A rare vintage Chinese mechanical from the 70s
In the 1970s, the Tianjin Watch Factory has transitioned from making DongFeng to Sea-Gull watches. Little known that at the same time, they also made several sub-brands.
This beautiful Tianjin brand watch with a black face dial is one of the sub-brands from that era. It has an ST5A shockproof movement and a signature lollipop second hand like many Sea-Gulls from the same period do.
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OntWatchGazer
Tianjin WuYi/DongFeng/Sea-Gull | Audemars Piguet | Tag Heuer | Rolex | Gucci | Patek Philippe I have been a watch lover my entire adult life. I collect watches for various reasons. Sentimental value,...
Ontario, Canada
Member since
Last active: 1 week ago
6.75” / 17.15 cm
That's a nice looking watch, and the strap is a great compliment to it😍 Is it an automatic?
That's a nice looking watch, and the strap is a great compliment to it😍 Is it an automatic?
No, it is hand-wound. It was a luxury to own a watch in Communist China in the 70s, let alone automatic. They are hard to come by.
It's a good looking watch. What made it a Grade Three when Dong Feng and Sea-Gull were Grade One? They all basically had the same ST-5.
It's a good looking watch. What made it a Grade Three when Dong Feng and Sea-Gull were Grade One? They all basically had the same ST-5.
My understanding was that when a Sea-Gull failed QC, it would be taken apart. The parts would be re-purposed for the sub-brands to compete in the low-end market.
My understanding was that when a Sea-Gull failed QC, it would be taken apart. The parts would be re-purposed for the sub-brands to compete in the low-end market.
That's as good an explanation as I have heard.
It's a good looking watch. What made it a Grade Three when Dong Feng and Sea-Gull were Grade One? They all basically had the same ST-5.
I posted this elsewhere here, but came upon this 2011 statement made by a knowledgeable past regular (xingfenzhen) at Watchuseek .
He wrote:
"[A]fter searching on the Chinese forums, I found a definitive answer. Tianjin is basically a brand for recycled factory rejects and low grade parts...There is actually several grades of this as well (No letter, J and B), with Dial letter and case back as differentiators.
"No letter, with Tianjin case is made by Tianjin Watch factory itself, while J with grind out case back are make in 津盐组装厂 (Jinyan Assembly factory), and B grade with a different Tianjin case back are made by 津南装配厂 (Jinnan Assembly factory).
"No letter is very common, J grade less, while B grade is very rare."