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r/ChristopherWard r/MicrobrandWatches r/ChineseWatches r/watchdives r/HomageWatches
▲ 17 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

Will I be disappointed with a WD007 compared to my Sugess “sub”?

I have a Sugess SU126610LN, my first Chinese watch. It’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t imagine how paying thousands more would produce any more fine of a watch.

I also bought a WD1863 “speedy” chrono. It’s nice, but it feels a bit… like a toy? I don’t know the best way to describe it. They’re clearly different styles, but they also seem to be on a different level when it comes to heft, fit/finish, etc.

I love the look of the WD007 (blue) and I’m waiting for it to come back into stock, but my question is, will I ultimately be disappointed with it compared to the Sugess?

For comparison, I also have A SH09 “Murph” and it also feels like a lovely watch with great finishing, not “toy” like.

I can’t put my finger on it, but something about the WS1863 is close, but not quite there.

reddit.com
u/pharmerjoe — 2 days ago
▲ 200 r/watchdives

Quick Shots of Original Design

Watchdives Premier

This is the most ambitious watch we've ever created.

More than six months of development went into the bracelet alone, making it the most expensive bracelet we've ever produced, with a manufacturing cost approaching $150. The case, sapphire crystal, and dial are all made by some of the finest suppliers in China's watch industry.

The original Ocean Storm dial is inspired by the movement of schools of fish beneath the sea, featuring fish-shaped hands and applied indices that create a design language unique to Watchdives. Every dial is finished to an exceptional standard, revealing remarkable detail even under high magnification.

Powered by the Miyota 9015 automatic movement and finished with Swiss BGW9 Super-LumiNova, Premier is available in Ocean Storm Blue, Super Black, and the new Guilloché Mother-of-Pearl. Several more dial variations will be announced in the coming days.

At $449, Premier isn't intended to compete on price. It represents our vision for the future of Watchdives—original design instead of homage, uncompromising craftsmanship instead of shortcuts.

This doesn't mean Watchdives is moving away from affordable watches. Most of our upcoming releases will continue to be priced between $100 and $250, delivering the exceptional value we're known for. Premier is simply our flagship collection, created to show what we're capable of when our focus is on craftsmanship rather than a price target.

We know this watch won't be for everyone. It's built for collectors who appreciate original design, notice the smallest details, and value quality over the lowest price.

Premier defines where Watchdives is going, while our affordable collections will continue to make great watches accessible to more enthusiasts.

u/watchdivescom — 3 days ago
▲ 132 r/watchdives

Another step toward a true Watchdives original.

This model uses premium natural pink mother-of-pearl, with every dial completely unique. The heart-shaped hour hand is now more sculpted and three-dimensional, while the redesigned seconds hand carries a subtle Watchdives/WDC brand element.

More than 50% of the design was created in-house, so this is our own Watchdives design direction, not another homage.

The case is made from DIN/EN 1.4435 stainless steel — X2CrNiMo17-12-2, not ordinary 316L. It allows a cleaner high-polished finish without the subtle ripple effect often seen on standard stainless steel. The case is produced by one of the finest case makers in China.

We also use a domed sapphire crystal with 5 layers of clear inner AR coating, improving clarity while keeping the vintage curved-glass look.

This is the direction we want Watchdives to move toward: more original design, better materials, and finer finishing.

u/watchdivescom — 3 days ago
▲ 204 r/watchdives

A quick update on what's happening at Watchdives.

Hi everyone,

We wanted to share a quick update and get some honest feedback from the community.

This year has been our biggest investment yet. We've expanded our team with several highly experienced watch designers, and we now have well over a dozen new models in development.

One important change is our philosophy.

While we'll continue making some homage watches, several upcoming releases will be completely original designs, not based on any existing model. Original designs naturally require much more R&D, tooling, and testing, so they will be priced a little higher.

If everything stays on schedule, our first original ST2130 model should be ready around next month.

The WD0016 Miyota 9015 version is also approaching production and is expected around the end of this month or early next month.

For all of these new projects, we've upgraded almost every part of our supply chain. Cases, bracelets, dials, clasps, and hands are now being sourced from some of the highest-end manufacturers in China. They are also significantly more expensive, but we believe the improvement in quality is worth it.

The WD0016 bracelet alone took nearly six months to develop because we wanted tighter tolerances, better machining, and a more refined feel rather than simply choosing the cheaper solution.

Looking ahead, we'd also like your opinion.

For future VH31, VK63, and VS75 solar models, would you support us building them to the same higher standard, even if that means prices around $140–200 USD?

Our goal isn't to make the cheapest watches. Our goal is to make watches that people are genuinely proud to own. We believe the finishing and overall experience can compete with many watches sold for much higher prices, but we'll let independent reviewers and owners decide that after release.

We're not interested in making marketing claims. We'd rather invest the money into better factories, better components, and better craftsmanship, then let the watches speak for themselves.

