Sugess S418-2 Review — Daytona Homage with Peacock SL-4801

I’ve owned the first Sugess Daytona interpretation for a few years now, and it is really good.

At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with it. Do I keep it in the collection? Do I move it on? But then, somehow, without any real plan—as quite a few things happen in my collection—it became pretty much my most-worn weekend watch.

And it was probably going to stay that way… until things changed a little bit.

Because Rolex, as you probably heard, upgraded the Daytona. And then Sugess went and, well… upgraded theirs too. And ever since this new version appeared, I’ve been trying to get my hands on one. Not because my original Sugess suddenly became bad—far from it—but because there are some genuinely interesting changes here. Especially the movement, but also a number of smaller details, including something we didn’t get before: an exhibition caseback.

Now, it didn’t happen overnight, and I’m definitely a little late to this party. But finally, a few months later, I have both versions here side by side.

So what actually changed? Is the new one genuinely better? And if this chronograph is on your radar, should you go for the upgrade—or is there still a case for hunting down the original?

Well, we’ve got both here. Let’s take a closer look find out.

Design

Let’s get into the design of this fairly recent Sugess upgrade.

Despite the obvious similarity to the previous model, there are actually quite a few changes here—some on the outside, and of course, one very important one on the inside.

But first, let’s address the elephant in the room.

The inspiration for this watch is quite obvious. We are, of course, looking at a Daytona homage. And, coincidentally—or perhaps not so coincidentally—not long after Rolex updated the Daytona, Sugess introduced an updated version of their own interpretation as well.

And if you’re familiar with the newer Daytona, you’ll probably recognize some of the changes here.

Not all of them, of course, but definitely a few.

One of the more noticeable differences is the bezel construction. On the previous Sugess, the ceramic bezel effectively stood on its own. On the new version, the ceramic insert is now framed by a stainless steel outer edge.

It’s a relatively small change, but side by side it does make the newer watch look a little more refined.

The case shape has also changed quite a bit.

Now, the previous case was ok. But this one is slimmer, thanks in part to the updated movement, and the whole profile feels better sculpted. The lugs curve down more aggressively, and that should translate into a better fit on the wrist.

Then, of course, we have something much more obvious - the exhibition caseback.

Sugess actually offers this watch both with and without it. And I’ll be honest, initially I wasn’t particularly keen on the exhibition version.

In the product pictures, the Peacock chronograph movement looked a little industrial. A little rudimentary, perhaps.

But for the sake of this review, I specifically chose the exhibition caseback because last time, when I reviewed the original version, I actually had to open the watch just to show you the movement.

And I don’t particularly enjoy doing that.

So this time, I thought: exhibition caseback, problem solved.

And now that I have it in person, I’m actually glad I went for it. The movement looks considerably better through the caseback than it does in the product photos. It still has that fairly technical, industrial appearance, but in person it works much better than I expected.

So if you like being able to see the movement, I certainly wouldn’t avoid the exhibition version purely on aesthetic grounds.

There is, however, one caveat.

And it’s something I was slightly surprised to find on a watch at this price point.

It’s not exactly a deal-breaker, but it is, should I say, a little disappointing.

I’ll keep that one for the crystal section, but you may already be able to guess where I’m going with this.

Now, where there were very few changes is actually the bracelet. And that’s not a bad thing at all, because the bracelet on the first version was already very good. This one is just as solid and, in a couple of areas, actually ever so slightly better—as we’ll see when we look at it in more detail later. So Sugess clearly didn’t feel the need to reinvent anything here, and I think that was the right call.

But now we come to probably the biggest change on this entire chronograph. And that is, of course, the movement.

Dimensions

Looking at dimensions, the overall footprint is very similar between the two watches.

Across the bezel, the new model measures 38.8 millimeters, compared with 38.5 millimeters on the previous version. So only fractionally larger, most likely because of that new stainless steel outer ring around the ceramic insert.

Lug width remains 20 millimeters, which is great.

Now, interestingly, the actual lug-to-lug on the new watch is slightly longer at 47.4 millimeters, compared with 46.9 millimeters on the old one.

But once we include the protruding end links, the new version is actually shorter overall: 50.4 millimeters end link to end link, versus 51.5 millimeters on the previous model.

So Sugess has clearly curved those end links down more aggressively, which should improve comfort and make the watch a bit more versatile across different wrist sizes.

Case height is where we see the biggest change.

The old version comes in at around 13.6 to 13.7 millimeters, while the new one, even with the exhibition caseback, measures about 12.6 millimeters.

So we’re shaving off roughly a full millimeter, which is quite significant for an automatic chronograph.

