What Luxury Watches are Made in China

Several Chinese brands produce luxury watches, including Seagull, Beijing and Shanghai, and Fiyta. Other brands known for high-end and luxury watches include Atelier Wen, Behrens, CIGA Design, and Siger Design.

These brands have been gaining international attention for offering high-quality, innovative, and sometimes avant-garde timepieces. Watch this video to learn about some high-end watches made in China.

List of Made in China Luxury Watch Brands

• Seagull: A large manufacturer known for its mechanical movements, including tourbillon and chronograph movements, and its high production quality.
• Beijing and Shanghai: Traditional watch factories that have developed high-end watches in addition to their more affordable lines.
• Fiyta: A brand that has gained recognition for its association with China’s space program, creating durable and precise timepieces.
• Atelier Wen: A brand that creates high-end watches with a focus on celebrating Chinese culture and craftsmanship, with features like porcelain dials.
• CIGA Design: Known for innovative designs and a win at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), with watches featuring detailed skeleton movements and unique designs.
• Behrens: A brand that creates futuristic and avant-garde timepieces, sometimes with in-house manual-wind movements and unique complications.
• Siger Design: A luxury brand mentioned for its high-priced watches.

Top Seagull watches

The top Seagull watch is the Seagull 1963 chronograph, a popular and affordable mechanical watch with a rich history. This made in China watch is known for its vintage aesthetic and the ST19 movement.

Other top models include the Legacy Edition Seagull 1963, a special version with a moonphase complication and refined movement finishing, and the Seagull Polaris, which uses the ST17 automatic movement and features a symmetrical dial without a date.

Seagull 1963 Chronograph

What it is: A highly popular and affordable mechanical chronograph originally produced for the Chinese Air Force in the 1960s.

Key features:

• Vintage design with a cream or panda-style dial, blued hands, and a red star at 12 o’clock.
• Powered by the ST19 manual-wind mechanical chronograph movement, a descendant of the Swiss Venus 175.
• Features a 38mm stainless steel case, an exhibition caseback to show the movement, and a 30m water resistance rating.
• It offers exceptional value, combining vintage design with modern reliability.

Considerations: The manual-wind movement requires regular winding, and the acrylic crystal is more prone to scratches (though sapphire crystal versions are available). 

Legacy Edition Seagull 1963

What it is: A limited-edition version celebrating the 70th anniversary of the chronograph.

Key features:

• Includes the “ST1908,” a decorated version of the ST19 movement with a 29.5-day moonphase complication.
• Has a larger 40mm case, a unique dial that shifts between silver, champagne, and rose gold depending on the light, and blue heat-tempered hands.

Considerations: As a limited edition, it is expected to sell out quickly. 

Seagull Polaris

What it is: A more modern-looking watch powered by an automatic movement.

Key features:

• Features Seagull’s in-house ST17 automatic movement.
• Has a symmetrical dial because it lacks a date complication, which means there is no “ghost” setting position.

Considerations: This is an automatic watch, so it doesn’t require manual winding like the 1963 models.

Watches From Beijing Watch Factory

The Beijing Watch Factory (BWF) is known for its exquisite craftsmanship in traditional Chinese horology, particularly in complex movements. Top models include:

• Beihai: This model is one of BWF’s most popular and well-regarded watches, appreciated by collectors for its classic design and in-house movement.
• Tourbillon models (Bladelegant, State of Mind): BWF is a leader in producing high-quality tourbillon watches, including double and 3D tourbillons, which have gained international recognition and awards.
• Limited Editions: BWF has released several popular limited-edition watches, such as the 70th Anniversary model, that often feature unique designs and high-end complications.
• Whale Diver 200M: A more contemporary offering, this model caters to the sports watch market. 

Shanghai Watch Factory

Shanghai Watch Factory has a rich history as a pioneer in Chinese watchmaking, producing millions of watches and supplying the military. High-end models include:

• A581: Released in 1958, this was the first mass-produced watch model from the factory and is a historically significant collector’s item.
• A623 / 7120: The A623 was a famous model worn by China’s first Premier, Zhou En-Lai, and the subsequent 7120 model utilized the “unified movement” (tongji), becoming one of the most recognizable Chinese watches of the 20th century.
• SS2 and SS4 “Officer’s Watches”: These were China’s first military-issued dive watches, developed for the People’s Liberation Army in the 1960s, and are now highly sought after by collectors.
• Modern Collections: Contemporary popular collections include the Pioneer, Magnolia, and 1955 series, which feature modern designs and in-house automatic movements. The brand also produces high-end tourbillon and minute repeater movements for its premium lines. 

Top Fiyta Watch Models

Top Fiyta watch models made in China include the Aeronautics Chronograph and Aeronautics, which are highly rated by owners. The Fiyta Classic is another popular choice.

• Fiyta Aeronautics Chronograph: Frequently cited as a top model with high user ratings.
• Fiyta Aeronautics: Also highly rated by owners and is a prominent model in the brand’s lineup.
• Fiyta Classic: Another well-regarded model in the Fiyta collection. 

Final Words About Made in China Watches

People are increasingly drawn to Chinese luxury watch brands for their exceptional value for money, improving quality and craftsmanship, and the appeal of unique designs that celebrate China’s rich horological heritage.

Chinese brands like San Martin, Seagull, and Beijing Watch Factory offer features such as tourbillons, sapphire crystals, and high-grade materials at a fraction of the cost of their Swiss counterparts.

The sheer variety of styles, price points, and complications available, often easily accessible through e-commerce and social media platforms, makes the “thrill of the hunt” more engaging for made in China watch enthusiasts who enjoy frequently adding to their collections.