# Any Experience with Tevise Watches



## captain_hx

Season Greetings to all WIS

Does anyone here have experience from a Chinese brand called Tevise?

The watch that interests me is on the taobao website and can be found on this link.

Cheers


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## Pawl_Buster

captain_hx said:


> Season Greetings to all WIS
> 
> Does anyone here have experience from a Chinese brand called Tevise?
> 
> The watch that interests me is on the taobao website and can be found on this link.
> 
> Cheers


I'm not familiar with that particular brand but the watch appears to be powered by a Chinese 'standard' tongji movement. The variation shown is an automatic but with the less than efficient auto winding system.
This is a $10 - $15 watch at the very most.


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## captain_hx

Thanks for your helpfull reply. I'm not familiar with Chinese watches so I thought i would ask.

What life spam would you expect from a watch like this?

I'm trying to figure out if its worth buying a 15 dollar chinese automatin watch?



Pawl_Buster said:


> I'm not familiar with that particular brand but the watch appears to be powered by a Chinese 'standard' tongji movement. The variation shown is an automatic but with the less than efficient auto winding system.
> This is a $10 - $15 watch at the very most.


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## chronoman23

captain_hx said:


> Season Greetings to all WIS
> 
> Does anyone here have experience from a Chinese brand called Tevise?
> 
> The watch that interests me is on the taobao website and can be found on this link.
> 
> Cheers


No experience, but it looks like a fairly typical mushroom brand. Not a bad looking watch, and 169 Yuan with free shipping. Looks like a Tongji movement, in one of the photos, which may, or may not, auto-wind reliably. You don't know for certain if it is actually stainless steel, or plated alloy. I have several watches with that movement, and they vary from quite good reliable timekeepers, to almost useless. Might be worth a gamble for that price.


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## Chascomm

"TAGHYMETER"

...nice.

:-d


I hope this is not too tangential to the topic of this thread, but does anybody know if there is any correlation between the style of rotor and the auto-winding efficiency of a double-reverser auto Tongji? I noticed this one has vaguely Rolex-style cutouts but with more metal remaining than the more accurate reproductions. Can we judge the mass of the rotor from its shape and would it even matter?


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## chronoman23

Chascomm said:


> "TAGHYMETER"
> 
> ...nice.
> 
> :-d
> 
> I hope this is not too tangential to the topic of this thread, but does anybody know if there is any correlation between the style of rotor and the auto-winding efficiency of a double-reverser auto Tongji? I noticed this one has vaguely Rolex-style cutouts but with more metal remaining than the more accurate reproductions. Can we judge the mass of the rotor from its shape and would it even matter?


One of the cheap fixes, by members on other threads, has been to add weight to the rotor of these movements, and it was reported to improve the auto winding effectiveness. If the watch in this thread has a heavier rotor, it may make it perform better. I suspect the appearance of the rotor in this watch is made to elevate the "impression ratio", by making it seem more like a r0lex . Mushroom marketing is a black art.


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## captain_hx

It seems I'm getting a cheap Chinese watch which may or may not work efficiently that has a taghymeter. This will be interesting


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## mike70sk

does anyone know the case diameter, i had google translate, but it looked like the pictures they show that information, but being that there pictures it wont translate, not sure if it email would work because of the language barrier based on many ebay purchase, will they send it registered mail you think ?


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## captain_hx

mike70sk said:


> does anyone know the case diameter, i had google translate, but it looked like the pictures they show that information, but being that there pictures it wont translate, not sure if it email would work because of the language barrier based on many ebay purchase, will they send it registered mail you think ?


You can order this watch through an taobao agent. 
The agent will order the watch for you, ship it to your location and charge you for the service. 
There are plenty agents to choose from.

From google translate i get that the diameter is 41mm.

HTH 
Elias


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## mike70sk

yeah i just figured out the case diameter, on the top it looks like it has 2 watches shown and one is blue, but then when you scroll down it shows a black one, being that i haven't clue about buying on the website, now normally in ebay if they had a couple watches at the top of the add, then some on the bottom it would be mean that bottom ones are sold out. i would totally get the black it has the style i love and normal size case diameter and probably get the lighter color one as well. i will have to check it out and research how to get an agent and what they do.


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## RejZoR

Design is really not that bad and i actually like it. But i was put off a bit after viewing the back of it. All the scratches, fingerprints, smudges and dirt on the movement and case make it look really bad. Like Chinese still haven't invented gloves or those finger condoms to prevent transfering skin grease to watch internals...


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## watchcrank_tx

captain_hx said:


> What life spam would you expect from a watch like this?
> 
> I'm trying to figure out if its worth buying a 15 dollar chinese automatin watch?


I wouldn't expect more than a year or two of daily use before one or more things go wrong, though it's always possible you will be lucky and have no problems at all. Quality looks low enough that going to the trouble and expense of buying through a TaoBao agent seems a bit eccentric. By the time you've paid your TaoBao agent and had the watch shipped to you, you'll have paid $50 or so for a watch which, as RejZoR notes, looks to have been assembled without much attempt at quality. Watches in this price range frequently have little to no quality control and may be using parts which were QC rejects from better brands.

What is it in particular that you like about this watch? Whatever it is, you can likely find a similar design for sale elsewhere (and perhaps one without a nearly pointless tachymeter on the dial, and a misspelled tachymeter at that).


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## CastoriousBG

Hey guys. I've seen the topic about Tevise and I was wondering if any of you have ever came across THIS particular model.UK Shipping Black Leather Automatic Mechanical Mens Square Watch Tourbillon Date | eBay

I'm not very familar with the automatic watch family. I was just wondering if you guys knew if this watch is any good? I know I shouldn't expect too much from a cheap watch but I just don't want a watch that I need to recalibrate every few days.

Thanks in advance.


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## Chascomm

CastoriousBG said:


> Hey guys. I've seen the topic about Tevise and I was wondering if any of you have ever came across THIS particular model.UK Shipping Black Leather Automatic Mechanical Mens Square Watch Tourbillon Date | eBay
> 
> I'm not very familar with the automatic watch family. I was just wondering if you guys knew if this watch is any good? I know I shouldn't expect too much from a cheap watch but I just don't want a watch that I need to recalibrate every few days.


