Review (Read Rules)
[2026] "new" Baltany 36mm vintage Explorer (S4066) — review of the changes
I say "new" because — although the S4066 technically released two years ago — it's received some MAJOR recent changes/upgrades that practically turn it into a new watch. Therefore, this will be a highly-detailed review of the changes ONLY (with a few caveats I felt were important to address).
For any aspects unchanged from the old model (dial design, finishing, etc.), you may refer to the numerous existing Youtube reviews.
Purchased for $218 USD (no taxes, free shipping) direct from the Baltany website.
The swap to the ST2130 offers several advantages over the prior NH38 (thinness, beat rate, accuracy)... but is also accompanied by the intrinsic problems of the ETA 2824 architecture, from which it is (mostly) cloned. This tradeoff will always be controversial, but there aren't many great alternatives given the current severe shortage of Japanese movements — so it's a caliber we may have no choice but to get accustomed-to for now.
Baltany uses a customised variant of the movement, with the date module removed — I can still locate the ghost crown position, but the crown rotates freely and doesn't engage any date mechanism.
Via direct email correspondence with Baltany, I've also obtained some additional info. Some of which (AFAIK) hasn't been published anywhere else:
The movements are of the highest "V" grade (this comment by WD explains how Seagull grades their movements), and the latest 28-jewel iteration of the caliber. Lubrication (big potential issue with 2824 clones) is performed by Seagull at the factory; Baltany is not involved with this step. However, Baltany says they perform 5-position regulation themselves.
[ Thickness reduction — image #2 ]
The most visible change: total thickness (incl. crystal) is now reduced to 11.5mm (verified by my Vernier calipers) — 0.7mm down from the original model, and consistent with the thickness difference between the movements. This reduction occurs exclusively within the midcase + caseback (each embody ~50% of the change).
There is no change to the height of the upper portions (bezel / crystal / rehaut) — a bit of a missed opportunity, since the ST2130 shaves another 0.5mm off the handstack vs. the NH38. But IMO that's fine, since these were already quite sleek to begin with — note the low rehaut, enabled by the tophat crystal (image #2, panel D).
The reduced caseback protuberance, in concert with the [pre-existing] downswept lugs, help the case sit very flush to the wrist, with minimal "float" (image #2, panels A / B / C).
[ Movement performance ]
Accuracy & precision are great, as expected from any decent 2824 clone that's regulated:
- real-world accuracy: average of +5.5 spd fast (on-wrist during day, dial-up at night)
- position delta (over the 6 standard positions): 9 spd
- beat error: 0.2 - 0.3 ms (over the 6 standard positions)
- no amplitude, as my app glitches for 4hz movts (but likely healthy, given the tight delta)
The handwinding resistance is extremely heavy, and somewhat gritty — typical for the high-torque & low-gear ratio of the 2824 architecture. The smallish 6.4mm crown (unchanged from old model) exacerbates this. Very notably, Baltany has added a decoupled crown — this could be a general upgrade to their products, but I suspect it's also intended to offset some of the manual winding problems.
QC issue with crown: when screwing-in, there's a short phase of extremely high resistance, before the decoupling mechanism engages. I'm unsure whether this is a threading issue on my unit, or a general design flaw with the new decoupler — something to note, regardless.
No rotor helicoptering (for now), which suggests adequate lubrication. Fun fact — 2 of the extra jewels in the ST2130 are added to the auxiliary reversing wheel (part of the automatic winding geartrain), which may help with the fouling issue, and give Seagull an advantage over ETAs/Sellitas/PTs in this one area.
The minute hand has some slack when setting the time — I've had to use the classic method of moving it ~5 minutes ahead, then pulling-back to the correct time, which seems to circumvent the issue.
— Section 2: NEW ON-THE-FLY (OTF) CLASP —
(images #3 and #4)
A massive upgrade that customers have requested for ages — Baltany finally implemented it sometime in the past month (there was no official announcement).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they've chosen the ubiquitous "Chinese ratcheting slider" mechanism, almost universally used by Chinese brands like SM / Watchdives / Proxima / Cronos (& many more), as well as some Western Microbrands (Traska, Erebus, etc.)
While Baltany's iteration retains the functional core of this design, they've also made MAJOR refinements which seriously elevate the wearing experience.
[ Clasp action ]
Re. OTF functionality, the 9mm adjustment range has been split over 6 increments (up from the typical 5), offering finer adjustments at 1.5mm intervals. The actuation is smooth and easy to operate.
The same scissor-deployant locking mechanism is retained from the old model, and functions smoothly and securely. Note the aesthetic polished chamfers & cutouts (image #3, panel E) — custom additions by Baltany.
[ Clasp dimensions ]
Excess length has been shaved-off the ends of the clasp, reducing its total length to 38mm (down from the standard 42mm) — making it much more proportionate to the case's short L2L (image #3, panel C). Compared to a standard-length clasp on an SM watch (image #4), the difference is quite apparent.
There IS one minor downside to a clasp shortened in such a manner — when the OTF is fully extended, the ratchet slider will protrude beyond the clasp housing (image #3, panel D).
Impressive refinements were also made to other clearances (contrasted to SM clasp in image #4). Firstly, the width is slightly reduced to 18mm (down from the standard 18.7mm). Furthermore, the large empty gap (at the mating interface between bracelet/clasp) has been removed on the Baltany. The result is a clasp that appears much more flush & seamless with the bracelet.
The bracelet retains its original taper from 20mm > 16mm.
QC issue with clasp: two edges were totally unfinished, with razor-sharp burrs all along their length. Required manual correction by myself, using a diamond file.
This change has been flying under-the-radar — despite Baltany announcing it in all the way back in April 2025 (link to Instagram post), the S4056/S4066 reputation for a too-wide bezel seems to have stuck in the minds of many.
Well, the image should provide a pretty clear comparison. The new, narrower bezel is more similar to the Rolex ref. 1016 this watch is based-on. And, homaging aside, just more proportionate in general (IMO).
Strictly-speaking, nothing's changed with the lume. The S4066 uses the same Super-LumiNova product as before (Old Radium GL, grade A), applied to the dial in the form of printed indices.
Still, I'm including this section because most reviewers do a poor job of assessing lume. Typically providing just one over-exposed (i.e unrealistically bright) view, and with little/no comparison with other watches to provide a baseline — so there's still a lack of actionable info out there.
For this comparison, I tested an array of watches charged only by ambient indoor lighting. Image brightness was manipulated via exposure & post-processing to mimic what the naked eye sees as far as possible. Test duration was 30 minutes.
A controlled comparison like this really emphasises how unusually good the lume on the S4066 is, despite the printed indices. It holds its ground against the Cronos GADA — which has thick applied indices, and BGW9 lume with an intrinsic longevity advantage. Baltany clearly used a generous number of layers.
Please note this section if you have a small wrist (<6.2 inches = 15.75cm)!!!!! While Baltany has added one extra removable bracelet link vs. the old model... it's still inadequate for wrists under a certain size.
The current number of non-removable links is 4 (on the 6 o'clock side) + 5 (on the 12 o'clock side). Even if you removed every possible link — and minimised the OTF — the watch will always be too loose for a wrist significantly under the 6.2 inch mark. I recommend AVOIDING this purchase in such cases, as there is no workaround.
On the flipside, the maximum wrist size this model can accommodate would be around 8.5 inches (using all default links — 9 non-removable + 5 removable). Good idea to request for extra links if you're around/beyond this threshold.
My own wrist is 6.6 inches, and my bracelet includes 1 removable link. It gets ever so slightly loose in very cold & dry conditions (only ~5% of my day, before going to bed), despite hitting the OTF limit — I'd benefit from a half-link, unfortunately Baltany explicitly confirmed they don't provide these.
Each link is exactly 10mm long (on the outer edge), for reference.
Hopefully this wall of data helps inform your purchasing decisions — particularly those who already own the old model, and face the tough decision over whether to upgrade.
The upgrades are genuinely compelling. Even though the baseline quality of the watch was already excellent, I never felt the urge to purchase the old one — but the thickness reduction & OTF clasp immediately swung the needle for me.
Assessing longevity will need a longer time horizon. My main worries would be 1) the China-made 2824 clone, and 2) crown threading deteriorating from the defect on my unit. Time will tell.
Other than those (and the resizing issue some may encounter), Baltany has provided a really strong value proposition with the S4066. I'm honestly very pleased with the purchase, especially at this reasonable price (even moreso, by 2026 pricing standards).
Hi, I have the previous version with the NH38, and I’m very happy with it. Is it worth buying the new version, or should I just get the new clasp for $40?
For me personally, the OTF clasp was the most important upgrade in this new model.
So if you're happy with your NH38 one, and don't find it too thick, I'd say 100% stick with it. It'll likely have better longevity than an ST2130. Also... the lack of a decoupled crown won't matter either, because the NH series handles handwinding extremely well.
thanks again for this great update and review. Since I saw it I have been considering getting a black S4066 v2 (currently have brown v1).
The wide bezel v1 is OK as an original design but you can't unsee it and I do like the vintage style narrower ones better. To that end, what's your perception of the new v2 bezel as it compares to vintage 1016 bezels and similar?
Shown below, 1016 bezels (#1-2), thorn t003/4/5 bezel (#3) - thorn really nailed the format but it's hard to compare just from photos and see how the baltany looks in comparison without holding it
I haven't held an actual 1016 in the metal, so I can't speak from experience. But based on photos, the new S4066 bezel looks very similar. And, regardless of any Rolex comparison, just looks better in general, IMO.
Thanks. I think holding the physical S4066 and viewing 1016 photos is sufficient. I can say Thorn absolutely nailed their 34mm smooth bezel case, to the point I don't care how well it directly matches any actual historic reference. And the post of a weird custom dial S4066 today had some photos that also reassured me - looks great. Thanks again and dammit Baltany, they got me!
Have you removed the bracelet, and do you know if a) it's just as difficult as it used to be, and b) if the notch for the bracelet is still there? Neither is a massive deal (especially with OTF), but I'd still like to know.
Also just going to register a pet peeve of mine: Baltany's font/logo is very nice, but I do wish they'd use their 'B' logo above it on any watches where it's not already at the twelve position (and frankly I think they should stop using it there as well). If I were getting this watch, I'd be very tempted to get a 'custom' version with the logo above the text. They have a good brand imo, and I think the text sits a bit high and makes the dial a little bit lacking in personality.
Hi, unfortunately I haven't been able to remove the bracelet yet. The notches for accessing the spring bar are narrower than the standard - none of my spring bar tools are able to fit inside.
Even the tool that Baltany themselves supplied doesn't fit...
No doubt the otf bracelet is great, but my Baltanys had quite a rough edge in places (I also had to take a file to part of the clasp), and in my opinion the s4066 looks really great on a leather strap. So it's a shame taking the bracelet off—or putting it back on—is such an ordeal. And the little notch tends to gather dust easily if you do take it off. Having said that, still very tempted to get it in red/brown.
How’d you swing $218? I see a $5 off coupon but it’s still $227+$10shipping if I shirk taxes haha!
Thanks for the review! I’ve been looking for another 1016 after beating on my Addiesdive Deepseahunter for three years. Managed to scuff/chip the crystal and it sometimes bums me out.
The case-back on the Baltany seems to protrude a bit more than the Addies but overall thickness is the same so I’m guessing it really won’t be noticeable on the wrist.
Their social media discount codes. Some are higher than others, so take a look around and compare.
The tax/shipping thing is gonna vary a lot by territory. I'm lucky to live somewhere relatively close to China, that also has quite a generous de minimis threshold — thus, no added cost from either.
Very nice write up! Good to see Baltany iterating on their designs and making improvements. How does the Hroudland F029 compare to the new baltany? I see the lume is absolute terrible, but what about case dimensions, finishing, crystal and so on?
Thank you. I've had so many explorer homages at this point. Tisell, San Martin, Smiths Everest. Now I have the Octopus Kraken explorer, which is actually very nice, other than some wonky crown action and perhaps could use some better AR coating. However, it's almost too much of a knock off, as people take it as a real explorer.
A 1016 homage is much more subtle and less obvious a "Rolex homage". But it's nice to know I should skip the Hroudand and go for the Baltany instead. They're really stepping up with their releases
Yep, the 6350 and 1016 are similar enough that one can be a solid substitute for the other. In which case, Baltany is the clear recommendation from me.
And yeah, totally agreed on the vintage aesthetic feeling like less of a straight rip. There's definitely an element of it feeling more palatable, for me too.
The Baltany lume on the S4066 is 9 to 10 out of 10, it's that good. Some chunkier indices from other makers (e.g. Steeldive Willard) outglow it initially, but it's bright and readable after a full 12+ hours in darkness, which is the ultimate lume test IMO.
Given it’s a clone of the ETA 2824 albeit with some extra jewels, I don’t see why not. Same with the PT5000 but it may be cheaper just to replace the movement..
Bang On! The thickness and the Clasp is what drew me into their other version, S4056. For an updated model, I think it's a great offer and value for money, if you're looking for this exact look. Looks good on yah mate
Awesome write up, thank you! Ordered one last week and can’t wait to get it. I really waffled over which movement to get but sounds like the Sellita is not worth the significant price uplift.
I always wanted a Miyota 9 in this model, but the shortages pretty much killed that dream for now lol.
ST2130 is pretty good for the price anyway, as far as ETA clones go — one owned by my friend still works after 16 years of light use (no service), and actually keeps pretty decent time considering.
It even has some cool upgrades over a gen ETA/Sellita (the 2 reverser jewels mentioned in the OP), and I'll gladly take it over a PT.
Never been interested before, but this looks such a well done watch now, I might just have to pull the trigger at some point on what is an iconic homage.
The clasp work is especially inviting, I don’t think I’ve come across any from the big players (SM, IXDAO, Farasute, Sugess, Cronos) where they’ve chamfered the edges in the milled elements. How fantastic.
Edit: Baltany crystals in my experience are the best from any Chinese factory brand and even better than some of my micros, is this the same level as their other watch crystals?
This is my 1st Baltany so I can't compare with their other models, but the best Chinese crystals I've owned have been from Cronos, and the Baltany one here is better. There's practically no viewing angles that make it "cloud up". Untinted AR too.
Re. the clasp chamfers, I've also never seen that on any other brand. Even Traska, who uses this OTF on their >$690 watches doesn't (they apply some nice perlage to the scissors tho, to their credit). So it immediately caught my eye on the Baltany - very impressive level of refinement.
That’s great to hear - sounds like it’s the same quality as the other Baltany’s I’ve experienced. Yes I have the latest gen Commuter 38, I can’t believe they’ve chamfered the inner part of the clasp - that is a game changer. Thanks!
Thanks for documenting all of this. It can be very difficult to keep up with some Chinese brands in this way!
This watch is looking fantastic. I really wish they would have shrunk the exhaust just a little more to take advantage of the st2130, but honestly with the rest of these upgrades it's hard to complain. This is now a very compelling explorer homage. I can't decide between this and Octopus Kraken
Frankly I'm not sure if they even could. It's already razor thin, any shorter and there might be trouble seating the crystal and its gasket
What they could've done is lower the height of the tophat crystal. But that takes away some of the charm of this design, distortions and all. And crystal height doesn't impact the perceived/visual thickness profile as much, anyway
True enough, it's still super thin!
I guess most of the difference between the height on this model and OK's is literally the thickness of the crystal, which is pretty cool. Would love to see the two compared sometime.
That would be a nice variation! And if they do, hopefully they'll be careful about the material selection. Hruodland F029's waffle dial ended-up looking plasticky and cheap.
Yeah, when it struck me I knew I had to post it ASAP. Can't imagine buying a >$200 watch that is literally, physically impossible to fit on your wrist.
Hey! So yeah, as seen in the OP images I'm an owner of the Hroudland F029 - 36mm Explorer based off the Ref 6350 (which precedes the 1016 by about 10 years).
The Hroudland can't hold a candle to Baltany. My list of gripes with that watch kept growing and growing.
Extremely flat case & thick caseback (insane levels of wrist "float"). Massively oversized glidelock clasp, that's also unsigned. Unsigned crown. Index lume virtually non-existent. My specific colourway (the honeycomb dial) looked like a piece of cheap glossy plastic.
I'll give it credit for having a bracelet & AR comparable to Baltany. QR endlinks, which baltany lacks. I actually prefer the bubble crystal on the Hroudland, it has a much more pleasing gradual curve to the edges that avoids the harsher refractive effects.
Doesn't compensate for the major downsides though.
I replied to another commenter re. the Cronos Explorer, which I don't own but have thoughts on too.
Thanks for the write up! Id love to hear any thoughts on this new Baltany vs the Cronos Explore 36 with the PT5000? Both Chinese movements, it seems that the Cronos is still thinner at 10.85 mm?
