I'm honestly super happy that a lot of the Chinese homage brands have decided to start moving into making their own unique designs. Now it's not just the strong specs that carry the brands, but also interesting designs. I'm really looking forwards to where they're going to go.
I saw a response to the unique design. This is a homage to the GS evo spring drive so not their own design but I own two San Martin watches and I love them. The quality and value for money is unbeatable in the watch world and love to wear them Instead of my expensive pieces as I’m scared to scratch them. I suggest everyone looks into San Martin. They are great
A few years ago I had a conversation with a watchmaker for a major Australian retailer. He told me about visiting watch factories in China and seeing all the *genuine* 'Swiss Made' watches being made. They are then sent to Switzerland to have the movement fitted. 'Swiss Made' is a deceptive legal definition that refers to the value of labour in the movement. It does NOT mean a watch is made in Switzerland.
Thailand is also a place where Swiss made watches are born. I discovered Citizen Promaster series Radio controled Sky Pilot. Have model CB5000-50L for 5 years on my hand. No need for battery change and it is being syncronised every evening at 1:30 trough Radio signal. Finish is actually good quality. I am not sure if they are 100% Japan made but the quality is there.
A friend of mine owns the Rital chain of watch stores in Bulgaria - they have things manufactured in China by the thousands per design and you just specify the quality you want. You want Patek Philip quality they will do it - it will be 100% by automated machine, but it will be that quality for $300 to $500 a unit. Even if the watch is made in Switzerland the question is - how much is now automated...??? And the answer is - almost everything. Only the top models now have ansy significant hand work in them.
Can you give some examples of brands and the parts of the watch, because this just sounds like one of those things people tell them selfs so they feel better about not being able to afford a genuine watch. All of the “Swiss made” watches I own have movements made in house along with the rest of the watch.
A: because making quality watches these days is fairly cheap, people have just been brainwashed into thinking they have to be expensive to be high quality because of the insane markups that some brands add.
The reality is that swiss manufacturers pay their people better. Cheap watch brands then charge similar prices to appear high quality without improving working conditions of the factories supplying them. The more money you spend on a quality watch, the more likely the worker is treated fairly. This isn’t always the case and that is where research is important. Seiko outsources production and yet demands such high asking prices for pieces like the willard without upping QC
@@ailestriker9888most swiss made watches also source most their parts from chinese factories. they are just assembled in switerland, especially the affordable brands like tissot and swatch
and still brainwashed $5k+ watch 'connoisseur' will tell you their 'assembled in Switzerland' shitter is better because it has 'heritage' and a 'noble movement' lmao
I love the fact that big youtubers are noticing the existence of good chinese watches (other than "Time for another watch", that has been doing it for a while). Everytime I see a video about "the most affordable watches out there" I can't help but think "yeah, it might be for americans/europeans, but in Brazil those are still expensive af", and chinese watches has always been our way of using nice watches for a price we can actually pay.
I'd ask the thumbnail's question the other way. How on Earth are luxury watches (which are mostly made in China and assembled in Switzerland with a Swiss movement) so expensive? The answer of course is the brand. The point though is that in terms of everything else physical/ tangible about the product, the gap between these and entry luxury is now tiny. I remember when this SM came out last year; I bought it straight away. Even for SM it was a game changer.
when I bought my first Rolex - a sub in 1992 - the gap between that at £1850 and a £100 watch as a vast GULF. NOW the gap between a £10,000 Rolex and a £100 watch is negligible. Im kinda at the point of thinking its simply NOT in any way justifiable cos we all know they are made by the same machines - you can buy a Chinese "rolex" or a Swiss "Rolex" one is $300 one id $30,000 and they are made on the SAME machine from the same materials.
@@piccalillipit9211can you show me the proof of it? That they are the same material and the same movement. No, not a fan of Rolex. I consider its design ugly. So, no, i don't buy Chinese Rolex (that use the same design) either. Just curious with the statement.
@@victorutomo7244 I dont watch them - But there are videos of watch collectors / sellers comparing "Chinese clones" in microscopic detail. China is starting to make high quality watches under their own name now, like the ones in this video. They will start of dirt cheap - like Japanese cars did - and as they get a reputation they wil increase in price, then they will launch the luxury brands etc. So the days of the Chinese fakes is - I believe - drawing to a close.
@@victorutomo7244 The Swiss began outsourcing production to Hong Kong in the early 1960s. Many of the clone manufacturers have been making genuine parts for Swiss luxury watches for decades. They use exactly the same equipment and materials. Rolex movements are extremely outdated (based on 120 year old Aegler designs) and massively overrated. There is no reason why anybody would bother to copy them.
I have the white San Martin, it's shockingly high quality for the price. In fact, some aspects of it are better than I have on any of my watches and I have watches that are multiples of tens of times more expensive. For example, the butter-smooth screw-down crown, I have a Doxa and a couple of ORIS divers that can't come even close to the smoothness of this San Martin... And then, there's the dial, it's stunning!
@@NCSheriff7 I don't think San Martin needs to pay random commenters to praise their products - they are already paying much bigger content creators for that, a positive comment wouldn't make a blip on their radar - but you do you. Whether you believe it or not, this particular model of theirs is an awesome watch for the money that they're asking for (I got the aventurine version as well since then) and if somebody wants to pay me for saying that I'd gladly take their money. Can't say the same about other models, tho, their lack of originality is on par with the shockingly high quality so I never felt inclined to get anything else from them.
My takeaway is just how good these brands are getting. I am reminded about how much quartz movements disrupted the Swiss watch industry decades past. Quartz movements work well for me. I just want to know the current time.
I recently bought an Addiesdive MM300 homage for €105,- and it is incredible value for money. Build quality is great, lumen is insane and it's quicky become my favorite watch, also being by far the cheapest. I don't know how they do it but there it is.
Huge fan of the Seiko sweep second meca quartz movements. I have so many automatics, it's nice to have a grab and go that doesn't tick an ugly once per second
I’m pretty certain this addiesdive and wave style dial has been around for a few years. When San Martin introduced theirs it seemed budget focused watch channels had either ignored or weren’t aware of other way cheaper watches with this feature. JOMW for example mentioned that Chinese brands are now starting to work on dial designs when less popular channels and sales numbers on this addiesdive and suggess would tell you it started happening earlier than now. In a similar way when CW released their new aventurine moonphase, the hype train jumped on aventurine/moonphase combos with the CW being heralded as a rare gem. Sugess and other Chinese brands have had aventurine and moonphase for a few years - yeah the cw design is cool, but what’s being offered isn’t rare or expensive to implement at all. All that said, I wish budget channels would do a better job of finding these “hidden gems” earlier or at least exposing the fact that some of the “rare” design features have been done cheaply for a good while.
my favorite budget watch channel is Escape Wheel watch Reviews, he has hundreds of aliexpres watch reviews, clear and simple tells and shows you everything you need to know.
