(are we still doing Chinese?)

Today I'm wearing an example of that curiously Chinese feature, the deep lacquer dial. In this instance it is a Beijing ZB-1 Shuangling.



This has over the years become a bit of a frankenwatch. The movement is a Tianjin Jin Zhong STZ-1, except the mainspring barrel which is from a Liaoning ZLN. It's this kind of interchangeability that vindicates the Tongji development program; one watch for a nation, made identically in dozens of factories.

The bracelet is a cheap Hong Kong piece, but I think it perfectly complements the colourful dial.


Nothing like a bit of red to get that authentic Chinese look





Does anybody else have a lacquer dial Chinese they would like to show off?

I have two I am going to wear tomorrow. I am just about to take and upload the pics...

Oh, and even though next week is Japanese Watch Week; Chinese watches are welcome. The AWF is re-visiting its roots...

Two vintage Shanghai handwinds. Peter also did some TLC on these as well...

What can you guys tell me about them?






Again, vintage Chinese mechanicals have such interesting casebacks...






There they are flanking the Sea-Gull ST5 handwind I am finishing Wednesday with...


Info on Shanghai can be found here on the Chinese Watch Wiki:
http://www.tractionink.com/watch_wiki/index.php?title=Shanghai_Watch_Factory

Do you think these guys are A581 or A611 powered?

Info from the Chinese Watch Wiki:

"Prior to 1955, watch manufacturing in China consisted of importing complete movements and installing them in locally made cases. This activity was largely confined to the city of Shanghai. With external sources of movements disappearing after the revolution, the Shanghai Light Industry Bureau and the Shanghai Watch Industry Association organized 58 enterprises to participate in a project to develop an entirely Chinese-made watch. Trial production occurred between 1955 and 1957, until the quality was adequate to justify full production. The 17 jewel, centre-second design was based on the Swiss AS 1187, and these first trial watches bore the names 'He Ping' (Peace) and 'Dong Fang Hong' (The East is Red). China's first watch factory, the Shanghai Watch Factory was completed in 1958, and production commenced of the A581 watch, introducing the brand Shanghai. The logo was the Chinese characters for Shanghai rendered as a stylized block. This was later replaced by a calligraphic style which has endured to the present.

The A581 continued in production until 1968, supplemented by the shockproof A611 from 1961. Other variants of this basic design were trialled during this period. A date version A623 never entered full production, but was worn my Premier Zhou Enlai. More advanced designs were also prototyped and the factory also offered technical support to the Qingdao Watch Factory. In 1968, the Shanghai Watch Factory's production capacity was greatly increased by the installation of temporary mezzanine levels. These were to remain in place for 20 years. At this time the Shanghai Watch Factory was China's biggest watch producer."

Wrist pics:


Signed crown! Yay! Zoodles loves signed crowns...










What can you guys tell me about these two interesting mechanicals?

regarded by some as the quintessential Chinese watch. Made in the 1970s. The movement should be SS7, the first version of the Tongji/Standard movement from the Shanghai Watch Factory, and built to a higher than usual standard.

Once I step away from Sea-Gull my Chinese watch knowledge takes a nosedive...

Perhaps I should get into Shanghai watches a bit more...

From the Chinese Watch Wiki:

"With the successful developement of the Chinese Standard movement and its trial production by the Shanghai 2nd Watch Factory, production commenced of the Standard design by the Shanghai Watch Factory, bearing the familiar 'Shaghai' brand. These early watches with the movement designated SS7, were of the higher quality than the later ZSH watches. '7 Series' Shanghais are popular with collectors. Calendar and automatic versions followed. An export-focussed brand Chunlei was created for watches using a variety of Shanghai and other movements."

I think it would be cool to get a modern Shanghai to complement the three vintage ones I own...

DO you think both of these are from similar time periods? They sure seem like fraternal twins...

You'll note one is 7120 209 and the other is 7120 407...

Well, 407 is earlier...being April in the 7th year of 7120 production or April 1981, and 209 being February of 1983. There is, according to WUS moderator Soviet, a rough correlation between the caseback date and the date on the movement inside the watch. The m7120 series started production is 1974.


AMCH/PR - Alberta Museum of Chinese Horology in Peace River

the smaller number on the caseback is clearly not a case model number. I think the model number 7120 describes both the movement and the case type. So the smaler number might be a batch number, but I don't know how to correlate that to a particular year.

time to do some searching...


The AMCH/PR contains two examples, both later than yours. Ron notes that the small number is a batch number and lower numbers are older. He also mentions that the 7120 was made from 1972 to 1975.
http://www.amchpr.com/Chinese_Mechanical_Watches/index.htm?0_M

Surprisingly, I didn't find any extra information for dating 7120s on Joel Chan's site, but he has some interesting info about other 7 series Shanghais. Worth a look if you've got time.
http://micmicmor.blogspot.com/

Next up, Ozputera's blog. He's got a 7120, batch number 308, movement date code CA i.e. January 1976. Hmm... that would but production commencement in 1973. I might need to look further into that. He's also got a batch 312, movt ZSH (not SS7) date DE (May 1978), and also a peacock-dial batch 417, SS7 date DF (June 1977). ZSH started production a year later than SS7. Same spec but slightly lower quality apparently.

Here's something particularly interesting:

"It is known among the collectors that fake 7120 existed as far back to the time even when the 7120 was in production. The price of a 7120 was not cheap and one had to have a "watch coupon" plus a recommendation letter from the employer in addition to cash in order to purchase such watch ... This market imperfection had motivated the fake productions which were sold at three to four time lower price than the genuine 7120 with no such coupons needed while still fetching profits. These fakes were made by smaller factories with movements of usually inferior quality. One convenient way of identifying fake 7120 is to visually inspect the quality of the stamped pattern surrounding the word ”上海“ at the middle of the case back that the fake ones are with rougher pattern. The other way is to open up the case back to see whether there is an O ring slot for the O rubber seal; it is said the the genuine 7120 would always have that ring slot. However, these identification methods or criteria are by no means conclusive."

http://ozputera.blogspot.com/

""

I like that... Classic cushion cased goodness with the venerable and reliable 7548...

hommage, bought from George and fixed by SteamAncre...DG2813?

""

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get his ZERO model going and up for sale! same Noah case and movement but Jake's own options....priced around $350!!! He should have his optional bezels, dials and hands in this week, he said....

poywatch aka Boomtown
Watch Agent 007--Licensed to kill time
Education:BS WIS
University: Watch Amata U.
Fraternity: Alpha Zuan Omega

Yourself, Thian, and me this week...

Mine says hello...

poywatch aka Boomtown
Watch Agent 007--Licensed to kill time
Education:BS WIS
University: Watch Amata U.
Fraternity: Alpha Zuan Omega

bought this Radiomir homage from Getat. I like it, but it is big at 47mm.



Totally sterile. No text anywhere on it.



MikeyT
In the Thumb of Michigan

.............. >>> this qualifies,but it is Chinese made.









OK, its a knock-off but its sterile

I don`t make things. I make things better !