The movement looks like a Shanghai 2L27, which should be a good runner with decent accuracy and decent auto-winding ability; however a lot depends on the environment in which the movement was installed in the watch. Tevise is a bit of a nothing brand (as reflected in the price) so I would expect quality control to be hit-or-miss. Good luck with that...

Besides the quality question, here are a couple more points to consider:

1. In spite of the description, this is not a 'tourbillon', it is simply an 'open heart' watch. Nothing wrong with that, but a tourbillon would be about 10 times the price.

2. If this is a 2L27, then the 'big date' mechanism will run all the way to 39 before turning over to 01, rather than turning over after 31; so you'll be needing to manually correct the date at the end of every month. On the other hand, if this is a 2L55 then it will change the correct way. At this price I'd expect it to be the 2L27.

3. The day and date correction pushers are quite prominent so there is a slight risk that the date will be accidentally changed while you're wearing it.

4. The case width is 40mm, but it is long tonneau shape which adds up to a lot more metal on the wrist than a round watch. If you like big watches then that won't be a problem, but it is bigger than it looks in the pictures.


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## CastoriousBG

Thank you Chascomm for the detailed explanation and tips. Much appreciated!


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## Neil Brown

mike70sk said:


> yeah i just figured out the case diameter, on the top it looks like it has 2 watches shown and one is blue, but then when you scroll down it shows a black one, being that i haven't clue about buying on the website, now normally in ebay if they had a couple watches at the top of the add, then some on the bottom it would be mean that bottom ones are sold out. i would totally get the black it has the style i love and normal size case diameter and probably get the lighter color one as well. i will have to check it out and research how to get an agent and what they do.


I have ordered one simply because they are only £19 on gearbest and purely because its a tourbillion or as we know open heart, anyway we`ll see.


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## Ruban

Hi. I have been recently looking at this Tevise 8386 watch on couple of websites. It looks solid, with number of complications, but I was wondering if anyones knows what kind of automatic movement they use. Does anyone own a Tevise watch or had one of these watches for a while?

One other thing aside form the visual appeal that I liked about this company is that they say Hongkong Tavise Trading Co. and don't prentend to have some Swiss or German conection.


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## Chascomm

That looks to me like it might be a Shanghai 2L movement, and with all those layers on the dial I would guess this will be quite a fat watch.


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## 1992watch

captain_hx said:


> You can order this watch through an taobao agent.
> The agent will order the watch for you, ship it to your location and charge you for the service.
> There are plenty agents to choose from.
> 
> From google translate i get that the diameter is 41mm.
> 
> HTH
> Elias


These services are kind of like "FromJapan" services?


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## Ruban

I have found another website verluxe.com which lists all its Tevise watches, including the big date ones, as having ST17 movement. I also got a word from a seller that it is Wenzhou 8386 movement. I have certainly heard of the ST17, but I have not heard of Wenzhou. Did anyone come across this movement before? 

So so far we have:

Shanghai 2L27 (or 55)
ST17
Wenzhou 8386


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## Chascomm

I've never heard of Wenzhou either, but the watch pictured certainly could not have an ST17 due to the location of the balance wheel.


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## Ruban

I found out that Tevise 8386 is the model of this particular watch on eBay, Amazon, or .........s. I thought that perhaps it was manufactured in Wenzhou. I went further and looked up the watch on Alibaba - it is the website where suppliers sell products in bulk to other distributors. For watches it can be as low as 5 items to qualify for purchase. The prices are often half of what you would pay on eBay or Amazon or .........s for the item.

For this particular watch, I found out that the model is actually TS1031L. In terms of movement the Product Description states Japan Automatic Mechanical. No model name or number of the movement is given. On Alibaba, Tevise watches are sold by one company Fuzhou Suna Co.,Ltd. located in Fujian. They also claim to be the manufacturer.

Perhaps, I will email them and ask for more information about that Japanese movement.


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## Ruban

Strange that the name of the webstie a.l.i.express is removed from comments automatically.


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell

I have had it for a few days now, almost a week, I've beat it on things, ran down the wall on accident, taken a bath with it, rough house with my dogs, sleep with it on, over-wound it backwards and forwards on purpose, I've done just about everything to it except put it in the freezer because in this video 1Lj4aGiFXSc - enter that at the end of the youtube URL, they say that is the main spring isn't top notch quality it may slow the watch down a bit... btw I recommend watching that video.

I am seriously in love with this watch, I took the leather band off my SLOW brand watch that is a neat toy for my collection, I hope one day they come out with an automatic version but for now I just wanted to support a new watch company. But the italian vintage calf leather band is by far the best part of the watch heh... and darn if it doesn't look AMAZING with this timepiece... The finish is much nicer than the pictures, it actually looks like it could be a real gold plated watch, I'll be happy if I scratch test it and it comes out without any lead it in the paint. I am well aware of what a tourbillon is and I understand that this is just an open heart watch for looks. My only dissatisfaction so far is that it has both a sun/moon dial and a 24hr dial which to me is redundant because all you would use a 24 hr dial for is to know if it's am or pm if you are locked away from the outside and can't see the sky... I can add 2 to the second number all day and get the 24 hr conversion I don't need two am pm dials, I would have preferred greatly to have the sun/moon dial and perhaps a date dial there. The next watch I want is an Orient Tristar without the button so it doesn't accidentally change and plus I'm a minimalist- only problem with that is if I pass out for more than 24 hrs with no access to the outside which is VERY possible, it has no AM PM unless you pull out the crown and see how soon the date rolls over LMAO! After that I'm getting a Vostok Amphibian and Komanderski I don't care about spelling right now lol.

I have been into watches for a few years now first getting started with wooden geared clocks so I could understand what is happening, I learned about escapements and all kinds of stuff. Now I am a hardcore watch aficionado and I specialize in bang for the buck. 

