烟台北极星钟表（集团）有限公司 — Yantai Polaris Clock and Watch (Group) Co., Ltd.

Polaris before the wristwatch: the industrial clock story behind Tang Xiping

The government heritage account traces the business tradition to Li Dongshan (李东山), who founded 宝时造钟厂, Baoshi Clock Factory, on Yantai’s Chaoyang Street in 1915. The 1915 factory origin is a heritage predecessor claim, not evidence that the presently named corporate entity was legally incorporated in 1915.

The heritage record describes clockmaking that combines movement and exterior-component production, assembly, precision machining and handcraft. China Horologe Association lists Tang Xiping (唐西平) with 烟台北极星国有控股有限公司 and recognized him as a second-cohort mechanical-clock-movement design master in 2015.

The association credits Tang with leading the 2009 BY(G) three-tune, twelve-note striking floor-clock and SY eight-note striking floor-clock movement projects. For the 2009 high-grade mechanical tourbillon-clock project, the association identifies Tang as the third credited designer, not the sole inventor or a wristwatch-tourbillon maker.

Economic Herald reports that 60% state equity was offered in November 2022 and Peacock Watch (Group), 孔雀表业（集团）有限公司, became the controlling investor; the Polaris company was renamed after the restructuring. The same report gives ownership after an August 2023 capital increase as Peacock 63.5% and Guofeng Holdings (国丰控股) 36.5%; these are dated 2023 figures, not verified September 2026 holdings. 1345

The work and why it matters

Yantai Polaris resolves to the clock-and-watch business identified in current government heritage material as 烟台北极星钟表（集团）有限公司, with 北极星 / Polaris as its brand identity. The former state-holding name and the later company name refer to different periods of the business; an old association affiliation must not be read as proof of wholly state-owned status today.

A July 2026 association notice reports public programming at Yantai Polaris Clock and Watch Museum; it establishes museum activity, not current factory output or corporate shareholdings. The polaris.cn domain was indexed under the group’s Chinese identity, but direct retrieval timed out during this research; site availability and present production were not verified by that access attempt. 12536

People, production and attribution

The manufacturing and award records support a horological manufacturer/group classification, while Tang’s cited technical work is specifically on clocks and clock movements. 14