Just as a seagull braves the waves and navigates the air currents to glide toward the horizon, Tianjin Seagull Watch Group (hereinafter “Seagull”) serves as a microcosm of this resilient spirit. As a venerable brand carrying 70 years of industrial memory for modern China, it is currently traversing the "time difference" shaped by a century of Western horology.
At the intersection of Chinese aesthetics and precision manufacturing, the brand is exporting China’s "philosophy of time" to the global stage.
Let the World Hear Seagull's Precision Ticking
(Double Tourbillon Movement Display Model in the Seagull Watch Museum, 3/24/2025)
The heritage of Seagull Watch began in 1955 with a historic milestone: the successful prototyping of China's first self-made 15-jewel "Wuxing" (Five Stars) mechanical watch. This achievement did more than tell time; it opened a new path for the nation's precision industry by establishing the capability for in-house movement manufacturing.
If 1955 marked a breakthrough from "Zero to One", 1984 was the ultimate test of excellence. Seagull was commissioned for a "National Task" code-named "ST5B" to provide accurate timepieces for China's first Antarctic expedition. In the extreme cold and strong magnetic fields of the South Pole, ten Seagull mechanical watches were buried in Antarctic ice and soil. They continued to beat with a testing error of only one second—a testament to 30 years of technical progress.
(Seagull ST5B Watch, the Great Wall Station in the South Pole, and 70th Anniversary Antarctica Expedition Special Edition)
Advancing Against the Current: Mastering Haute Horlogerie
In the wake of the global Quartz Crisis, which reshaped the watch industry in the late 20th century, Seagull chose a path few dared to take. Rather than retreating from mechanical watchmaking, the brand committed itself to the highest disciplines of horology: the three grand complications—tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater. Despite equipment monopolies by Swiss firms, Seagull’s team independently developed machinery to achieve a precision of 0.001 mm.
2002: The brand mastered the Seagull Tourbillon, breaking the Swiss monopoly on this complex mechanism.
2010: Seagull successfully developed an ultra-complex "three-in-one" timepiece, integrating a tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and minute repeater into a single mechanical masterpiece.
(Seagull craftsman assembling Seagull double tourbillon)
Soaring Toward the Far Shore
Seagull’s engagement with the global market began with a strategic transformation.
In 1973, to facilitate international market entry, the brand officially adopted the trademark "SEA-GULL". It became the first Chinese watch to be exported, earning vital recognition and foreign exchange for the country. For decades, it remained a dominant force in horology industry, with its mechanical movements once accounting for 25% of the global market share.
A defining moment for the brand occurred at the 2012 Baselworld Trade Fair. Faced with an infringement claim from a major Swiss brand regarding the "co-axial" tourbillon, Seagull’s legal and technical teams proved their independent patent rights in just 10 minutes. This "ten-minute victory" signaled to the world that Chinese watchmaking had moved beyond imitation to original innovation.
Geroge Xu (徐創越/Xu Chuangyue), President of Seagull Watch Group, at the 2025 Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair
In 2019, Yuyuan Inc. (Fosun Group) became a strategic shareholder of Seagull Watch, establishing a dual-drive development path of "Technology and Culture". This transition shifted the brand from simple movement supplier to a global story teller, exporting the integrated value of Chinese precision manufacturing and Eastern lifestyle aesthetics.
Mechanical Art and Cultural Narrative
(Seagull Three-legged Golden Crow Minute Repeater)
At the high end of its portfolio, Seagull Watch redefines fine watchmaking as “wearable mechanical art.”
One representative creation is the "Three-legged Golden Crow" Minute Repeater, which uses master-level gold engraving to transform mythology from the Classic of Mountains and Seas into kinetic form. Master artisans complete intricate gold engravings under high-magnification microscopes, while mechanical automata animate the mythical figure in harmony with the repeater’s chimes.
By incorporating intangible cultural heritage like lacquerware and filigree, Seagull employs the universal language of mechanical horology to communicate the depth of Eastern tradition to a global audience.
Tiered Global Expansion and Market Disruption
(Seagull Watch: A 70-Year Journey of Chinese Horology)
Seagull has formulated a "Global Navigation Map" to guide its strategic growth:
Southeast Asia: The brand utilizes a "light-asset, heavy-operation" strategy, partnering with established retailers in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Europe: It leverages technical icons, such as the Seagull ST19-powered Seagull 1963 series chronograph, to challenge old stereotypes of Chinese manufacturing.
Middle East: The brand focuses on precious metal complications to meet the demand for luxury and uniqueness.
By leveraging its full industrial chain, Seagull fills a critical gap in the international market by offering "fine technology at attainable price points." While a Swiss Rattrapante (split-seconds chronograph) may command prices upwards of €50,000, Seagull offers the same technical grade for less than €4,000, democratizing high-end complications.
(Seagull Rattrapante Split-seconds Chronograph, ref. 418.17.1077)
Omnichannel Synergy: Expanding Global Reach
The strategic integration of online and offline channels has significantly broadened Seagull’s global reach. By leveraging a dual-tier distribution model, the brand effectively penetrates various market segments:
Digital Global Presence: Through cross-border e-commerce platforms like AliExpress and Amazon, Seagull introduces its "trendy" and "basic" collections to a vast global audience. Furthermore, the launch of the official global website (en.seagullwatch.com) provides committed service and a unified brand voice to customers worldwide.
Offline Horological Prestige: While digital platforms build awareness, Seagull’s physical presence is meticulously designed for professional enthusiasts. Through boutiques in core business districts and appearances at elite watch showcases, Seagull anchors its prestige via high-complication displays.
Telling the Seagull Story to The World
By 2025, Seagull has established 40 offline outlets in core global regions, with overseas performance growing nearly fourfold. Looking forward to 2026, the brand plans to expand its global network to 100 outlets, continuing to tell China's "time story" through every ticking gear.
From the legendary Seagull ST19 chronograph to tourbillons, rattrapantes, and minute repeaters, Seagull continues its voyage—not as a follower, but as a fully realized, world-class mechanical watchmaker.
(Seagull Solar Wings 3D Tourbillon, ref. 618.11.8838)
Original news source: XINHUA.NET WeChat