I have a bunch of Addie's..Tandorios and Heimdallr. Huge bang for less than 80 bucks..ceramic bezel..sapphire..nh35 engine..stainless steel 316 case and strap. What more you want ? 😂
I own the same (sand waves) and buy at the same price some months ago Very nice and the quartz movement is not bad at all .. in fact better than more expensive quartz watches (+ 6 sec/month)
Have the smaller addiesdive, and it's great. I was hesitant about the small dial / strap but glad I went for it, because as a dress watch it totally works. It looks neat, rather than small.
I ordered one of these AD2030 with the blue dial and it just showed up yesterday. I got lucky and picked it up for $40 USD, the prices have gone up since then. It is everything your video says it is--the only negative I've found is that the laser-etched caseback is a little rough to the touch, but you don't feel the roughness on your wrist. I've wanted a VH31 for a while, thank you for the tip!
From yourself and other Utubers, I jumped on the Ali Ex wagon and grabbed a few timepieces. Lots of nods to Addiesdive and Pagani, but I think you need to give I&W some recognition. Just grabbed the 'Carnival' in green with day/date at 3. Lovely butterfly bracelet with markings, 3 link with center pollished, end links in matt. Crown is marked but needs to be a little larger - maybe with guards. Thanks x
Aliexpress and san martin, etc, offer crazy value. I'm not a "luxury" watch buyer, but I own a decent number of "swiss" watches, which at retail are all over $500 and my few aliexpress watches are finished as nice or nicer than them all. It's pretty incredible what you can get from brands with low labor, design, and advertising costs.
got my 39mm with the white dial on the 3-link "Bader" bracelet watch on MaMaCoo 3 weeks ago and am loving it to pieces. Absolute fantastic watch that wears super comfortable on my 6.75 inch wrist. Chose the 3-link over the 5-link bracelet for the toolless quick adjustment. Way more comfortable than my Longines Hydroconquest 41 mm.
Very nice reviews of these watches! I don't know if you'll see this comment, but here's a couple of hopefully helpful notes: the sand dune dial design seems to most closely resemble to Grand Seiko's "Lake Suwa" model, although it still seems distinct enough to be its own thing. Also, aventurine is a mineral, but what's used for watch dials is actually aventurine glass (also called goldstone). Ir's regular glass with pigment and tiny flakes of different metals added in for that glittering, dancing night sky effect.
I brought the brown version. I can't believe how well made it is for the money. There really are King Seiko vibes. I slung mine on a leather strap and it looks fantastic and is very thin and comfortable. It was meant to be a beater but I'm currently preferring it to watches 10x the price. I've now decided to buy the blue version. Never thought I'd buy two different colour options for the same watch. Only downside is the crystal will probably scratch if abused.
Guys I have the blue one and it's really nice, just know that a lot of the time the pattern on the dial is quite hard to see... even when I point it out to people they still can't see it - but still it's really nice and got a few compliments from it!
To me the San Martin (and it's amazing, especially for the money!) is homaging the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 GMT. Specifically the SBGE285. This is not bad thing, actually it's really good because Grand Seiko have been doing amazing stuff for some time and deserve more credit!
One thing San Martin has been doing that's refreshing is taking a good homage(Like their Mistflake) and experimenting with it to sort of 'make it their own'.
@@scytherind8928 you are 100% right. I have the grey brushed dial and it's def influenced by the mistflake but not an exact copy. There are enough differences to call it it's own thing which I really like.
Just got mine. 34ukp delivered in nice tough plastic case. Links removed with use of supplied tool. Comfortable on my small wrist. Excellent. Cheers Ben !
They look like my GS Mistflake except I got Spring Drive. That's the differentiation between GS and other brands whether you think SD is quartz or not, it's tech marvel in watchmaking.
Even though I liked my 6200 homage from San Martin, the riveted bracelet was really bad to resize. The screws got stuck and when I contacted them to get help, they beat around the bush so bad I finally gave up. I chucked it in a desk drawer somewhere. They asked pictures and videos to prove it was stuck and then offered to send a couple spare links, but not the ones I needed. The bracelet was tapered so just sending regular 'middle links' didn't solve it for me. After going back and forward for almost 2 weeks (every reply took at least 24 hours), I gave up. Giving good customer support also costs money, so I won't be spending multiple hundreds again on a watch that I can't easily return or get serviced in a Seiko shop for example. I've been more lucky with addiesdive. Even though they feel a bit less well finished, I have 2 of their watches in my rotation that I wear a couple times per month. Crazy value for money and they feel really well built.
Seen that on other reviews and have thought to myself I am really paying for the "Case and the Face". I'll replace the strap with a leather one and still be happy.
I've reviewed quite a lot of San Martin watches over the years, and I've been saying for a while now that they are able to compete with some of the big boys... Especially when it comes to build quality and finishing. As for Addiesdive, they just offer amazing value for money, as do Steeldive too. For the money they cost they're embarrassing the likes of Seiko... And they are doing it using their movements too.
@lsalvage3228 AliExpress. There was a big sale recently that ended but another one should start soon. Delivery wasn't bad either. I'm in the UK and it took 5 days to get here.
Boght my Steeldive SD1970 which is a Capitan willard Seiko Turtle Hommage with a NH35 movement, a Saphire glas, 120 click bezel for just 62€ an love that thing! Get‘s much more wristtime than I thought it will.
Unfortunately in Canada, the San Martin watches that you described in this video are $461 on places like Amazon and Aliexpress. They are the same price as a Seiko watch so the benefits of the San Martin being cheaper than older watch brands is not true 😔. If your in Canada it might be better to just go get a seiko watch instead for the better trade in value if I ever want to get a better watch later on.
aliexpress often has sales, wait for when there's a big sale, prices drop down quite a lot. this one is also a new release so the price is higher. and for that price you're only getting an entry seiko 5, san martins are way better quality than seiko 5 with hardlex and misaligned aluminium bezels
Citizen Promaster series are in my opinion the best watches for the money. I had mine Sky Pilot Chrono Radio controled for 5 years it went trough beating and it needs only needs new paint on the bezel numbers which are engraved and still visible clearly. They are absolutely beast watches.
I had saved up for a new Doxa 600T but I bought a Seestern to get an idea of what it would be like…now I’ve given up on buying a Doxa because I like the Seestern so much.
@@j.k.7595 Remember, the real one has scratchable hardlex crystal instead of sapphire, and a non-lumed date wheel. It'd seem inferior compared to your Seestern.
Seestern are great, I really wanted a San Martin 62mas, but low cash flow meant I had to "settle" for the cheaper Seastern 62mas. Never looked back, the quality is top notch. I've even grown to love the starfish on the crown.
Been watching your videos for a while now and was inspired to start a collection. Started with the MAMACOO, its specs for price and clean looks, now am looking for a dress watch to add.
I got the San Martin GMT with a vertical brushed grey aluminum dial a real stunner. San Martin is making more and more original designs and I certain they will become one of the best watchmakers of the future if they carry on like this
The newer models with exotic dials also have fully brushed bracelets, which I prefer over the polished center links on the original release with the sand dune dial.
Fun fact - I discovered a chinese grad seiko homage by the name Chameri with the exact same dial as the Addiesdive ad2118 for like half the price. This chinese brands must swap parts like siblings share snacks on the holidays!
It's not too complicated. They throw a bunch of Seiko mod parts together. Since they have direct access to the parts and factories, they can do it for cheap.
