It's been just a few months since my last review of Peacock watches, but this Chinese tourbillon significantly differs from the previous model I presented to the Onewatch audience.
Overall, Peacock aims to showcase its capabilities as a manufacturer of quality and affordable tourbillon watches. Peacock doesn't try to compete on price with the cheapest tourbillons on the market (I would recommend avoiding such models for reliability reasons), but offers a pragmatic alternative to significantly more expensive tourbillons from Switzerland and Germany. The company independently designs and manufactures movements, most of which are equipped with flying tourbillons. This type of tourbillon was invented in Glashütte, Germany, and is distinguished by the absence of an upper bridging support over the rotating cage. The new Peacock Divine Craft model features this exotic flying tourbillon.
New Peacock Movement in the Divine Craft Collection
The main innovation in the Divine Craft collection is the innovative Peacock movement. It doesn't offer additional functions but has become smaller and more efficient than previous models. Other Peacock tourbillon movements are wider and thicker, requiring installation in larger cases. A great example of size efficiency is the comparison of Divine Craft with the similar Peacock Classic-Grandeur Tourbillon model.
Both watches have almost identical case shapes, but the Classic-Grandeur Tourbillon has a diameter of 43 mm, while the Divine Craft is only 39.5 mm. The thickness of the Classic-Grandeur is not disclosed by the company, but it's evident that the Divine Craft is significantly thinner. The case does not require a protruding sapphire crystal like the Classic-Grandeur, resulting in a polished and satin-finished 904L steel case with a thickness of just 8.9 mm. This was made possible by the in-house caliber PAX9610A, which is only 3.5 mm thick.
Technical Specifications and Performance of the PAX9610A Movement
The PAX9610A movement has not only been reduced in size and gained a more attractive design but also operates more efficiently. They abandoned the standard frequency of 3 Hz in favor of a higher 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), improving accuracy and stability. Despite the more energy-intensive regulation system, the power reserve increased from 48 to 68 hours. This indicates that the PAX9610A is not just a compact movement but a fundamentally more efficient one. According to the manufacturer, a gyromax-style regulation system, first developed by Patek Philippe, is used. The movement displays time with central hour and minute hands, and the rotating tourbillon cage serves as the second hand. The movement can be viewed through the sapphire crystal case back of the Divine Craft.
Peacock is sure to use the PAX9610A movement in other models over the next few years. This is a revolutionary movement for the Chinese company, which explains the higher price of the Divine Craft compared to previous generation tourbillons from Peacock. One of the wishes for future versions of the movement is the addition of color accents, especially in the tourbillon section. In the Divine Craft model, all parts have a silver hue, which reduces the visual perception and depth of the design. European tourbillons often use blue screws, colored balance wheels, gold chatons, and red synthetic rubies. The Peacock Divine Craft features only a small red accent from rubies, and the PAX9610A movement uses a "micro" diamond as support - similar to the solution by A. Lange & Söhne. The color palette issue can be addressed in future versions, while the movement's design is already at a decent level and is a step forward.
Design and Aesthetics: From Classic to Futurism
Unlike the classic and artistic direction of the Divine Craft, the Black Hole Event Horizon Central Tourbillon model has a more futuristic design with youthful energy and a central tourbillon that draws attention. Peacock strives for dynamic brand development and wants to reach a wide range of tourbillon enthusiasts, including fans of both traditional and modern styles. Given the company's focus on movements, questions arise as to whether Peacock offers its tourbillons to third-party manufacturers for use in their watches.
Hand Engraving and Unique Dials of Divine Craft
To emphasize the compactness and efficiency of the PAX9610A hand-wound movement with a central tourbillon, Peacock has created artistic dials with hand micro-engraving for the limited models. The Divine Craft collection is presented with four dial colors, each decorated by hand by master Zhao Yi. The process of creating the dial is very labor-intensive - more than 1,000 radial cuts on the metal base are done manually using special tools. This requires a high level of skill and time. After engraving, the dials are covered with a protective layer and painted. The PCG0601.01 model features a light "glacial" green dial. Other options include dark Obsidian Blue, light Skybound Blue, and warm Petaline Pink.
Readability and Ergonomics
While the Divine Craft's case, movement, and dial are well-executed, readability suffers somewhat due to design choices. The face is almost entirely devoid of matte or anti-reflective surfaces, distracting the eye and creating excessive glare. The hour and minute hands are skeletonized, possibly for aesthetic reasons, but this reduces their visibility in most lighting conditions. I like the shape of the hands; however, in practical use, they are hard to distinguish outside of ideal lighting. To improve readability, the dial could benefit from more contrasting elements, more expressive hands, and possibly a thicker and polished ring around the flying tourbillon window. These changes could well be implemented in future versions.
Strap and Case
The Divine Craft's 39.5 mm diameter and 8.9 mm thick steel case offers water resistance up to 50 meters. It is attached to a modern gray leather strap with white contrast stitching, 18 mm wide. Combined with the light green dial, this strap gives the watch a cosmopolitan and stylish look. The result is a mid-sized watch with a thin case, comfortable to wear, and equipped with one of the brand's best tourbillon movements.
Conclusions and Market Positioning
In addition to technical improvements, the Peacock Divine Craft emphasizes craftsmanship and artistry - from mechanism decoration and hand polishing of the hands to the creation of limited-edition dials. This approach strengthens the brand's positioning as a manufacturer of watches with a high level of human labor and reasonable pricing. Although the exact number of pieces produced is not specified on the official website, the case of the model I tested indicates a limited edition of 108 pieces for each of the four color variants. The recommended retail price for the PCG0601.01 Peacock Divine Craft model is $4,899 USD.