Shanghai S8950 — Starry Sky Open-Heart Automatic Watch, Day-Night Window, Seagull ST2571 Movement, Sapphire Crystal, 50M [Dial Options]

An automatic watch with a starry sky dial, a day-night window that shows a rotating sun, moon and stars, and an open-heart view of the balance wheel. The Shanghai S8950 has a Seagull ST2571 movement, a sapphire crystal and a 41.5mm 316L stainless steel case, in three dial options.

Most watches tell you the time. This one gives you something to look at. At 12 o'clock a small window shows a rotating sun, moon and stars that follow day and night, and at 6 o'clock the exposed balance wheel beats away through the dial. The satin-finished white dial has blued hands, and the starry blue dial has silver hands. It is the kind of detail people spot and ask about.

Inside is a Seagull ST2571, a super premium Chinese automatic movement that winds from the motion of your wrist, so there is no battery to change. The sapphire crystal on the front and the sapphire case back let you see the movement, which is decorated with perlage on the rotor and Côtes de Genève on the bridges. The hour and minute hands are luminous, and the screw-in crown carries the Shanghai logo.

It wears as a dress watch: 41.5mm across, 13.5mm thick and 48.5mm lug-to-lug, on a black alligator-embossed calfskin strap with a butterfly deployment clasp. The honest bit: the water resistance is 5 Bar (50m), which covers rain and splashes but not swimming. Because it has a transparent back and a complex dial, we would treat it as a dress watch rather than a sports watch.

Movement: Seagull ST2571 automatic, self-winding
Case: 316L stainless steel, round, screw-in crown, sapphire transparent case back
Crystal: Sapphire
Water Resistance: 5 Bar (50m)
Dimensions: 41.5mm diameter, 13.5mm thick, 48.5mm lug-to-lug
Band: Black alligator-embossed calfskin leather, 19mm, butterfly deployment clasp
Dial: Starry sky, day-night window at 12 o'clock, exposed balance wheel at 6 o'clock; white or blue dial options
Features: Open-heart flywheel display, luminous hour and minute hands, calendar
Weight: Not specified