A Forgotten Workhorse from China’s Mechanical Watch Golden Age This piece marks the next project watch from my bulk lot — a vintage Shanghai Fang Zhen ref. 7120-1045, produced from around 1973 onward, during the height of China’s mechanical watch production era. Like many watches from this period, it arrived tired, unassuming, and easy to overlook. But beneath the… Read More Restoring a Vintage Shanghai Fang Zhen 7120-1045

When I bought a huge bulk lot of over 30+ mechanical watches and tools, most of the watches were in rough, questionable condition. I was mostly after the Swiss and Russian watches. The rest were Vintage mechanical Chinese watches, and my plan was simple: Use them as practice pieces.Learn by disassembling, cleaning, oiling and regulating… Read More Restoring a Forgotten Classic: The Shanghai 1523-601(SS1-K) From My Bulk Lot