Video: Ron Good Talks Watches, Friendships, and China
Ron Good is a watch collector and historian for the Chinese watch industry, and founder of the Alberta Museum of Chinese Horology in Peace River.
Watch Industry Updates from the Far East
Don't be fooled by the headline, this student is actually one of China's most widely regarded watch experts. Logan Rao Kuan, a 20-year-old Chinese student currently studying in England, is an extremely knowledgeable collector of all things horological.
An unexpected gem from Tianjin Sea-Gull just recently showed up in the form of their new 200-meter automatic Ocean Star dive watch. The Ocean Star follows up on the success of their Limited Edition Dragon King diver from 2012. There are a few similar elements to the Dragon King, but many more unique features that show a step in the right direction for China's oldest (and the world's largest) watch manufacturer.
In case you haven't seen this piece before and aren't sure exactly what you're looking at, I'll explain. The 3D watch is built to display the time in two different ways, as shown in the two images below. From straight on, you can tell the time as usual with the standard hour and minute hands using the indices on the outer edge of the dial. But you can also read the time by looking at the watch from below the 6 o'clock position.
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.
Last week, the winners were announced for the 2nd China Horologe Design Competition. The contest, held every two years, was for both real and concept watches and clocks. The following is a roundup of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners on the watch side of the competition.
In his 1888 novel Looking Backward 2000-1887, American writer Edward Bellamy predicted a world where cash would be replaced by alternative payment methods. Granted, his predictions came true many years ago with the advent of credit cards, but beginning in just two weeks a major watch brand is paying tribute to the forward thinker by launching their pay-by-the-wrist watch, the BELLAMY, in China.
Is the current tourbillon craze we’re all witnessing going to fade, or is it here to stay? Hong Kong-based Memorigin is one of the brands producing some of the best tourbillon watches in a more affordable price range. Memorigin only produces tourbillon watches, so they’re definitely betting on the future of the mechanism as more than a passing fad, and one that will have a long-term presence. The brand has done a great job of marketing itself and already enjoys recognition as being one of the more interesting modern Chinese watch brands.
I don’t think anyone inside or outside of China will object to the fact that many modern Chinese watch brands simply blend a variety of popular design elements taken from famous international brands, and sprinkle them with bits and pieces of what's trending domestically. China has always been known for its speed and efficiency, but not always for its originality. That’s definitely changing. There are a few brands that aren’t afraid to take risks and move in a completely original and unique direction, and those are what I hope to bring you more of here. With one look at Longio’s Telamon or Asmara watches, it’s clear that the words “original” and “unique” simply aren’t descriptive enough.
As I continue to study and learn about the watch industry, there’s one major difference between Chinese and foreign brands that keeps making itself apparent. What is it that separates a “luxury” Chinese brand from luxurious foreign brands?
News, Photos, Reviews & Stories
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.
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.
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!
When it comes to watches, fashion, or any other item I choose to use or wear daily, I try to avoid gimmicks. I don't mind a little something extra, but I would like that extra something to at least be practical in theory. So, I see this watch with interchangeable bezels that alter the appearance of the watch face to resemble a camera lens, and the first thought that goes through my mind is…why?
In terms of modern and complicated high-end Chinese watch brands, Ebohr is definitely topping the list with their line of watches appropriately named...Complication. After having the chance to wear this watch myself I can honestly say, if not for the logo on the dial, one could easily mistake this kind of craftsmanship for something from a high-end Swiss or German luxury watch brand.
When I was touring the company and showroom, a few watches stood out from the others. While most of the Rossini watches are designed (and rather well) by their in-house designers, they did partner with a team of Swiss designers for a few watches in their most recent collection. I've been wearing the Rossini 6633G01B for a few weeks now, and it's safe to say that it has found a comfortable home on my wrist.
I had a great time at the Chinese Watch & Clock Fair in Shenzhen last week, where I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Ron Good. Fortunately for me, I was in the right place at the right time, and he generously invited me along with some of his friends to look at some watches.
There's been a lot of interesting comments and opinions over the last few weeks about the necessity of a power reserve indicator on the watch dial. From the comments on our Facebook page and here on EWR, here is a bit of what people had to say:
"I like the idea of the power reserve. I generally don't need it as I keep my automatic watches on a winder. Having said that, it is nice to have a visual indicator that the mainspring is staying wound, even wearing throughout the day. When I travel, it is a nice utility (I take the watch off at night, and next morning can see how much power is left, but gets "filled up" so to speak when wearing)."
"I wind my Breitling 20 times every evening so an indicator isn't really necessary for me but cool none the less."
Some may prefer staying away from watches with four sub-dials, as things can tend to get a bit overcrowded. But it works on this watch because of the perfect symmetry of the sub-dials combined with the minimal use of color. The complications of this watch are basically that of a calendar. So if you happen to forget, the time, the day, the date, and the month—worry not!
This week, a story about a little-known independent watchmaker from Chongqing spread like wildfire among watch enthusiasts in China after being posted online. Qin Gan (秦干) hand-produces enamel dial repeater watches with startlingly interesting features.
I've lived in China for a while now, and have been in and out of factories of all kinds. I can honestly say that I was not expecting the state-of-the-art watchmaking facility that I found in Zhuhai.
In what is looking to be the coolest and most unique Year of the Monkey design yet thus far, this concept will be a collaborative effort from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Koncise, a luxury watch brand from Beijing famous for its intricately detailed enamel dials.
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