Sea-Gull Ocean Star China Red Special Edition Review

This is my first ever watch review, so here goes nothing.

As a representative brand of Chinese watches, Sea-Gull has been recognized for its fine craftsmanship and quality in China since the 1950s. Today, I am reviewing its Ocean Star China Red Special Edition.

The case diameter of this Seagull watch is 44 mm, and it is made of 316L stainless steel. Despite its seemingly large size, it wears nicely on my 6.75 cm wrist.

It is powered by a Sea-Gull in-house ST2130 mechanical automatic movement.  It operates at 28800 bph, and it has a 42-hour power reserve.  I feel that the power reserve is on the low end of the spectrum, an area that could be improved.

The accuracy is at 7s/d with a beat error of 0.8 ms.  It's not exactly in the chronometer range, but it's decent out-of-the-box without regulating.

One of the selling features that draws me to this watch is the writing on the case back, which says 'I have a heart for China.' As a Canadian Chinese, this feature resonates with my affinity for the culture, given my background and heritage.

The details on the case are well-executed. Both the polishing and curves display fine craftsmanship. The design of the dial is simple and elegant, and the combination of the bold red bezel and red dial provides a unique charm at a glance.

The watch has a date function and a cyclops lens.  Personally, I prefer it without the cyclops.

The bezel is unidirectional.  I find that it is stiff and rotating it requires a bit of effort.  It sits very nicely on the case and does not show any gap between the bezel and the case.  There is no play in the bezel movement.  Overall, the fitment makes up for the stiffness.

The luminous display is satisfactory.  For my own personal usage, I find that lume is like dive performance, it is a nice to have but not something that I would use to evaluate a watch.

The waterproof rating is 200 meters.  It is good for this price range, although I do not dive, so this is a moot point for all dive watches for me.

One area that could improve is the rehaut. It's missing that element that puts it in the big leagues. If Sea-Gull wants to gain an elevated status, they must start paying attention to these little details. It's all about those tiny touches that really make a watch stand out and show off some serious craftsmanship.

Personally, a watch is more of a fashion accessory than a timing instrument. The China Red dial and metal bracelet combo looks good for everyday use in casual clothing or even in a suit.  Ultimately, a watch must match your vibe and personality.