Thanks again for all the feedback over the past year. Many of the improvements we've made came directly from this community, and we hope you'll continue helping us shape what comes next.

reddit.com
u/watchdivescom — 4 days ago
▲ 99 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

WD1993 Cream Dial Update

The cream vintage tone of the hands and dial now matches extremely well, with virtually no noticeable color difference.

The only small compromise is that the hands use a slightly thicker layer of paint to achieve the correct vintage color, so the lume is just a bit less intense than the dial.

We're very pleased with the final result and can't wait to share it with you.

u/watchdivescom — 4 days ago
▲ 14 r/watchdives

Premium Short Mesh Bracelet for Small Wrist

Community Update

A huge thank you to everyone who shared feedback and suggestions with us. Your input directly helped shape this project.

The new premium stainless steel short mesh bracelet, designed to fit 5.5"–7" wrists, will arrive tomorrow.

Our first production run is limited to 100 pieces, so availability will be very limited.

We truly appreciate all of your support and feedback—it helps us continue making better products for the community.

reddit.com
u/watchdivescom — 4 days ago
▲ 91 r/watchdives

Why we're sharing these screenshots

We welcome honest criticism. In fact, customer feedback is exactly why we redesigned the WD0019 hands, strengthened QC, and announced free replacements.

However, we also think the community should be aware of a different issue.

The screenshots below show one account repeatedly posting negative comments on almost every Watchdives-related thread across multiple subreddits. The comments are often the same regardless of the topic or the improvements we've already made.

We're not asking anyone to agree with us. We simply encourage everyone to look at the comment history and decide for themselves.

We'll continue focusing on making better watches, improving our service, and letting real customer experiences speak for themselves.

u/watchdivescom — 6 days ago
▲ 136 r/watchdives+2 crossposts

WATCHDIVES WD0019 Lume and Quality Check

the hand lume is now brighter than before, and the color difference between the hands and indices is almost unnoticeable.

Every watch has gone through at least three QC checks: incoming inspection at the assembly factory, FQC after assembly, and final QC again at our warehouse before shipping. Each one was checked under projection.

All previously unshipped orders have now been arranged for dispatch.

We believe this batch is very close to perfect, and the finishing and overall quality should make you very happy.

u/watchdivescom — 6 days ago
▲ 13 r/watchdives

Update on WD0019 Lume and QC

Hi Watchdives friends,

We’d like to share a quick update about the WD0019.

The lume on the hands is now brighter than before, and the color difference between the hands and indices is almost unnoticeable. We know many of you care a lot about lume consistency, so we paid extra attention to this batch.

Every dial/index set has gone through at least three rounds of inspection:

First, the assembly factory performs incoming QC on the parts, and each one is checked under projection.
After the watches are fully assembled, they go through FQC again.
Once they arrive at our warehouse, we carry out one final QC before shipping, and every watch is checked under projection again.

All previously unshipped orders have now been arranged for dispatch.

At this point, we feel the WD0019 is very close to the result we wanted from the beginning. The finishing, assembly quality, lume, and overall craftsmanship are now at a level we believe will make you happy when you receive the watch.

Thank you again for your patience, feedback, and support. We really appreciate the Watchdives Reddit community for helping us keep improving.

reddit.com
u/watchdivescom — 7 days ago
▲ 91 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

WD7922 in the black dial / gilt marker / green bezel colorway

The goal was to create a vintage-inspired diver look without making it feel too flashy.

The gold-tone hands and indices add some warmth to the matte black dial, while the green bezel gives it a more distinctive look than the usual black bezel setup. It still keeps that simple tool-watch feel, with 200m water resistance and a clean diver layout.

u/watchdivescom — 7 days ago
▲ 2 r/HomageWatches

Clarification about the ST2130 movement grade used by Watchdives

We checked directly with Seagull, and the ST2130 movements we are using are Seagull factory V-grade movements.According to the factory specification sheet we received, for the ST21 series, Seagull provides AAA grade and V grade standards. The V grade is the higher standard and has stricter testing requirements than AAA grade.For example, compared with AAA grade, the V-grade standard has:Tighter rate tolerance: -10/+20 s/d instead of -10/+30 s/dTighter daily rate tolerance: -15/+25 s/d instead of -15/+35 s/dSmaller position error: P ≤20 s/d instead of P ≤25 s/dBetter beat error standard: ≤0.8 ms instead of ≤1.0 msPower reserve and amplitude standards are also clearly listed in the factory document.So the ST2130 we use is not the normal loose market version supplied to general parts dealers or wholesalers. It is the higher V-grade version supplied for brand customers, with stricter factory testing and adjustment.Also, based on the information we received from Seagull, we have not been told of any official “S grade” or other special grade names for ST2130. Names like that are not official Seagull factory grading terms as far as we know.We hope this helps clarify the movement quality. Watchdives will continue to use reliable movements and maintain strict QC before shipping.

reddit.com
u/watchdivescom — 15 days ago
▲ 81 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

Clarification on the Sea-Gull ST2130 movement grade used by Watchdives

Hi everyone,

We noticed there were some concerns and speculation about the quality grade of the ST2130 movements used in our watches, so we would like to clarify this clearly.

