One of the most compelling arguments against the purchasing of homage watches is the idea that:
”You’ll always want the real thing, and if you save up for it for a long time, it’ll be that much sweeter when you get it.” - Ebenezer Scrooge (Probably)
But what happens when you can’t? When the model you want was a limited edition, or when it was a limited quantity, or when it has risen in price and no longer reasonable to save for? Or, better yet, what if it is all of those things? Well that is the question addressed by the $180 Sugess ST19, which has taken heavy inspiration from the Breitling Top Time Deus Limited Edition, which are now sitting at about $8000 for a used example.
Aliexpress is a land of confusion to many: there are new brands and old brands popping up every day with new models that look like old models popping up every hour, at every price from $10 to $1000. One brand that stands tall amongst the crowd is Sea-Gull Watches. The brand started by buying out an entire factory worth of equipment from a Swiss brand that went under, and shipping it all back home to their own space in China. From there, they created the most iconic Chinese watch ever made: the Sea-Gull 1963, powered by their new, in-house, hand-wound ST1901 mechanical chronograph movement. This movement is, to this date, the best mechanical chronograph movement under $500 (and it is well under that limit). This model, the Sugess ST19, implements the beautiful ST1901 into what is essentially a 1963 with a facelift- a facelift that looks exactly like a discontinued Breitling, complete with its unique handset.
Brand
Sugess is a Chinese microbrand operating largely on Aliexpress to bring quality components and movements to the $150-250 bracket. While many of their designs are heavily inspired homages, they do have quite a few original designs. They also have a, less popular, higher end range, which include tourbillons put into beautifully dressy, open-heart enamel and textured dial designs. These tend to be around $550, and are, mostly, original designs. The brand is known for bringing incredible value, as they have many mechanical chronographs under $200, and real, functioning tourbillons for only $550. They won’t be a name that comes up with Vacheron Constantine, but they hold their own, relative to other Aliexpress brands.
Value
Mechanical chronographs generally have a high price-floor. The cheapest quality movement will only be available for $500-1000. Of course, there is one outlier: the Seagull St1901, and its variants. Found on watches as low as $150, any watch containing the movement is already great value for money. Add on top the Sugess ST19’s great design, crystal material, and well-made straps, and the value proposition is pretty hard to argue with.
Case
The crown of this model is signed by a star emblem, which stands out against the simple polish the entire watch has.
One facet (or lack-thereof) of the case is that it is extremely simply finished. While, yes, the Breitling it is based off of has the same, polished-everywhere design, it is still apparent that the finishing done is quite simple, and the case design is as well. With a very cylindrical bezel, and rounded edges on every surface, the case isn’t anything to write home about. There is Sapphire glass on the front and back, giving both ease of mind, and a window into the watch’s heart and soul. The pushers are of the same simple style, and the crown is signed with a coin edge, which gives at least a little contrast. Unfortunately, there is only 50m water resistance, so it really can’t go near much water.
Dial and Hands
The beauty of this watch is hard to deny. The dial, while not original, is executed very well. The sub-dials have a subtle texture. The markers are applied with precision. Everything is well aligned. The tachymeter is printed cleanly, and the “lightning bolt” chrono-second hand is really fun. The colors all work with the champagne dial to create a very cohesive package. The color-matched strap is fun, but I usually opt for the classier Milanese bracelet included. The hands and markers are batons with lumed centers, and the sub-dial hands are needle styles with rectangular centers. The two orange-tones are met well by the champagne dial, making the whole watch warm-tones, which works very well.
Something you can never “un-see” is the terrible font used to write “mechanical chronograph.” Somewhere between a take-out restaurant and James Cameron’s Avatar, the font just doesn’t fit in the otherwise cohesive design. I wish that the font used for the tachymeter was carried over to match this text as well. The font appears again on the case back, unfortunately.
Lume
There is lume in the main hour and minute hands and hour markers, but it isn’t particularly strong. This is no dive watch, so it isn’t too much of a shocker. Don’t expect much after dark with this model.
Movement
The main star of this watch, the Sea-gull ST1901 is on full display. Finished with various patterns and colors, the swan-neck chronograph looks as good as ever, and performs the same way. There is a 40 hour power reserve, which is about the standard of the industry. The pushers are tactile and easy to use, and the crown is satisfying to wind, with an easy and springy action. The movement is easy to adjust as well.
Bracelet or Strap
The included rubber strap is very high quality, and signed at the clasp. The included Milanese bracelet is similarly well made, but unsigned.
Included with the watch is an excellent rubber strap matching the bright orange hints on the dial, and a nice Milanese bracelet. Both match the aesthetics well, and it the watch has 20mm lug width, so if you have a rally strap or a leather strap lying around, they would look great as well.
Fit
One thing to note on this watch is that its lugs protrude a great deal. I wouldn’t recommend this watch to the small-wristed. You can see below that, even on my 7-inch wrist, the 50mm lug-to-lug is approaching the edges of my arm. Besides that, it doesn’t sit abnormally tall or dig in anywhere. It is comfortable on wrist, partly because of how rounded everything is.
Versatility
From the included images, I wouldn’t be surprised if you guess that this watch isn’t very versatile, but they are perhaps misleading. Remember that there is an included Milanese bracelet, which really elevates the watch. On the silver mesh Milanese, this watch is actually pretty versatile. Now, there is only 50m Water Resistance, so it really can’t survive much more than washing your hands. So, this watch is at home in casual through semi-formal, as long as there isn’t water nearby.
Originality
No gold-medals here: this watch is a faithful homage to a Breitling. There really aren’t any changes, besides the movement choice and open case back, which aren’t really to be counted. Not to say homages don’t deserve praise, but there isn’t originality here.
Diameter: 42 mm
Lug-to-Lug: 50mm
Lug width: 20mm
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Strap: Milanese, Rubber
Crystal Material: Sapphire
Movement: ST1901 Hand-Wound Chronograph
Water Resistance: 50m
Lume: Yes
Crown: Push-Pull
Color Options: Champagne, Champagne/ Blue, Blue
Brand: 2/10
Value: 8/10
Case: 5/10
Dial and Hands: 7/10
Lume: 2/10
Movement: 7/10
Bracelet or Strap: 5/10
Fit: 5/10
Versatility: 6/10
Originality: 1/10
WatchScore: 48/100
So what’s the verdict? Every watch collector should, at some point, have a watch containing the ST1901 in their collection. It is simply hard to beat as both a beautiful and functional chronograph for its ridiculous price. That being said, there are plenty of examples out there. The Sugess ST19 is excellent value, and we recommend it.
Also worth noting is the fact that there are many watches with similar movements, with different dials stuck inside. My personal recommendation would be to take a good look at this model, other Sugess Chronographs, and the original Seagull 1963, then choose the one that appeals to you visually. They’re essentially the same watch with a different dial, and they will both serve you well for many years.
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