If you follow my reviews or my website in general, you’ve probably noticed that I don’t have any real prejudices when it comes to watches. My collection includes (or at least used to include) everything from the cheapest watches worth just a few euros to very expensive luxury timepieces. So, it should come as no surprise that — from time to time — I also buy Chinese watches. However, until now, I’ve only once decided to write a review of a watch made in China. That was the Fiyta Spacemaster review, which, based on reading statistics, happens to be one of the most popular reviews I’ve ever published.
Speaking of having no prejudice against Chinese watches — well, that’s not entirely true. In general, I’m not drawn to "homage" watches, where the entire design is an exact copy of some (most often Rolex) high-end brand, and a random brand name is used as an excuse. Replicas and fakes are, of course, also out of the question.
Yet China’s watch industry includes some companies and brands that proudly produce their own watches and movements under their own names. The quality of these watches has been improving rapidly year after year. The most well-known among them is without doubt the Tianjin Sea-Gull Watch Company, one of the first Chinese watchmakers, established in the 1950s. Over the past decade, Sea-Gull has made significant strides in the global watch market and has become recognized as an important movement manufacturer. Their movements are widely used — mostly by microbrands — all over the world. It’s true, of course, that many Sea-Gull movements are clones of calibers made by other manufacturers, but these clones have been getting better and better, while still being much more affordable than the originals (or clones of those originals).
What you see here is a new “pure” Sea-Gull watch, fully developed and manufactured in-house by Sea-Gull. It’s called the “Ocean Star Pro Diver 300m,” and it was announced in mid-2022, with the official release following in early 2023. The watch was introduced in two sizes: 40mm and 44mm. I have the 44mm version, as I tend to prefer larger watches.
The Ocean Star model itself is not entirely new — the first version was released back in 2016 (if I remember correctly). That initial version was already on my watch list at the time. I read a lot of positive reviews about it, but there were some subjective aspects of the watch that bothered me and ultimately stopped me from making the final click.
I found a picture of that original Ocean Star on the internet and attached it here, so just a heads-up — the second picture is not of my watch :)
To be quite honest, I had almost forgotten about the Ocean Star — until I saw the announcement of the new version. I immediately added it to my wishlist, waiting for a good deal to come along. The original price was (and still is) well over 500 USD, with EU shipping and taxes on top. That’s quite a lot for a “blind purchase” — especially when it comes to a Chinese watch.
Then, just recently, Julian Kampmann listed the watch on his webshop Poljot24.de for 398 EUR (including EU tax). I had already asked Julian to send me the watch when, just a few days later, I came across an even (much) better offer from a private seller based in Italy.
The watch is available in black and green versions as well, but for me, the blue one was the only real choice. I even saw a very low offer for a green one from the UK on eBay, but in the end, I chose the more expensive blue version instead.
OK, let me now start with the details of the watch. First of all, I have to point out the great-looking sunburst blue dial. The applied bronze star is also a very nice touch.
The applied hour markers are a bit too thick (the previous version had much slimmer ones) — each index covers almost a three-minute interval. Even though I examined the dial and the markers with a magnifying glass, I couldn’t find any imperfections.
The date window has now been moved to the bottom. It’s been simplified, yet the date remains clearly legible from all angles — a big plus.
Unusual for a Chinese watch, Sea-Gull explicitly states on the dial that it is made in China, and they clearly take pride in that.
Even though there’s quite a bit of text on the dial (the logo, Sea-Gull name, the star, Ocean Star, and 300m/1000ft), the dial doesn’t feel overly busy. The absence of any numerals helps keep the overall design clean and uncluttered.
It’s interesting how the Sea-Gull logo is subtly hidden in several places. First, it’s of course on the dial above the Sea-Gull text. Then, it appears again at the twelve o’clock marker. You’ll find it once more at the base of the hour hand — and finally, the entire hour hand itself is shaped in the style of the logo.
Speaking of the hands, I really like their design. That said, the hour hand is (again) perhaps a bit too thick. I think a slightly slimmer one would have looked better to me.
The next thing I have to point out is the bezel, which is extremely well executed. It’s made of stainless steel, not aluminum, and the blue inserts match the color of the dial perfectly. The top insert is covered with sapphire glass. The bezel rotates only counterclockwise, with 60 clicks. The only downside is that the rotation is a bit too stiff. Also, the main (12 o’clock) marker isn’t the most attractive — it’s a bit too large. I personally prefer the more standard design from the previous version. Or perhaps it could have been styled using the logo again.
What might become slightly annoying is the fact that the bezel doesn’t sit flush with the sapphire glass covering the dial. As you can see in the photo, the crystal is raised above the bezel. I have to admit, though, the edge isn’t sharp (in fact, it even feels slightly brushed), but it’s still something worth mentioning.