The last thing I want to do is buy an expensive watch and find out my dog chewed it all to hell one day... right guys? Wouldn't that be horrible. So that is why when I saw the Tevise I thought I would give it a shot. I want to take it to a watch shop on Martin Way in Olympia/Lacey area and have him install a sapphire crystal if the watch lasts over the winter...

My perfect watch that I am looking for is...
10 Bar or higher
Sapphire
Automatic Movement 
Full Day + Date
Power reserve indicator
Sun/Moon dial
38 mm or less 
Leather band - preferably 22 mm so I can keep this band, love it so much.
Any face but white or pink lol
Oh and I love those acorn crowns... If you know of a watch that fits this description, no matter the cost, let me know, I'll start saving!


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell

The watch I bought is the black face gold case - Tevise Tourbillon Design Leather Band Men Automatic Mechanical Watch if you type that in google shopping it should show up.


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell

So I set the watch to the clock on my computer and after 6 hours it's 4 seconds slow.... so its -24 a day... makes me cringe so I definitely want to get a better watch... I'm either going to get a nice Orient vintage for around 60-75$ or a komandirskie...


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell

Just woke up and the watch is now 20 seconds fast, I can only presume that my moving during the day inhibits an accurate measure and at night it makes up for it and they programmed it that way haha. I am not so displeased now. It is dead on in a 24 hr period as long as you sleep 6-7 hours.


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell

3 seconds fast. simply amazing.


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## Michael Jerry Mitchell




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## jeremyn87

Bump, I know, but I figured I'd give my 2 cents here without making a new thread.
I have the 8378, the homage for the Tag Mikrotimer Flying 1000. It's pretty accurate within a minute after keeping it consistently wound for a few days (I can't measure its accuracy more precisely than that).
The sub dials change with the main dial, so it's not a true chronograph, which is to be expected of an inexpensive mechanical watch. Of course, like so many of these cheap Chinese watches, it has a fake tourbillon. I really don't understand the obsession with adding this piece instead of keeping it as an open heart.
The watch and the band are actually surprisingly heavy, which is a nice change of pace from the usual stiff leather or PU straps.
The finishing on the case and dial are pretty well done too.
With that said, I'm just selling it without having worn it though. It's much thicker than I was expecting it to be, and I don't feel like bothering to swap the steel band with a rubber or more rugged leather strap. It's just not my personal style, so I'm leaving it as is in order for it to still be in new condition.


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## James Haury

watchcrank said:


> I wouldn't expect more than a year or two of daily use before one or more things go wrong, though it's always possible you will be lucky and have no problems at all. Quality looks low enough that going to the trouble and expense of buying through a TaoBao agent seems a bit eccentric. By the time you've paid your TaoBao agent and had the watch shipped to you, you'll have paid $50 or so for a watch which, as RejZoR notes, looks to have been assembled without much attempt at quality. Watches in this price range frequently have little to no quality control and may be using parts which were QC rejects from better brands.
> 
> What is it in particular that you like about this watch? Whatever it is, you can likely find a similar design for sale elsewhere (and perhaps one without a nearly pointless tachymeter on the dial, and a misspelled tachymeter at that).


Check banggood, deal extreme, Tiny deal, deals machine etc.-http://www.banggood.com/search/tevise-watch.html- here are somee on Banggood.--http://www.dealsmachine.com/affordable-tevise-watch/- a bunch more.


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## UncleRJ

New to the forum and glad I found this thread in particular!

My 32-year-old Seiko Alarm Quartz Watch is looking worn and tired and the battery just died and I am thinking it is time to do some research and decide on a quality replacement.

But since I will need a watch to wear while I am shopping I decided to spend a whopping $14.91 on a "TEVISE Luxury Automatic Mechanical Watch Luminous Business Men's Watches I4Q9" from eBay.

Has anyone had experience with this model?

Tracking information indicates it will arrive in the next couple of weeks and I will report back after I have used it for a few days.


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## Chascomm

One thing that I noticed about the ebay listings is the lack of real-world photos of the watch. Normally this would be a concern, but with an entry-level submariner-style watch you have a fair idea of what you're getting. The movement shown in the pictures is some kind of Tongji automatic. As used in the cheaper brands, these can often exhibit poor auto-winding performance, so it will be interesting to see what your experience is.


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## UncleRJ

Chascomm said:


> One thing that I noticed about the ebay listings is the lack of real-world photos of the watch. Normally this would be a concern, but with an entry-level submariner-style watch you have a fair idea of what you're getting. The movement shown in the pictures is some kind of Tongji automatic. As used in the cheaper brands, these can often exhibit poor auto-winding performance, so it will be interesting to see what your experience is.


The eBay listing I found had lots of different pictures including a GIF that showed them running water over the face of the watch to show that it is somewhat water resistant assuming your wash your hands from time to time. I had also looked at .........s and they showed the exact same photos. I was also able to see some reviews that confirmed your statement that the auto-winding performance can be hit or miss with these watches.

However for the "Hefty" $14.91 (including S&H) investment, if I actually have to wind it once a day, I can easily live with that until I decide on a more expensive and much higher quality watch to replace my poor old Seiko.

That being said, as you know what features and basic appearance that I am looking for in a watch, do you have any recommendations for me? Obviously, I want something with a reliable and reasonably accurate automatic movement, Saphire or Mineral Crystal Glass (is that the right terminology ?) luminous hands and Roman Numerals markings (where the luminous properties will last as close to forever as possible) and reasonably waterproof. Unless I will somehow manage to fall out of a boat, I don't swim and I don't wear my watches in the shower though I do wash my hands regularly and wash things in the kitchen sink from time to time. As I had previously stated, while I do have some very nice vintage watches that I wear on special occasions (that are kept in a safety deposit box) I am looking for a new every day out and about watch. So I am thinking $250.00 or under. As under as possible. I realize that Swiss movements are the most popular (and the highest priced) but I have no problem with movements made in other countries as long as spare parts if ever needed and servicing is available in the United States.

Don't ask for much, do I?

