Seagull Okeanos 70th Anniversary Professional Ultra Diving 1000M Auto-Mechanical Watch Reference 816.37.1217 (similar to 816.37.1217H) - A Bold Statement of Engineering and Value, A Review (plus Video)

  My trip to China's mainland in May 2025 was a revelation, whirlwind of futuristic cities, bustling markets and homegrown innovation. Amidst modern streets of Shenzhen, I sought a tangible keepsake to commemorate the journey. 

 

While souvenir shops peddled trinkets, I gravitated toward something deeper: a mechanical watch from a Chinese brand, a symbol of the nation’s growing engineering prowess. After some time of doing research, I found the only boutique by Seagull in Shenzhen. By just using public transportation (the metro), getting to that shop from I was staying was easy and very relaxing. As it is the starting of summer, the air-conditioning was a godsend! It is also makes it sweeter when the cost of public transportation in China is really dirt cheap with extensive coverage.

 

At the boutique, I was surprised the number of models available. There was a large number of watches with tourbillon movements which I have not seen before. While looking at the watches on display, I came across a new series of dive watches called Okeanos. This series is a blend of mythic storytelling, technical ambition, affordability and coupled with Seagull’s 70-year legacy as China’s oldest watchmaker. As the first under the Okeanos series and the first having the 1000-meter water rating for the brand, I settled on the Seagull Okeanos 70th Anniversary Professional Ultra Diving Watch. It made it the perfect memento for my first trip to mainland China. 

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Mechanical Chronograph Tentagraph SLGC007G - A Masterpiece of Precision and Natural Beauty, A Review (plus Video)

In 2023, Grand Seiko introduced its first mechanical chronograph, the Evolution 9 Tentagraph, the
SLGC001G. The name Tentagraph  was an amalgamation of its several properties: ten beats per second, three-day power reserve, and automatic chronograph.

The model is not a limited edition timepiece but it may as well have been one as units allocated to Malaysia were very limited. I suspect the reason was more because of its high price point. At RM60,600 per piece, Grand Seiko has decided to priced it at a level never seen before. I suppose, distributors may have been nervous to commit as the demand for such watches at these new prices was unknown then.

Now, after two years, for 2025 we see the first expansions of the Tentagraph lineup with two new models. The first, the Evolution 9 SLGC007G Tentagraph, is pretty straightforward. Similar to the first Tentagraph, but with a light blue main dial with the brand's iconic Iwate texture and black sub-dials The second chronograph is from the Sports Collection and has the aggressive "Tokyo Lion" design language, the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009G.

At the moment, only the SLGC007G is available. After a quick inspection I decided to get it.