@@you_cant_see_me_3000what kind of Seiko is being modded here?? These aren’t Seiko mod parts. This is just the power of Chinese mass production and Chinese cheap FX
@@nintendokings They probably just meant that they use seiko components. They use their movements, and I would not be surprised if they sourced their crystal from the same place.
This week I received an AD2117 - a Captain Willard inspired Addiesdive with the very same white dial as the AD2118 and NH35. I really like it overall but the bracelet was definitely an area that they saved money on! Still, not bad for the £50 that I paid.
The only difference between SM, Addiesdive, and a Seiko mod, is the name on the dial. They are so easy and cheap to build, and can sell cheap for a decent profit.
Own the light blue one (wave pattern). It is amazing for the price to say the least!! I have put mine on a black leather band- it is exquisite 👌🏻, a seriously beautiful dress piece.
to answer the question in title - lack of QC these are incredible on paper but once you buy a few you start to notice that applied indexes are often crooked, there is dust under the crystal, dials and bezels tend to be misaligned, movements perform poorly after browsing any forum it quickly becomes apparent that chinese brands cherrypick good samples to send to reviewers you may say that other watches in this price category also have those issues, and it's true, however if you buy a misaligned orient you can return it, if you buy a misaligned san martin good luck don't get me wrong - if you get lucky it's a field day, but please be aware that these are mass produced chinese products, there is no customer service, no returns, and QC is shaky at best
there are (mostly)free returns on aliexpress and while customer service isn't perfect it is there, san martin are on the good part of the spectrum on customer service. some other brands aren't as responsive.
@@ricchrono5907 why do you fight so hard to put down an entire industry based on their country of origin ? I defend them because they are good. But some people are brainwashed into thinking china = bad quality slave labor knock offs
@@bruceleroy8063 no ofc not. apple still overworks and under pays their workers and they're a huge company! Do you think the Chinese of all people will stop?
@@bruceleroy8063 and while it isn't right. Factory work is normal in china. Especially during 2020 before the pandemic. People lived in huge factories to work day and night. So it's not abnormal for the prices to be low
Can’t beat gold polished Roman numerals that sparkle like jewels in the sunlight. Loving the sun ray dial man that pops!AMZWATCH watches. What a beautiful subtle piece.
These are genuinely really value watches though. I've got the addiesdive explorer and it's incredible value for money. Is he supposed to lie or just shit on it for no reason?
I own the white dial addiesdive, and it is indeed amazing on wrist. I highly recommend it, and I love the mecaquartz movement inside it. Thanks for the review. The san martin looks great, but in my opinion, the addiesdive is better value for money.
My wife and I own more than a handful of luxury watches. Although she likes her Chopard (quartz, diamonds) as a daily watch, I only wear my Rolex sub (16613) or Glashutte Senator on special occasions. For daily use, I prefer Seestern, SteelDive, Addiesdive, Cronos, Aragon/Android. I had a THORN (39mm, Titanium, PT5000, "BlackBay" design language) which I gave to my wife, who wanted a comfortable sports/dive watch as her Chopard has an alligator/leather strap. She tried it once...watch was hers. She prefers it over her ladies-sized Rolex two-tone Yachtmaster, for use around town or around water. My current "favorite" daily use watches: 1) Seestern S435 (ST2130, blue dial & bezel, S.S.) ~US$200 2) Seestern S446 (GMT, NH34, black dial, S.S.) ~$220 3) Cronos L6006 Bronze diver (Cpt. Willard design language) ~$133
Here is how they cost so little: 1) Cheap labor, china has little to no regulations regarding workers rights. 2) No regulations on environmental impact, work safety etc. Expect the steel and other materials to be sourced from places where they have 0 consideration for pollution. Work accidents due to no safety regulations are very common in the chinese industry. 3) The chinese government heavily subsidises many of their export products and transport fees which gives them an unfair price advantage. 4) By heavily leaning on other designs they dont have to spend as much money on design and development. I wish more watch channels who review these cheap chinese watches would recognize these problems. If you have a watch with an automatic movement, a sapphire crystal and a solid steel bracelet that was shipped from the other side of the world to your hand for under 100 USD do you think that the people who put it together have a fair salary and decent working conditions?
Do have both Addiesdive watches as well as there captain Willard homage. They are great Watches. I am as proud of them as I am on my Seiko Actus 6106 birth year watch or my Anker, PG or any other vintage watches. The Chinese watch makers are catching up fast and to look down on them would be a mistake. It would be the same mistake the English, German and French did as they looked down on the Swiss many moons ago, and as the Swiss did look down on the Japanese.
This may as well be a commercial for Ali Express. I still like the channel and content. Guys, keep in mind, the most views watch TH-camrs get are from “budget watches” videos.
What a timing, been looking at the sand dial for the last week and didn't have to courage to buy it, but this video did it for me. What a beauty it is!
what do you mean when you touch them ? they are stainles steel, have better finish than a seiko or a casio, weigh just as much as any steel automatic watch. bezel action is even better than seiko, when you touch them they feel a lot more expensive than they actually are.
@@sorcer888i'm talking about the watches in general not these particular ones. and no they use 316l stainless steel, the same as seiko or casio. i have a casio mts100 and it's the worst finished case out of all the aliexpress watches i have.
I got the light blue AD2118 too. For £68 it's unbelievably good, far nicer than any Seiko 5 I've had. Solid end-links, that actually match the lug profile! Sapphire crystal (although yeah it does rather stick out a bit)! Milled clasp! Screw-down crown! I don't mind the thickness to be honest - the thin mid-case and sloping bezel and crystal edges go some way to hiding it a bit. I also quite like the dial, looks kinda like a swimming pool. I measure the case at 37.8mm. I probably would have got one of the AD2030 but they're just a bit too small for my wrist; even the 2118 is pushing it a bit. Mind you, the more I think about it, the more I'm considering getting the sand-coloured one anyway, especially considering it's down to £32 (!) right now.
Mine has just arrived (The blue one). VERY impressed! Wasn't expecting a screw down crown!! This is what happens when a Rolex Datejust loves a Grand Seiko in the VERY shallow waters of Lake Sewer.....
I do have a white version of the Addies quartz. Great for a little watch. I would have preferred the auto, but I wanted the smaller dimension. I have several San Martin watches but not that one. From most reviews, it is getting stellar reviews across the board. I'm not sure how original the SN0129 is. Their Pelagos homage is also not original in any way, but it's almost flawless at its price point. Obviously not everyone embraces homage watches but within that realm, some of these companies are killing it!
I own an Addiesdive AD2118 as well as an MY-H2 pilot's watch (Flieger A). Both are NH35A automatics w/sapphire, that cost under $60. The SL C3 lume on the MY-H2 is weak compared to my Steeldive SD1970, but it's better than most Chinese watches. Like you, I was disappointed by the glossy finish of the blue AD2118, but other people seem impressed by the dial detail, and it's rare for anyone to notice my watches. While Addiesdive and Steeldive can't match San Martin for overall finish quality, they seem more than equal to Seiko and Casio models costing much more, and make perfect daily watches that are just too nice to call "beaters". I have a Steeldive SD1953 coming soon, that cost me less than $56. The SD1970 "Willard" I bought a few years ago for $80 seemed like a steal, but the SD1953 w/turquoise sunburst dial, Submariner homage for $25 cheaper is just an insane value, especially since Steeldive has upgraded to milled clasps since I bought my last one.
