Hey guys! I just received mine today and it was totally worth it! First of all, I have to say I was amazed by watchdives customer service! Unprecedented! I purchased the sapphire version with the black dial from watchdives's website and the watch arrived 3 days earlier than scheduled! Also, to my surprise, they sent me an email before shipment, asking me whether I wanted them to declare a lower value for the watch in order to reduce import taxes if any! Wow! As for the watch itself, really high quality, excellent finishing, and perfect fit for my 7 inch wrist! Strangely, as you already mentioned in the video, it doesn't wear small at all and wears more like a 38 or 39mm watch, sitting comfortably on my wrist. I don't know what it is, but I think the long lugs, the fact that the watch "hugs" nicely the top of your wrist and the boxed sapphire crystal, gives the impression of a slightly larger watch. Very comfortable, elegant and classy Gada watch in my opinion! I strongly recommended it!!
I hear you about the glass .... but I think that we are forgetting that the rest of the watch is also not sapphire. A bit too much focus on that it seems. Why am I saying this is ? It strikes me that everytime someone says that the AD2030 (which I really really like) doesn't have sapphire glass. I tend to wear watches for a couple of weeks and swap them (or swap for special occasions). I also clean them every couple of days, just a quick wipe down. There is absolutely not a single scratch on the glass of my AD2030 but last time I noticed a small nick in the bezel right next to the glass. It is so small and on top that it does not bother me (a bit now that I know about it). But the glass is still perfect. Maybe if the watch itself is made out of titanium, and all of it, I would say that I would seriously want sapphire glass.
I was torn between this and the Addiesdive, despite the latter being considerably cheaper I went for the Watchdives purely because of the logo, it's so much better. I hope they stick with it going forwards.
I have two, both keep excellent time, but one has backlash in the gears that drive the minute hand so it flops back and forth half a minute. It's a very annoying fault, I really hope it is an unusual problem.
Sapphire is more scratch resistant and we love it for this reason. Though, more shatter prone. Isn't it best for flat crystals having less chances to be bumped from side? Then I'd say go for flat sapphire and domed mineral (K1, other treated variants). Or I'm missing something?
Excellent reviews with your channel by you one top notch host my friend that I admire. The quartz movement is good but as you know I do not purchase any more battery running movement ..!
I've got the black dial (sapphire) and the cream (mineral) dial versions and I like them very much. I like the new logo. I won't buy San Martin, Tactical Frog, Addiesdive and others because I really dislike their logos - and the same models are being made available by lots of other brands. (Personal opinion). Also, SM are great watches and were once head and shoulders above the rest, but now.... no longer the case (get it...?). The factories are getting better, finer finishing methods are universally available now and QC is much better. To me SM are very expensive for what you get. I'd rather have this $120 WatchDives than any of the current SM's including their original designs.
@astrobusa Thanks for sharing! I agree that the quality across a lot of brands has gotten better and the competition is a bit tougher now, which keeps the prices at bay :-) - so consumers (hopefully :-) ) should benefit.
For simple designs like these, yeah, you can get the best bang for your buck with this brand, as most of the cost is for the finishing. However, San Martin with their more premium offerings are more than worth it, the new clasps, bracelets, and dials are worth the extra money, which during sales isn't that much more; as their 0129 range is in the 160-170usd range, they also make budget, models that aren't budget watches, just a larger order of one model of the watch, usually black with pin & collar links and non-micro-adjust clasp (still better quality than anything the lesser brands can offer). So I definitely think san martin, for some options are the best buy, then cronos, seestern, rimalti, IXdao, and SH.
Not a fan of the logo to be honest but it’s a great watch. Wished they would have made it automatic. Not a fan of quartz movement even though this is a great seiko movement
Good looking watch! Id take the $20 bump for sapphire - its still very affordable. Looks like most feel the same as the sapphire version is sold out on Ali.
@@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo I don't even understand what you mean by that, do you think everyone have to like G-Shocks or you are proving some point or something?
