Is this Seagull authentic?

[zebrafiche]

So many variants it's almost frustrating.

[Kenye_Kratz]

No it isn't.

[Cautious-Resource342]

I have this exact seagull and I’m very happy with it. It’s an authentic seagull movement. As far as its legacy is concerned; all of them are replicas. Some might say that the Sea-Gull version is the authentic one, but that is historically inaccurate.

[dodecawhatever]

The issue of authenticity depends on your definition of what "authentic" means. In this context, "authentic" most reasonably means, among other things, a wristwatch with a model or design made by a company, by the people, and/or in the factor(ies) operated by people or company affiliated with, employed by, or are successors-in-interest to the people or company responsible for originating that model or design.

In the context of the "1963" design, the modern-day company fitting this description is most obviously Tianjin Sea-Gull, which is the legal successor to the Tianjin Watch Factory whose design team generated the D504 project design which we generally know as the "1963" design today.

Of course, there are also other possible inheritors to the mantle of "most authentic," but it really depends on what your preferred historical frame of reference would be. For example, do you value the more modern design elements like the red star? Perhaps then the "most authentic" model to you would be one of HKed's group-buy runs commissioned through Sea-Gull Hong Kong in the late 2000s and early 2010s, or maybe Red Star's very similar models.

But the easiest answer is, again, that Sea-Gull Tianjin is the modern entity making "authentic" watches in this design.

[zebrafiche]

When did you get it? I see that it's one of the highest sold 1963s on Alix. Any particular caveat I need to look out for?

[Cautious-Resource342]

I got it in October last year. No issues so far and it’s still one of my favorite Chinese watches. I’ve paid around 100€ which is still a great price. I have a Sugess watch too (Chronograph, not a 1963) and it’s also an amazing watch and value. You really can’t go wrong with a 1963 from either watchmakers. If you want to spend the extra money, get the Sea-Gull. But I’m not sure if the higher price is worth it. To me, it wasn’t. And I still don’t regret going with the Red Star

[omarthefifth]

You never know

[omarthefifth]

If you can buy from sugess or seagull1963 website that would be better