// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Tianjin Seagull say? "I'm fowl of Tianjin.
 | |
| Industry | Watch |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Mechanical watches, mechanical watch parts, precision machinery |
| Owner | state-owned |
Number of employees | 3000 (2011) |
| Website | en |
Tianjin Seagull Watch Group (Chinese: 天津海鸥), known as Seagull and stylized as SEA-GULL, is a watchmaking company located in Tianjin, China.[1][2]
History
[edit]The company was originally formed as Tianjin Watch Factory in January 1955 by order of the People's Republic of China government, with four craftsmen. According to the company, it manufactured China’s first mechanical watch, the "Five-Star" timepiece, later that year.[3] In 1963, the factory developed the D304, an aviation chronograph for military use, which the company describes as China’s first aviation chronograph.[3]
In 1990, Tianjin Watch Factory was awarded the status of a national company, and in 1992 the Tianjin Seagull Corporation was founded. That same year, the company decided to discontinue mechanical watch production in favour of quartz watches. Five years later, the decision was reversed, and the company has since produced exclusively mechanical movements and watches.[4]
In 2000, Tianjin Seagull Watch Group went public, and in 2003 it opened a representative office in Hong Kong. During the 2000s, the company expanded into high-complication watchmaking, developing in-house tourbillon, minute repeater, and perpetual calendar mechanisms.[3] In 2009, Tianjin Seagull introduced the ST9250 movement, which integrated all three complications into a single timepiece.[3] In 2010, the company moved to new production and administration facilities near Tianjin Airport.[5]
Tianjin Seagull has also developed advanced tourbillons, including a multi-axial orbital tourbillon movement.[3][6]
In 2024, the company released several anniversary models, including a flying split-second rattrapante chronograph.[3] In 2025, Tianjin Seagull launched its first official global direct-to-consumer website.[3]
Brands
[edit]The following brand names were used for watches produced by Tianjin Seagull.[7][8]
| Year | Brand Name |
|---|---|
| 1955-1958 | WuXing |
| 1958-1966 | WuYi |
| 1966-1974 | Dong Feng (East Wind) |
| 1974–present | Seagull |
Gallery
[edit]
ST19 Chronograph Movement produced by Tianjin Seagull Watch Group
Seagull branded Wristwatch
Modern Seagull M182SK[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ 'Tianjin Sea-Gull Watch'
- ↑ 天津市地方志编修委员会 (1991). 天津简志 (in Chinese). 天津人民出版社. p. 377. ISBN 978-7-201-01022-9. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About Us". SEA-GULL Watch Official Website. Retrieved 2026-07-08.
- ↑ 中国轻工总会; 广州珠江钢琴集团有限公司 (2008). 中国轻工业年鉴 (in Chinese). 中国大百科全书出版社. p. 528. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ↑ "Sea-Gull - La nouvelle fabrique". Europa Star (in French).
- ↑ "Dual-axis tourbillon for a mechanical watch". Google Patents.
- ↑ amchpr.com: 'Short Overview of Sea-Gull Watch history' Archived 2011-08-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ 天津大辞典. 天津地方志丛书 (in Chinese). 天津社会科学院出版社. 2001. p. 1133. ISBN 978-7-80563-876-8. Retrieved 2024-07-16.
- ↑ chouprojects.com: 'Sea-Gull M182SK Review'
External links
[edit]- Official website (Chinese)
- Official Website(Global Official Store)