@@CoolWatchesOnly I wrote 'for example'. Saphire breaks more easily than acrylic and K1 mineral, is a fingerprint magnet and needs a good ARC. It certainly has its use if you use the same watch daily for a long time but I guess most people here use several watches.
I have the previous version (WD1950S) with black dial and gilt hands/indices that I bought used and I am VERY happy with it. I had no problem with the old logo but the new one is a slight improvement. The brushing of the case and bracelet is too fine but, as I said, it is a 2nd hand watch so the previous owner may have messed with it. I have seen 3 reviews of this WD1016 and they have all had the mineral crystal. This is a pity as I would really like to know if the sapphire is also domed ("boxed"/"top-hat") or if it is completely flat? Knowing this would help buyers decide whether to upgrade as it will change the look of the dial. I own the 1960S and a WD7922 "BB" homage (gilt hands + red pip) and they have become my favourite aliexpress watches. They look fantastic, are very well made plus the VH31 movement just cannot be beaten once you figure out how much "slop" they have when trying to set them accurately. Once this is done you will only have to reset 2x per year when the clocks change 🙄.
Because it's only been a few years since the boom of Chinese specials, and watch brands got established. For a while Pagani/Parnes was the pinnacle of Aliexpress offerings.
@@mikejoseph8392 No it's not. Ben from Ben's Watch Club did scratch testing on different types of crystals and hardlex turned out to be marginally stronger than regular glass. Nowhere near sapphire.
Sapphire over Mineral for me, but that's purely based on my experience. Never had a sapphire crystal shatter in 23 years of commercial and saturation diving as a daily job.
Thank you for the video! I just ordered the sapphire version, since it's only 20$ more... Do you know if the sapphire crystal is flat or curved like the mineral crystal? I mean, do both versions look exactly the same? Thank you! 🙏
I would like to see more watchmakers offer the Seiko Quartz sweep movements in their more 'upscale' offerings, or at least offer the option of the movements across their product line. Why? Let me count the ways; #1- cheaper, #2- thinner #3-lighter, #4- more reliable, and #5- tougher. About 40% of the movements in my automatic watches (all Chinese made) have crapped out, some within months. That is unacceptable, but this would be the fix... please, 'Just Do It"!
This bracelet is way way better than anything from addiesdive under 100$ , especially ad2030 and others under 55$ . They put all their money effort in the case , and put bellow average bracelet, completely reasonable for the price , cause those models look even better on leather or NATO. I have Pagani 1734 and 1731 same situation, they look 10x better on anything else than steel bracelet
A compact watch with big dial is perfect! It does not wear bigger, it is good to read!!! Also, I do not like domed crystals at all! I do not care about "pretty" reflections and optical effects, and I want my watches to be clear and easy to read! ONLY flat crystals will do that, because they do not catch glare and reflections from every direction, unlike domed crystals. Sadly, makers are adding dome crystals, thanks to influencers touting the "pretty" reflections and lensing effects. I wear glasses now, and at 60, my eyes are not what they used to be! I have a beautiful 36mm Tandorio 70's MoD W10 CWC tonneau body homage, but it suffers from the domed crystal, just like the Pagani Newman's Own Daytona PD 1676 (these stingy sellers did not even include a Newman's Own salad dressing bottle!), and I wear neither. Instead, my Tandorio flat crystal 39mm W10/Flieger-A homage is my daily wear piece, with my 42mm Glycine Airman Contemporary GL0463 also much worn. The Glycine has a very subtly domed crystal, and with its 42mm case, it is almost flat, so it has a very small reflection-catcher effect, almost none! I was young not too long ago, and I had eagle-eyes, but I always preferred no-nonsense gadgets! Where are watches for Waldorf and Statler types like me? BOOOOOHH!!!
Can Watch Dives make this with their old logo? This one's so bad I'd be embarrassed to be seen wearing it 😬 [Clasp looks fine, crown looks fine - but it just looks sloppily done on the dial (lines too thick maybe?) - and that's the part I'll really be looking at. Might work better with an applied logo, like on San Martin & Erebus watches]
Am I the only one seeing how unbalanced the minute and hour hands are? The minute hand is so much chunkier and looks like it belongs on a different watch...
