second hand, with a star counter weight, is a gorgeous piece
Clear. Like milk! LOL Lots of good info. I don't know what version I have. Bought mine from Long Island Watch in the US. I just know it runs strong and looks great. Thanks for what must have been a tedious exercise of getting all of these details together in an understandable video.
U have super cool T-shirt’s! Where did u get the Rolex clock from?
bestwallclocks.com Use 'JOMW10' for 10% off!
Weel done Jody!!!
very interesting, i discover you channel today, now you win a new follower :-) from france. Im a LIP fan and love the sea gull 1963. Because the venus mouvement was on the LIP Geneva co produce with Breitling, those two modeles were more famous than rolex at this time. at the end of the 50's with the venus 175. so i feel than the sea gull 1963 s a kind of grand daughter of LIP and breitling. between the 50's lux models and the seagull, there is so many caracteristics such as the design, size and of course, mouvemenent.
I order my seagull this week at 300€ with the swan neck regulator.
Original or not, on this kind of watch, the prince, the mouvement and the feeling are really more important than to be sure if its really the original product.