To conclude the section on the dial, just a few words about night-time visibility. Luminova is applied to the dial, hands, and bezel. Sea-Gull uses green Super-LumiNova C3, and I can confirm that it provides excellent visibility in the dark. It lasts a long time and fades gradually. Overall, I have no complaints — it’s exactly the type of lume a diver’s watch deserves and needs.
Now let’s move on to the case and bracelet. First, some general measurements. As mentioned in the introduction, the diameter of the watch is 44 mm, the lug width is 22 mm, and the lug-to-lug (L2L) distance is just 48 mm. The thickness is 13 mm. So even though 44 mm suggests this is a large watch, the relatively short L2L helps with wearability. The watch also isn’t particularly heavy — without the bracelet, it weighs around 80 g, and with the bracelet (sized to my 19 cm wrist), about 180 g.
The case is made of stainless steel with a polished finish. All the edges are nicely rounded, with no sharp transitions. There are no cheap shortcuts here — nothing about it suggests this is “just another” Chinese watch. In fact, many Swiss competitors would be glad to offer such a well-finished case.
The crown is, of course, screw-down and features the company’s logo on top.
The bracelet is solid and, once again, impressively well made. The links are thick and precisely finished, and the overall craftsmanship is excellent. Shortening the bracelet is simple — just remove the pins. The links move smoothly, making the watch very comfortable to wear. I particularly like that the buckle is almost the same width as the lugs, tapering slightly to 20 mm. The links are polished on the outer edges and brushed in the middle, which adds visual interest and gives the bracelet a more dynamic appearance. My only small remark is that the individual link segments could be a bit smaller.
The clasp is a double-locking type, and the buckle includes three additional holes for fine adjustment. Naturally, the buckle is also signed with the logo and brand name. The end links are very precisely cut and fit perfectly into the case — no gaps whatsoever.
Unfortunately, the case back is a solid stainless steel screw-down plate rather than a see-through glass type. The outer ring is engraved with the usual specifications we’re used to seeing, while the center features a large engraved star, surrounded by the “Ocean Star” name.
As mentioned, it’s a pity we can’t see the movement inside. So, what’s ticking within? It’s the automatic Sea-Gull ST2130, which belongs to the premium class of Sea-Gull’s movements. Essentially, the ST2130 is Sea-Gull’s modified clone of the ETA 2824-2. However, the parts are not fully compatible. Compared to the standard ETA version with 25 jewels, the ST2130 uses 28 jewels. The basic specs are quite similar — same size, same frequency (28,800 bph), similar power reserve, and identical time and date setting.
What truly impressed me, though, is the movement’s accuracy. The watch has been running consistently at under –1 second per day. I’ve been wearing it 24/7 for several days now, and there’s been almost no deviation — just –2 seconds over three days. Impressive!
I double-checked it with my timegrapher app, and the results were even more remarkable: almost no positional error. In all positions, the watch runs between –1 and +2 seconds per day. I’ve included photos of the test results below, so you can see for yourself.
Just a few words about how the watch feels on the wrist. I have to admit — I really enjoy wearing it. It fits my wrist so naturally, it almost feels like my wrist was made for this watch!
In general, I tend to prefer other types of straps over bracelets, but in this case, I have no complaints at all. For the sake of comparison, I also tried it with a 22 mm rubber strap I had at home. It was OK, but the original bracelet simply feels better on the wrist.
The watch comes packed in a sturdy cardboard box, along with a booklet containing the instruction manual and a tool for removing the lugs from the case. Nothing special, but sufficient.
So, to conclude: I simply can't do anything other than strongly recommend this watch. For €398 in the EU (and even less elsewhere), it’s worth every cent. With a bit of luck, you might even get it cheaper. Any competitor offering at least similar features — an automatic mechanical movement, 300 m water resistance, stainless steel case and bracelet, and sapphire glass — will cost more.
I should add that I haven’t tested the “true” water resistance, so it’s possible that the 300 m claim is exaggerated. Some cheap replicas or oddly branded Chinese watches often come with high WR ratings, but in reality, you can’t even wear them in the rain. However, I’m strongly convinced that this is not the case here — I believe Sea-Gull is being honest.
Personally, I don’t even need such extreme water resistance. From a practical standpoint, 100 m or 300 m makes little difference to me. Still, achieving a 300 m rating does require better gaskets and sealing, which means higher production costs. So in the end, water resistance is not the main reason why this Sea-Gull stands out from the competition.
I’m sure that if this watch carried a Swiss brand name and was equipped with some lower-tier “Swiss made” clone of the ETA 2824-2, it would cost at least twice as much as the full price of this watch — so at least around €1,000. And I’m quite confident that, in many cases, you’d actually be getting an inferior watch compared to this Sea-Gull.
It’s just a matter of whether you can rise above the usual “Chinese watch” prejudices — and take the opportunity to get a great timepiece at a very decent price.
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