The difference between these movements is with the Nh35 you will be adjusting the time every week or less, a stupid inaccurate movement and afraid of magnets. While the Vh31 is far more reliable, forget about it for years and less than a dollar for a new battery
@HuyPham-io4vu Your comment definitely sparked a conversation 😁 The 'set and forget' concept of the VH31 for this particular watch is very attractive for me. Although it doesn't mean that I would be happy with quartz in every other watch style 🙂
Hey guys!
I just received mine today and it was totally worth it!
First of all, I have to say I was amazed by watchdives customer service! Unprecedented!
I purchased the sapphire version with the black dial from watchdives's website and the watch arrived 3 days earlier than scheduled!
Also, to my surprise, they sent me an email before shipment, asking me whether I wanted them to declare a lower value for the watch in order to reduce import taxes if any! Wow!
As for the watch itself, really high quality, excellent finishing, and perfect fit for my 7 inch wrist!
Strangely, as you already mentioned in the video, it doesn't wear small at all and wears more like a 38 or 39mm watch, sitting comfortably on my wrist.
I don't know what it is, but I think the long lugs, the fact that the watch "hugs" nicely the top of your wrist and the boxed sapphire crystal, gives the impression of a slightly larger watch.
Very comfortable, elegant and classy Gada watch in my opinion!
I strongly recommended it!!
I hear you about the glass .... but I think that we are forgetting that the rest of the watch is also not sapphire. A bit too much focus on that it seems. Why am I saying this is ? It strikes me that everytime someone says that the AD2030 (which I really really like) doesn't have sapphire glass. I tend to wear watches for a couple of weeks and swap them (or swap for special occasions). I also clean them every couple of days, just a quick wipe down. There is absolutely not a single scratch on the glass of my AD2030 but last time I noticed a small nick in the bezel right next to the glass. It is so small and on top that it does not bother me (a bit now that I know about it). But the glass is still perfect.
Maybe if the watch itself is made out of titanium, and all of it, I would say that I would seriously want sapphire glass.
@Luke-san Thank you for your feedback! 🙂👍I also have mineral glass watches that lasted for years and still look ok, not perfect but good enough 😁
Same here, mineral on 2030 gives it a better, softer, warmer look from certain angles
I was torn between this and the Addiesdive, despite the latter being considerably cheaper I went for the Watchdives purely because of the logo, it's so much better. I hope they stick with it going forwards.
I have this watch with the black dial and sapphire crystal...and I highly recommend it to ALL!
speaking of VH31, i have 2 watches with that one, and they lost 0 seconds in the last 6 months.
@@alexanderzheliazkov6984 good movements. Only issue I've found is battery life. Granted, cheap and easy to replace.
I have two, both keep excellent time, but one has backlash in the gears that drive the minute hand so it flops back and forth half a minute. It's a very annoying fault, I really hope it is an unusual problem.
Beautiful watch. They should also make a 39mm one.
Looks so neat and clean. Love the only black dial too. Very nice.
Sapphire is more scratch resistant and we love it for this reason. Though, more shatter prone. Isn't it best for flat crystals having less chances to be bumped from side? Then I'd say go for flat sapphire and domed mineral (K1, other treated variants). Or I'm missing something?
I just got this same one in the sunray brown dial! I love it
@Jelloc Thanks you for watching! 🙂👍
Excellent reviews with your channel by you one top notch host my friend that I admire. The quartz movement is good but as you know I do not purchase any more battery running movement ..!
I've got the black dial (sapphire) and the cream (mineral) dial versions and I like them very much. I like the new logo. I won't buy San Martin, Tactical Frog, Addiesdive and others because I really dislike their logos - and the same models are being made available by lots of other brands. (Personal opinion). Also, SM are great watches and were once head and shoulders above the rest, but now.... no longer the case (get it...?). The factories are getting better, finer finishing methods are universally available now and QC is much better. To me SM are very expensive for what you get. I'd rather have this $120 WatchDives than any of the current SM's including their original designs.
