The 1963 Seagull Chronograph (or ‘Project 304’ as it is known in China, which I encourage you to read about in Li Wei's fascinating historical piece found here) is perhaps one of the most iconic and recognizable watches ever to come from China. As Li Wei stated, "Because the 304's production quantity was so small, and because it was a daily-wear watch, original pieces are not easily found today. The Seagull watch factory and watch enthusiasts have been duplicating this watch in a variety of versions in recent years, attempting to satisfy the desires of 304 enthusiasts."

Back in 2011, China made waves when they completed their first manned deep-sea Pacific Ocean dive to 5,057 meters (16,591 feet) with the submersible named Jiaolong. Read more about the milestone dive here. In 2015 the Shenzhen-based watch brand Golgen teamed up with the Jiaolong crew to create a dive watch with the submersible's namesake. An instant success, the Golgen Jiaolong 6112 won a silver prize at the 2nd China Horologe Design Competition in 2015.

EC, or the Ebohr Complication series, represents the top-of-the-line from the Shenzhen-based Chinese watch brand. EC pieces can range from around $600 up to around $15,000 for the amazing Orbital Tourbillon that we got our hands on here. I've had my eye on this piece, Experience N°2, for some time since seeing it in a shop here in Guangzhou. I was happy to get to spend a bit more time appreciating it during a visit with the company last week.

Here's a fun fact: if you take a portion of black paint and add equal parts of every color in the spectrum, the end result will be white. If you then start adding equal parts of each color back into the white paint, the end result will again be black.

Greyhours is a Hong Kong-based watch brand whose philosophy is that the "truth never resides in the extremes," and instead lives somewhere in the grey area between the polar opposites of black and white. Of course, this colorful metaphor could be extended into any aspect of life—politics, religion, etc—but since we only talk about watches here, let's talk about some black, white, grey, and colorful areas of the watch world.

So exactly what is the definition of a pilot's watch, or an aviation watch? No, really...I'm asking, because it seems to be pretty wide open. Chronographs seem to be a popular feature for pilots, and were a mandatory addition for the Chinese Air Force when they commissioned their official pilot's watch from the Tianjin watch factory back in the early 60s. One of the earliest known wristwatches made specifically for a pilot was by Louis Cartier for his friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was...one of the earliest pilots. Apparently, the famous and flamboyant Santos caused a bit of a stir by wearing his watch on his wrist instead of in his pocket, which triggered some of the first wristwatch craze among the general public.

I’ve always had a preference for dive watches. I love the durable construction and high legibility that they usually offer, and this sort of reliable functionality is what makes some of the most practical watches. However, the domestic Chinese market has, from my exploration so far, mostly enjoyed a more traditional and dressier style of watch, so stepping outside of that safe zone can be a risky thing for a brand to do. JIUSKO (pronounced jee you sko) is a brand that has accepted that challenge and is designing watches with a broader appeal.

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From Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History:

In January 1601 a mechanical clock chimed the hours for the first time in the city of Beijing. In the early 1580s, devices that Chinese called “self-ringing bells” had arrived at the port of Macau with Portuguese merchants. Reports of them soon spread to the emperor in Beijing. The Roman Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci conceived the idea of awing the emperor with mechanical clocks and then persuading him and his subjects to convert to Christianity. From his post at Macau, Ricci let imperial authorities know that he could supply the emperor with a chiming clock. When the emperor Wanli granted him permission to travel to Beijing and establish a mission, Ricci took with him a large mechanical clock intended for public display and a smaller clock for the emperor’s personal use.

From Travis, winner of the first East Watch Review giveaway:

“I am very pleased with my new Dixmont watch and will have to say that I have changed my outlook toward Chinese watches. With experience comes perspective, and I feel like the more I learn about some of these lesser-known brands like those featured here on East Watch Review, the more I understand that quality doesn't always need to come with a ‘Swiss Made’ label. I am proud to add a Chinese watch to my small but growing collection, and I hope to see many years of service out of this piece!

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