Sunday night's wine fuelled purchase...
Discussion
sneijder said:
I like fleiger watches, and there are some tempting watches on there. I wouldn't be wearing that watch if I had hairy ape arms though, that spring would get annoying.
Pictures when it lands would be appreciated, I'd like to see how it looks 'out of the catalogue'.
yep, i cant only imagine that spring being extremely annoying, cant really see the purpose of it either.Pictures when it lands would be appreciated, I'd like to see how it looks 'out of the catalogue'.
Apart from that though, its a nice looking watch.
Do you want ahonest opinion or a [bite tonguie] "nice watch - excellent purchase" post? 
n
If you want the BS, you've just read it... real opinion is show below
From the picture the movement looks cheap and nasty; no doubt it will keep time but so will a £1.00 digital. The side spring is pointless and an exercise in poor design. Other than being the horological equivalent of a trip to Halfords MaxPower parts bin, what do they honestly believe that ads to the aesthetic qualities?
IMHO it looks like a down market Graham but the saving grace could be that it was cheap and therefore hasn't given you the double whammy of shaming both you when you wear it and your bank account when you look at the hole it left in your balance.
All meant in good humour but seriously, step away from the spirits next time you buy a watch
...either that or drink so much you can't press the buy button.
n If you want the BS, you've just read it... real opinion is show below
From the picture the movement looks cheap and nasty; no doubt it will keep time but so will a £1.00 digital. The side spring is pointless and an exercise in poor design. Other than being the horological equivalent of a trip to Halfords MaxPower parts bin, what do they honestly believe that ads to the aesthetic qualities?
IMHO it looks like a down market Graham but the saving grace could be that it was cheap and therefore hasn't given you the double whammy of shaming both you when you wear it and your bank account when you look at the hole it left in your balance.
All meant in good humour but seriously, step away from the spirits next time you buy a watch
...either that or drink so much you can't press the buy button.
Lightningman said:
"looks like a down market Graham "
Graham? You mean the maker set up purely on someone elses name, and produces horrific carbuncles of watches?Damn, that's an insult!
Personally I'd say it's cheap, cheerful, and if the OP likes it, then good for him. It's not meant to be something it's not (unlike Graham), so to the OP, enjoy it!
Don1 said:
Personally I'd say it's cheap, cheerful, and if the OP likes it, then good for him. It's not meant to be something it's not (unlike Graham), so to the OP, enjoy it!
That's about the size of it from where I am. 
It just caught my eye when I was browsing and I couldn't decide which to get next so I thought I'd get this one whilst I decided between the others.
Nolar Dog said:
Not sure what movement it is other than "a high quality modified automatic movement with 22 jewels and forty hour power reserve".
I actually like the spring as it's different. We all like different things though
Not really bothered if it's crap when it arrives as it was only pennies.
It'll be a cheerful Chinese automatic.I actually like the spring as it's different. We all like different things though
Not really bothered if it's crap when it arrives as it was only pennies.
Not something you'd wear with a suit or a posh frock, but a bit of knockabout fun for the weekend.
CommanderJameson said:
Nolar Dog said:
Not sure what movement it is other than "a high quality modified automatic movement with 22 jewels and forty hour power reserve".
I actually like the spring as it's different. We all like different things though
Not really bothered if it's crap when it arrives as it was only pennies.
It'll be a cheerful Chinese automatic.I actually like the spring as it's different. We all like different things though
Not really bothered if it's crap when it arrives as it was only pennies.
Not something you'd wear with a suit or a posh frock, but a bit of knockabout fun for the weekend.
The entire finished movement costs around $10 IIRC, there are loads of watches available in the States for $35 that contain these movements, often with display backs and some refinishing / decoration of the rotor.
Whilst I wouldn't pay much for a watch with an ST16 movement, this doesn't mean that Seagull are necessarily junk - in fact they make some pretty impressive movements these days (inc. a tourbillon and IIRC recently a double tourbillon) and are trying to move upmarket. Sea-Gull brand watches (yes, they have their own *watch* brand as well as making blank movements for watchmakers / counterfeiters) are very good for the money and as their reputation increases away from the 'ETA clones used in fake Breitlings' to 'good quality original movements' then perhaps they will be worth more in future.
