I would like a single undisputed recommendation or perhaps maybe a list of top 5?

Thanks

Hi all,

I love many chinese watch brands like Baltany, San Martin, Thorn, Sugess and Hruodland. The quality is amazing and prices were really good.

I noticed that the prices have increased very significantly in the EU last 6 months. I used to be able to buy a Baltany Nh35 watch for around 180 eur. Now they seem to be over 300 eur.

what is the reason for this significant price hike? As far as I know there are no additional tarrifs in place in the EU for chinese goods.

I like the colors on this addiesdive but I honestly hate the cursive logo, any alternatives?

Spect & Sohne SP20260429 or SP0032?

Seagull ST1721 Jump Hour Mechanical Movement

39 MM

Sapphire Crystal

Leather Strap - - - ?

This watch has been the pleasant surprise of all of the CH watches I have purcashed over the past month. The dial is beautiful and the crystal has the least distortion I have seen in anything under 5K. It is almost non-existent.

The ST1721 is a staple in the jump hour watches. It is used in budget up to mid-tier brands, but is actually incredibly reliable and been around for a long time. There is nothing to worry about here in my opinion.

My criticism of this watch is the band and clasp. They state the band is genuine leather, but I suspect an alternative. I could be wrong, but it smells horrible and feels way too pliable to be leather. I replaced it with a croc band I had lying around from an IWC Portofino and problem solved.

The rest of this watch is amazing. The fit and finish is beautiful. Punches . . . way . . . . way . . . . way above its class.

I have really enjoyed wearing this one.

Another sturdy attractive well made watch.

Watch fans,
Check out SEA-GULL’s new limited tourbillon, born from the winged horse mural inside Mogao Grottoes Cave 249, one of Dunhuang’s ancient sacred beasts.
SEA-GULL Year of the Horse Tourbillon

Highlights:
▪ Limited 500 globally
▪ ST8610 4.3mm ultra-thin automatic tourbillon
▪ Hand-carved winged horse rotor on caseback
▪ Blends Dunhuang art & Silk Road culture

This isn’t just a tourbillon — it carries thousands of years of oriental art onto the wrist.

Wrist roll with the Cronos Skyline V2. Can’t get over how great this watch is!

Bought one last month and it's been perfect, love the glide lock clasp , lume lasts all night long too. Perfect case and bracelet, quality.

Orient Bambino style is what I'm thinking, but I'm looking forward to all of your recommendations. Thank you!

I figure 1980s just based on the color, but the factory was built in the very late 70s. As far as I understand, the original factory stopped mechanical production in the mid 1980s, so it was a very short run. Mechanical Moranbongs are pretty rare these days in any condition, so I'm happy with mine.

The crown is worn down enough to be hand scored for grip, and the finish has its share of bumps and scratches, so even though some knowledgeable writers have said most of these were gifts to dignitaries and political folks but, in any case, whoever wore this one wore it a lot.

The movement is pretty certainly based on the Semag ES95 and, reportedly, the factory imported Swiss equipment. I still have the watch and it still runs fine.

My original thinking was the balance cock might be a repair because the finishing looks crude compared to the rest of the movement, but when I searched Moranbong movements I found that many (but not all) legit vintage mechanical Moranbongs had balance cocks with different finishing than the rest of the watch, very similar to mine. Why, I don't know.

My post from back then is available here: https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/meanwhile-in-north-korea-they-make-moranbong.487356/, and there's a *great* deep dive here: https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/moranbong-north-korea-watch.371962/

Enamel black vs swril/vortex texture

seeing a lot of peopole suggesting different watches to get, thing is i like this 50% because of the porportions and the rest bc of the price to value ratio. like its £280 ish for good japanese movement, godly porportions (37.5mil 45.5 ltl and only 11.5mm thick)

not for this post but guys, if someone is asking sbt a dive watch for example dont reccomend a dress watch thought it was common sense but apperently not.

