AMCHPR: vintage and modern Chinese watches and clocks
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  • CHINA TRAVELS
    • Click HERE for detailed itineraries
    • 2024 >
      • Oct 11th 2024 Merkur Fanzhi
      • Oct 14th 2024: Beijing Enamel Factory
      • Oct 15-19th 2024: Wuhan
      • Oct 30th-31st Shanghai Watch E-commerce in Hangzhou
      • Nov 1st - Shanghai Watch Factory Museum
    • 2023 >
      • Shanghai Aug 25th 2023
      • Shenzhen Sept 3 2023
      • Dandong Sept 9th 2023 Peacock WG
      • Shijiazhuang Sea-Gull Watch
      • Tianjin Sept 13th 2023 Tianjin MVT College
      • Mr Liu Shuli Sept 16th 17th 2023
    • 2019 >
      • 2019 June 7 - Luoyang with Mr. Li
      • Fuxi Mountain Glass Bridge 06/08/19
      • June 9-13 in Fenghuang, Hunan
      • Shanghai 06/16 Shanghai Watch Factory
      • AMCHPR 06/18 w/Guo Ming (AHCI) and A.J.
      • Shenzhen CWCF2019 w RedStar Watches
    • 2018 >
      • Trip 5 - April 10/11 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 12/13 2018 Shenzhen
      • Trip 5 - April 13/14 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 15 2018 Guangzhou to Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xian/Terracotta
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xinmi after Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 17 2018 Xinmi last day
      • Trip 5 - April 18-19 2018 Shanghai 1
      • Trip 5 - April 21 2018 Shanghai/Suzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 23 2018 Part 2 Shandong Liaocheng Zhong Tai Watch
      • Trip 5 - April 22/24 2018 Pt 1 Shandong Langelo Clocks
      • Trip 5 - April 25th 2018 Jinan Day 1
    • 2018 Part 2 >
      • Trip 5 - April 26th 2018 Jinan Day 2
      • Trip 5 - Sunday, May 6 2018 Beijing
    • 2015 >
      • TRIP 4 2015 PART I - SHENZHEN AND CWCF
      • TRIP 4 2015 - PART II: GUILIN/YAO MTN
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part II : Guilin/Yangshuo
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part III : Xinmi
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part IV : Xinmi and Luoyang
    • 2014 >
      • Beijing June 8/9 2014
      • Beijing June 10th
      • Yantai June 11/12
      • Yantai June 13
      • Shijiazhuang June 14
      • Shanghai June 18-21
      • Guangzhou June 22-23
      • Guangzhou/Zhuhai June 24
      • Guangzhou 5 Goat more June 25
      • 25th CWCF 2014 June 26
      • More CWCF - June 27-29
      • CWCF Social Activities June 26-29
      • Beijing July 1-5
    • 2013 >
      • Shanghai Apr. 3-7
      • Luoyang, Longmen, Zhengzhou Apr 8-13
      • Shijiazhuang w/Ma Rong Apr. 14-19
      • Tianjin Sea-Gull WF - Apr. 20-23
      • Beijing Lishi & Great Wall April 24-28
    • 2011 (First Visit) >
      • I Beijing
      • 2 Beijing w/Joel Chan
      • 3 Panjiayuan & more
      • 4 Shijiazhuang
      • 5 Whipping Top
      • 6 To Cangyanshan
      • 7 At Cangyanshan
      • 8 Shijiazhuang 2
      • 9 To Tianjin
      • 10 Tianjin Day/Dusk
      • 11 Tianjin at night
      • 12 Sea-Gull Watch Factory
      • 14 Beijing to home
      • 13 More Beijing
      • 15 - Extra Shots/notes
  • Curator: Ron Good
  • East Watch Review
  • TERMS/TRANSLATIONS
  • Acknowledgements
  • PEACE RIVER
  • ARTICLES
  • Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey "Hao" visits the AMCHPR
  • Ben Chee Celadon Imperial 100
  • AMCHPR Travel Tips
    • AviatorUSA Travel Jeans Review
    • Travel Vests
  • Watch Photography Resources
  • Additional Resources
  • Untitled
  • HOME