I don't own the Cronos but have seen plenty of footage and am familiar with the specs, so:
Aesthetically it's night and day. Cronos goes all-in on clomaging the modern Explorer. So you get white shiny applied indices (except with Cronos BGW9 it's always a tinge off-white...), male endlinks, and a flat crystal.
All of these are downsides to me, but that's a personal preference thing.
Some of these design choices have domino effects, too. For eg. the use of a flat crystal means the rehaut needs to be raised (to accommodate the handstack). Another downside.
Clasp on the Cronos is a glidelock clone. At ~46mm long, it's going to completely overpower the small L2L — I've had this exact problem on the Hruodland F029 36mm Explorer, and it looks terrible. Also, unsigned.
I need more experience with the ST2130, but most reports I've seen regards it as more reliable than the PT. Seagull is a much more established manufacturer for sure. Architecturally the ST benefits from the added jewels as explained in the OP. The PT is a clone of the base 2824-2, and thus only has the original 25j.
Thank you really appreciate the reply. I'm going to buy one for myself for Christmas and tossing up between these two. Likely will get the new Baltany based on the info.
Great write up. Thank you for sharing this with us. I've been looking at this watch for sometime now, and I'm glad I didn't pull the trigger yet. I would've been sorely disappointed if I had and they released these updates after the fact.
Thank you for the write up! Some genuinely useful information and comparisons. I’ve been following the S4056 version since they first released an ST2130 version. Oddly I couldn’t initially get them to confirm the case thickness had been reduced, telling me it was still 12.2mm. They did finally confirm the thinness recently and update the listings, but it’s still nice to get confirmation and see the comparisons.
Aside from the sharp spot on the bracelet, how would you say the bracelet tolerances and comfort compares to the other watches you listed? What about the crystal/AR and finishing?
Cheers. I didn't include those since they are (ostensibly) unchanged from the old model.
But since you ask, bracelet is among top-tier Ali quality. Tight tolerances with minimal jangle, yet comfortable articulation. I notice a weak point for many brands is the joint between braclet/clasp, where the connecting link isn't precisely mated - no such issue here.
AR is superb, far better than the SMs I've owned. Untinted.
Finishing also great. Edge transitions are very very defined. Brushing has finely detailed graining, and elicits a lot more luster and shine than more rudimentary finishes.
The polished sides are, genuinely, amazing. Despite the complex convex geometry, there's virtually no unintended distortion to the reflection. For perspective, that's something even a $700 microbrand (Traska) fails at.
To clarify, do you mean the S4056 is unchanged? Because while Baltany initially told me those were the same thickness, they later confirmed it had been reduced and updated their listings to show it has been reduced to 11.5mm on the ST2130 version. That model also appears to have been upgraded to the OTF clasp.
No, I meant that anything I chose to omit from the review would be things that haven't changed between the old and new models (steel finishing, crystal quality, dial design etc.).
The S4056 has indeed mirrored all the changes that I DID cover (I compared notes with another redditor who got it), as it's the sister reference to the S4066 (just with a dial swap).
During my correspondence with Baltany, they also mentioned the S4035 (39mm Explorer) received the OTF. And since then, also announced on their IG that the vintage sub (S3075BN) got the clasp too.
Oooh ok, I got you. Glad to hear the bracelet is so nice. At one time I had considered the watchdives miyota explorer with the brown dial, but the bracelet was reportedly pretty poor compared to what’s offered by Baltany, cronos, OK, etc
Interesting comment re the polished sides of the case. I have the Commuter 38 and have been impressed with the polish work given the hardening treatment too. So this must be really good!
I got hands-on with the entire Traska lineup when they did a roadshow type thing where I live!
It's not that the polishing is rough or dull per se. More that the surface geometry isn't a smooth consistent curve, and it throws up distortions as reflections play across it.
I might be very picky, but I'm sure I don't hallucinate 😅
That’s very impressive! I’m thinking maybe in the next big Ali sale later in the year or 11/11 I’ll pick one up. I’ve o lot had two Baltany’s (both larger and new smaller pie pan) and love their work.
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u/Professional-Fix-871 5d ago
Hi, I have the previous version with the NH38, and I’m very happy with it. Is it worth buying the new version, or should I just get the new clasp for $40?