SE8007GW Seakors Tourbillon Seagull ST8007 Movement Sapphire Crystal Men's Mechanical Watch 1963

Product Information

The split between case and movemnent manufacturuers is as old as watchmaking itself. I’ve got a MIDO ”’bumper” automatic day/date and a forunner of the AQUADURA ‘cork’ sealed crown with a BRITISH PATENT number from the late 30’s, and one of the very first MIDO ‘bumpers’ to have a ‘hand wind’ function. MIDO made the case but the movement and that innovative cork Crown seal was I believe [hope my spelling is right] made by TAUBERT. 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.

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. It’s the biggest producer of watches in China, and not just the simple stuff. It makes chronographs, hand wound and automatic, minute repeaters—and of course tourbillons. The irony really is that Switzerland started off making watches in much the same way as China did: producing poor quality, cheap fakes. But, like Switzerland, China’s capabilities are improving every single day, and a fully functional tourbillon is proof of that. Eventually a watch enthusiast will encounter a tourbillon and would love to own one. However, the starting price of a swiss tourbillon is above most would spend. Enter Sea-Gull.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.

Of course I have not seen the SEA-GULL WingTourbillon and therefore I can not say anything about its timekeeping-performance nor the quality, but still the pictures look not bad.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. Btw, Mr. Cao secretly told me that the final version would be produced in September. At that time, I’ll bring more photos and a HD video of this watch to you”… Details of the tourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon

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.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. Thanks to Logan I will be able to keep you updated about further developments coming from SEA-GULL … 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.

In the presentation, Mr. Cao made it very clear that SEA-GULL was in the midst of a major shift in their product focus. In the past, SEA-GULL focused on matters such as achieving low price complications. In the future, SEA-GULL wants to be known for high-end watches, and he thinks this dual-axis tourbillon will be a good beginning. You think I am cheating or fooling you? Then please Google the Panerai P.2005 tourbillon and you will understand what I mean … It is interesting that several years ago, SEA-GULL made some traditional tourbillon watches priced at 5000 CNY (about 800 CHF, amazingly low), but today they are starting to make dual-axis tourbillon. Actually I have both first- and second-hand experience with servicing for both high-end Swiss and German watches, having owned several of them over the course of my life and having friends with vast collections of the same. I can assure you totally (and I do not throw this absolute guarantee around willy-nilly) that the servicing is both more costly and more time-consuming. The term “Swiss Made” is a bit controversial in its own right and often misunderstood. It’s an important “brand name,” but doesn’t automatically imply superior quality. High-end German brand Glashütte Original and American brand RGM are every bit as revered as their Swiss rivals. But like those who demand Italian roots with their sports cars, Switzerland and timepieces are often a required mix. What exactly does it mean to be Swiss Made? A watch can be labelled as Swiss Made if it’s assembled in Switzerland, its final inspection occurs in Switzerland, and a minimum of 60% of manufacturing costs are in Switzerland. The legal standard for a brand to print “Swiss Made” on its dial isn’t quite as high as many think and small loopholes are also exploitable. The most commonly recognized criterion is for the movement to be manufactured in Switzerland, generally from ETA or Sellita – if not in-house. Other requirements are that the movement is installed in Switzerland and again, that the final inspection occurs in Switzerland. Many incorrectly believe, however, that “Swiss Made” solely requires a Swiss movement inside the case.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. Anyway, it’s only a prototype, I have a chance to photograph the final version of this watch in September and I’ll bring you HD videos at that time. This thread aims to compare the two watches models that are oftentimes confused with one another. The 818.900 is often the version that Sea-gull provides for other companies to rebrand, while the ST8000SA is the model that Sea-gull sells directly under its house brand. Oftentimes, other companies will rebrand the 818.900 as a Sea-gull, which causes further confusion. And I've never used the word 'often' so many times in one paragraph