I recently bought an Addiesdive Model 2023 which seems to. be an explorer homage. I think for what I paid it is fantastic. It has the vh31 quartz movement. Just a very high quality watch. I love it. Also have a Steeldive Willard homage that is fantastic. Paid $79 and $89 respectively for them and they have been worth every penny. I have a BlancPain 50 fathoms homage on the way from Steeldive as I type this. Have also purchased extra straps from them that are of really good quality.
I've purchased 3 San Martins now and all three have been phenomenal. I have this model the Tudor panda Chrono and the Seiko Superior homages. Each has far exceeded expectations when I opened the box. I have both luxury and budget watches in my 20 slot box and these have no trouble sitting next to my lux watches. I actually wear this model more than my Rolex OP. I was thinking about trading that for the GS mistflake. But after buying this model with the brushed grey dial I'm questioning why would I spend $7000 for the GS.
Crazy price. I’m suspicious that Addiesdive is made by San Martin as the case looks very similar to SM’s vintage Explorer 36mm. A great watch for about $200 mechanical. This will be very nice for $50 quartz
Recently catching up with these San Martins they really do offer solid bang for buck value. Thanks for the video, these look like great watches for the money
I have the white quartz one and it is stunning even on my fairly large 7.25 inch wrist, I've taken it swimming and it is waterproof. I dont know how they do it for the price. Too many people moan about the silly name but nobody can see that from 3 feet away it looks like a Rolex without actually homaging a Rolex because it has its own character with that stunning dial and beautiful dauphine hands. I think the watch will become a classic and in years to come when this model is hard to find it will go up in value. At its current rock bottom price it cant really go down in value.
I just got the "SteelDive" GMT, black dial and certainly an homage to the ever popular Rolex Submariner but at $125 what a watch. I got the automatic Seiko NH 34A and man does it keep accurate time, in fact it is as of now my daily go to watch. Might be time to sell my quartz watches because this is a keeper.
I expect to buy the San Martin Sn0129 GMT this week for 278 euros in the sale. now costs 400 euros, I think this is the best quality-price ratio on the market. you get the whole package. which is on an expensive brand watch of 1000.1500. I have the Lapiz lazul dial
🛒 WATCHES FEATURED (Affiliate)
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Aventurine Dial SN0129 on Amazon ➡ geni.us/smsn0129aventurine
Hi Ben..I cannot find this San Martin under 300euros is there also some low price like for adieesdive?
@@drazenstefanovic6122 only during the sales is this san martin on sale for under $300, but I think the choice day sale is active right now.
Just FYI, the "Aventurine" isn't the mineral, it's aventurine glass, basically just sparkly glitter in glass, similar to something like goldstone.
Charlie condra do a couple sand dials actually really good looking 36mm watches with a great automatic movement.
I'm honestly super happy that a lot of the Chinese homage brands have decided to start moving into making their own unique designs. Now it's not just the strong specs that carry the brands, but also interesting designs. I'm really looking forwards to where they're going to go.
Japan and even Switzerland followed this same trajectory, so I’m looking forward to seeing what China comes up with in the future!
A shame that SM GMT is still basically a ripoff of a Grand Seiko GMT Spring Drive.
"own unique designs" 😂 like copying Grand Seiko! 🤡
@@SampleTracks2224only the case looks like a grand seiko. all the rest is different
I saw a response to the unique design. This is a homage to the GS evo spring drive so not their own design but I own two San Martin watches and I love them. The quality and value for money is unbeatable in the watch world and love to wear them Instead of my expensive pieces as I’m scared to scratch them. I suggest everyone looks into San Martin. They are great
A few years ago I had a conversation with a watchmaker for a major Australian retailer. He told me about visiting watch factories in China and seeing all the *genuine* 'Swiss Made' watches being made. They are then sent to Switzerland to have the movement fitted. 'Swiss Made' is a deceptive legal definition that refers to the value of labour in the movement. It does NOT mean a watch is made in Switzerland.
Thailand is also a place where Swiss made watches are born. I discovered Citizen Promaster series Radio controled Sky Pilot. Have model CB5000-50L for 5 years on my hand. No need for battery change and it is being syncronised every evening at 1:30 trough Radio signal. Finish is actually good quality. I am not sure if they are 100% Japan made but the quality is there.
A friend of mine owns the Rital chain of watch stores in Bulgaria - they have things manufactured in China by the thousands per design and you just specify the quality you want. You want Patek Philip quality they will do it - it will be 100% by automated machine, but it will be that quality for $300 to $500 a unit.
Even if the watch is made in Switzerland the question is - how much is now automated...??? And the answer is - almost everything. Only the top models now have ansy significant hand work in them.
Also, water wet.
@@piccalillipit9211Hi , thanks for the info ….is your friend contactable , say through email ?
Can you give some examples of brands and the parts of the watch, because this just sounds like one of those things people tell them selfs so they feel better about not being able to afford a genuine watch. All of the “Swiss made” watches I own have movements made in house along with the rest of the watch.
A: because making quality watches these days is fairly cheap, people have just been brainwashed into thinking they have to be expensive to be high quality because of the insane markups that some brands add.
The reality is that swiss manufacturers pay their people better. Cheap watch brands then charge similar prices to appear high quality without improving working conditions of the factories supplying them. The more money you spend on a quality watch, the more likely the worker is treated fairly. This isn’t always the case and that is where research is important. Seiko outsources production and yet demands such high asking prices for pieces like the willard without upping QC
@@ailestriker9888most swiss made watches also source most their parts from chinese factories. they are just assembled in switerland, especially the affordable brands like tissot and swatch
I recently built a watch for myself. £100 delivered with my own logo. Same watch in a shop window? £9k. Do the math
image can be sent
and still brainwashed $5k+ watch 'connoisseur' will tell you their 'assembled in Switzerland' shitter is better because it has 'heritage' and a 'noble movement' lmao
I love the fact that big youtubers are noticing the existence of good chinese watches (other than "Time for another watch", that has been doing it for a while). Everytime I see a video about "the most affordable watches out there" I can't help but think "yeah, it might be for americans/europeans, but in Brazil those are still expensive af", and chinese watches has always been our way of using nice watches for a price we can actually pay.
Same, brazilian bro. "Affordable watches" by Seiko or other brands cost more than half my salary here in Brazil.
I'd ask the thumbnail's question the other way. How on Earth are luxury watches (which are mostly made in China and assembled in Switzerland with a Swiss movement) so expensive? The answer of course is the brand. The point though is that in terms of everything else physical/ tangible about the product, the gap between these and entry luxury is now tiny.
I remember when this SM came out last year; I bought it straight away. Even for SM it was a game changer.
when I bought my first Rolex - a sub in 1992 - the gap between that at £1850 and a £100 watch as a vast GULF. NOW the gap between a £10,000 Rolex and a £100 watch is negligible.
