If you’ve been in the watch community for a while, you’ve probably seen the Seagull 1963 everywhere — especially the affordable versions on AliExpress priced around $200–$300. But what about the official factory-direct version from Tianjin Seagull? It costs significantly more. Is it actually worth the premium?
I recently received the official Seagull 1963 Times Edition 70th Anniversary Reissue (37.3mm) for review, and in this post I’ll share my thoughts on the watch, its fascinating history, the movement, and whether the official version is worth it compared to the cheaper alternatives.
The Fascinating History of the Seagull 1963
Seagull (Tianjin Watch Factory) was founded in 1955 and quickly made history by producing China’s very first domestically made wristwatch — the Five-Star. This marked the beginning of modern Chinese watchmaking.
In the early 1960s, during the Mao era, the Chinese Air Force wanted their own aviation chronograph instead of relying on expensive Swiss imports. They assigned the project, known as Project 304, to Tianjin Watch Factory.
At the time, Venus was one of the respected Swiss chronograph movement makers (alongside names like Valjoux and Landeron). Struggling financially, Venus sold the tooling, machines, and blueprints for its Venus 175 column-wheel chronograph to China.
Tianjin took that design and developed it into their own ST3 movement, which later evolved into the ST19/ST1901 we see today. They added more jewels, increased the beat rate to 21,600 vph for smoother running, and improved durability for military use.
Fast forward to the early 2000s and 2010s: the Seagull 1963 exploded in popularity through watch forums like WatchUSeek, YouTube reviews, and affordable reissues on AliExpress. The big appeal? It offered a genuine mechanical column-wheel chronograph at a fraction of Swiss prices (most Swiss chronos start at $5,000+). The vintage pilot look, the intriguing Chinese military story, and the accessible price made it irresistible.
Most early reissues used movements supplied by Seagull themselves. Later, Seagull started producing and selling their own branded versions.
Today, Tianjin Seagull is fully in-house. They design, manufacture, and assemble everything themselves, produce over a million movements a year, supply other brands, and even make high-complications like tourbillons — all while keeping prices relatively accessible. Besides the 1963, they have a wide range of other models too.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The packaging surprised me — it’s a big, sturdy box with a strong military-vintage feel. “Zhong Guo Hai Ou” (China Seagull) is printed on both the outside and inside.
Inside you get the watch on a black leather strap, a green NATO strap, a spring bar tool, and a booklet.
Specs at a glance:
- 37.3 mm case
- ~47 mm lug-to-lug
- ~15 mm thick (thanks to the highly domed sapphire crystal)
- 18 mm lug width
- 50 m water resistance
- Sapphire crystal on front and caseback
The dial is a warm beige/cream with a red star that gives it a distinctly Chinese character. Bold red and blue hands, a gilded star at 12, and Chinese text at the bottom reading “China Tianjin Watch Factory.” The pushers have a satisfying, classic column-wheel feel.
View the unboxing and more in this video:
The ST1901 Movement
Zooming in, the column-wheel in the center delivers that smooth chronograph action — start, stop, and reset all feel clean and precise. The blued screws add a nice touch of color, and because it’s manual-wind only (no rotor), you get a completely unobstructed view of the mechanics. Winding it gives a satisfying ratchet click.
This movement is the modern evolution of the original 1960s ST3, which itself came from the Venus 175 tooling. It’s a genuine piece of Chinese horology history.
Official vs AliExpress Versions – My Honest Take
Most 1963-style watches use the genuine ST1901 movement from Tianjin, so there aren’t really “fakes” in the sense of counterfeit movements. Instead, you have a range of legitimate options.
Just my opinion: A big reason there are so many versions is that the 1963 started as a state government project (Project 304) during the communist era. Copyright protection wasn’t a big priority back then, so once the tooling was available, different factories and companies could produce their own variants using the same base movement.
The third-party versions (from AliExpress or authorized distributors) are usually assembled elsewhere with the same genuine movements. They look very similar, cost significantly less, and many people are perfectly happy with them.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to what matters to you.
- Want the factory-direct experience, extra finishing, display caseback, and official warranty? Go for the Tianjin version.
- Just want the classic 1963 look and movement on a budget? The cheaper options are still solid and widely loved.
There’s no single right choice — it’s personal preference in a pretty muddy but fascinating part of watch history.
Final Thoughts
This is a charming, story-rich pilot chrono with real mechanical appeal. Seagull is a legit brand with premium stores worldwide and massive movement production, so I can see the value in the official version. That said, I completely understand if the price feels steep for many people.
If you want this exact 70th Anniversary model, use code AT16 to get 16% off — bringing the price down from $849 to about $713. Link below (affiliate link — supports the channel, thank you!).
Direct Link + 16% Off: https://en.seagullwatch.com/products/seagull-1963-chronograph-watch-times-edition-reissue-37-3mm-1963a?ref=AT16&utm_source=MKT&utm_medium=KOL&utm_campaign=MY_Chrono_KOL_ashleytee&utm_id=KOL_ashleytee
What do you think? Would you go for the official Sea-Gull 1963 or a budget version? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!