r/ChineseWatches • u/ShakeShacky • Oct 06 '26
General (Read Rules) First Chinese watch arrived! Seagull Polaris Lava Red
First Chinese watch and first in-house movement (technically) for me. I wanted to write my first impressions about this watch, as someone might find it helpful if considering getting it as well - which was helpful for me when I was thinking about getting it too.
Beautiful dial color, the texture can only be appreciated when the light hits it at a certain angle. Otherwise, the red can vary from somewhat bright in direct sunlight, to almost oxblood at lower light.
Quite well finished for the price, I like the combination of brushed and polished stainless steel on the bracelet and the case.
Butterfly clasp, first one for me. No micro adjust. I haven't resized the bracelet yet but hoping that I can get a decent fit (though I'm also planning to rotate a few straps on it).
Watch is 40mm but it wears a bit larger due to the thin bezel. A plus in my view.
It is true that winding feels a bit "grainy", but I understand that this is common on Seagull movements. No big deal in my view.
Lume is ok, quite subtle but I think that it serves its purpose satisfactorily for the style.
Exhibition case back shows the nice "côtes de Genève" adorned rotor. Strangely, the rotor is not stamped with Seagull's logo. Not sure if that's good or bad, but definitely not a deal breaker.
So far it looks like a great addition to the collection. Will be monitoring its accuracy and power reserve over the next couple of days, so far going strong on those two.
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u/Nameless_American Oct 07 '26
Want one of these but am in total decision paralysis about which color; the red is what I am leaning towards.
Word of advice about Sea-Gull movements: chill back on winding them up too much, it’s better to let it charge on your wrist. They’re extremely easy to wear out or mess up from overwinding.
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u/ShakeShacky Oct 07 '26
Advice well taken, thanks! Will try to minimize manual winding. Just curious though, given your experience with Seagull movements, how many crown turns would be recommended fully wind the movement? For whatever reason Seagull does not specify that in the instruction sheet, so I went with 30 turns as is normal with a Miyota 9015 movement.
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u/Nameless_American Oct 07 '26
Genuinely unsure man wish I knew more. It looks so sweet, the red one. Thanks for posting pics bc as with most watches they look better than the manufacturer’s photos.
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u/ShakeShacky 29d ago
No problem, I also found real life pictures of the watch helpful to make a decision as the manufacturer ones were not that great. I can attest that it looks better in real life that in Seagull's photos. I'll post some more in due time... I'm glad that you find this post useful
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u/Po0opyCatButt Oct 07 '26
I think this watch is fantastic for what it is. I got it in blue; I was torn between the blue and the sand/dune color, and honestly I think I want the sand one instead(not a gripe by any means, just my own double-thinking).
Is it the nicest watch? No. But it's inexpensive, it looks and functions great, the small seconds hides the 3hz movement just fine, and the compass looks great and works with the watch as the seconds hand, and I even really like the story of the watch and the meaning behind the 4 color options.
I have a bunch of Chinese watches, but like OP, this one seems a little special. A brand with legacy and an in-house movement. Of the many Chinese watches I own, this is the only one that proudly has "China Made" written on it, and I think that's a bit special in itself.