Im kinda at the point of thinking its simply NOT in any way justifiable cos we all know they are made by the same machines - you can buy a Chinese "rolex" or a Swiss "Rolex" one is $300 one id $30,000 and they are made on the SAME machine from the same materials.
@@piccalillipit9211can you show me the proof of it? That they are the same material and the same movement.
No, not a fan of Rolex. I consider its design ugly. So, no, i don't buy Chinese Rolex (that use the same design) either.
Just curious with the statement.
@@victorutomo7244 I dont watch them - But there are videos of watch collectors / sellers comparing "Chinese clones" in microscopic detail.
China is starting to make high quality watches under their own name now, like the ones in this video. They will start of dirt cheap - like Japanese cars did - and as they get a reputation they wil increase in price, then they will launch the luxury brands etc. So the days of the Chinese fakes is - I believe - drawing to a close.
@@piccalillipit9211 Chinese manufacturers are already selling $50K+ watches in China. Seagull sells $2K steel divers and $5K steel tourbillons.
@@victorutomo7244 The Swiss began outsourcing production to Hong Kong in the early 1960s. Many of the clone manufacturers have been making genuine parts for Swiss luxury watches for decades. They use exactly the same equipment and materials.
Rolex movements are extremely outdated (based on 120 year old Aegler designs) and massively overrated. There is no reason why anybody would bother to copy them.
I have the white San Martin, it's shockingly high quality for the price. In fact, some aspects of it are better than I have on any of my watches and I have watches that are multiples of tens of times more expensive. For example, the butter-smooth screw-down crown, I have a Doxa and a couple of ORIS divers that can't come even close to the smoothness of this San Martin... And then, there's the dial, it's stunning!
these paid san martin bot comments sucks holy
@@NCSheriff7 I don't think San Martin needs to pay random commenters to praise their products - they are already paying much bigger content creators for that, a positive comment wouldn't make a blip on their radar - but you do you. Whether you believe it or not, this particular model of theirs is an awesome watch for the money that they're asking for (I got the aventurine version as well since then) and if somebody wants to pay me for saying that I'd gladly take their money. Can't say the same about other models, tho, their lack of originality is on par with the shockingly high quality so I never felt inclined to get anything else from them.
@@NCSheriff7 lmao they already make little returns on profit how would they be able to afford so many bots
Shows how much luxury brands are overcharging us.
It’s just a quartz watch mate calm yourself
@@TXC_CARNAGEsome quartz are 4-600 lmao
@@TXC_CARNAGE grand seiko quartz are over 2k lol.
@@Benjaminn Some ladies quartz models are over $100K.
My takeaway is just how good these brands are getting.
I am reminded about how much quartz movements disrupted the Swiss watch industry decades past. Quartz movements work well for me. I just want to know the current time.
I recently bought an Addiesdive MM300 homage for €105,- and it is incredible value for money. Build quality is great, lumen is insane and it's quicky become my favorite watch, also being by far the cheapest. I don't know how they do it but there it is.
How the hell did San Martin manage to come up with an Omega looking dial? That's pretty impressive.
Reverse fakineering.
The same way the pyramids were constructed. Sweatshops and child labor.
By not charging a thousand percent markup lol
If that San Martin had an Omega logo on it (and an Omega movement tbf) it would be $7,000 and people would love it
Which omega?
I'd be interested in putting that on my grail list for the summer.
Huge fan of the Seiko sweep second meca quartz movements. I have so many automatics, it's nice to have a grab and go that doesn't tick an ugly once per second
I’m pretty certain this addiesdive and wave style dial has been around for a few years. When San Martin introduced theirs it seemed budget focused watch channels had either ignored or weren’t aware of other way cheaper watches with this feature. JOMW for example mentioned that Chinese brands are now starting to work on dial designs when less popular channels and sales numbers on this addiesdive and suggess would tell you it started happening earlier than now.
In a similar way when CW released their new aventurine moonphase, the hype train jumped on aventurine/moonphase combos with the CW being heralded as a rare gem. Sugess and other Chinese brands have had aventurine and moonphase for a few years - yeah the cw design is cool, but what’s being offered isn’t rare or expensive to implement at all.
All that said, I wish budget channels would do a better job of finding these “hidden gems” earlier or at least exposing the fact that some of the “rare” design features have been done cheaply for a good while.
my favorite budget watch channel is Escape Wheel watch Reviews, he has hundreds of aliexpres watch reviews, clear and simple tells and shows you everything you need to know.
Fun fact: The popular Proxima 1679 (Christopher Ward homage) has a desert dial option now. That is highly tempring...
I have a bunch of Addie's..Tandorios and Heimdallr. Huge bang for less than 80 bucks..ceramic bezel..sapphire..nh35 engine..stainless steel 316 case and strap. What more you want ? 😂
Hi, for how long have you had them ? Are they still perfectly working ? Thanks
I have this exact San Martin. It is genuinely fantastic
The communist state terror!sts thank you for the economic support
I own the same (sand waves) and buy at the same price some months ago
Very nice and the quartz movement is not bad at all .. in fact better than more expensive quartz watches (+ 6 sec/month)
Have the smaller addiesdive, and it's great. I was hesitant about the small dial / strap but glad I went for it, because as a dress watch it totally works. It looks neat, rather than small.
which color did you get?
@@gskyflakesi have the brown color and it really looks like sand dunes. both the color and texture are really good.
Same here -- sand colour
How is their reliability? How long do you think they will last ?
@@ArvindBiztaiwanthey have seiko movements so they will last just as long as seikos with those movements. the movements are known to be reliable
I ordered one of these AD2030 with the blue dial and it just showed up yesterday. I got lucky and picked it up for $40 USD, the prices have gone up since then. It is everything your video says it is--the only negative I've found is that the laser-etched caseback is a little rough to the touch, but you don't feel the roughness on your wrist. I've wanted a VH31 for a while, thank you for the tip!
Yep, the caseback engraving is sharp, but I took some 800 grit paper to it, very lightly, & it's just taken the sharp edges off. Perfect now.
@@wirdy1 Thanks, i may give that a shot. Since I don't feel it on my wrist, I haven't looked for solutions.
From yourself and other Utubers, I jumped on the Ali Ex wagon and grabbed a few timepieces.
Lots of nods to Addiesdive and Pagani, but I think you need to give I&W some recognition.
Just grabbed the 'Carnival' in green with day/date at 3. Lovely butterfly bracelet with markings, 3 link with center pollished, end links in matt. Crown is marked but needs to be a little larger - maybe with guards.
Thanks x
link?
I'd like to try i&w as Jody has made videos about them and the watches I've bought on his recommendations have lived up to the reviews
@@VicenzzoPaiva Ben says no to advertising. I paid under £70 for the green face
@@TH-cam_is_full_of_trolls I bought the watch b4 I saw Jody's review. But yes, a great watch even at a few £ more than other 'chinese' makers. x
@conniethunder for sure, China makes awesome quality watches. Little to no heritage, but material quality is exceptional.
Addies dive and steeldive is actually insane price to quality, their willard is a spec monster
Aliexpress and san martin, etc, offer crazy value.
