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Re: Common Shanghai A581 watches

Shanghai A581 watches are hot collectable items among vintage Chinese watch collectors. A581 watches have many dial and case variations and this makes them an interesting watch to collect. Some collectors have hundreds A581 watches with different dials,cases,and casebacks. There must be over a million A581 watches made during its production run between 1958-1966.

Common A581 watches are not very hard to find on local markets, but clean examples are very rare.

rarity-*

Here are a few more examples of the A581 model. The two on the left are older variants, without a date stamp under the balance wheel, the other three are all marked 1962. I believe that all of them had text on the dial at one point, which may have rubbed off over time.

 

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Re: Shanghai A611 watches

Shanghai A611 is an improved version of A581 with shock absorbers and a smooth balance made between 1961-1966? In fact a Shanghai A611 is slightly less often seen than an A581. A very clean Shanghai A611 is about as hard to find as a Sputnik on local markets. A611 usually has 17 钻(ZUAN) on the dials while A581 has 17 占(17 jewels) on the dials.

Rarity-*

These three black dial variants are either late model A581 or early A611 models. Despite the fact that two are marked with "17 钻", instead of the "17 占" markings on the earlier A581, all three watches use the identical movement, which does not have any shock-absorbing protection. All three watches have the A581 caseback. Given the source of these watches, I believe that all they left the factory in this combination of dial, movement and caseback.

 

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Re: Rare 29 jewels Shanghai automatic

There is a 24 jewels version that was issued to PLA regiment commanders. 24 jewels version-***

Here's a few more. Interesting to note the one shown in the far right, which has a simple, smooth chrome plated bezel, without any minute indicators. This one is also unique in that it is the only one without a serial number on the back.

Apparently this identical watch is also branded as a "Torch" brand watch, with a Torch icon in place of the Shanghai logo. I am not certain as to its origin, or if it was ever issued to the military, but from a past image I've seen of the watch, it is almost certainly the same watch.

 

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Re: Shanghai 1120 model watches

Shanghai 1120 watches were made for a short time between 1966-1969? with a slow beat SS1 movement. Clean 1120 watches are sold quickly.

Here are a few more 1120 watches, which came in a variety of either gold or silver toned batons, with either black or off-white dials. It is interesting to note that the clear coat on the 1120 and 1110 models are much improved over the A581 and A611 models, as you can tell, there is generally much less corrosion or mildew forming on these dials, even though they are only newer than the 581 by several years. I personally believe that the 1120 was the peak of Shanghai's mass production model, with the right balance of technical sophistication and quality control. Models since that time have been less finely assembled.

 

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Two more Meihualu pocket watches from the JILIN watch factory in northern China.

 

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Re: 17 jewels Beijing BS-2 watches

17 jewels BS-2, rarity-**

Here are three examples of the BS-2 series watches. Of interest is the first one, which has engraved hour markers than thinner hands. Also of interest is the third one, which has the "To Serve the People" Slogan, probably manufactured in the mid 60s, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.