The date version of the ZQDA (the Qingdao built mandated Tongji/standard movement) came out around 1978.
These were a nationally #2 graded watch, slightly more affordable than the Grade 1 watches (like Shanghai, Tianjin and Beijing) but still very serviceable. Solid stainless case, acrylic crystal, not quick set.
Qingdao is a major Chinese city, over 9 million people, found lower on the southern coast of Shandong Province, and known for, among other things, Tsingtao beer.
干杯!
Curator: Alberta Museum of Chinese Horology in Peace River; Member: China Horologe Association; Chief Expert: China Watch Overseas Working Committee (CWOWC); Sino-Canadian Horological Cultural Affairs...
This account is verified. WatchCrunch has confirmed that this account is the authentic presence for this person or brand.
Tsingtao is actually an incorrect spelling these days. It is named (and pronounced) per its city of origin. The maker quite sensibly decided not to correct the spelling because Tsingtao is such an internationally recognised brand. Nice beer. Sold at a premium in the west; dirt cheap in China.
Nice watch. One of the big problems with Chinese watches at the moment is finding original designs that are simply, proudly Chinese. So many of the watches on Ali Express are pretending to be something else.
Clean dial, well done and great applied indices and logo. ❤️
Tsingtao is actually an incorrect spelling these days. It is named (and pronounced) per its city of origin. The maker quite sensibly decided not to correct the spelling because Tsingtao is such an internationally recognised brand. Nice beer. Sold at a premium in the west; dirt cheap in China.
Nice watch. One of the big problems with Chinese watches at the moment is finding original designs that are simply, proudly Chinese. So many of the watches on Ali Express are pretending to be something else.
You're correct, and I knew that about the brand name spelling and pronunciation. There's a great range of nice beers in China--my favourite, so far, is Yanjing.
Luckily, I can find Yanjing and a couple of other good brands at reasonable prices when I drive south to Edmonton. And, baijiu/erguotou brands at not too stupid prices, too.
And: agreed about "trying to be something else" but in the years I've been collecting, I've seen some movement towards original designs.