I'm not a "luxury" watch buyer, but I own a decent number of "swiss" watches, which at retail are all over $500 and my few aliexpress watches are finished as nice or nicer than them all.
It's pretty incredible what you can get from brands with low labor, design, and advertising costs.
got my 39mm with the white dial on the 3-link "Bader" bracelet watch on MaMaCoo 3 weeks ago and am loving it to pieces. Absolute fantastic watch that wears super comfortable on my 6.75 inch wrist. Chose the 3-link over the 5-link bracelet for the toolless quick adjustment. Way more comfortable than my Longines Hydroconquest 41 mm.
I have four San Martin watches and they are amazing
Very nice reviews of these watches! I don't know if you'll see this comment, but here's a couple of hopefully helpful notes: the sand dune dial design seems to most closely resemble to Grand Seiko's "Lake Suwa" model, although it still seems distinct enough to be its own thing. Also, aventurine is a mineral, but what's used for watch dials is actually aventurine glass (also called goldstone). Ir's regular glass with pigment and tiny flakes of different metals added in for that glittering, dancing night sky effect.
I brought the brown version. I can't believe how well made it is for the money. There really are King Seiko vibes. I slung mine on a leather strap and it looks fantastic and is very thin and comfortable. It was meant to be a beater but I'm currently preferring it to watches 10x the price. I've now decided to buy the blue version. Never thought I'd buy two different colour options for the same watch. Only downside is the crystal will probably scratch if abused.
Yeah if they had sapphire instead, it would be even crazier!
Guys I have the blue one and it's really nice, just know that a lot of the time the pattern on the dial is quite hard to see... even when I point it out to people they still can't see it - but still it's really nice and got a few compliments from it!
To me the San Martin (and it's amazing, especially for the money!) is homaging the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 GMT. Specifically the SBGE285. This is not bad thing, actually it's really good because Grand Seiko have been doing amazing stuff for some time and deserve more credit!
One thing San Martin has been doing that's refreshing is taking a good homage(Like their Mistflake) and experimenting with it to sort of 'make it their own'.
@@scytherind8928 you are 100% right. I have the grey brushed dial and it's def influenced by the mistflake but not an exact copy. There are enough differences to call it it's own thing which I really like.
Just got mine. 34ukp delivered in nice tough plastic case. Links removed with use of supplied tool. Comfortable on my small wrist. Excellent. Cheers Ben !
They look like my GS Mistflake except I got Spring Drive. That's the differentiation between GS and other brands whether you think SD is quartz or not, it's tech marvel in watchmaking.
I am a huge fan of San Martin.
Great watches and quality. And the best… it’s cheap comparing to the big brands.
Thanks bro!!
Even though I liked my 6200 homage from San Martin, the riveted bracelet was really bad to resize. The screws got stuck and when I contacted them to get help, they beat around the bush so bad I finally gave up. I chucked it in a desk drawer somewhere.
They asked pictures and videos to prove it was stuck and then offered to send a couple spare links, but not the ones I needed. The bracelet was tapered so just sending regular 'middle links' didn't solve it for me. After going back and forward for almost 2 weeks (every reply took at least 24 hours), I gave up.
Giving good customer support also costs money, so I won't be spending multiple hundreds again on a watch that I can't easily return or get serviced in a Seiko shop for example.
I've been more lucky with addiesdive. Even though they feel a bit less well finished, I have 2 of their watches in my rotation that I wear a couple times per month. Crazy value for money and they feel really well built.
Seen that on other reviews and have thought to myself I am really paying for the "Case and the Face". I'll replace the strap with a leather one and still be happy.
That aventurine dial looks spectacular.
I've reviewed quite a lot of San Martin watches over the years, and I've been saying for a while now that they are able to compete with some of the big boys... Especially when it comes to build quality and finishing.
As for Addiesdive, they just offer amazing value for money, as do Steeldive too. For the money they cost they're embarrassing the likes of Seiko... And they are doing it using their movements too.
I have the “coffee” sand dune addiesdive, absolute incredible watch for $50 I just wish it had lume at least on the hands
You're right. I just bought a Boderry bronze dive watch and it is stunning. Excellent specs and color with a cool leather strap.
I've had the sand colour Addiesdive for about a month. Picked it up for about £30. As soon as I saw the dial I had to get it.
Where from? Its £100 on amazon
@lsalvage3228 AliExpress. There was a big sale recently that ended but another one should start soon. Delivery wasn't bad either. I'm in the UK and it took 5 days to get here.
Boght my Steeldive SD1970 which is a Capitan willard Seiko Turtle Hommage with a NH35 movement, a Saphire glas, 120 click bezel for just 62€ an love that thing! Get‘s much more wristtime than I thought it will.
Unfortunately in Canada, the San Martin watches that you described in this video are $461 on places like Amazon and Aliexpress. They are the same price as a Seiko watch so the benefits of the San Martin being cheaper than older watch brands is not true 😔. If your in Canada it might be better to just go get a seiko watch instead for the better trade in value if I ever want to get a better watch later on.
aliexpress often has sales, wait for when there's a big sale, prices drop down quite a lot. this one is also a new release so the price is higher.
and for that price you're only getting an entry seiko 5, san martins are way better quality than seiko 5 with hardlex and misaligned aluminium bezels
Citizen Promaster series are in my opinion the best watches for the money. I had mine Sky Pilot Chrono Radio controled for 5 years it went trough beating and it needs only needs new paint on the bezel numbers which are engraved and still visible clearly. They are absolutely beast watches.
Yesssss just got one but want 4 more
The Addiesdive watches are 316l stainless steel. Stainless steel is not a luxury material. However, there are watches below $50 that will be alloy.
Watches are so delicate and intricately designed, so I have intense respect and admiration for amzwatch watch makers
Seestern has an aventurine Sub300 homage, that's around $100 on sale. Nicest watch in my collection.
I had saved up for a new Doxa 600T but I bought a Seestern to get an idea of what it would be like…now I’ve given up on buying a Doxa because I like the Seestern so much.
@@j.k.7595 Remember, the real one has scratchable hardlex crystal instead of sapphire, and a non-lumed date wheel. It'd seem inferior compared to your Seestern.
Seestern are great, I really wanted a San Martin 62mas, but low cash flow meant I had to "settle" for the cheaper Seastern 62mas. Never looked back, the quality is top notch. I've even grown to love the starfish on the crown.
I believed since I saw the San Martin that it was an homage to the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 GMT
I've actually got this watch, and all I've got to say is it is stunning. You guys should really check it out if you need a budget watch
They are "cheap" because they make an honest profit. For far too long watches was a monopoly business.
Been watching your videos for a while now and was inspired to start a collection. Started with the MAMACOO, its specs for price and clean looks, now am looking for a dress watch to add.
I got the San Martin GMT with a vertical brushed grey aluminum dial a real stunner.
San Martin is making more and more original designs and I certain they will become one of the best watchmakers of the future if they carry on like this
The Christopher Ward C65 "Dune Shoreline" has a very similar (but higher quality, imo) dial... limited to 100 pcs though
also 4 times the price
I’d be curious to hear your review of Venezianico’s watches.