The big problem with Sea-Gull is that their primary money-making movements are either the 2824 and 2892 ETA clones (part-for-part interchangeable with original ETA) which are bought by the counterfeiters for making ETA-based 'swiss' fakes, and the 'simple' cheaper movements like the ST-16. There are even 'swiss' companies in Switzerland who import the ST-16, tidy up the movement and then sell it as 'swiss made' and a full-on 'Swiss Movement' - since the rules are based on needing 50% or more *value* to be Swiss. And with the entire movement being less than $10 from Sea-Gull, just swapping the rotor for one made in Switzerland could double the price of the finished movement, and hey presto it's a 'Swiss Made' product... Claro-Semag, I'm looking at *you*....
As a result, Sea-Gull will always have a bit of a stigma related to IP theft, counterfeiting and shady behaviour, but in reality they're producing pretty advanced mechanical movements these days, and whilst originally most of their market was selling movements to other makers (leaving no control of market positioning, and resulting in the movements being used in downmarket and fake watches), there's a chance that Sea-Gull may bring back in-house all production. Certainly the USA Sea-Gull site - with Sea-Gull branded entire watches - is doing very well, and if Sea-Gull reckon they can earn more exporting entire watches and moving slightly upmarket (e.g. into Seiko's turf - which will be one hell of a challenge for the Chinese, given how much I rate Seiko's higher end kit) then that's a good thing.
My main reason for saying this is a 'good thing' is that Sea-Gull have pretty advanced manufacturing facilities and aren't the average 'back street' counterfeiting operation, and their 2824 and 2892 ETA copies are pretty much indistinguishable from the real thing, and are fully part-interchangeable with the real thing... making fakes of Swiss watches that actually use the ETA movements almost impossible. It'd be a nice thought for Sea-Gull to take their high-quality ETA copies off the market for the counterfeiters to use, but with Chinese commercial attitudes, that sounds more like a 'nice dream' than anything approaching reality...
Hey, I'm no expert!
That one's a complicated one - with date round the outside, day and month in the middle, and a 'moonphase' (more probably a 24 hour day/night wheel than a real moonphase).
But the automatic winding rotor on the back doesn't have any ball bearings to stabilise it (poor quality - all ETA movements have decent bearings for the rotor) and the bridge next to the balance looks very much like a Sea-Gull ST-16. Sea-Gull make loads of variants of that movement - I reckon it's a complicated ST-16 variant. Maybe a 1670 or 1671
Sea-Gull have a website - check out the 5th and 6th movements down. Clicking on the movement gives you a picture of the front and the back.
The 1670 and 1671 movements look like they've got the complications seen in the Aeromatic. And they both have the bearing-less curvy automatic rotor, and the same bridge over the balance, and the fine adjuster on the balance....
Unfortunately I speak and read zero Chinese so can't translate any of the text.
That one's a complicated one - with date round the outside, day and month in the middle, and a 'moonphase' (more probably a 24 hour day/night wheel than a real moonphase).
But the automatic winding rotor on the back doesn't have any ball bearings to stabilise it (poor quality - all ETA movements have decent bearings for the rotor) and the bridge next to the balance looks very much like a Sea-Gull ST-16. Sea-Gull make loads of variants of that movement - I reckon it's a complicated ST-16 variant. Maybe a 1670 or 1671
Sea-Gull have a website - check out the 5th and 6th movements down. Clicking on the movement gives you a picture of the front and the back.
The 1670 and 1671 movements look like they've got the complications seen in the Aeromatic. And they both have the bearing-less curvy automatic rotor, and the same bridge over the balance, and the fine adjuster on the balance....
Unfortunately I speak and read zero Chinese so can't translate any of the text.
Just got home his morning.
The watch is here.
It looks great.
The case is a lovely matt black.
The face is crystal clear and a gorgeous "pumpkin orange" colour.
The strap is very thick leather. My first thought was it reminded me of a dog collar, which suits my BDSM fetish.
Most importantly the spring is very taut across the crown (which has a "groove" that the spring sits in) and it's raised quite a bit from the wrist.
I don't have hairy arms anyway so it doesn't "nip" hairs on me but I doubt it would on anyone.
I'm busy at minute but will try and find a decent camera for the obligatory wrist shot.
In summary: It's well worth the £40 I paid for it.
The watch is here.
It looks great.
The case is a lovely matt black.
The face is crystal clear and a gorgeous "pumpkin orange" colour.
The strap is very thick leather. My first thought was it reminded me of a dog collar, which suits my BDSM fetish.
Most importantly the spring is very taut across the crown (which has a "groove" that the spring sits in) and it's raised quite a bit from the wrist.
I don't have hairy arms anyway so it doesn't "nip" hairs on me but I doubt it would on anyone.
I'm busy at minute but will try and find a decent camera for the obligatory wrist shot.
In summary: It's well worth the £40 I paid for it.
Gassing Station | Watches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff