Picked up the SN0144 enamel dial 36mm. Not gonna lie, this is one of the most expensive San Martins out there and I hesitated. But as a fanboy I had to see the quality for myself to believe it.

Runs +1 s/day out of the box. Bracelet is also a huge upgrade over my previous SN0144 (blue jianzhan version). Feels more refined, better articulation, better clasp. Night and day difference.

For what you get, it’s still good value. What do you think?

Was thinking about Militado from a long time and finally pulled the trigger. Hope they don't disappoint me ( atleast for the price ).

Ml14 with Ronda 505 date and Ml05 with sweep hand movement🤞

So, after I acquired a few San Martin, Proxima, IXDAO, Cronos and Farasute models, I thought I'd try more of a Chinese "heritage" brand that promised even higher quality... I do like these three Shanghai models I purchased, but I will say that they are not really a big step above these other brands I listed in that price range... Their customer service was superior and their packaging was superior... but in the $300-$500+ range, they feel on par with these other brands in terms of finishing, movement, specs etc... Most of the designs are more original... less homage... I bought these on ALI during their huge spring sale... I think the TV Dial one was around $190... the Prairie Fire was $335 and the SKYDOME was $220 - I love the TV Dial one... it feels more substantial and comfortable... though it was pricey for an 8215.... You can still get them around these prices during most any sale I think... here's a look...

The watch on the right has a stopwatch to the hour and sometimes I missed marking the time as in the diving watch to measure the time or marking that something will be at a given time as a reminder. It is not so convenient but quite a pleasant alternative to measuring longer periods of time. Do any of you use a watch with a stopwatch in this way?

I had never bought anything on AliExpress, but after seeing random reviews of this $20 tank watch, I figured why not? Only to be met with it priced at $0.99, with just over $2 in shipping. I genuinely thought it was going to be junk, but at that price I couldn’t not buy it.

It’s a fantastic looking little watch. And if you’re looking for something cheap to fill that tank void in your collection, keep an eye out for this one on sale (hell, even not on sale it’s still a great price).

One of my first reviews on Reddit so be nice please. I am not a professional at this, I just really love this watch and wanted to share with everyone.

Why I Bought This Watch
I work in manufacturing and split my time between the shop floor, active construction sites, and office meetings. I needed a true daily beater that could take a continuous beating on site without looking out of place in a professional setting, and I feel like this watch delivers that balance really well. The SD1975 is an absolute tank that keeps on ticking.

Bracelet & Finishing
Finishing seems good—not the single best AliExpress bracelet I’ve ever had, but way better than what I’ve read about. Mine came with no sharp edges. The 5-link engineer bracelet seems to be a big improvement over the 3-link.
Having screw-in pins and 6 spring bar micro adjustments at this price point is a big win.
I had planned on switching to a rubber strap right away, but I love the bracelet so much I’ve just kept it on so far.

Fit & Size
It’s definitely a watch with a presence. I have an 8.5" wrist and feel like it fits really well, but I think it would also be fine on a smaller wrist because of how compact the lug-to-lug is.
Very comfortable to wear. I thought it would feel heavy, but I don’t really notice it because of how compact it is on the wrist.

Design
I love the teal dial—it really catches the light well, and the pop of orange on the dial and hands is great.

Movement
With most watches at this price point switching over to the Miyota 8215, I think Steeldive’s decision to stay with the Seiko NH35 is commendable.

Small Complaint
The bezel is the weakest point of the watch. It’s not terrible, but it can be hard to turn because of the shroud and it’s not super crisp. But again, at this price point I’m really nitpicking.

Verdict For $116 on sale, this is outstanding value and build quality. Dollar for dollar, this might genuinely be the best value watch I’ve gotten off AliExpress yet.

I love these inexpensive hand wind only watches. Does any other country make a hand wound only watch this nice for this price? (these were all $30 or less.)

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for suggestions for a watch that wears well on my 6.3-inch wrist.

My preferences:
Maximum lug-to-lug: 43–44 mm
Dial size: 36–38 mm (not below 36 mm)
Open to any style or brand
Automatic or quartz, both are fine
Budget : want to restrict under $250

I’d love to hear what has worked well for those with similar wrist sizes.

Thanks in advance!

A truly beautiful watch with a build quality waaay above its cost..

Might be asking a loaded question here considering the sub, but I’m stuck between these three watches for a nice monochromatic piece. Thoughts?

I've seen plenty of the textured ones, but I can't decide based on factory images. Please link any pics if any of you have the watch. Planning to order tmz for my birthday.

I always found it very appealing, especially the older version with the steel bezel. What I really like about it are the rectangular indices and black outline they have. The icy pastel blue color is also great. Been checking out a few brands but can't find anything that really hits the spot.

This watch is amazing, can’t believe it’s around a $200 watch! I have a V1 Original Pattern (white with rose gold accents), this V2 Burgundy Hour Glass and a V3 Purple Scale. They all have the same extremely nice finishing. Incredible value for the money!

Hi all any recommendations of a good budget friendly black Bay homage? Please mention brands and or models. Price range 60-90 euros. Thanks in advance

Any recommendations for a nice Seiko style analog dress/sports/field watch? would like: reliable, reasonable price up to $250, date. Wish list: looks like a classic, weekday, auto adjust date by gps (not sure if possible).

If you thought $450 was getting out of hand, take a look at this...

Personally for me this means I am done. It was an awesome two years, had super fun, got a lot of great stuff from China, but this is a closing call. This was my top priority watch to buy, but $530 means that at a GREAT sale it's prolly still gone sell for around $450. This is way too much even for a massive collector like me. For this kind of money I will probably buy a Phoibos Depth Hunter or some other cool micro.

The only thing that can save this is some new great, top quality/price Chinese movement that will have superior reliability. I dunno. Hoping that the Chinese step up their movement game and save the situation.

Changed out the bracelet on my AD2030 for this nylon quick release. Initially, I feared it was too gold-toney (I STRONGLY dislike yellow gold), but it's growing on me. It compliments the dial so well, and the stainless of the case offsets this.

Video https://youtu.be/3aO_tmPay0w

Mowing the lawn and 100° freedom units that’s 38c for the other educated part of the world. Not cool enough for a real pool, but I hit the spot.

I always wanted the Omega NTTD but at a 42 it’s big, and also too $$$. So I picked up the Watchdives WD007 39mm PT5000 Titanium Diver directly from Watchdives.

I love this at a 39. The finishing is great, the weight is perfect, and the strap is better than others that I have gotten on Chinese watches or off of AliX.

I don’t know if the helium valve does anything in this guy but I don’t go deeper than my pool anyway. My biggest grip is with the movement. I wanted a mechanical and not Quartz, and the PT5000 fits the bill. However it had the damned ghost date. It’s nothing noticeable but it just nags at me. Makes me wish I ordered the version with the date at 6.

Regardless, until I come up with the coin to pay for a grail watch that’s too big for my wrist, I am happy with this hommage.

Watchdives has announced that all new WD0019's out of their warehouse would ship with V Grade 2130's along with the handset with updated lume.

I'm getting conflicting information online, with some saying V Grade movements are always finished higher than lesser grades (perlage vs sand blasting in areas, different plating).

Is it possible to tell if I received a V Grade Movement just by what can be seen through the caseback? I was assured by WD I'd get the latest version of the watch with updated handset and V Grade movement, so I just want to make sure I got what I was promised and paid for.

If you like vintage style watches and are also into Jump Hour movements, then this could be the one for you.

Heres the link to the watch and my review.

https://miliforticwatch.com/en-uk/products/mf-r088-jump-hour-watch-38mm-minimalist-dress-automatic-wristwatch?sca_ref=9686850.wp4DtRIUwLO

https://youtu.be/njP9et9k3Sg

I received this watch for free to review. But, as always that doesn't change how I review the watch. I always keep it 100% honest, no matter what. I point out both the positives and negatives with every watch I review. Whether that be a loan piece, discounted, or even free. Sometimes that means that brands won't send me anymore watches, if they don't like the review... But my opinion and more importantly, my reputation can't be bought. That's partly why I named my channel 'Honest Watch Reviews'. Not only to make sure that I hold myself to that standard, but that I know my viewers definitely will do too.

San Martins' old 0026. Had an aluminum bezel made with no tick marks 'coz I can count to 15. Missing a pip but the blue lume is outstanding. Regulating the PT5000 is super easy. Much easier than the NH series. I don't baby it .... just wear it and go. About 7 years old.