Seagull 1963 Hand Wind Mechanical Chronograph with Goldtone Dial #6488-2901C

Seagull 1963 Hand Wind Mechanical Chronograph with Goldtone Dial #6488-2901C

This special edition watch is an official remake of the 1963 Chinese Airforce chronograph, a unique and classic masterpiece now coveted by collectors nearly as much as the original. This updated version has a 42mm polished stainless steel case with a mineral crystal exhibition case back (the original was a smaller 38mm size). The goldish-brown dial features goldtone numbers and markers and a red star under the 12:00 position. The hour and minute hands are dark blue in color. The 21 ZUAN on the dial indicates the movement has 21-jewels. The movement is a Seagull No. ST19 mechanical (hand winding) chronograph with 21,600 VPH and shock protection. Power reserve is about 45 hours on a full wind without the chronograph running.

The Seagull chronograph uses a column wheel. In this design, the key component is a small rotating cylinder with teeth at the top, not unlike a castle turret. As the chronograph buttons are pressed, the column wheel rotates and levers fall in between the teeth to drive the functions. The column wheel movement is considered by most watch enthusiasts to be the most desirable, since it requires the greatest skill to design and build correctly and it is thought to be the most durable.

The sub-dial on the left is the running seconds counter and the sub-dial on the right is a 30-minute timer. The red seconds hand is activated when you click the pusher at 2:00. The outer portion of the dial is marked in seconds. The lug width is 22mm and the watch now comes with a gold-brown and black striped NATO-style strap.