After having had a Sea-Gull steel tourbillon (818.900) for almost a year, I thought I'd give a short review and my thoughts and comparisons with other watches. I think this will benefit those who are contemplating purchasing Sea-Gull's higher-end offerings, but are unsure as to whether the extra cost over similar watches is warranted. Sellita is a relatively new Swiss movement manufacturer and often thought of as an ETA copycat. To make a long story short, companies can be granted patents for movements, but those generally last for only twenty years and Sellita has capitalized on that. The patent on the aforementioned ETA 2824-2, for example, which launched in the 1970s, has expired and is free of rights. The two companies have an interesting history and were actually partners at one point. ETA had outsourced assembly of its movements to Sellita but eventually decided to cut ties and resume all assembly within the company. The modern Sellita manufacture, based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The tourbillon is well built that it surprised me. Do note that not all Sea-Gull tourbillon are created equal as some may house it in a cheaper and less sturdy case.

Seagull (Tianjin Seagull Watch Group) is a Chinese manufacturer and the largest producer of mechanical movements in the world. It is responsible for one-quarter of total global production. The company was founded in 1955 as the Tianjin Watch Factory and Seagull movements have actually had Swiss origins for over 50 years. It acquired Swiss movement manufacturer Venus in the 1960s, along with its machinery and designs, and Seagull movements are still manufactured on Venus equipment (and are comparable to those vintage movements in both design and reliability). Seagull has matured into a sophisticated manufacturer and today produces column-wheel chronograph and tourbillon movements, among many others. A Seagull tourbillon piece can be had for as low as CHF 3,865, which is unheard of among Swiss rivals. TAG Heuer’s in-house Carrera Heuer-02T is the least expensive Swiss tourbillon from a major brand at CHF 15,000. Quality, precision and reliability arguments aside, it’s an impressive achievement from Seagull. The hand-wound chronograph Seagull ST1901 movement. Besides, they told me that they are working on a petite sonnerie movement (surprising) and a perpetual calendar module. If they can make the prototype before September, I’ll also photograph them. In short, it all comes down to the set-up. How much effort has been put into fine-tuning the movement? Has it been lubricated well? Is it clean? Has it been adjusted and regulated well? Everyone knows someone who owns a Seiko 5 which runs at +3s/day. Everyone knows someone who’s been disappointed with a supposedly high end movement.

As a writer and watch enthusiast, I clearly recognize the brand appeal of Swiss Made watches. I have many Swiss pieces myself. After all, Switzerland and timepieces go hand-in-hand like Hollywood and movies. But we all know that great movies are also made outside of California. ETA and Sellita allow brands labelling their watches as “Swiss Made,” which is an effective way to market their products as top quality. And in many cases, Swiss Made watches are a safe choice when it comes to reliability, serviceability and most of all, brand recognition. That being said, just like movies produced in Europe, some of the best timepieces are manufactured outside of Switzerland. A Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Calibre 9S 20th-Anniversary or a Lange & Söhne Triple Split give any equivalent piece from Switzerland a run for its money. The accuracy is rated at +- 12s/d. The tourbillon also acts as the second hands and has a 42 hours power reserve. The movement finishing like on the screws are not the greatest, but nonetheless it’s nice to look at. Overall, ETA offers a vast range of movements, including automatic ones in time-only, small second, day-date, world time, GMT, large date, power reserve, or hand-wound calibres in various styles (including the iconic Unitas architecture or the 2801 or the Peseux 7001), and finally chronographs (simple, day-date, calendar, moon phase. ETA isn’t only providing almost endless solutions to brands but it is also well-known for the reliability and (extremely important) the serviceability of its movements – any decent watchmaker can service an ETA 2824. These multiple qualities, however, have a price as ETA is often the most expensive option. SELLITA Hands are heat blued. A surprise at this watch and price point. The strap is a genuine machined stitched alligator strap with their logo embossed. A little stiff outside the box which should soften with use. Another prototype with a slightly different case prototype SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon

Yesterday, Mr. Cao, the head of the R&D department of SEA-GULL, showed me their dual-axis tourbillon prototype. This new model is named WingTourbillon. But honestly, even I don’t know the meaning of this English name. The thing that makes a tourbillon so appealing, beyond its finishing, beyond the extreme cost, is that it represents an incredible piece of lateral thinking from a period before CAD, before computers, even, that is not only a fantastic technical achievement, but also a visually stirring one as well. Well over two centuries have passed since Abraham-Louis Breguet filed his patent for his whirlwind invention, and here we are in an age where, despite its obsolescence, the very same device can exist for the same price as an Apple Watch. There are several ETA calibres that have become virtual icons. The Valjoux 7750, better known as the ETA 7750, is the most widespread Swiss chronograph movement today. This automatic workhorse is available in three grades – Elaborated (adjusted in three positions, average rate of +/- 5 seconds per day), Top (adjusted in five positions, average rate of +/- 4 seconds per day) and Chronometer (must meet strict COSC standards with a maximum variation of +/- 5 seconds per day). Both the Elaborated and Top grades can vary by as much as +/- 15 seconds per day. A fourth grade is Standard, which is adjusted in two positions and has the highest allowable variation of +/- 30 seconds per day. ETA has helped smaller brands to create watches without the need of developing a movement internally, such as Delma, powered by an ETA 2824-2. It’s not a Vacheron Constantin. It’s not a Jaeger-LeCoultre. It’s not even a TAG Heuer. But what it is, is better than you’d expect. Don’t go expecting to study this thing under a microscope and walk away happy, but if you want to give it a glance every once in a while, with plain old ordinary human eyes—it’s actually, surprisingly good. There are blued screws, polished finishes, weights surrounding the balance. They weren’t put there by a wizened Swiss watchmaker in the foothills of the Alps, but they are there, present and correct. Just.

Details of the tourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon When talking about contemporary watches, companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements, the latter supplied by various manufacturers. Many high-end brands like Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios. A watch company is considered “complete” when it can produce its own movement, but many still rely on outsourced ones from large Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita. Yet, the market has changed. A few established brands have decided to offer entry-range automatic watches and mostly, microbrands are all over the place, with the need to offer mechanical movements for accessible prices. Alternatives to the usual Swiss generic calibres have thus become crucial. The time and expense to design and build an in-house movement isn’t a viable option for many smaller brands, and even major companies with their own movement production facilities also rely on off-the-shelf calibres for many models. It’s been this way since the dawn of watchmaking. Brands like Panerai and IWC have watches with outsourced ETA or Sellita movements, and some of these get modified to a point where they’re virtually unrecognizable. Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin had partnered with Lemania for chronograph movements (Lemania has since become an in-house producer for Breguet). The use of outsourced movements from ETA and Sellita allows brands to stamp their dial with the coveted “Swiss Made” designation, but there are several Asian manufacturers that produce off-the-shelf movements as well. These calibres are less expensive, more readily available and can be just as reliable and serviceable as their Swiss counterparts. Let’s take a look at the three most popular suppliers outside the watch bubble of Switzerland – Miyota, Seiko and Seagull. ETA After more than 50 years of watch making history, the master watch makers at SEA-GULL have succeeded in developing a series of different tourbillon watches with various functions, such as: power reserve indicator, retrograde date and weekday, automatic winding, etc. SEA-GULL tourbillion watches are available in either steel or 18K rose gold, with superior quality alligator straps. Truly classical timepieces for collectors and connoisseurs who appreciate the art of fine watch making.