Sea-Gull 1963 38mm
Despite the unusual name, the Sea-Gull 1963 is one of the biggest bargains in the watch industry.
In a price category where most rivals use low-cost quartz movements (or, at best, mecha-quartz), this chronograph implements a complex hand-wound ST1901 instead, arguably the most affordable (decent) mechanical chronograph movement. Comparable Swiss column-wheel chronographs start at several thousands of dollars, for comparison. To see the surprisingly elaborate inner workings, I’d suggest taking a look at our review video.
This Chinese brand is far more prominent than you’d probably guess. Dating back to 1958, the Sea-Gull Watch Group is reportedly the world’s largest mechanical movement manufacturer; you’ll find their movements in thousands of other timepieces. This particular watch, the ‘1963’, is effectively a reissue of a Chinese Airforce watch produced originally in that very year.
The most faithful version of this watch is the 38mm variant, which wears a tad larger than you’d expect due to the expansive lug-to-lug measurement. You can purchase this model with either an acrylic or sapphire crystal, while sites like seagull1963.com also stock a multitude of other variants, including a huge range of colors and case finishes. They even have full collections in 40 and 42mm diameters for those of you after a larger timepiece. If you fancy paying slightly more, you can also obtain one with an additional ‘swan neck’ regulator, allowing the watch to be finely tuned for improved timekeeping; though, that’s more of a boon than a necessity.
Sea-Gull 1963 38mm Specifications:
37.3mm diameter
13.2mm thickness (varies per crystal selection)
47.3mm lug to lug
Sea-Gull ST1901 hand-wound movement
Stainless steel construction
Nylon strap (version dependent)
3bar water resistance rating