
Shanghai is China's earliest watch manufacturing industrial base. Before liberation, the predecessor of domestic watches, 'Huacheng Watch,' was born in Shanghai. After the founding of New China, the Shanghai Brand Model 581 watch produced in Shanghai became the first batch of domestically produced watches to be industrially manufactured. The second-generation Shanghai Brand SS1 movement watch that followed became the leading product among domestic watches at the time. Shanghai Brand watches were indeed the highest quality watches nationwide. After the unified movement was introduced, the standardized movement watches produced in Shanghai—Shanghai Brand, Baoshihua Brand, Chunlei Brand, and Zhuanji Diamond Brand—were known as the 'Four Great Kings,' all supplied by ration coupons. Even residents of Shanghai found it difficult to obtain one watch, and these brands enjoyed nationwide reputation. At that time, Shanghai had a total of 35 watch factories and watch companies producing watches, with nearly 70 brands, accounting for about 1\10 of the total number of watch brands in China, ranking first in the country in both the number of manufacturers and brands. In the early 1970s, after the unified movement was developed, the Shanghai Watch Factory began producing the 19-jewel Shanghai Brand standard movement watch, a medium-to-large-sized men's