  • EXHIBITS
    • Chinese Watches
    • Clocks
    • Ephemera
    • Parts and Tools
    • Non-Chinese Watches
    • Other Exhibits
    • Wrist Shots
    • Random watch shots
    • Facebook Cover Photos
    • AMCHPR Desktop Backgrounds
  • CHINA TRAVELS
    • Click HERE for detailed itineraries
    • 2024 >
      • Oct 11th 2024 Merkur Fanzhi
      • Oct 14th 2024: Beijing Enamel Factory
      • Oct 15-19th 2024: Wuhan
      • Oct 30th-31st Shanghai Watch E-commerce in Hangzhou
      • Nov 1st - Shanghai Watch Factory Museum
    • 2023 >
      • Shanghai Aug 25th 2023
      • Shenzhen Sept 3 2023
      • Dandong Sept 9th 2023 Peacock WG
      • Shijiazhuang Sea-Gull Watch
      • Tianjin Sept 13th 2023 Tianjin MVT College
      • Mr Liu Shuli Sept 16th 17th 2023
    • 2019 >
      • 2019 June 7 - Luoyang with Mr. Li
      • Fuxi Mountain Glass Bridge 06/08/19
      • June 9-13 in Fenghuang, Hunan
      • Shanghai 06/16 Shanghai Watch Factory
      • AMCHPR 06/18 w/Guo Ming (AHCI) and A.J.
      • Shenzhen CWCF2019 w RedStar Watches
    • 2018 >
      • Trip 5 - April 10/11 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 12/13 2018 Shenzhen
      • Trip 5 - April 13/14 2018 Guangzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 15 2018 Guangzhou to Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xian/Terracotta
      • Trip 5 - April 16 2018 Xinmi after Xian
      • Trip 5 - April 17 2018 Xinmi last day
      • Trip 5 - April 18-19 2018 Shanghai 1
      • Trip 5 - April 21 2018 Shanghai/Suzhou
      • Trip 5 - April 23 2018 Part 2 Shandong Liaocheng Zhong Tai Watch
      • Trip 5 - April 22/24 2018 Pt 1 Shandong Langelo Clocks
      • Trip 5 - April 25th 2018 Jinan Day 1
    • 2018 Part 2 >
      • Trip 5 - April 26th 2018 Jinan Day 2
      • Trip 5 - Sunday, May 6 2018 Beijing
    • 2015 >
      • TRIP 4 2015 PART I - SHENZHEN AND CWCF
      • TRIP 4 2015 - PART II: GUILIN/YAO MTN
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part II : Guilin/Yangshuo
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part III : Xinmi
      • Trip 4 2015 - Part IV : Xinmi and Luoyang
    • 2014 >
      • Beijing June 8/9 2014
      • Beijing June 10th
      • Yantai June 11/12
      • Yantai June 13
      • Shijiazhuang June 14
      • Shanghai June 18-21
      • Guangzhou June 22-23
      • Guangzhou/Zhuhai June 24
      • Guangzhou 5 Goat more June 25
      • 25th CWCF 2014 June 26
      • More CWCF - June 27-29
      • CWCF Social Activities June 26-29
      • Beijing July 1-5
    • 2013 >
      • Shanghai Apr. 3-7
      • Luoyang, Longmen, Zhengzhou Apr 8-13
      • Shijiazhuang w/Ma Rong Apr. 14-19
      • Tianjin Sea-Gull WF - Apr. 20-23
      • Beijing Lishi & Great Wall April 24-28
    • 2011 (First Visit) >
      • I Beijing
      • 2 Beijing w/Joel Chan
      • 3 Panjiayuan & more
      • 4 Shijiazhuang
      • 5 Whipping Top
      • 6 To Cangyanshan
      • 7 At Cangyanshan
      • 8 Shijiazhuang 2
      • 9 To Tianjin
      • 10 Tianjin Day/Dusk
      • 11 Tianjin at night
      • 12 Sea-Gull Watch Factory
      • 14 Beijing to home
      • 13 More Beijing
      • 15 - Extra Shots/notes
  • Curator: Ron Good
  • East Watch Review
  • TERMS/TRANSLATIONS
  • Acknowledgements
  • PEACE RIVER
  • ARTICLES
  • Atelier Wen Porcelain Odyssey "Hao" visits the AMCHPR
  • Ben Chee Celadon Imperial 100
  • AMCHPR Travel Tips
    • AviatorUSA Travel Jeans Review
    • Travel Vests
  • Watch Photography Resources
  • Additional Resources
  • Untitled