Anyway, I hope that you or others have some ideas for me!

Thanks in advance.


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## edward.devries

I have received two in the mail from China in the last month. One a dead ringer for a Submariner and the other a two tone Datejust with jubilee band. 

The pros - I paid $22 for submariner and $8 for the other postage included

both have SOLID links on bracelets. 

both are beautiful watches

both keep time the Datejust almost perfect the submariner runs about a minute fast each day

the rotating bezel it tight clicking on submariner

the submariner feels good on wrist

the lume on submariner is awesome total light up of all hands, markers, etc. and it lasts all night. I have very expensive watches that do not do this


the cons - both are supposed to be auto but after 2-3 days of wear the watch stops and has to be rewound these would be great mechanical watches if you do not mind winding a watch - not so good as autos

the clasps are a little chincy in my opinion nice bracelets with chincy clasps


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## Sir Francis Drake

I'm offering this insight/opinion since I haven't seen anyone else make mention of it yet. 

When buying cheap Chinese watches, I am of the opinion that, the only concern shouldn't be whether or not the watch will work or last, but what materials and coatings are used. China is notorious for slipping toxic substances into almost any cheap product. Things to watch out for are lead paint, lead metals and toxic sealers on the cases. Toxic plastics and stabilizers such as dibutylphthalates and tributyltin used in cheap diver bands. Vapors such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and dibutylphthalate being released from fake leather or plastic "rubber" straps. list goes on and on. Just breathing the gasses released by these can cause Neurological damage.


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## Mike_1

I'm wondering whether it is the neurological damage you mention that has caused me to be a repeat customer of Chinese watches. I'm also intrigued about whether the same inherent health dangers exist when handing products made in China but carrying Western or Japanese brand names.

One thing's for sure...this is a seriously dangerous hobby!



Sir Francis Drake said:


> I'm offering this insight/opinion since I haven't seen anyone else make mention of it yet.
> 
> When buying cheap Chinese watches, I am of the opinion that, the only concern shouldn't be whether or not the watch will work or last, but what materials and coatings are used. China is notorious for slipping toxic substances into almost any cheap product. Things to watch out for are lead paint, lead metals and toxic sealers on the cases. Toxic plastics and stabilizers such as dibutylphthalates and tributyltin used in cheap diver bands. Vapors such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate and dibutylphthalate being released from fake leather or plastic "rubber" straps. list goes on and on. Just breathing the gasses released by these can cause Neurological damage.


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## Hour Hand

Tevis are a cheap Chinese brand. Value for money, pretty good, but not in the same bracket as Parnis or Debert etc. I actually still own a Sewor and a Jaragar watch, both of which cost next to nothing, both of which have auto movements, and both of which are really nice.


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## Hour Hand

Whoops, forgot the pictures


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## mcwong644

I received my $18 Tevise T801A 2 weeks ago. Its running within +/- 1spd from day one. The worst daily measurement was +0.6 spd. I've read comments that these watches are not accurate with deviations running from +/-15 sec to 1 minute daily. I still can't believe its running within superlative chronometer specifications of +/-2spd.


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## Mike_1

Wow! That is stupendous!



mcwong644 said:


> I received my $18 Tevise T801A 2 weeks ago. Its running within +/- 1spd from day one. The worst daily measurement was +0.6 spd. I've read comments that these watches are not accurate with deviations running from +/-15 sec to 1 minute daily. I still can't believe its running within superlative chronometer specifications of +/-2spd.


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## striker_o

Mike_1 said:


> Wow! That is stupendous!


How about lume , only hands or deal ?
By the way, also rotor, stuck like many chinese or works ?
Personally i like these cheap chinese mechanicals


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## TonyJZX

I want to buy a T801A but I'd really love it if they could correct the spelling on the dial.

I'm not even OCD but I couldnt look at "PERLATIVE CERONMETER" and not feel like something is wrong.


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## striker_o

TonyJZX said:


> I want to buy a T801A but I'd really love it if they could correct the spelling on the dial.
> 
> I'm not even OCD but I couldnt look at "PERLATIVE CERONMETER" and not feel like something is wrong.


OMG, thank you for this info, even it kills my desire to buy T801. 
I think that Winner is the cheapest mechanical Chinese to go with, I have couple of them which are quite good even their lack of precision ( curernt one on my wrist os 30 sec fast per day, but I don't care as I reset it each week-end after a week-end without use )


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## TonyJZX

It depends on what you're comfortable with.

I have Invictas and many people cant own or wear these.

I have a Pagani Aquaracer replica. I'm ok with that one.

Give me a few months and I might be ok with the Tevise Ceronmeter if its $18.

RIght now? no but I may be able to get used to it,


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## Patrick333

Here is my review of the Tevise T801 (Sub Hommage):






Link to the watch in the video description.


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## TonyJZX

there's a few youtube reviews out there and even some direct comparions to a sub

i have some further notes to make... i believe this doesnt hack or handwind so its like a copy of the 7s26/36?

in comparison to my Pagani which does have a screwdown crown and the seagull st6 does wind and hack...

i'm really dont need another watch


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## Patrick333

TonyJZX said:


> there's a few youtube reviews out there and even some direct comparions to a sub


I am going to actually make 2 more videos with thew Tevise and compare it to my Steinhart Ocean One and the 2nd one with my Rolex GMT II BLNR. 
Furthermore, I've ordered another Tevise (the green one aka "Tevise Hulk") and will see, how it will be and compare both Tevise against each other.


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## basshnter

New to the forum. I purchased a t801a just before Christmas. 
I'm happy with it for $18.99 shipped.
Bezel is loose and looks cheap.
Is surprisingly accurate at -3 seconds per day.
Doesn't hack but does handwind.
Rotor doesn't seem to do much because has stopped running with daily wear if not hand wound. 
Lume is very poor.
Bracelet is nice looking but has scratched very easily with just normal wear.
The case looks like some kind of chrome plating and not stainless.
I bought this for fun to compare it to my Steinhart ocean one. 
There is no comparison other than similar size.
For a $20 dollar beater watch that pulls off the submariner look pretty well, I'm happy.
Especially since it actually keeps good time.


