I'm not surprised I'd never seen the company before. It was founded in 2006 in China, apparently the flagship around several sister companies (although information about the company is hard to find). But I did find automatic watches with favorable reviews for $40 (and even less, but I liked the design I chose). I wasn't looking to buy a watch, but I thought this was a unique enough timepiece to go ahead and buy. And so I did. I chose the s1150-1 model, which has a "Special Design [that] Reveals Your Fashionable Point of View." How could I resist? In terms of what that actually means, it means a two-tone silver and blue automatic watch with a (fake) tourbillon and a moonphase dial. It's got a stainless-steel strap with mineral-tempered glass. After a long delay in shipping, the watch arrived. And it exceeded my expectations. It's not a great watch by any means. And it's not a particularly-sophisticated movement; the case is 13mm thick and it's far from silent. But honestly everything came as advertised, and that's a win. The balance wheel might be incorrectly advertised as a tourbillon, but Forsining is hardly alone in that. The moonphase works and the watch is a functioning automatic. Functioning and accurate are certainly different, but the watch holds time acceptably-well for me. After a few days of wearing it, the time needs to be adjusted about a second to compensate for it running fast. The power reserve isn't long: I can't find the actual number anywhere, but it definitely won't last more than a day. On that note, it didn't come with any manual whatsoever; not much of a problem, but interesting nonetheless. All of that doesn't answer my headline, though. It is my favorite watch for the simple reason that it's interesting. It gets compliments, and although probably the same number as any nicer watch, they allow me to tell someone the story behind it. I've owned it for a year, and I keep wearing it. Quite a bit more than other, nicer watches, too. It is beautiful, and it does everything a good watch should: tell the time while also telling a bit of a story. On another note, the Forsining did get me thinking about the Chinese market in general. There's always a reason why Chinese prices are lower, and the lack of regulation and fair laws is something to keep in mind. (Of note, Forsining and its parent company have not been accused of slave labor or anything similarly egregious.) But it's not surprising that China offers cheap watches. And sure, that's interesting proof that a bare-bones automatic watch doesn't need to be expensive. But if you want to pay for quality, the Chinese market can offer that. High-end Chinese products, at least according to a GQ article from last year, undercut Swiss prices primarily based on lower costs of land and salaries, not materials or assembly. Still, the article points out, Chinese buyers also aren't convinced and Chinese brands struggle to make profits even at home, let alone globally. The cheap watches are an established part of the global scene, but Chinese watchmaking is varied, and I think it'll be a growing player (mirroring, and hopefully simultaneously with a continuation of, the rise of luxury Japanese watches). At the end of the day, if you want a nice watch, don't buy a Forsining. Watches with famous names deserve them. However, it might be worth considering a quality brand outside the norm; maybe even from China.
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That's incredibly fast. C&D points out that the 710-hp Ferrari 488 Pista is slower to 60, although it strides past the BMW as the speeds climb. That amazing initial acceleration from the M8 Competition is down to a sophisticated AWD system, coupled to a launch control system that gets it right off the line. That's where its massive brakes come in, as Car and Driver reported that any acceleration brought speeds climbing rapidly. The brakes are more than up to the task, though, pulling 1.3g of stopping force at their strongest.
To complete the experience, the car is reported to feel considerably smaller than it is, meaning it can be enjoyed on the track just as much as a much lighter car. That's due to a very clever suspension that underpins the car and plays a role in its amazing acceleration. Of course, that acceleration would be the defining feature of that drive. |