The newer models with exotic dials also have fully brushed bracelets, which I prefer over the polished center links on the original release with the sand dune dial.
Fun fact - I discovered a chinese grad seiko homage by the name Chameri with the exact same dial as the Addiesdive ad2118 for like half the price.
This chinese brands must swap parts like siblings share snacks on the holidays!
whats the model number?
@@gskyflakesTheres not model number. Just, it's the Chameri.
Homage 😂😂😂 fake. There,sorted.
@@ChrisMcgregor-o6e lol hahaha
I love this watch. I have the Coffee version, it's comfortable, light and so reliable
If you're not the one who reviewed it, i won't believe these 35$ watch could be great
It's not too complicated. They throw a bunch of Seiko mod parts together. Since they have direct access to the parts and factories, they can do it for cheap.
@@you_cant_see_me_3000what kind of Seiko is being modded here?? These aren’t Seiko mod parts. This is just the power of Chinese mass production and Chinese cheap FX
They are great. Don't expect rolex quality, but you'll be shocked at how nice they are for the money.
@@nintendokings They probably just meant that they use seiko components. They use their movements, and I would not be surprised if they sourced their crystal from the same place.
Just purchased the AD2030 with sand coloured textured dial after seeing this video for fun. Amazing quality for the €49 I paid delivered to France
The San Martin reminds me of the Grand Seiko Mistflake SBGE285
Great video, Ben. San Marten has been making great quality watches for a while now.
Hmm
This week I received an AD2117 - a Captain Willard inspired Addiesdive with the very same white dial as the AD2118 and NH35. I really like it overall but the bracelet was definitely an area that they saved money on! Still, not bad for the £50 that I paid.
The only difference between SM, Addiesdive, and a Seiko mod, is the name on the dial.
They are so easy and cheap to build, and can sell cheap for a decent profit.
What an amazing outcome for a beautiful watch. Always a pleasure to see amzwatch work your magic. Thanks for sharing this transformation with us!
Own the light blue one (wave pattern). It is amazing for the price to say the least!! I have put mine on a black leather band- it is exquisite 👌🏻, a seriously beautiful dress piece.
It's a copy of the Grand Seiko mistflake
I bought a silver one for my brother, he's very happy with it and as he has a very thin wrist, it looks perfect 👍
to answer the question in title - lack of QC
these are incredible on paper but once you buy a few you start to notice that applied indexes are often crooked, there is dust under the crystal, dials and bezels tend to be misaligned, movements perform poorly
after browsing any forum it quickly becomes apparent that chinese brands cherrypick good samples to send to reviewers
you may say that other watches in this price category also have those issues, and it's true, however if you buy a misaligned orient you can return it, if you buy a misaligned san martin good luck
don't get me wrong - if you get lucky it's a field day, but please be aware that these are mass produced chinese products, there is no customer service, no returns, and QC is shaky at best
there are (mostly)free returns on aliexpress and while customer service isn't perfect it is there, san martin are on the good part of the spectrum on customer service. some other brands aren't as responsive.
@@Ted_Kenzoku why do you fight so hard to defend them.
@@ricchrono5907 why do you fight so hard to put down an entire industry based on their country of origin ?
I defend them because they are good. But some people are brainwashed into thinking china = bad quality slave labor knock offs
Totally agree with your point on lume on dress watches
I could do without that face in the thumbnail...
I second this
Soyfaces begone!
i hate the thumbnail
The sn0129b looks great, I’ve always wanted the GS GMT but can’t really add another GS to the collection due to budget. This really fits the bill 🎉
Let's get a pic of the happy workers making these watches
Yea as if big companies like apple and Xiaomi don't have workshops doing the same.
@@Unlucky1776 You think that makes it ok?
@@bruceleroy8063 no ofc not. apple still overworks and under pays their workers and they're a huge company! Do you think the Chinese of all people will stop?
@@bruceleroy8063 and while it isn't right. Factory work is normal in china. Especially during 2020 before the pandemic. People lived in huge factories to work day and night. So it's not abnormal for the prices to be low
@@Unlucky1776 that doesn't make me feel ok taking advantage of it. Best to you.
Can’t beat gold polished Roman numerals that sparkle like jewels in the sunlight. Loving the sun ray dial man that pops!AMZWATCH watches. What a beautiful subtle piece.
This is becoming an ads channel very fast.
You can say that about almost all watch channels...
Is anyone making videos about San Martin ad? I dont think so
Yeah I’m out. Unsubbed
How explain yourself @PietroCozziTinin
Free content bud
These are genuinely really value watches though. I've got the addiesdive explorer and it's incredible value for money. Is he supposed to lie or just shit on it for no reason?
just received the watch. It looks great! However im not sure how to use the micro adjustments on the bracelet to make it fit. Any help?
wow this guy is just a cheap 'In the Loupe' ripoff
Wow , this comment is about as welcome as a fart in a lift
@@stubamford1405 right over your head
I own the white dial addiesdive, and it is indeed amazing on wrist. I highly recommend it, and I love the mecaquartz movement inside it. Thanks for the review. The san martin looks great, but in my opinion, the addiesdive is better value for money.
I miss the old Ben
"I miss the old this I miss the old that" you guys miss everything.
@@Unlucky1776 i don't miss you
@@acomingextinction okay? Good for you I guess?
What's the difference
Hair too
My wife and I own more than a handful of luxury watches. Although she likes her Chopard (quartz, diamonds) as a daily watch, I only wear my Rolex sub (16613) or Glashutte Senator on special occasions. For daily use, I prefer Seestern, SteelDive, Addiesdive, Cronos, Aragon/Android. I had a THORN (39mm, Titanium, PT5000, "BlackBay" design language) which I gave to my wife, who wanted a comfortable sports/dive watch as her Chopard has an alligator/leather strap. She tried it once...watch was hers. She prefers it over her ladies-sized Rolex two-tone Yachtmaster, for use around town or around water.
My current "favorite" daily use watches:
1) Seestern S435 (ST2130, blue dial & bezel, S.S.) ~US$200
2) Seestern S446 (GMT, NH34, black dial, S.S.) ~$220
3) Cronos L6006 Bronze diver (Cpt. Willard design language) ~$133
Here is how they cost so little:
1) Cheap labor, china has little to no regulations regarding workers rights.
2) No regulations on environmental impact, work safety etc. Expect the steel and other materials to be sourced from places where they have 0 consideration for pollution. Work accidents due to no safety regulations are very common in the chinese industry.
3) The chinese government heavily subsidises many of their export products and transport fees which gives them an unfair price advantage.
4) By heavily leaning on other designs they dont have to spend as much money on design and development.
I wish more watch channels who review these cheap chinese watches would recognize these problems. If you have a watch with an automatic movement, a sapphire crystal and a solid steel bracelet that was shipped from the other side of the world to your hand for under 100 USD do you think that the people who put it together have a fair salary and decent working conditions?
Yea and huge companies will do the same.
you think your phone was built by an artisan with organic materials ?
@@Ted_Kenzoku No?
@@Unlucky1776 I'm pretty sure my PRX was made without child labour. I would not be so sure about a Pagani or San Martin.