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## Mike_1

That level of accuracy is way better than what the Winner etc watches usually give. In fact it's better than I've ever had out of a Seiko 5 



basshnter said:


> New to the forum. I purchased a t801a just before Christmas.
> I'm happy with it for $18.99 shipped.
> Bezel is loose and looks cheap.
> Is surprisingly accurate at -3 seconds per day.
> Doesn't hack but does handwind.
> Rotor doesn't seem to do much because has stopped running with daily wear if not hand wound.
> Lume is very poor.
> Bracelet is nice looking but has scratched very easily with just normal wear.
> The case looks like some kind of chrome plating and not stainless.
> I bought this for fun to compare it to my Steinhart ocean one.
> There is no comparison other than similar size.
> For a $20 dollar beater watch that pulls off the submariner look pretty well, I'm happy.
> Especially since it actually keeps good time.


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## basshnter

Mike_1 said:


> That level of accuracy is way better than what the Winner etc watches usually give. In fact it's better than I've ever had out of a Seiko 5


Better than my Steinhart with an ETA 2824 as well, but not as accurate as my $20 Casio mrw-200h.
Which I just checked and is dead on after a week.


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## basshnter

This Tevise t801a has me confused. 
Set the time and fully wound it.
It gained 9 seconds in 11 hours.
For the next 8 hours I wore the watch but didn't hand wind.
It didn't gain or loose any time.
Is this normal for automatics?
I have little experience with mechanical watches.
When I stated earlier that this was averaging -3 seconds per day. That was with giving it just a couple handwinds at a time.


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## LCheapo

Basshunter, the right way to diagnose would be to measure the balance amplitude dependence on the position the watch is in, and on the state of winding. Without these measurements it's all largely speculation. (Which is what I'm currently doing for one of my watches.)

In general, at very low amplitude (mainspring wound just enough to get watch going) a watch will run fast. As the winding state increases, the amplitude should increase, but should be pretty consistent between positions, with the amplitude often a bit higher in horizontal positions than in the vertical positions (horizontal positions dial down and dial up, and the vertical positions crown left, right, up and crown down). It is desirable for the watch rate (speed) not to depend too much on these amplitude differences.

I don't know whether one can say that a watch will in general run slower when worn. It seems to be true for most of my watches.
What is true, but also somewhat trivial, is that one of the six positions will be the slowest, and another one the fastest. (Only somewhat trivial, because a watch might run inconsistently so that no clear pattern can be observed.) So how your watch compares at rest to when worn depends on the position you let it rest in.


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## basshnter

Thanks, had to read that a couple of times.
The watch was laying flat, face up on my dresser. 
It gained the 9 seconds during the night while I slept.
Then stayed the same for the next 8 hours wearing it at work.
Will to check and see if the pattern stays the same.


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## Patrick333

Somehow the 2nd order in the new year already seems to take much longer from China to CH than the first one beginning of December...

The first one however I send through NL Post and the second one somehow differently. Maybe that makes the difference. I had the watch tested on accuracy and it gained 2:12 min. in 24 hours. Seems that mine is way more off than some others here. Hoping that the green one will keep time better. 

cheers


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## Mike_1

As long as the rate is reasonably consistent, you can probably massively improve the accuracy with some patient and careful regulatory attention.



Patrick333 said:


> Somehow the 2nd order in the new year already seems to take much longer from China to CH than the first one beginning of December...
> 
> The first one however I send through NL Post and the second one somehow differently. Maybe that makes the difference. I had the watch tested on accuracy and it gained 2:12 min. in 24 hours. Seems that mine is way more off than some others here. Hoping that the green one will keep time better.
> 
> cheers


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## pithy

LCheapo said:


> . . . . . It is desirable for the watch rate (speed) not to depend too much on these amplitude differences. . . . .


 All other things being equal, the period of an oscillator is dependent *solely* upon its *amplitude *.


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## klk78

Any experience in regulation t801? And how close this glass case back without broke them?


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## SlowB

Hello all,

I got mine from .........s USD 23 include shipping to Indonesia, arrived in 20 days on Oct 2017. At first the watch looked sturdy solid, with movement that is (I think) better than lowest grade Chinese mechanical brands (Winner, Sewor, FNGEEN, Jaragar etc) But using Android application called "WatchCheck" it turned out this watch was running quick around +20- +30 sec per day and it progress to the next day. So no cheronometer, yes.

I have a couple pics regarding finish quality of Tevise Submariner homage after 3 months:

View attachment 12894023


The black paint on the rotating bezel especially near "30" mark started to chipped away exposing the thin aluminum strip.
The bezel plate also come loose I had to glue it back with 2 component epoxy (Araldite).

View attachment 12894161

case block was made from alloy metal (copper broze or something) as seen by light brown / yellowish patina on upper left lug.
I deliberately sand that part using 500 grit sandpaper for conformation.
Tiny spots of pitting corrosion / oxidations of the chrome plating started to show around the case back.

I guess 3 months of wetlands and rain travel take its toll on this cheap watch.
I think I will remove all coatings and turn tis Tevise into bronze vintage Sub made in China, if the calibre still runs.


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## Chascomm

SlowB said:


> I think I will remove all coatings and turn tis Tevise into bronze vintage Sub made in China, if the calibre still runs.


Sounds like an excellent plan. Please share pictures of the result if you do this.


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## seagullfan

The posts above make me satisfied in saying to darling wife (once she sees the watch and asks if I've bought *another* (or worse - another 2!) watch(es)) that I'm just buying some movements to tinker with...which happen to be encased in packaging resembling a watch 

Though I'll be sure to put the movements on the timer before I start my tinkering just to see how they perform before I open them up.


