We’re excited to share an in-depth hands-on review of the new Peacock Witness by watch enthusiast Tang Haiquan, originally published on WatchUSeek, one of the world’s largest watch communities. Tang’s thoughtful impressions capture how the Witness reflects Peacock’s independent spirit and commitment to fine craftsmanship — qualities that continue to define our journey in modern Chinese watchmaking.
Read the full article below and discover why collectors are calling the Witness “a piece worthy of an independent watchmaker.”
The New Peacock Witness
The old version Peacock Witness released in 2016
China’s Peacock Watch Company has spent nearly a decade quietly evolving from a regional movement maker into one of the most competent high-mech manufactures in the country. For most Western enthusiasts, the name “Peacock” didn’t register until after their work began showing up in microbrand collaborations and, later, through technically ambitious in-house pieces like the Black Hole tourbillon and the spherical triple-axis models. With the new Witness Hand-Made Guilloché Tourbillon — essentially a successor to a 2016 design that few outside China ever saw — Peacock is no longer trying to “introduce itself.” Instead, it speaks with the confidence of a brand aware that enthusiasts are finally paying attention.
The Witness is a 41mm stainless steel watch, now upgraded to 904L, with a thickness of roughly 11mm. Peacock has clearly refined its case engineering since the previous-generation version. The lugs now use a curved quick-release structure and a more wearable 20mm strap width (reduced from 21mm). The bezel transitions from a more tool-like style of the earlier model to a polished, integrated form that feels more purposeful. These changes seem subtle on paper, but they reflect a shift from “prototype-by-necessity” to a modern, finished product designed for enthusiasts rather than engineers.
904L steel remains an uncommon choice, especially for a tourbillon at this price. Most brands, even Swiss ones in the $2,000–$4,000 segment, settle for 316L without hesitation. Whether the end user will feel the difference in day-to-day wearing is debatable, but the move signals that Peacock is benchmarking itself against the likes of Rolex and H. Moser, not domestic competitors. It also gives the case a richer polish and a reassuring heft.
What ultimately defines the Witness, however, is not the case, but the front-facing movement. The new 9612 manual-wind caliber beats at 21,600 vph and offers a 42-hour power reserve. The tourbillon, described by the brand as “suspended,” stands proud of the mainplate with an almost floating posture. The entire cage weighs just 0.46 grams — a figure that would be considered elite in any market. This isn’t a multi-axis architecture, but its elevation and visual stability make the mechanism feel more dramatic than many equivalently priced offerings.
Gone is the industrial yellow-brass appearance found on some earlier Peacock tourbillons. The metal across the escapement components now presents in uniform silver tones, providing a more mature and consistent finish. Yes, it retains a curb-pin regulator system rather than a free-sprung balance, but keeping that in context is important: we’re talking about a $2,499 watch with a fully in-house tourbillon movement and zero reliance on generic ébauches.
Where Peacock has visibly stepped into territory usually reserved for independent watchmakers is surface treatment. The 9612 is decorated on multiple levels, with a motif meant to evoke a peacock fanning its feathers. The baseplate is hand-turned with a guilloché pattern that the brand calls “pineapple,” though it visually echoes a coarse Clous de Paris texture. Above that, you have straight-grained côtes-style stripes and additional guilloché sections, all separated by differing elevations and cutouts. Even more surprising are the bright, machined bevels running along the bridges — including actual pointed angles. Are these hand-polished, inward-anglage masterpieces? No. But they do represent a level of machine execution that was not attainable by Chinese manufactures a decade ago. The fact that enthusiasts are now critiquing them by the same standard as Glashütte or the Vallée de Joux is itself proof of how far this sector has come.
From a design perspective, the skeletonization is more an exhibition of volume than transparency. There’s enough metal left on the front to balance the negative space, and the dial remains legible thanks to sharply executed hands and a single 12 o’clock hour marker. The hands, in particular, are overbuilt in a very intentional way — six-sided with brushed centers and mirror-polished facets, each reportedly requiring over 120 finishing steps. It’s easy to dismiss that claim as marketing fluff until you see footage taken under magnification: the angularity and polish hold up.
The strap is suede-effect leather with hand stitching, and while that’s not going to satisfy someone tracking his watch wardrobe against Patek, it does pair well visually with the technical aesthetic. Colors of the movement and dial treatment come in four variants — gold, blue, purple, and black — with the purple model (pictured) offering the boldest contrast against the silver bridges.
What makes the Witness compelling isn’t that it reinvents the tourbillon. Rather, it demonstrates how a brand once pigeonholed as a movement supplier has started treating design, finishing, and brand storytelling as equally necessary components. The name “Witness” is apt. This watch is less about commemorating a specific heritage era and more about acknowledging the brand’s own transformation since 2016, when this concept had neither the audience nor the manufacturing maturity to make an impact.
Is it perfect? No, and it doesn’t need to be. Some will take issue with the 41mm diameter in an era trending smaller, though the movement architecture dictates much of that footprint. Others will want more hand finishing along the bridges or a longer power reserve. But those criticisms take place on a playing field typically reserved for brands two or three times the price. That fact alone speaks volumes.
At $2,499 USD, the Peacock Witness Hand-Made Guilloché Tourbillon is less a disruptor than a declaration: the era of dismissing Chinese-made high complications as mere curiosities is ending. This watch is not trying to be Swiss — it’s trying to be serious. And increasingly, it is.