@astrobusa Thanks for sharing! I agree that the quality across a lot of brands has gotten better and the competition is a bit tougher now, which keeps the prices at bay :-) - so consumers (hopefully :-) ) should benefit.
Cronos makes the nicest version of this watch imho
For simple designs like these, yeah, you can get the best bang for your buck with this brand, as most of the cost is for the finishing. However, San Martin with their more premium offerings are more than worth it, the new clasps, bracelets, and dials are worth the extra money, which during sales isn't that much more; as their 0129 range is in the 160-170usd range, they also make budget, models that aren't budget watches, just a larger order of one model of the watch, usually black with pin & collar links and non-micro-adjust clasp (still better quality than anything the lesser brands can offer). So I definitely think san martin, for some options are the best buy, then cronos, seestern, rimalti, IXdao, and SH.
In other words, you’re too tight to spend the extra on a San Martin 😂
Not a fan of the logo to be honest but it’s a great watch. Wished they would have made it automatic. Not a fan of quartz movement even though this is a great seiko movement
Good looking watch! Id take the $20 bump for sapphire - its still very affordable. Looks like most feel the same as the sapphire version is sold out on Ali.
It's ridiculous to only recommend watches with saphire crystal.
@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo I love the look of K1, however for only extra $20 extra Sapphire seems like a great option. Thank you for watching! 🙂👍
For me it is ridiculous not to, some cheaper ones might have a pass but on anything about 100 bucks or about, no no
@@CoolWatchesOnly Then a G-Shock, for example, is not for you, I guess.
@@Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo I don't even understand what you mean by that, do you think everyone have to like G-Shocks or you are proving some point or something?
@@CoolWatchesOnly I wrote 'for example'. Saphire breaks more easily than acrylic and K1 mineral, is a fingerprint magnet and needs a good ARC. It certainly has its use if you use the same watch daily for a long time but I guess most people here use several watches.
I have the previous version (WD1950S) with black dial and gilt hands/indices that I bought used and I am VERY happy with it. I had no problem with the old logo but the new one is a slight improvement. The brushing of the case and bracelet is too fine but, as I said, it is a 2nd hand watch so the previous owner may have messed with it. I have seen 3 reviews of this WD1016 and they have all had the mineral crystal. This is a pity as I would really like to know if the sapphire is also domed ("boxed"/"top-hat") or if it is completely flat? Knowing this would help buyers decide whether to upgrade as it will change the look of the dial.
I own the 1960S and a WD7922 "BB" homage (gilt hands + red pip) and they have become my favourite aliexpress watches. They look fantastic, are very well made plus the VH31 movement just cannot be beaten once you figure out how much "slop" they have when trying to set them accurately. Once this is done you will only have to reset 2x per year when the clocks change 🙄.
@ccooper8785 Thank you for your feedback! Very interesting point about the crystal, I hope WD takes it into account for future releases 🙂
I dont know. Seiko got by all these years with mineral crystals.
@violinmke Good point!
Hardlex is much more scratch resistant than mineral.
Because it's only been a few years since the boom of Chinese specials, and watch brands got established.
For a while Pagani/Parnes was the pinnacle of Aliexpress offerings.
@@mikejoseph8392 not on my beaters, they are horribly crazed with sctratches
@@mikejoseph8392 No it's not. Ben from Ben's Watch Club did scratch testing on different types of crystals and hardlex turned out to be marginally stronger than regular glass. Nowhere near sapphire.
Sapphire over Mineral for me, but that's purely based on my experience. Never had a sapphire crystal shatter in 23 years of commercial and saturation diving as a daily job.
Not too shabby at all
Thank you for the excellent review of this fantastic watch.
For less money you can get Addiesdive explorer with sapphire glass...Same VK31 movement. Old logo was better
Addiesdive logo/brand name sucks hard tho
Thank you for the video!
I just ordered the sapphire version, since it's only 20$ more...
Do you know if the sapphire crystal is flat or curved like the mineral crystal?
I mean, do both versions look exactly the same?
