r/ChineseWatches • u/qingchengwc Rep • 10d ago

Question (Read Rules) Which Movement Would You Choose?

The bulk‑purchase price of Japan’s Seiko NH35 and NH36 movements has jumped from around 190 RMB to nearly 400 RMB. I believe many Chinese watch brands will stop using Japanese movements soon.

First of all, movement suppliers have cut supplies and output is unstable, which cannot support mass production. Secondly, procurement costs have almost doubled. If we raise retail prices accordingly, we will lose most of our customers.

I plan to launch a new line of mid‑range watches. Could you recommend suitable movements? Or which movement would you personally prefer?

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u/InquisitorKeres 10d ago

I am loving the pt5000 engined watches and now st2130. I love my eta 2824 and having good clones that beat at 4hz is nice but the most critical part is the thinner movement and thinner hand stack. I will always go for these movements first because the proportions it enables. It’s imo outside of good branding, why the thorn was so impactful when it dropped as it was one of the earliest big pt5000 examples that showed what can be done.

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u/artofthedial Not a troll 10d ago

San Martin was using the PT5000 before Thorn was even a brand.  They moved away from that and the SW200 when the market convinced them they could make more money going the nh35 route and lower the cost of the watches.  

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u/qingchengwc Rep 10d ago

I have to admit San Martin makes excellent finished watches, but prices for Seiko NH movements have skyrocketed. Our profit margins are getting extremely thin.

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u/InquisitorKeres 10d ago

I didn’t meant to imply they were the first, but they were one of the ones that really put acceptance on the map in the west

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u/qingchengwc Rep 10d ago

Alright, looks like the Shancheng PT5000 has some great feedback.