@@endusima "swiss made" as if 89% of the parts aren't sourced from china. Should be labeled "assembled in Switzerland" instead.
Do have both Addiesdive watches as well as there captain Willard homage. They are great Watches. I am as proud of them as I am on my Seiko Actus 6106 birth year watch or my Anker, PG or any other vintage watches. The Chinese watch makers are catching up fast and to look down on them would be a mistake. It would be the same mistake the English, German and French did as they looked down on the Swiss many moons ago, and as the Swiss did look down on the Japanese.
This may as well be a commercial for Ali Express. I still like the channel and content. Guys, keep in mind, the most views watch TH-camrs get are from “budget watches” videos.
why are you hating on aliexpress for no reason ?
do you also call it an ad for amazon when he speaks about watches sold on amazon ?
Tell that to Teddy Baldassarre or TGV.
What a timing, been looking at the sand dial for the last week and didn't have to courage to buy it, but this video did it for me. What a beauty it is!
they are kind of cool but when you touch them....well, this is a big disappointment, just get a gshock instead
Yea because Gshocks have designs like this. I love Gshocks but just because they're durable doesn't mean they're the best
what do you mean when you touch them ? they are stainles steel, have better finish than a seiko or a casio, weigh just as much as any steel automatic watch. bezel action is even better than seiko, when you touch them they feel a lot more expensive than they actually are.
@@Ted_Kenzoku yea I'd agree 100%. Seiko has amazing polishing for $700+ but for around $400 they really can't compete with San Martin.
I mean what I say. Quality of steel is poor. They are much worse than casio or seiko. what bezel action? There is non-rotating bezel @@Ted_Kenzoku
@@sorcer888i'm talking about the watches in general not these particular ones.
and no they use 316l stainless steel, the same as seiko or casio.
i have a casio mts100 and it's the worst finished case out of all the aliexpress watches i have.
I picked up that "White Sands" variant of the AD2030 last year. It's an incredible little watch for the price.
I got the light blue AD2118 too. For £68 it's unbelievably good, far nicer than any Seiko 5 I've had. Solid end-links, that actually match the lug profile! Sapphire crystal (although yeah it does rather stick out a bit)! Milled clasp! Screw-down crown! I don't mind the thickness to be honest - the thin mid-case and sloping bezel and crystal edges go some way to hiding it a bit. I also quite like the dial, looks kinda like a swimming pool. I measure the case at 37.8mm.
I probably would have got one of the AD2030 but they're just a bit too small for my wrist; even the 2118 is pushing it a bit. Mind you, the more I think about it, the more I'm considering getting the sand-coloured one anyway, especially considering it's down to £32 (!) right now.
where did you get it for 68?? I'm in the UK too
@@WM-tl7zw AliExpress, but it was in the sale which has now ended, sorry.
What is Ur wrist size ?
Mine has just arrived (The blue one). VERY impressed! Wasn't expecting a screw down crown!! This is what happens when a Rolex Datejust loves a Grand Seiko in the VERY shallow waters of Lake Sewer.....
I do have a white version of the Addies quartz. Great for a little watch. I would have preferred the auto, but I wanted the smaller dimension. I have several San Martin watches but not that one. From most reviews, it is getting stellar reviews across the board. I'm not sure how original the SN0129 is. Their Pelagos homage is also not original in any way, but it's almost flawless at its price point. Obviously not everyone embraces homage watches but within that realm, some of these companies are killing it!
I just saw your video come up and by chance I purchased the AD2030 in white two days back. Looking forward to it arriving even more now!
I own an Addiesdive AD2118 as well as an MY-H2 pilot's watch (Flieger A). Both are NH35A automatics w/sapphire, that cost under $60. The SL C3 lume on the MY-H2 is weak compared to my Steeldive SD1970, but it's better than most Chinese watches. Like you, I was disappointed by the glossy finish of the blue AD2118, but other people seem impressed by the dial detail, and it's rare for anyone to notice my watches.
While Addiesdive and Steeldive can't match San Martin for overall finish quality, they seem more than equal to Seiko and Casio models costing much more, and make perfect daily watches that are just too nice to call "beaters". I have a Steeldive SD1953 coming soon, that cost me less than $56. The SD1970 "Willard" I bought a few years ago for $80 seemed like a steal, but the SD1953 w/turquoise sunburst dial, Submariner homage for $25 cheaper is just an insane value, especially since Steeldive has upgraded to milled clasps since I bought my last one.
I have the Addiesdive AD2023, it scratched an itch for a Rolex Explorer 1, ref 1016 that you would never catch me wasting money on. It’s a banger
I bought both of the headliners - both great so far!
I recently bought an Addiesdive Model 2023 which seems to. be an explorer homage. I think for what I paid it is fantastic. It has the vh31 quartz movement. Just a very high quality watch. I love it. Also have a Steeldive Willard homage that is fantastic. Paid $79 and $89 respectively for them and they have been worth every penny. I have a BlancPain 50 fathoms homage on the way from Steeldive as I type this. Have also purchased extra straps from them that are of really good quality.
I've purchased 3 San Martins now and all three have been phenomenal. I have this model the Tudor panda Chrono and the Seiko Superior homages. Each has far exceeded expectations when I opened the box. I have both luxury and budget watches in my 20 slot box and these have no trouble sitting next to my lux watches. I actually wear this model more than my Rolex OP. I was thinking about trading that for the GS mistflake. But after buying this model with the brushed grey dial I'm questioning why would I spend $7000 for the GS.
Finally a watch guru who’s actually useful and honest 👍
For a self-claimed professional diving watch manufacturer, they really nailed it with these dress watches!
Crazy price. I’m suspicious that Addiesdive is made by San Martin as the case looks very similar to SM’s vintage Explorer 36mm. A great watch for about $200 mechanical. This will be very nice for $50 quartz
Recently catching up with these San Martins they really do offer solid bang for buck value. Thanks for the video, these look like great watches for the money
Love those dials! Keep up the great work brother 👏
I have the white quartz one and it is stunning even on my fairly large 7.25 inch wrist, I've taken it swimming and it is waterproof. I dont know how they do it for the price. Too many people moan about the silly name but nobody can see that from 3 feet away it looks like a Rolex without actually homaging a Rolex because it has its own character with that stunning dial and beautiful dauphine hands. I think the watch will become a classic and in years to come when this model is hard to find it will go up in value. At its current rock bottom price it cant really go down in value.
Which color looks better? Thinking of buying one but not decided color yet
I just got the "SteelDive" GMT, black dial and certainly an homage to the ever popular Rolex Submariner but at $125 what a watch. I got the automatic Seiko NH 34A and man does it keep accurate time, in fact it is as of now my daily go to watch. Might be time to sell my quartz watches because this is a keeper.
Watches are so delicate and intricately designed, so I have intense respect and admiration for MAMACOO watch makers
I expect to buy the San Martin Sn0129 GMT this week for 278 euros in the sale. now costs 400 euros, I think this is the best quality-price ratio on the market. you get the whole package. which is on an expensive brand watch of 1000.1500. I have the Lapiz lazul dial
Ben has real star power! The addiedive in white and sand are sold out! 😮Congrats Ben! 🎉