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## Wandering Ben

Chascomm said:


> The movement looks like a Shanghai 2L27, which should be a good runner with decent accuracy and decent auto-winding ability; however a lot depends on the environment in which the movement was installed in the watch. Tevise is a bit of a nothing brand (as reflected in the price) so I would expect quality control to be hit-or-miss. Good luck with that...
> 
> Besides the quality question, here are a couple more points to consider:
> 
> 1. In spite of the description, this is not a 'tourbillon', it is simply an 'open heart' watch. Nothing wrong with that, but a tourbillon would be about 10 times the price.
> 
> 2. If this is a 2L27, then the 'big date' mechanism will run all the way to 39 before turning over to 01, rather than turning over after 31; so you'll be needing to manually correct the date at the end of every month. On the other hand, if this is a 2L55 then it will change the correct way. At this price I'd expect it to be the 2L27.
> 
> 3. The day and date correction pushers are quite prominent so there is a slight risk that the date will be accidentally changed while you're wearing it.
> 
> 4. The case width is 40mm, but it is long tonneau shape which adds up to a lot more metal on the wrist than a round watch. If you like big watches then that won't be a problem, but it is bigger than it looks in the pictures.


Why would a manufactured movement have 39 days in the date cycle??

Sent from snail mail


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## seagullfan

Because a big date mechanism isn't on one date wheel but rather two separate date wheels - the first wheel has 0, 1, 2, 3 and the second goes from 0 to 9. So you get 0-2 for the 2nd, 1-2 for the 12th and 2-9 for 29th. This means some mechanisms will run to 3-2, 3-9 etc.


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## basshnter

I purchased a t801a just after Christmas that I've been wearing daily.
Plenty of scratches and have chipped the glass as well but still keeps keeps working.
The decorative rotor I found out is just a thin piece of metal held on to the rotor with two pieces of double sided tape.
I removed it.
The rotor underneath looks like a tongjii, at least from the pics I've seen on the web.
This one the rotor is so stiff it won't autowind. A second t801a I purchased the rotor turns very free and autowinds 
fine while wearing. 
There is so much speculation on the metal used in this watch.
Since my first one has taken such a beating and scratched up I decided to glass bead it in my blast cabinet.
Both the band and case have the same finish and color after blasting.
The glass beader is actually pretty delicate and left the watch with a great finish. I won't say this watch uses some high grade, but I believe it is stainless. 
Sorry but I can't post pics.


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## v8chrono

There is an awful lot of talk and discussion here about a watch that has enough value in it's stainless steel bracelet alone to justify purchasing, its only £17.00 inc P&P and not £170.00 and for that you get an atractive case, bezel, dial, hands and an automatic movement thrown in with the deal, I am amazed at the quality and VFM these watches offer so I have three now and all are equally as good.


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## Veda88

I bought the pink submariner with black case/strap.

The watch looks nice and the watch strap is superb, altough I would have liked to have the option to remove one more link, since I don't fit it very well with my small wrists (but I have this problem with most submariner homages).

The watch itself however got some rough edges and the watch gets stuck to all kinds of fabric (my tshirt and jacket for example) this is very annoying. I don't read from anyone else this problem. Do I just have bad luck or do others just care less than I? Based on this I would not recommend the tevise watch.


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## thewatchadude

你好

First post for me on this part of the forum.
Seen this on the bay, looks nice and pretty, and I especially like that they also give you advice on what dress style would fit with the watch 🙂









However I'm a bit puzzled by the add. It's quite confusing, as for instance it says steel in the picture then alloy in the technical text. I wouldn't be too worried and would consider alloy to be the right one.
However it also says the movement is automatic and doesn't need a battery, then says it's quartz in the technical text. There again I would go for quartz if there weren't the pictures. It looks like the movement on the photos is an automatic one (forgetting about the Swiss mention).









What do you Chinese watch experts think?


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## GraX

i had a datejust tevise, it was poor quality, the case was alloy, and auto-wind did not work


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## thewatchadude

Thanks. Not very encouraging. But I feel a bit like a 5 year old kid and will probably decide to check by myself whether fire actually burns. At worst it gonna be a 20 euros wound, affordable.


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## OCDetails

Does anyone know if the T801 will fit an NH35 movement? I'm thinking it may be cheaper to buy one of these than an Invicta 8926. At least with this one I don't have to grind the ugly off the case. I can get the T801 for $25 shipped and NH35 movements are only $35 bucks, so I guess in the end I'm still looking at $60, but again... no grinding ugly off the case required. I guess I can buy one and find out. I've got a couple NH35 movements sitting around that need a home.


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## Chascomm

OCDetails said:


> Does anyone know if the T801 will fit an NH35 movement? ...


Maybe... Maybe not...

https://www.watchuseek.com/f318/com...ngeability-torsten-v5-july-2013-a-467694.html

The question is; why would you bother? The Invicta diver is an all-round proven product powered by an entry-level Japanese movement. In preference to this, you want to take a watch case/hands/dial of uncertain quality and unknown dimensions and replace the entry-level Chinese movement with an entry-level Japanese movement. The only possible pay-off that I can see is the satisfaction that comes from a successful watch modification.


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## RMG

I recived mine last monday. They sent me a quartz one and the seller is, as we say here in Argentina, "haciéndose el boludo". I think that they do this to 3rd world country buyers on a regular basis. It came in a plastic bag and had some finishing issues on the bezel... i hope eBay steps in...


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## bentl

heads up - its back on offer on gearbest - £15 :0


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## pedrorq

Out of curiosity, has anyone fit a Nato strap on the Tevise submariner? 

I know some cases don't have enough gap between the case itself and the spring bar. I like to be able to replace Nato straps on the go without having to remove the spring bars.


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## MBolster1611

Sorry, I haven’t been on the forum for a while. I have this watch that you have pictured here. I have had it for at least 4-5 months. I am very pleased with the performance and look for the price. I got mine from gear best for $17 delivered. I don’t buy expensive watches, and I am sure it doesn’t compare, but I was impressed. It is an automatic, and these website often get their info mixed up. My wife bought me another watch from .........s that was listed as mechanical and was actually a quartz. watch.