Thank you! 🙏
Looks great
@stillben Thank you for watching! 🙂 👍
The case and crystal looks identical to my ADDIESDIVE AD2030. I have 2 of those with the coffee and blue sand dials. Don't need another.
I would like to see more watchmakers offer the Seiko Quartz sweep movements in their more 'upscale' offerings, or at least offer the option of the movements across their product line. Why? Let me count the ways; #1- cheaper, #2- thinner #3-lighter, #4- more reliable, and #5- tougher. About 40% of the movements in my automatic watches (all Chinese made) have crapped out, some within months. That is unacceptable, but this would be the fix... please, 'Just Do It"!
The bracelet can it be compared with de addisdive bracelet? Thank you
This bracelet is way way better than anything from addiesdive under 100$ , especially ad2030 and others under 55$ . They put all their money effort in the case , and put bellow average bracelet, completely reasonable for the price , cause those models look even better on leather or NATO. I have Pagani 1734 and 1731 same situation, they look 10x better on anything else than steel bracelet
A compact watch with big dial is perfect! It does not wear bigger, it is good to read!!!
Also, I do not like domed crystals at all!
I do not care about "pretty" reflections and optical effects, and I want my watches to be clear and easy to read!
ONLY flat crystals will do that, because they do not catch glare and reflections from every direction, unlike domed crystals. Sadly, makers are adding dome crystals, thanks to influencers touting the "pretty" reflections and lensing effects. I wear glasses now, and at 60, my eyes are not what they used to be! I have a beautiful 36mm Tandorio 70's MoD W10 CWC tonneau body homage, but it suffers from the domed crystal, just like the Pagani Newman's Own Daytona PD 1676 (these stingy sellers did not even include a Newman's Own salad dressing bottle!), and I wear neither.
Instead, my Tandorio flat crystal 39mm W10/Flieger-A homage is my daily wear piece, with my 42mm Glycine Airman Contemporary GL0463 also much worn. The Glycine has a very subtly domed crystal, and with its 42mm case, it is almost flat, so it has a very small reflection-catcher effect, almost none!
I was young not too long ago, and I had eagle-eyes, but I always preferred no-nonsense gadgets!
Where are watches for Waldorf and Statler types like me?
BOOOOOHH!!!
Look same as Addiesdive AD2112.
For me, where a watch is made has become paramount to a purchase decision.
In what aspect San Martin's Explorer would be better?
Am I the only one which do no like this new logo? 🤷♂️ All else is really beautifuly done.❤ Great review as always. 😊
Can Watch Dives make this with their old logo? This one's so bad I'd be embarrassed to be seen wearing it 😬
[Clasp looks fine, crown looks fine - but it just looks sloppily done on the dial (lines too thick maybe?) - and that's the part I'll really be looking at. Might work better with an applied logo, like on San Martin & Erebus watches]
New logo looks like Club Med logo homage
Am I the only one seeing how unbalanced the minute and hour hands are? The minute hand is so much chunkier and looks like it belongs on a different watch...
I don't necessarily disagree with you but it's like that because the Rolex Explorer it's based on is the same.
Hello ! The old WatcDives Logo was much much better !!! I don't like this new Logo
I - Don't - Like - The - New - Logo😢
Resembles so much of the coat of arms of Ukraine.
@@bfair6284 Slava Ukraini!
Tired of quartz, put in a nh35 and I’m happy.
The difference between these movements is with the Nh35 you will be adjusting the time every week or less, a stupid inaccurate movement and afraid of magnets.
While the Vh31 is far more reliable, forget about it for years and less than a dollar for a new battery
I'll take my HRUODLAND F016 seagull custom turbine over just about everything. That mechanical movement is extremely accurate.
There are several versions from competitors if you want an automatic (SM, Baltany and Cronos for example)
Pagani do one with sapphire and nh35 (just had their shield logo too)
@HuyPham-io4vu Your comment definitely sparked a conversation 😁 The 'set and forget' concept of the VH31 for this particular watch is very attractive for me. Although it doesn't mean that I would be happy with quartz in every other watch style 🙂
To small