Incoming - these are *not* vintage...

...but they are legitimate Shanghai Watch factory pieces, and they're all fun.

I'm posting them as "incoming" because some of these models (and other similar pieces) have very recently become available on Ebay and people who might be interested in buying them should know what they are--and what they aren't.

So: I purchased these for my collection knowing full well they are not rare originals. I still think they're all very fun and I look forward to their arrival--and taking better photos of 'em.

These are all inexpensive Shanghai recreations or homages (or "copies") to earlier Shanghai or other famous vintage watches in China that are quite sought after by collectors. They are modern copies/lookalikes but they are not fakes. They are actually made by the Shanghai Watch Factory and they are usually sold in China clearly marked as tribute or nostalgic/remembrance items.

Although some of the Ebay ads don't make the distinction between homage and real vintage very clear, I think it's also plain that these obviously modern pieces wouldn't fool a Chinese Chinese vintage watch collector for 10 seconds--and weren't intended to.

The first is an homage/tribute to the 1956 prototype Heping (Peace) watch from Shanghai Watch factory (new version):



Real thing (from Joel Chan's Micmicmor)



The second is a modern homage to the quite well known Druzhba (Soviet built) USSR-China "Friendship" watch (new version). (Judging by the small characters in the small red circle below the hands-where the second hand goes in a real Druzba--it wouldn't surprise me if this recreation first saw life as a "gift" watch at a Chinese sporting (soccer?) event).



Real thing (from Micmicmor):



The third is an homage to a watch that Shanghai actually never made at all as far as I've ever seen , but they should have because I really like it . This wonderful fantasy-vintage watch has the early type of zuan sign and everything and is clearly made to have a vintage look and feel.



(Just for information: I purchased these from a Chinese seller but apart from Ebay--and, unless from Micmicmor, these are all sellers pics).

Very cool Pieces, thanks for sharing!

Very cool. Thanks for the heads up, the education, and the photos. Always enjoy your posts and learn something new about watches. I really like that some of the Chinese factories are finally selling their own watches, under their own name, internationally.

. . . as always, very cool stuff!!! More character in a dial than you can shake a second hand at . . .

. . . genuuine or not they are great!!!

NICE!! I should get me one!

Very cool to see stuff you dont see every day!

Cool WIS lesson!

Thanks Alberta!

Thanks all.

One nice thing about these fun watches is they all share the 8120 "Shanghai B" movement which is a very reliable, accurate, smooth winding and hacking movement developed by the Shanghai Watch Factory in cooperation with the Diamond/ZuanShi Factory as an improvement over the Chinese "standard" movement.

The Shanghai B is a very straightforward design with a large balance wheel and one that has, since it's initial development in 1982, become a the base for triple-calendar, dual-time, 24-hour, moon-phase and GMT variants as well as simple mechanicals.

These watches are all extremely elegant, as well as really unique
Ron ! The first one called the Heping looks very similar to the
original you are showing. Those markers, along with dial are a bit
different, but other than that, it has the same feel to it ! It's a
classy style, and neat design !..The second one called the Druzhba,
has a FANTASTIC dial with all of those cool Chinese numbers. That
picture is out of this world also. The original with it's unique case
shape is REALLY something, but the new one still pays a nice tribute
I think ! ..With this last one, have to say the silver, gold, and
black work VERY well together. It's easy on the eyes !!! Another
nice characteristic is the way in which the numbers seem to change
direction, or position on either half of the dial ! THAT IS COOL !
Always like little things, like the red at the end of the second hand,
and that Shanghai B movement sounds, and looks TERRIFIC too !..It's
easy to see why you like these watches Ron, they are uniquely cool !!!
Thanks for ALL of the info, and pictures sir !!!

AtomicTom wrote:

Another nice characteristic is the way in which the numbers seem to change direction, or position on either half of the dial ! THAT IS COOL !

Thanks for everything you said, Tom. I hadn't paid attention to the numeral switch but it is elegant and smooth, very relaxing on the eyes and still a nice change from vertical numbers. Cool that you noticed.

AlbertaTime wrote:

AtomicTom wrote:

Another nice characteristic is the way in which the numbers seem to change direction, or position on either half of the dial ! THAT IS COOL !

Thanks for everything you said, Tom. I hadn't paid attention to the numeral switch but it is elegant and smooth, very relaxing on the eyes and still a nice change from vertical numbers. Cool that you noticed.

You're welcome Ron ! ..Thank YOU for showing such INCREDIBLY NICE watches sir ! It's great
seeing all of these new watches, learning about them, and seeing how much you like them as well !
..It was fun noticing that numeral switch also ! ..Great stuff ! Thanks again !!!