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## bentl

i picked up teh green sub for £15 delivered - i rather liked the bracelet so ive brushed it down and put it on my SARB017 (yes i do like green dials)

as it was almost free seeing as i didnt have to get a bracelet for my SARB i decided to play around with it

i really didn't like the bezel so i removed it, very roughly sanded down all the case and ground of the crown guards and tried to give it more of a vintage look

ive tried removing the rotor to make it s manual wind watch, however the screw holding it down is to tight on mine to undo - also ive noticed the manual wind rotated the rotor so im not sure it would even work just as a manual wind


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## 6138

new arrival tevise 356

For its price you can not ask for more 14, 31 € at home sent by gearbest; decently made solid link armys, bezel with good touch etc


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## ZoKet

This one is great, one of my friend has this watch. Last 6 months almost everyday it is on his wrist and working in good order without any problem... Tevise 795A...









Sent from my SM-C7000 using Tapatalk


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## John_Schoen

My T801 has a stiff rotor and won't auto-wind, just like I have seen from some others in this thread. The watch is quite accurate, if the rotor would work like it should this would be a great watch. Is there a way to free up the rotor to make it the automatic it is supposed to be?


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## Chascomm

John_Schoen said:


> My T801 has a stiff rotor and won't auto-wind, just like I have seen from some others in this thread. The watch is quite accurate, if the rotor would work like it should this would be a great watch. Is there a way to free up the rotor to make it the automatic it is supposed to be?


The rotor is probably not stiff, just too light to do the job. The solution would be to add mass to the outer edge of the rotor.


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## Homo Sapien X

John_Schoen said:


> My T801 has a stiff rotor and won't auto-wind, just like I have seen from some others in this thread. The watch is quite accurate, if the rotor would work like it should this would be a great watch. Is there a way to free up the rotor to make it the automatic it is supposed to be?


Yes, the rotor doesn't perform when it should. The watch needs hand winding every alternate days. Can't complain about the accuracy and it's price point below $20

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## crAss

I got in the mail the T801 beginning of last week. As with all reviews here, the watch works ok only if you hand wind it. The overall accuracy depends a lot on how you place it on the desk during the night. Using WatchCheck app the average rate during last week was -12.7 s/day which is more than acceptable, there were wearing times were it was just +3-4 s/day and sometimes -40s/d (these measurements included time on the desk). I will see how this evolves and if it stabilizes somehow. Also I saw that the tension on the spring also plays a role in terms of accuracy and I will wind it every time I wear it. Also, I will try to regulate it if it actually stops going from gaining to losing time on alternate days. 
I got a bracelet with the newer clasp (not with the folding bit) and it is adequately secure. They forgot the engraving on the bracelet that came with the watch I got. I don't really care and anyhow I will probably wear it more with a NATO strap.
Also another good thing, the QC has improved and the rotating bezel is better installed, not as flimsy as in the video reviews. And certainly there is no gap on the lower part (6 o'clock) as in many videos and feels more secure. Of course if you start moving it, you feel it is a cheap one.
I am trying to follow the advice most people give and not spend money to affordables while saving up for the one I really want. That is ~3000 euros and it would take me another 1-2 years to get there. Getting some inexpensive watches like this does not set me back for the other target and gives some daily variety. A side target is to build a custom watch using chinese parts from the bay, but even this will not be more than 60-80 euros since I already have most of the needed tools.
Seeing the good quality of this one (again in respect to the price paid), I ordered another Tevise the T802A which is a Franc Muller homage in white (maybe silver, can't tell exactly from the photos).


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## mrwomble

Thanks for the update crAss, I caved and ended up ordering one just the other day. I was curious to see the quality and to maybe practice a few mods on it. Hopefully mine will be one of the newer ones with the improvements you mentioned.

Does anyone know where I could get replacement hands? I believe this uses the standard Tongji movement and I've not found any sellers that offer hands for that movement.

I came, I tapped, I talked.


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## crAss

I have been wearing this watch almost everyday. Every morning I give it a good wind, about 30 revolutions even for the days I am not wearing it. It has been stabilizing between +2 and +3 seconds a day which is really good. 
The automatic mechanism is crap, the weight is not enough to move it. It is funny cause many times the rotor is stuck on the upper side. 

Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk


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## gxhall

I got one via ebay for £18.99 UK seller, I've "skinny" wrists so wanted to see how something this big felt - From a distance it looks and feels good, keeps pretty good time if I wear it for several days didn't need to hand wind either so all from motion 
I left it off and it went for 36 hours. My only grumble is hand winding is difficult because of the crown guards 
I just wonder what it's life span will be


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## ronkatct

My Tevise Sub came yesterday. With the Timegrapher, it seems to be +15 to +40spd range depending on position. It will probably need hand winding to supplement autowinding like all Tongji movements, and cannot stay wound in a power winder. But the Tevise has a much better bracelet than my Winner Sub (suicide wrist slicer bracelet for the Winner). The Tevise bracelet has some flaws and came with a few scratches. The watch itself was in good shape and without obvious flaws. I will see whether it will slow down in a few days. For what I paid, it is a definite BUY. Alix has it at about half the price of Amazon, and I paid the same for the Tevise from Alix as I paid for the Winner Black Pepsi sub from Amazon with Prime. The Tevise, while bigger, is certainly a much higher quality watch; real cheap for the Winner to merely cheap for the Tevise, but with solid bracelets and an actual decent acceptable case. Since I set the time 30 hours ago, it gained about 15 to 20s (cannot really tell without second hacking).

Edited to add:
And it came in a box with credit card warranty card, instructions, and a free gift. Can't beat that.


