Ochstin 6020G Review

Ochstin is still a relatively new brand in the world of Chinese watches, although it's probably just a re-branding of Gaohailong, in case that rings any bells.

Ochstin produces both quartz and self-winding watches, and the self-winders (like this one) are at an incredibly low price point. This is my second Ochstin - my first was the flieger watch GA2028B which took its design from a Hamilton Khaki. This design seems original, though the basic dial structure can be found on many other watches, e.g. the Citizen AQ4024-53Y.

This particular watch cost me £30, including shipping from China.

The most notable aspect of this watch that it blings like there is no tomorrow. I photographed the thing in terrible light conditions,

but any photon it can get hold of is blinged back at you

The watch looks just absolutely spectacular, my lousy watch photography does not do it justice.

The dial colour is a slightly subdued gold-tinted white. On top of that we find gold-coloured applied indices, with double indices at 6,9,12, and a framed date window at 3 o'clock. All three hands have matching colours and reflect the light in the same manner. The mentioned Citizen does it similarly, though the 6026G also has gold coloured bezel and lugs.

The crystal is sapphire, and we have a see-through back that reveals to us the anonymous movement. Judging by looks, this is the same movement that we find in the GA2028B. Probably a variant of the 2813 standard Chinese movement, much better than what we find in the entrails of the winner 526, but not as good as offered in a typical Parnis. This movement has both hacking and hand-winding. You can make it rattle by shaking hard enough. The power reserve appears to be about 24h; in comparison, the industry standard is more like 38-40h, though not at this price point. From a practical POV, 24h is plenty to take the watch off over night which is the most important thing.

The watch band is your standard padded "genuine leather" band, but with a nice buckle that matches the case. The band did not have "genuine leather" embossed on its underside, presumably because said underside is some kind of artifical leather, while the topside is what you would normally get in your typical "genuine leather" band. The buckle I got on my watch had a different (more rounded) shape than the one in its product listing on AliExpress:

Although the band is wearable, the watch cries out for a better band, but I'd recommend to salvage and transfer the buckle, even though it's unsigned - it not just looks good and matches the case, but it is a sturdier buckle that you'd find on most watches below £100.

On the AliExpress listing I purchased the watch we find a different reference number than on my watch: GA6020A. This is probably a reflection of the different colour options available, one of which even has lume on the hands. Youtube channel "Honest watch reviews" reviewed the silver-coloured variant: silver-coloured variant.

Basic specs:

• dial size 41mm
• lugwidth 20mm, tapers to 18mm at buckle
• thickness 12mm
• unnamed automatic movement, probably DG2813 variant
• water-resistance 3atm