After seeing Baltic Bi-compax Chronograph have a quite good review and even crazy price (in Indonesia it’s sold for Rp. 14.000.000,- or approximately $ 944,96) I was stunned. I mean, that watch using Seagull 19t movement, the one I already had (that I sold because it was too Chinese, design wise and delicate for me) but what makes that watch so excellent?
Is a build quality or finishing could worth that much? Or it’s just marketing or the fact Baltix came from Europe (French to be exact)? Well I don’t have the answer but I have an itch to revisit Seagull movement. I mean, if it were sold that expensive, it has a qualification that have European standard or verified quality right? Right….?😅
So I just browsing to look another watch with Seagull movement, probably a homage of another iconic but not too lazy or exact copy of it, since one of my complaints with 1963 is that the watch is too Chinese for me ha ha. Then I found this Sugess….for a company that loves to rip-off design from others legends, this one is kinda subtle in the copy department….reminds me of Furlan Marri ha ha. I mean seriously, this almost an exact copy but the great part is Sugess is mechanical (while Furlan Marri is meca-quartz) so this is kinda an upgrade ha ha.
The next step is to find a seller that willing to ship this baby to Indonesia from China and somehow I found a local guy from different island in Indonesia. So all systems go!
But the fun part is, this type defined as Patek Phillipe homage1463, not Furlan Marri…still not complaining since from the picture this watch is beautiful. But for safety measures I chose blue gilded cuz at least the dial won’t be as disappointed if I choose the salmon dial that have high chance of ended up with brown dial (in my mind the blue color is safer to be f*%cked up he he. I mean it’s a basic blue, worst part either too blue or too light blue).
So, for Rp. 4.000.000,- or approximately $270 this watch is….awesome. I mean, it’s not the finesse or build quality that is awesome, but the overall package. This watch is really good, IMHO. Sure the box is below average and the quick release leather strap is nothing to write home about (the “genuine” leather is too stiff and too old looking for my taste) but this watch is very good.
First thing first, spec:
- Movement seagull st1901 mechanichal
- Material 316L stainlees Stell
- Sapphire crystal, maybe?
- Diameter 38mm
- Thickness 13mm
- Weight 69 gram
- Lug 20mm
- Lug to lug 46 mm
So yeah, this is the smaller one, the 38mm with 20mm strap, the other version is the bigger 41mm with 22mm strap, but since I own that lovely Rima Chronograph, the vintage small watch is my way to go now!!! Hashtag make small watch sexy again.
The glass is dome sapphire that radiates vintage vibe, it has drill lug to make switching strap easier (though it given quick release strap as default). I could say that design wise, this is a very good watch (because they are homage of a great watch?) and value for money is really good, mechanical Chronograph is expensive, but thanks to Seagull it can be affordable.
Size wise, this is as small as “modern” chronograph could be. A safe size for everyone probably. The build quality is actually pretty good. The brushed, the polished and the form of the case is really nice, not exceptionally astonishing, but really good. No sharp edges and comfortable to wear. Not too thick even with the dome glass.
The crown is kinda weird, etched with the “S” logo that didn’t blend well with the beautiful vintage style, the font is kinda too modern and that blue-ish “stain” on the crown, either the paint chipped off or just faded kinda diminishingly the beauty of this watch.
The movement is also good, it’s the reliable seagull movement that copying the venus movement and thanks to the see-through case, you could admire the beauty movement. Seriously, it is gorgeous and mesmerizing to look at. Also it is a safer bet than vintage Chronograph movement, and since it’s brand new, Chinese, no scarcity in parts department and probably cheaper to service.
The buttons is clicky. Nice to push and satisfied to reset. The flyback is fun and it’s kinda scared me whether I abused it or not since it’s fun to use the Chronograph function ha ha.
The dial is quite good. The details is also good. No dust in the dial and the numbers, hands and layout is really nice. An apple to my eye. This makes my sole reason to ditch Seagull 1963, too Chinese for my taste, is abolished. This felt like a European watch, until you read the brand, Sugess. Somehow that brand font kinda…didn’t blend with the beautiful aesthetic of the rest of the dial, seriously, the “Mechanical Chronograph” font is blending perfectly but the brand name just…stands out but in a bad way ha ha.
The visibility? Well it’s easy to see though the design choices makes no lume applied to the hands, which kinda bad for some people but for me it’s OK. The dial, the hands, the case makes a cohesive beauty, especially to see from the top, every time I check time, a smile burst out to see this beautiful design. I guess thanks to Patek and Furlan Marri for the “inspiration” ha ha. It’s a complication that still feels simplistic.
If I want to complain (as if the box, paint in the crown, sub par leather straps and others didn’t count as complaints), probably in the little details. But the devil is in the details, and if you look “anything” hard enough or long enough, in details, you’ll see the flaws. It’s not like the flaw that I want to emphasize is hard to find, you’ll hear it he he. Yes, you can hear the movement ticking or sweeping, you can hear the shaft when it is pushed, especially when you’re in a silent environment like library or something. Sure it’s not loud like Timex loud (I even put my Timex in a drawer for it) but it is noticeable.
Another flaw is the water resistant, seriously the back case said it’s 5 ATM, but just like when I have Seagull 1963, I don’t have the confidence or even faith in it ha ha (espescially with the sound of the movement that is…loud?). It feels delicate or even dare I say….fragile? I mean Chronograph is a complicated complication and to abuse this watch is something that either I don’t have the guts or just cautious. This isn’t a beater watch that for sure, but as dressy piece? Absolutely ha ha (and that’s the problem, I’m a casual guy 😅). Also, didn’t trust Chinese product since I have bad experience with Chinese goods in the past he he.
But in conclusion, I really love this watch. It really captures the vintage and elegant feels of the inspiration models, put it in the affordable price but still classy. I have this watch for more than 3 months and accuracy wise, it is reliable. So yeah, if you want to, buy this watch, or any other model that Sugess put. They got Zenith elprimo inspired, Hamilton inspired and so on. I happen to choose this one because it is more “generic” and didn’t resemble any iconic watch (but blatantly copied Furlan Marri though ha ha).
PS: I just realized that the brand Sugess didn’t fit the classic and vintage style of the watch. It’s like the modern element didn’t fit the whole vintage vibe. Maybe if the dial is sterile it would be better. So, if you wanna buy Sugess Chronograph in other model, try to find something more modern he he.
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