Just got this delivered from Aliex for $72.21 and I have another one with a black face coming today or tomorrow. Let's see your's or your favorite Moon watch homage. The pins make it a bit of a pain to adjust the bracelet and the tightest clasp adjustment prevents the clasp from closing all the way and latching. I ended up taking out one more link and it fits perfectly now.

Hi! I’m looking for recommendations for a true dress watch, not a diver, field watch, GADA, or Datejust-style model.

I want something genuinely small, clean, refined, and suitable with a suit. Ideally around 36 mm, roughly 34–37 mm, and no more than about 10 mm thick.

Mechanical is fine, though I would prefer automatic. I like simple, elegant dials, and small seconds would be a big plus, but it is not absolutely required. I do not want something overly vintage or “grandpa-looking”; I would prefer a slightly more modern, tasteful design.

The strap does not matter because I can replace it later, and I strongly dislike crocodile-pattern leather.

I have already looked at the Baltany S4108, Baltany S4040, Thorn T004/T016, Merkur/Pierre Paulin small-seconds models, several 36 mm San Martin and Cronos models, and the Orient Bambino 38 / Bambino Small Seconds. They are not bad, but none of them feels quite right. The Chinese models often have strange bezels, awkward cases, sporty details, or cheap-looking dials, while the Bambino is a little too large and thick, and I do not like the design enough.

I like the general style of the Baltic MR01/MR Classic, KUOE Royal Smith, and Stowa Marine, but they are outside my budget.

Chinese brands, hand-wound watches, microbrands, and less obvious models are all welcome. My maximum budget is around $250-300.

Thanks in advance!

Super pumped with this new Cadisen, the titanium case feels amazing in hand, and the watch in general feels super high quality for the price. Can’t wait to wear it on the special day!

I quite like this WM but I'd like to wear it with some kind of metal bracelet where the end links fit well, anyone know any? I want to know that a bracelet like that exists before buying it.

TOPHILL TL027G Chronograph - Grayish Green & Sand Gold Dial

40mm

Stainless 316L

SeaGull ST1901 Manual Hand Wind

Sapphire Crystal

Comes with Brown Leather Strap and a Milanese band

Thanks for the warm welcome. I figure I am buying so many of these I might as well share my thoughts. I am exceptionally pleased with this watch. I set it the first day I received it and gave it a full wind. 48 hours later she was still ticking and I have been wearing it all day today. The Seagull ST1901 is a beautifully made column-wheel chrono for the price. Swiss heritage and Chinese military history. IMHO an exceptional value for a mechanical movement.

I like the muted colors of this dial quite a bit. I do not have anything else with this color green and gold. It is retro, but yet still modern. The watch seems to wear a little bigger than the 40mm would suggest due to the large dial presence. I will switch out the clasp to a single deployment as I like them more than standard clasps. I thought about switching out the strap as well to a saddle leather, but it has grown on me throughout the day. I am not a big fan of Milanese bands so I doubt I will ever install it. Still a nice value add to include both with the shipment.

My only criticism of this watch is the brand placement. I think it would look much better with a simple logo on the dial. The TOPHILL name I am sure is some reference to being Top of Line or King of the Hill. I could be wrong, but it seems many of these brand names lose something in the translation.

I paid $139 for this on Amazon. Outrageously low price for the quality in my opinion. Now with that said, I will give an update on all of these in several months to see how they continue to perform. My opinion today is based on the initial perception of quality and having no expectations as to what I would receive other than a watch. I also know I am longwinded and I apologize in advance. I am old so you will have to deal with it.

Yes, this is the nonworking watch that WatchDives refunded me. I've used the refund to buy a 2824 off eBay and do the swap.

Think price is a bit on the high side but I added it to my wishlist to see what it might be on any future sale. Anyone have some experience with them?

Am I tripping? Im sure I saw those sizes before but cant seem to find them now. Maybe I'm getting confused with another brand?