Geneva stripes on the ST8000SA is a little bit finer (I cannot see the individual scratch marks on the ST8000SA)

The term “Swiss Made” is a bit controversial in its own right and often misunderstood. It’s an important “brand name,” but doesn’t automatically imply superior quality. High-end German brand Glashütte Original and American brand RGM are every bit as revered as their Swiss rivals. But like those who demand Italian roots with their sports cars, Switzerland and timepieces are often a required mix. What exactly does it mean to be Swiss Made? A watch can be labelled as Swiss Made if it’s assembled in Switzerland, its final inspection occurs in Switzerland, and a minimum of 60% of manufacturing costs are in Switzerland. The legal standard for a brand to print “Swiss Made” on its dial isn’t quite as high as many think and small loopholes are also exploitable. The most commonly recognized criterion is for the movement to be manufactured in Switzerland, generally from ETA or Sellita – if not in-house. Other requirements are that the movement is installed in Switzerland and again, that the final inspection occurs in Switzerland. Many incorrectly believe, however, that “Swiss Made” solely requires a Swiss movement inside the case.The commercially available version will be launched in late 2013, the presell price is 300,000 CNY (about 48,000 CHF, it’s far more expensive than the traditional tourbillon of this brand itself.) I’m sending you the original photos, but I’m sorry that the quality of photos can’t be higher now. They’ve been done. Hands are heat blued. A surprise at this watch and price point. The strap is a genuine machined stitched alligator strap with their logo embossed. A little stiff outside the box which should soften with use.

Case size is wearable at 41mm, but it might wear bigger due to the thinner bezel. If your wrist is like mine then it might look like it’s hanging a bit as well. Still smaller compared to a 40mm MeisterSinger. After having had a Sea-Gull steel tourbillon (818.900) for almost a year, I thought I'd give a short review and my thoughts and comparisons with other watches. I think this will benefit those who are contemplating purchasing Sea-Gull's higher-end offerings, but are unsure as to whether the extra cost over similar watches is warranted. SEA-GULL has developed its own tourbillion in-house in the tradition started by the French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, who invented the tourbillon watch in 1795. SEA-GULL tourbillion watches are made by its best master watchmakers and available in various designs that all reveal a deep respect for the tradition of fine watch making. Thanks to Logan I will be able to keep you updated about further developments coming from SEA-GULL …The time and expense to design and build an in-house movement isn’t a viable option for many smaller brands, and even major companies with their own movement production facilities also rely on off-the-shelf calibres for many models. It’s been this way since the dawn of watchmaking. Brands like Panerai and IWC have watches with outsourced ETA or Sellita movements, and some of these get modified to a point where they’re virtually unrecognizable. Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin had partnered with Lemania for chronograph movements (Lemania has since become an in-house producer for Breguet). The use of outsourced movements from ETA and Sellita allows brands to stamp their dial with the coveted “Swiss Made” designation, but there are several Asian manufacturers that produce off-the-shelf movements as well. These calibres are less expensive, more readily available and can be just as reliable and serviceable as their Swiss counterparts. Let’s take a look at the three most popular suppliers outside the watch bubble of Switzerland – Miyota, Seiko and Seagull. ETA It’s not a Vacheron Constantin. It’s not a Jaeger-LeCoultre. It’s not even a TAG Heuer. But what it is, is better than you’d expect. Don’t go expecting to study this thing under a microscope and walk away happy, but if you want to give it a glance every once in a while, with plain old ordinary human eyes—it’s actually, surprisingly good. There are blued screws, polished finishes, weights surrounding the balance. They weren’t put there by a wizened Swiss watchmaker in the foothills of the Alps, but they are there, present and correct. Just. Another prototype with a slightly different case prototype SEA-GULL WingTourbillon SEA-GULL WingTourbillon

The tourbillon is well built that it surprised me. Do note that not all Sea-Gull tourbillon are created equal as some may house it in a cheaper and less sturdy case. Both watches had straps with 'genuine alligator' marked on the inside. The ST8000SA has the bigger squaresYou think I am cheating or fooling you? Then please Google the Panerai P.2005 tourbillon and you will understand what I mean … The only thing I can comment is that the SEA-GULL tourbillon itself looks like the tourbillon mechanism of the Panerai P.2005 caliber, but with the difference that the inner carriage is also rotating. The movement decoration looks very much like the one Jaeger-LeCoultre uses for its high-end calibers.