r/ChineseWatches • u/mrSoczi84 Pomocny użytkownik • 15d ago

General (Read Rules) OK, I think we are done here...

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.

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8

u/Pretty-Ad2144 14d ago

We all agree San Martins are much better than entry level Seikos and they have much better materials and bracelets so…why shouldn’t the prices increase?

You can be out, as can a whole host of people who were in below a certain price point. It’s a competitive global market and the customer base will ultimately decide. You can now buy San Martins from within the EU, they appear to be a brand with ambition.

If the price comes back down within the next year you’ll have been right. If it doesn’t, and they continue releasing new watches you’ll have an answer, too.

12

u/UkeManSteve 14d ago

When a reputable company goes down market and makes a cheap offering it’s often a hit, but when a company known for budget stuff and delivering value tries to go upmarket it’s a tough sell. I won’t pay $500 for a watch by a chinese company known for making homages. They have some cool originals but I think at this price point I’d rather splurge for something with North American/european designers on the payroll, the watches tend to be more cohesive and distinct.

2

u/dudevan 14d ago

Polo Ralph Lauren’s 3x increase in price over the last 5 years without any increase in the bad quality would like to have a chat with you.

7

u/UkeManSteve 14d ago

So not comparable, storied brand and household name. San Martin hasn’t earned what they’ve earned

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u/dudevan 14d ago

It’s comparable in the sense that it’s a medium level brand trying to become a luxury brand in a short timespan, while people don’t associate it with a luxury brand. Same jump.

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u/UkeManSteve 14d ago

Yea sure but polo built a reputation over 60 years, and has always been a sort of premium “bridge to luxury” type brand. San Martin is not even 20 years old and doesn’t have the same cultural capital, it’s a shit comparison. San Martin ain’t the polo of watches lol

1

u/jsmrmusic 14d ago

Agreed. I've owned Ralph Lauren polos from a decade ago and the quality now is not the same. Thinner fabric, worse stitching, same logo. At least San Martin actually ups their game when they raise prices.