Sea-Gull Watches - Opinions?
Sea-Gull Watches - Opinions?
Author
Discussion

Corso Marche

Original Poster:

1,853 posts

224 months

Anyone here have a Sea-Gull watch?

I like the Okeanos King of the Dragon, but never had a Sea-Gull watch, but I do have 2 watches with ST automatic movements.

Are they worth the money? This one would be the guts of £500.
If I lost interest or decided I was done with it is there actually any interest in this part of the world in these or is future resale non-existent ? laugh


Miguel Alvarez

5,155 posts

193 months

Not owned or seen one but they do look very nice and don’t seem to follow the typical “homage” angle. I’ve contemplated getting a chrono every now and then.

Ninjin

1,355 posts

98 months

I have a cheapish Seagull (£65) from Aliepxress. Bang for buck it is amazing.

However, they also do a higher end range, which I have been able to see in person in HK.

No re-sale value whatsoever, so buy it because you like it and see the money spent on it as forever gone.




gregs656

12,101 posts

204 months

£500 buys a lot of watch, and would be a chunky contribution to an awful lot more.

Which isn’t to say ‘don’t’ but I feel like you’d have to really want it.

AlexC1981

5,572 posts

240 months

For some reason, Sea-Gull sounds like a silly name to me and it's put me off a few of their watches in the past. I have one, but not with that branding.

Bought when I was in my collecting phase.


Macneil

1,060 posts

103 months

Zero brand value, fit only for the charity shop when you come to your senses smile

Corso Marche

Original Poster:

1,853 posts

224 months

Thanks all for the comments and input.

I'm not usually into dive watches, but that particular one wormed its way into my subconscious a few weeks ago.

I've been doing my usual "sitting on the idea" ever since to see if I was genuinely drawn to it or if it was a fleeting distraction.

This thread and those who contributed have helped to rationalise it to the "mental distraction" side of my brain. laugh


gregs656

12,101 posts

204 months

Corso Marche said:
Thanks all for the comments and input.

I'm not usually into dive watches, but that particular one wormed its way into my subconscious a few weeks ago.

I've been doing my usual "sitting on the idea" ever since to see if I was genuinely drawn to it or if it was a fleeting distraction.

This thread and those who contributed have helped to rationalise it to the "mental distraction" side of my brain. laugh
I’d say worth setting up an eBay and watch recon alert. You never know.

Miguel Alvarez

5,155 posts

193 months

AlexC1981 said:
For some reason, Sea-Gull sounds like a silly name to me and it's put me off a few of their watches in the past. I have one, but not with that branding.

Bought when I was in my collecting phase.

What’s the quality like on this one? It’s one of the ones I looked at.

AlexC1981

5,572 posts

240 months

I've had mine since 2011 and it still works fine, though I haven't worn it for ages.

The ST-19 movement feels like better quality than the couple of Russian 3133 chronographs I bought around the same time



My one is 38mm with an acrylic crystal, which is the best one in my opinion. Sapphire crystal spoils the vintage look and adds a big shiny bezel. The proportions don't look right on the 42mm version.

alabbasi

3,124 posts

110 months

Yesterday (03:10)
quotequote all
I have a couple of their watch. An Ocean Star and a Sugess 1963 style mechanical chronograph. I really like them. The movements are nice, they've been reliable and they're pretty well made. I think I paid around $350 for the Ocean Star which is an original design and unashamedly Chinese.

Jinba Ittai

660 posts

114 months

Yesterday (07:03)
quotequote all
Macneil said:
Zero brand value, fit only for the charity shop when you come to your senses smile
Oh how wrong you are! The movement in the Seagull 1963 chronograph was originally used by Breitling and a few other brands in the 1950s. Seagull bought the schematics and tooling in the 60s and put it into production for the watch to supply the Chinese military. Most have a display case back now and it really is a lovely movement. Is it high end horology? Of course not. But it absolutely has its place in any serious collection and is very well regarded.

Pebbles167

4,454 posts

175 months

Yesterday (07:23)
quotequote all
I've owned Seagull watches. They're nice, have decent specs and are well finished. Can't help notice some models are overpriced, with no obvious reason why.

No one knows who they are over here, save for a few watch fans who recognise the 1963. And even then, that watch is so accurately copied and they're of such similar quality it's unclear who makes which version, and why you would pay 3 or 4 times as much for the "real" one.

The red model you've shown interest in, looks cool and is likely we'll made, but it's a niche brand name on a niche styled watch. Not that it's any way to go into a purchase, but you could buy this today for £500 and perhaps sell it for £100 tomorrow on eBay if the right person stumbles across it.

Sensible choice would be to use the money on a Seiko Prospex or save some and buy a San Martin. But then again if you really like this seagull then go for it, as it'll be a good watch that you'll almost certainly not see anyone else wearing.

BrokenSkunk

5,034 posts

273 months

Yesterday (09:43)
quotequote all
Macneil said:
Zero brand value, fit only for the charity shop when you come to your senses smile
Not sure if trolling, or not aware of just how good Sea Gul watches are.

gregs656

12,101 posts

204 months

Yesterday (16:20)
quotequote all
BrokenSkunk said:
Not sure if trolling, or not aware of just how good Sea Gul watches are.
Brand value has nothing to do with 'goodness'

Macneil

1,060 posts

103 months

Yesterday (20:46)
quotequote all
Jinba Ittai said:
Oh how wrong you are! The movement in the Seagull 1963 chronograph was originally used by Breitling and a few other brands in the 1950s. Seagull bought the schematics and tooling in the 60s and put it into production for the watch to supply the Chinese military. Most have a display case back now and it really is a lovely movement. Is it high end horology? Of course not. But it absolutely has its place in any serious collection and is very well regarded.
lol do you actually own one then? I do, and it's rubbish, got the tin and everything, rubbish.

AlexC1981

5,572 posts

240 months

Yesterday (23:01)
quotequote all
Macneil said:
lol do you actually own one then? I do, and it's rubbish, got the tin and everything, rubbish.
As mentioned by Pebbles above, the quality can be variable as they don't all come from Sea-Gull.

The case and dial are perfectly finished to the naked eye and it still keeps good time in the 15 years that I have owned it without servicing, and it was second hand when I bought it. The chronograph functions perfectly and resets to where it should.

What more do you expect from a budget hand wound chronograph? It is better quality than Seiko's low end mechanical watches from around 2010, of which I own a few.

Cupid-stunt

3,234 posts

79 months

Yesterday (23:06)
quotequote all
Corso Marche said:
.....Are they worth the money? This one would be the guts of £500.
If I lost interest or decided I was done with it is there actually any interest in this part of the world in these or is future resale non-existent ? laugh
Are you really going to sell it?
If you do and get £100-200 back for it, then the overall cost is a few hundred quid - over a couple of years it is nothing.
Shrouds don't have pockets - if you like it, can afford it and it will not inhibit on your standard of living, just do it!!!