Shanghai Aug 25th and 27th 2023 with Mr. Zhang Zhenghao (and Shanghai scenes)

 I like Shanghai and started the 2023 AMCHPR China Tour there, heading straight to the place I'd hoped was available (and was): Green Court Residence City Center, once known as the Green Court Serviced Apartments. Extremely comfortable rooms or suites with equipped kitchens, very good bathtub/shower even in economy rooms, comfortable beds and a  great location within walking distance of the Bund, Nanjing Road shopping street, People's Park...and a host of explorable back streets.

I didn't take any photos of the hotel but all the online photos are accurate. It's a nice place, the prices are good for Shanghai and less than I pay for poorer quality in Canada. Clean, comfortable, honest--and comes with a really well stocked breakfast presentation. Here's what I had: a mix of west and east  (because the breakfast offers lots of both): eggs, bacon, watermelon, cucumber, stir-fried noodles and vegetables, and beans. Loved it.
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On with the horology...

Mr. Zhang is the Chairman of the Shanghai Collection Association, Clocks and Watches Branch and the third generation of experts in his family of  watch and clock  sellers, repairers and collectors. I believe I'd met him briefly at one of the China Watch and Clock Fairs but I really only started to get to know him better after visiting his shop in 2019 with my friend Eric Heise, the actor (Eric was at the gathering in Shenzhen/2023) who suggested his shop to me.

(Cood call, Eric!)

Mr. Zhang and I have been friendly ever since and when I turned up at his shop without warning on the 25th, it was huge smiles all around.

We spent time together on the 25th and the 27th--and this post reflects both sessions. Mr. Zhang is deeply knowledgeable, and has a much larger and more comprehensive collection than he's showing here.
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Mr. Zhang's shop is at 265 FangBang Zhong Road, the #6 shop at the basement level.
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As will become very apparent, Mr. Zhang's expertise extends far beyond Chinese watches and clocks, but my as my own interests rest there and because Mr. Zhang was kind enough to show me (and allow me to hold) some of the rarest vintage Chinese watches in existence, we'll start with those.

Some readers may already be familiar with the famous and now quite common Sea-Gull 1963 re-issues, manufactured now in various incarnations by Sea-Gull and by others who use the Sea-Gull ST19 movements manufactured by Sea-Gull--but originals are very rare, and seldom seen.

This example is of an original 304 is from Mr. Zhang's collection.
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People familiar with original 304 model Chinese air force chronographs will note that this has the square indices, unlike those found on the common "1963" re-issues, but also the original (not red star) logo, as found on the HKED re-issue versions.

Good examples of the next two watches are exceptionally had to come by, and the first, the He Ping  (Peace) is one of *possibly* two known examples with the bird on the dial in Asia. There are other He Ping (and even those are haltingly rare), but not with that dial. 
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The Dong Fang Hong (East is Red) is only marginally more common, making these two watches prime grails in any VCM collection.
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Here are the case backs, with the He Ping caseback first.
These were Shanghai's very first output,  pre-dating even the sought after 581 series Shanghai, and were not available for general purchase.
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Next up from Mr. Zhang's spectacular collection is a beautiful example of the 1960s Shanghai A-623 "Ministers Watch." another model not available for general purchase. This was Shanghai's first production watch with a date, but it wasn't quick set.

Details on the 623 are available here at MicMicMor Vintage Watch
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Next up: Shanghai military models:

1) 29 jewel dive watch
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2) a haltingly rare electronic/quartz "shiying dianzi" military diver
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Seen here for size comparison with the 304 Air Force chrono
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and 3) A 24 jewel Shanghai military watch with a radium dial (both radium and tritium dials were produced).

Mr. Zhang made a point of reminding me of the color difference so i could identify which is which. The golden brown is radium.
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Mr. Zhang also displayed a set of Wuyi "51" branded watches--Tianjin watch factory's first general production brand. Both have uncommon dials.
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A 1960s Shanghai 611 (Shanghai's first shockproof watch) and a 20 jewel Shanghai
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More to come but in the midst of all this, Mr. Zhang treated me to a delicious Shanghai Noodle lunch. Spicy and really filling. Wonderful stuff!
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The lettering in black above the restaurant says Old Shanghai Noodle House and below that in yellow Old Shanghai Specialty Snacks.
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Back to watches...

Mr. Zhang also brought out some newer but still hard to find (mostly Shanghai) examples...
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A rare Diamond stop watch
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Mr. Zhang's collection (and shop) extends into pocket watches as well, like this first 1870 example--European but made for the Chinese market
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And clocks...
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And navigation devices...
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Fangbang Zhong Road is part of the YuyuanGarden and market area, and one of the lovelky things about visiting Mr. Zhang's shop is spending hours all around the area, well into the evening...
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Copyright © AMCHPR 2015 - 中国手表博物馆,皮斯里弗,艾伯塔省 - *1 No, of course it's not an official Alberta museum.