Weight is also down.

On the full bracelet, the new watch weighs 143 grams. Sized for my roughly seven-inch wrist, it comes in at about 134 grams.

The older version, sized for the same wrist, weighs around 145 grams.

So the new one is more than 10 grams lighter on the wrist, with most of that reduction coming from the watch head itself.

All in all, the footprint is familiar, but the new version is slimmer, lighter, and effectively shorter on the wrist where it matters.

Case

When it comes to the case, there are a few meaningful changes.

The first is the bezel construction. The ceramic insert is now framed in stainless steel. I didn’t have any issue with the old setup, but this obviously brings the design more in line with the newer Daytona.

The bigger improvement is the case profile.

The old version was perfectly wearable—I’ve worn mine for years—but it was slightly more top-heavy, with a taller case and flatter lugs.

This new one is noticeably better. The lugs curve down more aggressively, the case follows the wrist more naturally, and combined with the slimmer profile, it simply wears better.

On the right-hand side, things are largely unchanged. We still have crown guards, screw-down pushers and a screw-down crown with the Sugess logo.

One small criticism: the crown threading.

Once engaged, it’s perfectly smooth, but finding that initial engagement point feels slightly rougher than on my old watch.

What helps is an old trick I was actually shown in a Rolex boutique, out of all places: before screwing the crown down, turn it slightly anti-clockwise until you feel the threads settle into alignment, then start turning clockwise. Do that and it works perfectly. Maybe it’ll improve with use, but it is something I noticed compared with my older watch.

Do that here and it screws down very smoothly. Maybe it’ll improve with use, but it is something I noticed compared with my older watch.

Flipping it over, we have the screw-down exhibition caseback with a full view of the Peacock SL4801.

And that brings us to water resistance.

Despite the screw-down crown, pushers and caseback, Sugess only rates this at 50 metres.

Personally, I wouldn’t choose a mechanical chronograph like this for swimming anyway, but it’s still a little conservative.

For normal everyday splashes, absolutely fine.

For swimming, I’d treat that 50-metre rating with caution.

Crystal

As for the crystal, we have a perfectly flat sapphire crystal with a decent amount of anti-reflective coating.

There’s a nice bevel around the edge, and it sits ever so slightly proud of the bezel. So, very simple, very effective, and of course highly scratch resistant.

Now, talking about scratch resistance, if we flip the watch over, things get a little more disappointing.

Because with an exhibition caseback on a watch sitting somewhere around the mid-$400 to nearly $500 mark, I was expecting sapphire here as well.

But it isn’t.

The exhibition window is mineral glass.

Not a deal-breaker by any means, and of course you can choose the closed caseback version and avoid the issue altogether. But if you do want the exhibition back, just keep in mind that you’re not getting a full sapphire sandwich here.

And at this price point, I do think that’s a little underwhelming.

Dial

Yes — your sub-dial layout is correct and matches the current Daytona arrangement: running seconds at 6, 30-minute chronograph counter at 3, and 12-hour chronograph counter at 9.

Dial & Lume

Jumping to the dial, and there are quite a few positives here.

We still have that nice enamel-style background, applied hour markers, and very well-finished facets throughout. Overall, the execution is really strong.

The layout is also very practical. We have running seconds at 6 o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3, and a 12-hour counter at 9, with the central chronograph seconds hand doing the main timing duties.

So you can time up to 12 hours continuously, while still having good granularity from that 30-minute register.

Now, one area where the old version was definitely lacking was the lume.

It was mediocre, to put it politely.

The new version is considerably better.

I put the two side by side, and while the difference doesn’t come across quite as dramatically on camera, in person it is very obvious. The new Sugess charges much more easily and the indices can even start glowing just moving from a bright area into a darker room.

The old one simply didn’t do that.

So yes, definite improvement here — and probably one of the more underrated upgrades on this new version.

Bracelet & Wearability

As I mentioned earlier, the bracelet is very similar to the previous version—which is good news because that bracelet was already very well done.

We still have the Oyster-style architecture with polished centre links, brushed outer links, and polished sides. The transitions are nicely defined, tolerances are excellent, and the integration with the case is arguably slightly better than before.

The links are connected with screws, so sizing is straightforward. And despite all those polished surfaces, my older bracelet has actually held up surprisingly well over several years of regular wear.

And despite all those polished surfaces, my older bracelet has actually held up surprisingly well over the years. Under a macro lens, of course, every little mark suddenly looks dramatic, but in normal use it has been quite tolerant to scratches.

There’s a nice taper from 20 millimeters at the lugs to around 15.5 at the clasp.