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## crAss

Just to add to my previous responses. A couple of days ago I got left with the crown in my palm while pulling it out to set the time...I had worn another watch for 2 days and it had stopped. I just pressed the crown back in and it actually clicked in place (there were no threads for screwing it).
Another problem I have is that sometimes when I pull it out to set the time and then push it back in it doesn't go as far and instead of being able to hand wind it, it actually sets the date. If you pull it in and out a couple of times it moves to place while retracted to be able to hand wind it.
Oh well, I guess at some point I will be left with the crown in my hand and I will have to fix the watch. Probably that will be the time to get rid of the automatic mechanism, make it a hand wound watch and also screw the rotor back in for the looks.
It is true that it is a bargain for the price. The stainless steel band is actually very good for the price, the accuracy is good while wearing it (unless you leave it upside down during the night and then it goes really fast so I guess normal wear and face up make up for the good accuracy).
The nato I have ordered for this has still not arrived after two months from the bay and I kind of have enjoyed the ss strap.
If the watch was not so shiny I would simply love it


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## ronkatct

Crass,

You can make the band less shiny. Remove band and brush down with green scotch cleaning pad in one direction. YouTube has clips for such mods.


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## crAss

ronkatct said:


> Crass,
> 
> You can make the band less shiny. Remove band and brush down with green scotch cleaning pad in one direction. YouTube has clips for such mods.


The band will get resolved as soon as I receive the NATO strap, but will try the mod anyhow. The problem is the actual watch... Since the case is not ss I guess there is no mod to improve it

Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk


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## watchcrank_tx

ronkatct said:


> It will probably need hand winding to supplement autowinding like all Tongji movements, and cannot stay wound in a power winder.


Just an addition - not to critique what you wrote, but for reference of those with a general interest in Chinese movements: while most recent-production automatic-evolved Tongji's do indeed require supplemental hand winding, not all do. The ones in my experience which worked were bought in 2011 from the now seemingly disappeared mushroom brand "Fineat," but I believe various VCM collectors on this forum have come across many older automatic evolutions which work well too.


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## ronkatct

No worries Watchcrank. I have enough Winners, Tevise, and other watches with Tongji movements, and I have good experiences with them. I just look for new cheap watches with Tongji movements. For the price, they can't be beat. I just hand wind them or let them run down. When I want to use them, I set the time and hand wind. Not that hard. I have no space on my powerwinders anyway. I need to get some strap material and double sided sticky tape, so I can use my watch tester as a power winder :-d. That or buy another cheap quad watch power winder.

I like my Tevise so far. The case is very nice and the solid bracelet (in spite of the flaws and scratches) is of decent quality. It is good value for $22.


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## watchcrank_tx

All the same, if I ever again come across a supply of cheap mushroom watches powered by auto-Tongji's with working winders, I won't take them for granted as I did with the Fineats back when they were around. I'll shout their name and availability from every mountaintop and post in every thread where it's relevant (and knowing my habits, likely some where it's not). :-d

I too am fond of the Tongji. |>


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## crAss

watchcrank said:


> All the same, if I ever again come across a supply of cheap mushroom watches powered by auto-Tongji's with working winders, I won't take them for granted as I did with the Fineats back when they were around. I'll shout their name and availability from every mountaintop and post in every thread where it's relevant (and knowing my habits, likely some where it's not). :-d
> 
> I too am fond of the Tongji. |>


There are still good Tongji movements been manufactured.
Check the topic below:
https://www.watchuseek.com/f72/tongji-rotor-modification-4830891.html


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## ronkatct

My Winner Longine homage Tongji look slightly different from the Tongji in the link.

The Tongji in my Tevise has the little rotor sticker to give the impression that the movement is an in-house movement, so I can't tell if it is an efficient Tongji; it does rotate more freely than the Tongji in the Winners.


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## watchcrank_tx

crAss said:


> There are still good Tongji movements been manufactured.
> Check the topic below:
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f72/tongji-rotor-modification-4830891.html


Thanks for the link. Somehow I'd missed the follow-ups to that thread. Interesting reading.


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## crAss

After less than 2 months the first problem with my t801a surfaced.
As you can see in the photo the crown fell of from the stem... Maybe the stem was just a tad shorter than optimum.
I sent to the seller if he can arrange something like a partial refund. Will probably try to fix it on my own.








Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk


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## crAss

I got a partial refund. So, since it was broken I tried to fix it myself. I opened the case and the stem looks intact, but the thread in the crown was ruined. Hmm...I was wearing this watch for about 2 months and of course hand winding it once or twice a day. For the days I wore something different I had to set the time as well. So, low quality it is. I will try to get a crown that fits and use also some glue on the stem, which will make the assembly last longer hopefully...

Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk


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## Dutchie76

I had a Tevise that had the crown and stem come out the first time of trying to set it. In love with the rest of its quality, though. At the price point, of course.

It's now a few days of winter sale at that Chinese web platform. I see I quartz Tevise at €13-something. The sister brand NOBJN is €12-something. May have unsigned crown and clasp, for sure doesn't come in a box.
Sinobi in the same price range seems to be cutting some corners in the business ethics department, I'd not recommend them als quality is otherwise very Tevise-like while typically higher priced, and quartz only anyway.

Automatic Tevise is now from at my favorite platform €18, tempting. I got a full refund on my other one, so… Black case/black bracelet or half gold at no premium.


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## crAss

I received the T-802 and it actually auto-winds!!!
The rotor looks like the rotors in the
https://www.watchuseek.com/f72/tongji-rotor-modification-4830891.html
post.
If the cheap chinese watches start to get this version of the movement which is an operational automatic then I would be inclined to get more watches at this price tag.
When I get some time I will write a mini-review.


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## subspeciez

Anyone know where I can get a case back for the t108. Mine broke and I'm not having any luck with the seller


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## subspeciez

Sorry t801


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## crAss

crAss said:


> After less than 2 months the first problem with my t801a surfaced.
> As you can see in the photo the crown fell of from the stem... Maybe the stem was just a tad shorter than optimum.
> I sent to the seller if he can arrange something like a partial refund. Will probably try to fix it on my own.
> 
> Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk


Got a new -unbranded- crown, one with a neck for longer grip, fitted it, put some locktite 222 as well and it is now as new.
Put a bond nato strap as well and it is back on my wrist!


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## johnmichael

crAss said:


> Got a new -unbranded- crown, one with a neck for longer grip, fitted it, put some locktite 222 as well and it is now as new.
> Put a bond nato strap as well and it is back on my wrist!


One of the best handles I've ever seen-----bar none!


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