June 15 2026

A Closer Look At The New Sea-Gull 1963 Premium Chronograph Collection

MRSTATELESS NEW RELEASES, SEA-GULL 2026, Chronograph, Limited Edition, Meteorite Dial 0

Chinese watchmaker Sea-Gull has unveiled the new Sea-Gull 1963 Premium collection, a comprehensive update of its most iconic chronograph. Inspired by the historic pilot’s watch developed for the Chinese Air Force in the early 1960s, the latest release introduces refinements across the case, dial, and movement while preserving the design elements that have made the 1963 one of the most recognizable affordable mechanical chronographs on the market.

A Historic Chronograph Reimagined

Founded in 1955, Sea-Gull played a key role in the development of China’s watch industry and is widely known for producing the ST-1901 chronograph movement. The movement traces its origins to the Swiss Venus Calibre 175, whose production equipment and technical documentation were acquired by Sea-Gull in the early 1960s.

The new 1963 Premium collection builds on this heritage while introducing a range of modern upgrades intended to improve both aesthetics and everyday wearability.

Refined Case Construction

The updated case measures 37.30 mm in diameter, 15 mm thick, and spans 47 mm from lug to lug. Water resistance is rated at 50 metres, while the 18mm lug width offers extensive strap-changing possibilities.

Sea-Gull has enhanced the overall finishing of the stainless steel case, combining brushed surfaces on the case sides with polished elements on the bezel and front-facing areas. The watch is now equipped with a sapphire crystal, improving scratch resistance compared to earlier versions.

The exhibition caseback has also been redesigned with a larger sapphire window, allowing a more expansive view of the movement. Additional attention has been given to the finishing of the caseback itself, featuring embossed text against a matte-finished background. Sea-Gull also states that the caseback proportions have been optimized to enhance durability and wearing comfort.

Expanded Dial Selection

The 1963 Premium collection introduces a broader range of dial options than previous generations.

Traditional enthusiasts will find the familiar off-white and panda configurations that helped establish the model’s reputation among collectors. Alongside these classics, Sea-Gull has added contemporary textured and gradient dials in blue, green, and pink.

At the top of the range sits a limited-edition reverse panda model featuring a black meteorite main dial paired with contrasting white meteorite sub-dials. Production of this version is limited to 500 pieces.

Across the collection, applied hour markers alternate between Arabic numerals and triangular indexes, maintaining a strong connection to the historical design.

The off-white versions feature gold-coloured markers, blued steel hour and minute hands, and a red central chronograph seconds hand. The panda and coloured variants adopt different combinations of steel, gold-toned, and blued hands depending on the specific model, while the meteorite edition combines steel hands with blue sub-dial hands and a red chronograph seconds hand.

Updated Branding

One of the most noticeable changes appears on the dial layout. Previous generations typically featured the star emblem beneath the 12 o’clock position. On the new Premium models, the Sea-Gull logo and brand name now occupy the upper portion of the dial, while the historic star emblem has been relocated toward the lower half.

This marks the first time the Sea-Gull name has appeared so prominently on a 1963 chronograph, reinforcing the connection between the iconic model and the manufacturer as the brand continues its international expansion.

The New ST-1901 Top Grade Movement

Powering the collection is the newly upgraded ST-1901 Top Grade calibre, an enhanced version of Sea-Gull’s well-known manual-winding chronograph movement.

The column-wheel chronograph retains its traditional architecture, offering a 30-minute chronograph function, 22 jewels, and an operating frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

The most significant improvements are found in the movement’s finishing. The ST-1901 Top Grade features a rhodium-plated monochromatic appearance with finer Geneva stripes than previous versions. Brushed surfaces, polished bevels, and various movement components receive additional hand-finishing, elevating the overall presentation visible through the sapphire caseback.

Sea-Gull also reports improvements in movement regulation and operational performance, positioning the ST-1901 Top Grade as the highest-finished version of the calibre produced by the company to date.

Availability and Price

The Sea-Gull 1963 Premium collection is available directly through Sea-Gull. Standard models are priced from € 735.95, while the limited-edition meteorite dial version is priced at € 1,169.95 and is restricted to 500 pieces worldwide.

With upgraded materials, expanded dial choices, improved finishing, and the introduction of the ST-1901 Top Grade movement, the new 1963 Premium collection represents the most refined evolution yet of Sea-Gull’s historic mechanical chronograph.