The clasp itself is almost identical to the old one, although we now have Sugess branding on the inside. Quality is very good—solid, nicely machined and satisfyingly tactile.

We also have that approximately 5-millimeter extension. It’s not a proper on-the-fly micro-adjustment system, but it does give you enough extra room to loosen the bracelet quickly when needed.

Would I prefer a true on-the-fly adjustment at this price? Yes. But this gets us part of the way there.

And wearability is excellent.

The old version was slightly taller and a little top-heavy. This one sits flatter, feels better balanced, and with those more aggressively curved end links, it is noticeably more comfortable on the wrist.

Verdict

And that, of course, brings us to the verdict.

So where do we stand with this one?

Well, first of all, this isn’t a cheap watch. Sugess generally delivers very consistent quality, but at this price I would still recommend checking everything properly as soon as it arrives. Make sure the chronograph operates correctly, the crown and pushers feel right, everything resets properly, and there are no obvious QC issues. If something is wrong, deal with it within the applicable AliExpress return window rather than putting it off.

Now, assuming everything is as it should be, yes—the new version is the better watch.

But I also have to give the old one quite a lot of credit. I’ve worn mine regularly for several years, I certainly haven’t babied it, and it has been extremely dependable.

And that means the older version still makes sense if you can find one at a substantially lower price.

Because you’re not getting a completely different watch here. The bracelet is broadly similar, both have Peacock automatic chronograph movements, and both give you sapphire, ceramic and stainless steel construction with very similar overall styling.

So if you find the old version at, say, half the price, I certainly wouldn’t dismiss it.

But everything being equal, I’d take the new one.

The SL4801 movement is more sophisticated, the case is slimmer and lighter, the ergonomics are better, the lume has improved, and overall it simply feels like a more refined version of an already very good watch.

And if you do decide to go for one, I’d definitely try to time the purchase around one of the larger AliExpress sales. I’ll leave the current discount codes in the description—they can take roughly up to 15% off, and on a watch at this price, that can make a meaningful difference.

For me, having lived with the original for years, this feels like a worthwhile evolution rather than change for the sake of change.

But that’s my take.

What do you reckon? Would you save the rather substantial amount required for the Rolex Daytona, or would something like this scratch that chronograph itch perfectly well?

Let me know in the comments below.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe if you haven’t already. Thank you for watching, take care, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Movement

And this is probably the biggest upgrade on the new watch. The previous Sugess also used an automatic Peacock chronograph movement, but that calibre was heavily inspired by the traditional Valjoux 7750 architecture.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a proven design that has been around for decades and used by plenty of established Swiss manufacturers.

But it does come with a couple of characteristics.

First, it’s quite a tall movement, which naturally results in thicker watches. And secondly, the rotor can be fairly audible. My original Sugess isn’t particularly noisy, but put the two side by side and you can definitely hear more going on inside the old one.

Other than that, though, mine has been very reliable and has performed really well over the years.

The new movement is quite a different animal.

This is the Peacock SL4801. And while I’ve seen people describe it as some sort of direct copy of the modern Rolex Daytona calibre, I don’t think that’s really accurate.

It does share some of the same modern chronograph architecture, but those are features we also see from other higher-end Swiss and Japanese manufacturers.

I'm talking about features like a column wheel and a vertical clutch. The vertical clutch gives us a smoother start to the chronograph seconds hand, while the column wheel gives the pushers that more positive, tactile action.

And because this is an integrated chronograph movement designed from the ground up for the job, it is also considerably more compact.

Which, of course, is one of the reasons this new Sugess is slimmer.

It still runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 hertz, and Peacock quotes around 55 to 60 hours of power reserve, which is a useful improvement.

Now, when I first received this watch, before I even removed all the stickers, I put it straight onto the timegrapher.

The old Sugess has always performed very well, so I was curious whether I had simply been lucky once.

And... apparently I might have been lucky twice.

Because this particular SL4801 is performing extremely well.

I don’t know whether Sugess regulates these individually, but the result here is very impressive.

And this isn’t actually my first SL4801 either. I also have the San Martin automatic chronograph using the same movement, and that one has been performing very nicely too.

So, so far, I’ve had a very positive experience with this calibre.

Any criticism? Mechanically, not much.

But aesthetically, especially with the exhibition caseback, I think Sugess could have done a little more.

The movement looks better in person than it does in the product pictures, but the rotor is still very industrial.

And at this price point, even some fairly simple decoration would make a big difference. We’ve seen less expensive watches from brands like Tophill and Farasute doing much more with movement presentation.

So if Sugess dressed up that rotor a little, I think the exhibition caseback would become a much easier choice.

Maybe one for the next upgrade.

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