Rossini 5685 'Personage' Watch with 18k Gold Bezel

I admit, I had to do a quick google of the word ‘personage,’ and apparently, it is defined as a person of importance and elevated status. I suppose that's fitting for this top-of-the-line piece from Rossini.

The Rossini 5685T02B is the latest stunner from the Zhuhai brand. The dial finishing is excellent, and the stainless steel case is topped off with an 18K gold bezel that really adds a perfect touch of elegant contrast. It's 41mm, with what the brand describes as a “29-jewel Japanese super-slim mechanical movement,” which I found more fully explained here in the movement manufacturer catalog.

The dial, sub-dials, and hour markers are all in various tones of gold and contrasting finishes, and feature the time + seconds, day, date, and a power reserve indicator. The hands are blued, which I think adds a good touch of shine over what is a sort of flat granular background dial surface area.

This watch is currently only available in Rossini shops around China. When and if it becomes available online, we will update here with info.

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‘State of Mind’ by Beijing Watch Factory Nominated in GPHG Tourbillon Category

Check out these first images of the Beijing Watch Factory 'State of Mind’, being considered in the Tourbillon and Escapement category of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. There is stiff competition in the category with the likes of Arnold & Son, Zenith, and Ulysse Nardin, to name a few. Beijing Watch Factory has offered something quite unique here, hoping to stand out from the crowd visually. In terms of striking color use and design, I've never seen anything quite so bold from the Beijing brand.

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Limited Edition Seagull D304 Chronograph Reissue

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."

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Golgen Jiaolong 6112 500M Automatic Dive Watch

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.

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Ebohr Complication Experience N°2 Automatic Watch

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.

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The Time Between Black and White: Greyhours

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.

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Pilot Watch History & A Flight-Themed Watch from Fiyta

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.

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JIUSKO Deep Sea 39LSB02 200M Automatic Dive Watch

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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Matteo Ricci & "Self Ringing Bells"

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.

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Watch Winner Review: Dixmont Automatic

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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