Almost a year has passed since I bought a watch. However, there are two watches I never mentioned – until now.

I was very pleased when I found a Zhongshan with a double dragon dial almost 3 years ago.



It’s in good condition, so clearly there was no reason to get another, especially one in worse shape.



So why did I get it? Because the dragons are in a different position.





While the SN2’s date code in the first watch is IF, this one’s is IH.



It’s hard to believe I’ve had this rare Zuan Shi prototype for six years.



It’s in NOS condition with its original hang tag, so obviously there was no reason to get another in used condition.



So why did I get it? Because I wanted one I could wear and open up to examine the movement without worrying about damaging it. This example is the only Zuan Shi SM1 watch I’ve ever seen with the hanzi 钻 on the dial. The letter S on the back is thought to stand for shizhi, a prototype or trial product. (You might recognise the Zuan Shi shizhi S from my avatar.)





Inside is a slow-beat (18,000 bph) version with smaller jewels than the 21,600 bph SM1A-K which was introduced a few years later. Unlike every other SM1 movement I’ve seen, this one isn’t signed.