Guanqin watches are becoming more and more popular for sale on the Internet, especially their mechanical models with very affordable prices, but are they good? Is it worth buying them?
Guanqin is a well-known brand of Chinese watches, offering a wide range of models, many of which pay homage to luxury brands such as Omega or Nomos.
However, where the Chinese brand really stands out is in the wide variety of Chinese and Japanese movements they use in their designs, some of which are even manufactured by Seiko, and they are often priced as a real bargain.
In this article, we will provide all the available information about Guanqin watches, including their origin and some of the best designs from the brand, to determine if they are truly good.
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✚ Guanqin Watches: Origin and History
Guanqin watches were born in Hong Kong back in 1989, although they didn’t gain much recognition until a few years ago, at least in Europe.
According to the brand’s self-description, their goal is to achieve exquisite design using the best materials and technology that have been passed down through generations.
To achieve this, they have world-renowned designers who have worked for prestigious firms such as IWC or Cartier, although verifying this can be quite challenging.
Setting aside the commercial history, the brand was officially registered in 2018 by the company Shenzhen Zhongmin BaiHui Trade Company, LTD, although their watches started being marketed a few years prior.
Therefore, Guanqin is much younger than they would have us believe, although, as we will see in this text, this doesn’t necessarily mean they are inferior to other Chinese brands with a longer history.
The company is based in ShenZhen, a city located in the southeast of China and part of the Guangdong region, a renowned watchmaking hub in the country, as many other watch brands such as Tevise, Parnis, Curren, or Lige can also be found there.
✚ Are Guanqin Watches Good?
Based on their name, one might think that Guanqin watches are among the cheapest Chinese watches. However, the truth is that the brand often uses materials in their designs that are not commonly seen in other Chinese brands, such as sapphire crystal or stainless steel. It is important to note that they can also be slightly more expensive.
A good example of this is the famous Guanqin watch that pays homage to the Nomos Lambda, an automatic mechanical watch made of stainless steel that features a power reserve indicator, which is very uncommon in this price range.
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Caliber | PTS Hangzhou 2B00/2BA0 |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Case Thickness | 12 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Weight | 139 grams |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
The movement in this watch is a PTS Hangzhou 2B00/2BA0 caliber, which is Chinese but has a good reputation and provides a 36-hour power reserve. It is enough to leave the watch on the table for a whole day and night without it stopping.
The brand is also known for using Japanese movements in their watches, such as the Guanqin GJ16034, an automatic watch that gained fame for integrating a Seiko NH36 caliber despite its low cost.
Although the model is still being produced, it no longer uses Seiko but rather Miyota, another well-known and equally reliable Japanese movement.
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Caliber | Miyota |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
| Case Thickness | 11 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel Case and Leather Strap |
| Weight | 76 grams |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
As seen above, the brand often uses stainless steel and sapphire crystal in their designs, materials that are not commonly seen in other Chinese brands.
This leads us to think that the sapphire crystal might actually be some form of hardened mineral crystal since it is a very expensive material to find in such an affordable watch. Nevertheless, it still represents a good deal for an automatic watch with a Japanese movement.
In conclusion, Guanqin watches are good considering that they are above average in terms of materials and movements. However, it is important to choose the right model to make a good purchase.
The optimal choice would be a watch with stainless steel on the exterior (case and strap) and a Japanese movement such as Miyota or Seiko on the inside.
✚ The Best Guanqin Watches
Among the best Guanqin watches, we find mainly mechanical automatic designs with various complications such as moon phase and tourbillon, but there are also some more affordable quartz models.
➤ Guanqin Automatic Watches
The majority of the brand’s designs are automatic watches, many of which feature Japanese Miyota mechanisms, although not all of them. It is also possible to find Chinese calibers in the more affordable models.
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Caliber | Miyota |
| Case Diameter | 39 mm |
| Case Thickness | 13 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel Case and Leather Strap |
| Weight | 125 grams |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Case Diameter | 39 mm |
| Case Thickness | 12 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
➤ Guanqin Quartz Watches
The brand also offers some quartz models, generally with the same quality materials such as stainless steel or even sapphire crystal. However, the origin of the movements in these designs is unknown.
| Glass | Mineral |
| Movement | Quartz |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Case diameter | 40 mm |
| Case thickness | 11 mm |
| Water resistance | 30 m (3 ATM) |
| Special functions | Chronograph |
| Glass | Sapphire |
| Movement | Quartz |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Case diameter | 41 mm |
| Case thickness | 1a mm |
| Water resistance | 30 m (3 ATM) |
| Special functions | Chronograph, 24-hour time |
➤ Tourbillon Watches
The most expensive mechanical designs from the brand can include a real tourbillon, although they are generally imitation where the movement can be observed in action.
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Movement | Mechanical |
| Caliber | Automatic with Tourbillon |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Case Thickness | 12 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel Case and Leather Strap |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Movement | Mechanical |
| Caliber | Automatic with Tourbillon |
| Case Diameter | 43 mm |
| Case Thickness | 12 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel Case and Leather Strap |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Mechanical |
| Caliber | Automatic with Tourbillon |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Case Thickness | 14 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
➤ Watches with Moon Phase
Another interesting complication that can be found in this brand is the moon phase, a window that displays colorful drawings that change according to the time of day.
| Crystal | Mineral |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Case Thickness | 13 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 3 ATM (30 meters) |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Movement | Automatic Mechanical |
| Case Diameter | 42 mm |
| Case Thickness | 13 mm |
| Materials | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM (50 meters) |
✚ Reviews
Apart from a few manufacturing defects, the majority of reviews from buyers regarding this brand are very positive, which is to be expected considering that most of their watches are well-built and use quality materials.
Guanqin is a brand highly appreciated by collectors of Chinese watches, both for their unique designs in the industry and for offering reliable Japanese mechanisms at reasonable prices.
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Last update of links and images on 2024-04-28.
