Twotone
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2008
- Messages
- 1,019
- Reaction score
- 43
I love the Bauhaus look, but unfortunately neither the Stowa nor the Nomos fit in the current budget. I’ve been on the lookout for a similar style at a price point that I could afford. A little Internet research turned up several good reviews on this Rodina Bauhaus homage so I decided to pull the trigger. For one hundred ten dollars shipped, I figured I did not have much to lose. I’ve spend more on high-end watch straps.
I remember seeing some vintage Russian “Rodina” brand watches when I lived in Moscow in the 1990’s. They were one of the first Soviet Union automatic watches made during the 1950’s – 1960’s. It looks like the Chinese bought the rights to the name – a Russian watch now made in China!
It’s much better than I expected. It’s by no means a Swiss or German watch, but very impressive for Chinese (or any) manufacture, especially at that price point. Using the same criteria I would grade entry-level Japanese (Seiko 5), German (Limes) or comparable watches, I see no flaws in the case, dial, hands or strap.
Case fit and finish is excellent including those typically missed areas such as the inside of the lugs, etc. The angled lugs are a nice touch and help it sit comfortably on my thin wrist. The narrow bezel makes it wear bigger than the 39mm diameter suggests. The case is 9mm high and fits great under a dress shirt cuff. The front sapphire crystal (according to the manufacturer) is perfectly flat and flush with the bezel. The screw back case has a mineral crystal.
The dial printing is clean and crisp. The small seconds sub-dial has very faint concentric circles visible with a loupe. The thin hands are a nice deep blue (painted, I’m sure). The small “China Made” on the bottom of the dial at 6:00 is a nice touch. It tells me that they are actually proud of their country of origin. Rumor has it, that some Swiss and German companies have been sourcing cases, dials, hands and crystals from China. Judging by the quality of this watch, I can understand why.
The leather strap is nice and soft. Tanning color is even and the inside has a nice soft suede feel. This watch comes with either a brown or black strap. The etched buckle “RODINA” logo is crisp and clean. A small but nice detail – the buckle prong is solid machined and polished steel, not a folded cheap piece of sheet metal I’ve seen on some after-market straps. Most Asian watches straps are sized for small wrists like mine. This one has a very long strap which I may have to shorten and punch another hole.
The Sea-Gull ST1701 automatic movement has some machine “finishing”, but it’s nothing special to look at. I would compare it to Seiko 5 or Miyota movements I’ve owned in other watches. I’d prefer a solid case back in this, Miyota or Seiko 5 based watches, but it’s OK. It can be hand wound, but does not hack. Just a few days on the wrist, and it’s running about +8 seconds/day.
If this watch is any indication of what is coming out of China, then some entry-level European watch companies need to pay close attention. I expect to see more interesting Chinese watches in the near future.
As a side note – I ordered the watch on their website one evening two weeks ago. It shipped the next day and they emailed me a USPS tracking number as soon as it left the factory. It looks like China Post has a shared tracking arrangement with USPS. The tracking number was in the USPS system before it arrived in the US. It took two days to get from China to San Francisco and another six days to clear customs and arrive here in Denver (no duty or tax). It even came in a decent looking box on a padded pillow.
Thanks for looking!
Twotone
I remember seeing some vintage Russian “Rodina” brand watches when I lived in Moscow in the 1990’s. They were one of the first Soviet Union automatic watches made during the 1950’s – 1960’s. It looks like the Chinese bought the rights to the name – a Russian watch now made in China!
It’s much better than I expected. It’s by no means a Swiss or German watch, but very impressive for Chinese (or any) manufacture, especially at that price point. Using the same criteria I would grade entry-level Japanese (Seiko 5), German (Limes) or comparable watches, I see no flaws in the case, dial, hands or strap.
Case fit and finish is excellent including those typically missed areas such as the inside of the lugs, etc. The angled lugs are a nice touch and help it sit comfortably on my thin wrist. The narrow bezel makes it wear bigger than the 39mm diameter suggests. The case is 9mm high and fits great under a dress shirt cuff. The front sapphire crystal (according to the manufacturer) is perfectly flat and flush with the bezel. The screw back case has a mineral crystal.
The dial printing is clean and crisp. The small seconds sub-dial has very faint concentric circles visible with a loupe. The thin hands are a nice deep blue (painted, I’m sure). The small “China Made” on the bottom of the dial at 6:00 is a nice touch. It tells me that they are actually proud of their country of origin. Rumor has it, that some Swiss and German companies have been sourcing cases, dials, hands and crystals from China. Judging by the quality of this watch, I can understand why.
The leather strap is nice and soft. Tanning color is even and the inside has a nice soft suede feel. This watch comes with either a brown or black strap. The etched buckle “RODINA” logo is crisp and clean. A small but nice detail – the buckle prong is solid machined and polished steel, not a folded cheap piece of sheet metal I’ve seen on some after-market straps. Most Asian watches straps are sized for small wrists like mine. This one has a very long strap which I may have to shorten and punch another hole.
The Sea-Gull ST1701 automatic movement has some machine “finishing”, but it’s nothing special to look at. I would compare it to Seiko 5 or Miyota movements I’ve owned in other watches. I’d prefer a solid case back in this, Miyota or Seiko 5 based watches, but it’s OK. It can be hand wound, but does not hack. Just a few days on the wrist, and it’s running about +8 seconds/day.
If this watch is any indication of what is coming out of China, then some entry-level European watch companies need to pay close attention. I expect to see more interesting Chinese watches in the near future.
As a side note – I ordered the watch on their website one evening two weeks ago. It shipped the next day and they emailed me a USPS tracking number as soon as it left the factory. It looks like China Post has a shared tracking arrangement with USPS. The tracking number was in the USPS system before it arrived in the US. It took two days to get from China to San Francisco and another six days to clear customs and arrive here in Denver (no duty or tax). It even came in a decent looking box on a padded pillow.
Thanks for looking!
Twotone
