Pastorale II by Chinese Independent Watchmaker Qin Gan: the Epitome of a Modern Dress Watch
by Ian Skellern
Qin Gan is a second-generation watchmaker, born in 1970 in Chongqing, a mountainous city west of the Southwest of China. His father was a respected local watchmaker and Qin Gan naturally developed an interest in the craft.
However, his father saw no future for Qin Gan in watchmaking due to the devastating quartz crisis that hit the industry at the time. As a result, he studied art and graphic design and started his career as a newspaper editor.
Even though he spent 30 years of his life working different jobs to make ends meet, Qin Gan never gave up on his passion – exploring and experimenting with precision clockwork mechanisms. He has always been actively participating in horological community, restoring watches and making his original timepieces.
In 2012, Qin Gan was appointed head watchmaker of Poly Hong Kong, taking charge of the auction house’s watches and their antique timepieces.
In 2017, Qin Gan registered his own eponymous brand and start making his first commercial model, the Pastorale, which he launched in 2021.
Qin Gan Pastorale II in white gold on the wrist
Building on that experience, Qin Gan has now launched his new model, the Pastorale II, which encompasses everything you want in an elegant dress watch made by an extremely talented independent watchmaker.
————————————————————————————————————–
—————————————————————————————————–
From the press release:
Qin Gan is an independent master watchmaker from Chongqing – a huge and vibrant metropolis in southwestern China – who made a remarkable appearance on the market with his debut commercial piece entitled “Pastorale”.
Qin Gan with Dominique Renaud
Before creating what has now become his most known piece, Qin Gan had accumulated over thirty years of experience in antique watch restorations and had personally crafted numerous prototype watches with complex features such as flyback, tourbillon, automaton, and repeater mechanisms.
The steel-cased three-hand “Pastorale” wristwatch, originally released in 2021, made Mr. Qin somewhat of an online celebrity. The Chinese name of the watch originates from a poem written by a modern Chinese poet who chose to live a reclusive life in rural China.
As Qin Gan said: “I’ve been fascinated by intricate mechanisms for years, but I eventually opted for a simple three-hand design for my brand’s first product.”
“Pastorale” comes from the title of Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, which is also why there were six watches in the first series.
The initial six pieces, together with their meticulous, traditional hand finish, gained him solid recognition among collectors on the web.
—————————————————————————————————–
—————————————————————————————————–
Fast forward three years, “Pastorale II” is ready. The new Pastorale features an 18K gold case, with upgraded movement finishing and a refined dial design.
Qin Gan Pastorale II in red gold with silver dial
Cased in 38.5 mm diameter and 9.5 mm thickness, “Pastorale II” is the epitome of a modern dress watch.
The dial showcases 18K gold champlevé craftsmanship, with partly laser-engraved indices and lettering filled with enamel, giving the dial a fine metallic texture.
Qin Gan Pastorale II in white gold with champagne dial
The hour, minute, and second hands are first mirror-polished and then heat-blued, after which they are hand-bevelled for a more sophisticated three-dimensional effect.
The elongated lugs are chamfered, while the bezel and case back boast added axial polishing, creating refined and elegant curves. The case back engraving filled with cinnabar lacquer (also traditionally referred to as “Chinese red”) subtly conveys the product’s cultural heritage.
—————————————————————————————————–
—————————————————————————————————–
Pastorale II features an in-house Cal. 1810 movement by Qin Gan, consisting of 143 parts, and featuring a traditional lever escapement and an 18-screw balance wheel.
Back of the Qin Gan Pastorale II
The main plate and gear train are entirely handcrafted, with a silky Côte de Genève, sleek inner and outer chamfering, as well as fine gold chatons.
Beautifully hand finished bridge of the Qin Gan Pastorale II
Balance timing regulator of the Qin Gan Pastorale II
In the mountainous city of Chongqing, far from Switzerland and its watchmaking industry, master watchmaker Qin Gan redefines the boundaries of craftsmanship and aesthetics and he does so completely independently.
Qin Gan Pastorale II in white gold on the wrist
“Pastorale II” is available in two versions: a white gold case with a champagne dial and a rose gold case with a silver dial, priced at USD 46,000 for international orders, with 15 pieces expected to be produced each year.
Two prototypes have been made with the first production piece expected to be delivered in July 2024. Gan expects to make 15 pieces a year, and orders are already fully booked through to 2027.
You can follow Qin Gan on Instagram at www.instagram.com/qingan.official/?hl=en
Quick facts: Qin Gan Pastorale II
Indications: hours, minutes, seconds
Case: red gold (with silver dial) or white gold (with champagne dial)
Dimensions: 38.5 mm diameter x 9.5 mm high
Movement: in-house Caliber 1810, 28 screw balance wheel, gold chatons
Power reserve: 36 hours (approx.)
Price: $46,000
You might also enjoy:
Why I Bought It: Hajime Asaoka Tsunami
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!
Thank you for sharing
If it is chinese I’m 99% sure it’s based on stolen tech. I would not waste my money.
Why would you say that? How is being an independent watchmaker making your own movement anything to do with ‘stolen tech’? The Americans copied French and British watches, the Swiss copied American mass production techniques for guns and used them for watchmaking.
Regards, Ian
It is beautiful but my god the price the independent watchmakers quote makes is out of reach for most of enthusiasts
This may seem expensive but I am pretty sure if it was made in Switzerland, it would cost double the price. I do not see this as an inferior watch compared to a Raul Pages, Urban Jurgensen, Simon Brette or Sylvian Pinaud. The finishing of the Pastorale ll is right up there with the very best. Its biggest challenge is overcoming people’s perception that anything produced in China is inferior to that produced in Europe or the USA.