Once Upon a Century

Tracing the Roots

According to historical records, during the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty, there were already watch factories in Andong (now Dandong).

In 1906 (the 32nd year of Guangxu), after Andong was opened as a treaty port, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and other countries promoted sales of their industrial products, most notably watches and clocks. Thus commenced the linking of Andong's history with that of timepieces worldwide. It seems because of this, Andong was destined to shoulder the future development of China's watchmaking industry and take on the historical mission to storm the global watch industry through surprise attacks.

In 1912 after the Republic of China was established, Andong, a city with a population just over 100,000 at the time, already had as many as 50 watch shops. Some like Andong Nanyang Watch Spectacles Co., Eternal Fortune Watch Store, North Sea Watch Store even produced their own watches and clocks, setting up branches in Shanghai and other places.

History meant Dandong's watch industry took off early on, laying the foundations for its later development.

Seven Craftsmen's Dream

Peacock Watches, Established in 1957

In the 1950s, within the Andong Metal Products Factory, seven skilled technicians, during their leisure time, delved into the intricate mechanical craftsmanship of watches. Armed with a magnifying glass, a modified screwdriver, and a pair of tweezers, they thoroughly enjoyed exploring the details of watches. United by this shared passion, the seven individuals gradually came together, complementing each other's skills and refining their craftsmanship.

As their skills advanced, the seven brothers conceived an ambitious idea – to manufacture their own watches! During that era, watches were considered luxury items, and the advanced technology for watchmaking was primarily held by a few developed countries in Europe. In China, where watchmaking technology lagged and equipment was scarce, the dream of the seven craftsmen to create watches seemed extremely challenging. Relying on a common goal and unwavering belief, they embarked on the seemingly impractical journey of making their own watches. In the absence of proper equipment, they decided to manufacture their own; facing a shortage of tools, they invested extra effort in manual craftsmanship.

After numerous failures and setbacks, the spirit of craftsmanship broke free from the constraints of the environment. In 1957, the seven craftsmen successfully manufactured their first watch! It was a significant achievement, marking their journey from nothing to something. As a symbol of continuous progress and the spirit of moving forward, they named the watch "QIANJIN (前进, Move Forward)." The following year, the Andong Watch Factory was established, initiating mass production of the "QIANJIN" brand watches.

The Red Flag Is Flying

The Rise of Peacock Watches

In 1961, the Andong Watch Factory and the Shenyang Watch Factory merged to form the Liaoning Watch Factory. The new factory's A61-type "LIAONING (辽宁牌)" watch was also approved by the ministry and officially went into production in February 1962.

The factory continued to develop, and the watchmaking essence and spirit of the seven craftsmen also expanded and developed, forming a team of hundreds of watchmakers. In 1970, they independently designed and produced the "WANNIANQING (万年青, EVERGREEN)" 17-jewel watch and the nationwide leading "HONGQI (红旗, RED FLAG)" calendar watch, with a production of 150,000 units that year. In 1973, the HONGQI-brand unified movement watch was put into production. This watch was later renamed "KONGQUE (孔雀, PEACOCK)". From this point on, the Peacock brand completed its first true brand transformation and began a glorious period that is still well-known and talked about by many people.

The Peacock Spreads Its Wings

The Orient's Geneva

In 1976, the factory became the first domestic enterprise with the production capacity of watch complete machines and original parts (including cases, dials, jewels, shock absorbers, hairsprings, and springs). In 1979, the factory's production exceeded one million units. In 1980, "Peacock" watches became a hot commodity, and the domestic market was in a state of supply and demand. The Peacock was praised as "the peacock that flies and never lands (孔雀飞来不落脚)." Dandong City was also awarded the reputation of "the Orient's Geneva". In 1981, Peacock watches first entered the Hong Kong market. In 1982, CPC and state leaders such as Xi Zhongxun, Peng Zhen, and Chen Muhua visited the factory. In the mid-1980s, the factory had a total of 12,000 employees and produced more than 3.8 million watches per year, ranking first in the country in terms of variety.

Excelling at the Tourbillon Dance

Pinnacle Achievements in Tourbillon

The tourbillon movement represents the highest achievement in watchmaking, yet Peacock's artisans continually seek greater mastery. China's top dual-tourbillon design placed them at 6 and 9 o'clock, while Swiss prestige brand Roger Dubuis uniquely positioned them like owl eyes at 5 and 7 o'clock, utmost elegance. However, the axis restricted complexity to extreme heights. But the Peacock craftsmen persevered in research and breakthroughs, finally developing China's first dual-tourbillon with independent intellectual property rights, beautifully at 5 and 7. From then on, Peacock brilliance began emanating worldwide from the owl's eyes, the symphony of two tourbillon sounds orchestrating time's most melodic rhythms. To date globally, only Peacock and Roger Dubuis produce such dual-tourbillon watches.

Tourbillon fans joke - "Best not wave your Swiss tourbillon or it may need flying back for repairs!" Such is their 'exquisiteness'. Leveraging robust technical backing and solid manufacturing, Peacock began fusing tourbillons with sports and fashion.

After 3 years, the team developed the Peacock half-skeletonized tourbillon with IPR. Constituting 146 parts and 19 jewels, the whole 0.4g tourbillon has reinforced shock resistance. Each plate intricately hand-polished with unique patterns then assembled by craft masters, with a specially commissioned oil painting dial... What's more, this adopted lightweight yet durable, heat-resistant anti-corrosive carbon fiber for the case.

In 2017 during Peacock's 60th anniversary, this sports fashion tourbillon CLASSIC series was selected as the commemorative model, each watch encompassing unique DNA with identity encoding every step of production, artisan, technique and time, truly collectible.

Black Hole Central Tourbillon

Muse Design Awards 2023 Gold Winner

In the universe, the concepts of time and space are redefined. And black holes are one of the most mysterious existences. Drawing inspiration from the unique shape and mysterious power of black holes, while also commemorating the great feat of human validating the existence of black holes through the 2019 imaging, after Einstein predicted their existence in his general theory of relativity, Peacock originally created the central tourbillon wristwatch, incorporating the profound universe into the wrist, and appreciating the fusion and evolution of time and space through precise dimensions.

The minute hand originates from the "external gravitational field" of black holes, which has a spherical symmetrical distribution and extends bilaterally. The tip is filled with Swiss Super-LumiNova for easy reading even in darkness. The inner ring of the dial uses luminescent forged carbon. This high-tech material has undergone repeated testing, compressing resin and luminescent materials. The elegance of carbon fiber combines with the scattering properties of luminescent particles. The texture formed after shaping is unique in the world, resembling cosmic nebulae, with a deep and subtle beauty. The movement is completely skeletonized with a see-through perspective, showing hand-polished vortex textures in a sunken effect. Above it, the staggered jeweled bearings are like cosmic planets drawn into the black hole, presenting aesthetic artistry.

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