The ST2130 movements we are currently using are Seagull factory V-grade movements, which are the highest grade offered to us through Seagull’s official supply channel.

According to our communication with Seagull’s sales manager, their ST2130 supply is mainly divided into two grades: standard grade and V grade. We have not been told of any official “S grade” or other special factory grade names for ST2130. Other names circulating online are not official Seagull factory grading terms as far as we know.

The V-grade ST2130 costs slightly more than the normal standard version. The main difference is that the V-grade movements go through stricter factory testing, adjustment, and additional QC procedures before delivery. This is also the grade used for Seagull’s own branded watches and for brand customers like us.

The standard version is more commonly supplied to the general watch parts market, dealers, and wholesalers.

We understand that movement quality is very important to watch collectors, so we want to be transparent about what we use. Watchdives will continue to choose better-grade movements whenever possible and maintain stricter QC before shipping.

Thank you for your attention and support.

— Watchdives Team

u/watchdivescom — 15 days ago
▲ 11 r/watchdives

The Sample has arrived, Are thr bezel markers aligned with the dial markers? is the lume color consistent?

u/watchdivescom — 18 days ago
▲ 61 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

WATCHDIVES WD007 – Green Diver in Grade 2 Titanium

  • Deep green dial and bezel with a refined texture
  • Grade 2 titanium case for a lightweight and comfortable wearing experience
  • Bronze-tone accents for a distinctive and premium look
  • Electroplated bronze bezel and side components/buttons to help prevent oxidation and improve long-term color stability
  • Mesh bracelet option for a strong vintage-diver character
  • Clean diver-style layout with strong wrist presence
  • A more affordable option for collectors who enjoy this design language and color combination
u/watchdivescom — 24 days ago
▲ 118 r/watchdives+1 crossposts

WATCHDIVES WD007 Green Dial with bronze-tone accents+FKM Strap

  • Deep green dial and bezel with a refined texture
  • Grade 2 titanium case for a lightweight and comfortable wearing experience
  • Bronze-tone accents for a distinctive and premium look
  • Electroplated bronze bezel and side crowns to help prevent oxidation and improve long-term color stability
  • FKM Strap/ Mesh bracelet option for a strong vintage-diver character
  • Clean diver-style layout with strong wrist presence
  • A more affordable option for collectors who enjoy this design language and color combination
u/watchdivescom — 24 days ago
▲ 12 r/watchdives

Peacock SL3001 vs Sea-Gull ST2130 — what do you think?

Hi everyone,

I would like to start a discussion about two Chinese high-beat automatic movements: Peacock SL3001 and Sea-Gull ST2130.

Because Japanese NH-series and Miyota 9-series movements have recently become harder to source and much more expensive, we started looking for stable long-term alternatives last year. We eventually placed large direct orders with both Sea-Gull and Peacock — tens of thousands of movements in total.

These are not random open-market movements. We requested the highest standard available from the factories for overseas-brand production, with stricter QC requirements. The cost is also higher than normal market sourcing. For example, our Peacock SL3001 purchase cost is around 3 USD higher than the Sea-Gull ST2130, and both are around 3 USD higher than normal market-purchase versions.

From some feedback we heard in the Chinese watchmaking and modding circle, some experienced assemblers and suppliers believe the SL3001 may have advantages over the ST2130 in certain details, such as parts precision, material choices, and possibly long-term durability. Of course, this is not the same as saying every SL3001 is automatically better than every ST2130. Batch quality, factory grade, regulation, and final watch QC all matter a lot.

There also seems to be some cooperation and connection between Peacock and Sea-Gull within the broader Chinese movement industry, and some parts or architecture may share similar roots. But in real use, I think the most important thing is actual performance, not just the brand name.

Currently, the mechanical version of the Watchdives WD007 has started using the Peacock SL3001 movement. In the future, some other models may also use SL3001.

So I would like to hear from the community:

For those who have used both Peacock SL3001 and Sea-Gull ST2130, what is your real experience?

How do they compare in:

  • accuracy
  • amplitude
  • beat error
  • winding feel
  • crown/date-setting feel
  • rotor noise
  • stability after several months
  • long-term durability
  • serviceability
  • parts availability

ST2130 already has a long reputation and many users trust it. SL3001 seems less discussed internationally, but so far our own impression and some early feedback have been positive.

I hope this can be a fair discussion based on real use, timegrapher results, repair experience, and long-term ownership — not just assumptions about the movement name.

reddit.com
u/watchdivescom — 25 days ago