Introducing Qian GuoBiao Unveils the Double Balance Wheel

Independent Chinese watchmaking has been gaining increasing attention in recent years, driven by a small but highly skilled group of artisans who produce their watches entirely by hand. Among the most respected figures is Qian GuoBiao, a Dongguan-based watchmaker who began his career restoring complex mechanical pieces before developing his own movements, timepieces, and to collaborate with brands like Behrens for the Kung Fu Watch.

Following the success of his Facing The Sky 2.0, Qian has unveiled a new timepiece this year: the Double Balance Wheel, which has already been pre-selected for the “Men’s Complication” category at the upcoming GPHG awards.

The watch is housed in a 39 mm stainless-steel case measuring 12 mm thick, with a 46.5 mm lug-to-lug distance that ensures a comfortable fit on most wrists. The case is clean and polished, with deliberately minimal lines that reflect the modern utilitarian design language. A sapphire crystal caseback reveals part of the movement, and water resistance is rated at 50 metres.

The white copper plate dial features a frosted finish. A pair of blued steel hands indicate the hours and minutes, while a single exposed balance wheel sits prominently on the left side of the dial, held in place by Qian’s signature multi-layered, arrow-shaped balance cock.

Inside the watch beats the in-house calibre AB-03, a hand-wound movement operating at 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) with a power reserve of 40 hours. Its most distinctive feature is the twin balance wheel architecture, two balance wheels mounted on the same axis, one visible from the dial side and the other from the caseback. 

The watch is paired with a JeaYou custom calf leather strap. As with all of Qian GuoBiao’s creations, production is extremely limited to just one or two pieces per year, with an estimated wait time of 12–18 months. The price is USD 40,000 (approximately AED 146,900).

For more information, visit @qianguobiao on instagram.