Sea-Gull’s new Qin Ultra-Thin Automatic Tourbillon blends classical Chinese artistry with cutting-edge mechanics. The textured dial is micro‑engraved to mimic the “thousand-year crackle” lacquer of the ancient guqin zither, while the floating tourbillon cage sits a mere 0.5 mm above the dial, giving the watch a perfectly balanced, harmonious look. Measuring about 42 mm across and only ~9.4 mm thick (case‑side), it slips easily under a cuff – elegant and slim in profile like any high‑end dress tourbillon. The finish punches above its weight: a concentric “fish-scale” guilloché radiates from the tourbillon, alternating Geneva stripes adorn the bridges, and even the barrel boasts a double-concentric polish. In short, the Qin is refined in both look and feel – markedly more elaborate than the typical Chinese-made watch of the past.
Sea-Gull’s in-house ST8610 caliber underpins this achievement. This automatic flying tourbillon movement is just 4.3 mm thick (with an ultra-thin 0.8 mm winding rotor), yet still delivers a robust 43-hour power reserve at a high 28,800 vph rate. Notably, it uses a no-index eccentric tourbillon design, which Sea-Gull reports reduces friction and boosts accuracy/lasting performance by ~30%. In practice, this means the Qin has the winding convenience of an automatic plus the precision of a top-tier flying tourbillon. The movement is built and finished entirely by Tianjin Sea-Gull, China’s largest mechanical watchmaker (about 3 million movements/year), and it shows: every component of the ST8610 – gears, wheels and bridges – is hand-chamfered and polished to a high degree. A clear caseback reveals the peripheral rotor (abstracted to echo the Sea‑Gull logo) and beautifully engraved tourbillon bridge, rivaling Swiss finishing standards.
- Ultra‑Slim Automatic Movement: The Sea-Gull ST8610 automatic tourbillon is just 4.3 mm thick with a 0.8 mm rotor. It runs at 28,800 vph and stores ~43 hours of power.
- Innovative Tourbillon Design: A 30.6 mm flying tourbillon with a “no-index” escapement eliminates extra friction, improving precision. The tourbillon is meticulously polished and mounted on a subtle bridge at 6 o’clock.
- Case & Finishing: Stainless steel case (316L), 42 mm diameter, ~9.4 mm thick, with sapphire crystal and 5 atm water resistance. The dial’s guqin-texture engraving and the front fish-scale pattern, plus the Geneva stripes on the movement bridges, give it a visibly high-end polish.
- Heritage & Craft: As a watch enthusiast knows, Tianjin Sea-Gull (est. 1955) is a state‑owned factory renowned for tourbillon and multi-axis innovation. The Qin builds on this pedigree – it isn’t “Swiss-style” to Sea-Gull, but Sea-Gull’s own accomplished mastery of the complication.
Comparison: “Ultra-Thin Tourbillons” from Top Houses
To appreciate Qin’s value, compare it with Western luxury tourbillons. Prestigious brands offer similarly thin tourbillon dress watches – but at vastly higher prices. For example:
- Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5367: 41 mm platinum case, only ~7.0 mm thick, automatic flying tourbillon with peripheral winding. List price ≈ $161,800. (Breguet’s emblematic Extra‑Plat is enamel-dialed and ultra-refined.)
- Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon: 41 mm white/rose gold case, ~7.4 mm thin. Manual tourbillon, hand-guilloché dial. Price ≈ $114,000 for rose gold (plain dial; diamond-set versions cost far more).
- Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic: 40 mm titanium/platinum, astonishing ~3.95 mm thickness – the thinnest production automatic tourbillon. Price ≈ $261,500 (platinum version). (Bulgari even made a 2.0 mm movement in titanium at ~$678k.)
- Sea-Gull Qin Ultra-Thin Tourbillon: 42 mm stainless case, ~9.4 mm thick. Automatic in-house tourbillon. Price only ~$4,199 – a tiny fraction of the above.
Even the most “budget” Swiss tourbillons cost tens of thousands. By contrast, the Qin delivers nearly the same technical layout (flying tourbillon, hand-finishing, sapphire crystal, integrated automatic winding) for under US$4.2k. For instance, the Breguet Classique Automatique (7 mm, 528GQ) at ~$161k is roughly 38× the Qin’s cost. In effect, the Qin is a “big‑brand alternative” in the ultra-thin tourbillon category – offering similar aesthetics and complications at roughly 1/30th or less of the price. As one collector put it, the Qin’s value proposition is “staggering” given what you get for four thousand dollars.
Conclusion: Value for Enthusiasts
In sum, the Sea-Gull Qin Ultra-Thin Automatic Tourbillon embodies both technical merit and emotional appeal. It’s a showcase of Chinese horological craftsmanship – from the guqin-engraved dial to the remarkably slim in-house tourbillon movement. Yet it costs only a few thousand dollars, whereas comparable European examples run six figures. For collectors who appreciate fine finishing and cultural flair, the Qin is a must-see. It offers genuine in‑house complexity (automatic flying tourbillon, sophisticated escapement) along with an elegant, East-meets-West design – all at a price point that makes it one of the highest-value tourbillons on the market. In the words of one Sea-Gull enthusiast, the Qin is “perhaps the best bang-for-buck tourbillon watch out there,” and a compelling alternative to costlier Western models.
NOTE: Only 10 handcrafted pieces in the first batch. Just 3 left — the next drop won’t arrive until next month.
