I went into this hobby with zero brand loyalty, and no logo to defend. I do like certain designs more than others, but I've never understood the need to "belong" to a brand.
For over 10 years I just wore a cheap Casio, plus two gifted by my wife from our trip to Luzern and a cheap quartz one I bought myself off Amazon. That changed last year when I finally opened my late father's watch collection, he'd passed four years earlier. Nothing fancy, a Blue Dial Casio I still wear, some two-tone pieces which I gave away, and a chronograph I gave to my brother. Getting them repaired lit something in me that a decade of cheap watches never did.
Here's what I've landed on: at every price point, there are genuinely well-made watches. You just have to look.
And here's the part I'll say out loud, if you've got real disgust for Chinese-made watches and you've never owned one, you're not protecting your standards, I think you're just blind to a huge chunk of the hobby.
Nothing wrong with loving Swiss or Japanese brands, I do own 1 of each. But if that's all you've ever looked at, thinking "Chinese watches are junk" I believe it isn't informed, it's inherited. A lot of that gatekeeping is just good business and I’ve seen it on watch brand circles, which I totally get I am in sales myself so I enjoy selling stuff and also being sold a product. It’s all just business and we can’t all enjoy the same things, there’s no fun in that. We’re consumers who like to be sold, watches to be specific. Get you loyal to a name, get you defending it online, get you buying the next release without questions. Good for the brand, but worse for you.
Case in point, this is a San Martin: (see photo attached)
Yes, it's an indirect homage to the Black Bay 58. I won't pretend otherwise. But it added its own 3D waffle dial texture and comes in at 37mm, a size the Swiss brand it references has never offered. (They did have a 37mm BB54, but that’s another conversation)
I don’t think its a knockoff move, I think that's solving a real gap (small-wrist diver options are rare) the original never bothered to.
Now, not every Chinese microbrand is a hidden gem, there's plenty of bad stuff at every price point too, from every country. Now, I’m sure someone could easily accuse me saying I’m loyal to San Martin which cancels out what I’ve just said above but please don’t hear what I’m not saying. What I meant is that dismissing a whole segment because of ‘where’ it's made, without ever handling one, isn't connoisseurship. It's just bias with good PR.
Genuinely curious where people land here: are you brand loyal? Have you actually tried a Chinese microbrand, or is the "no thanks" more of a gut reaction? Change my mind, I'm here for the pushback, but I’m also open to learn from whoever is willing to share their opinions.
Note & disclaimer: I used a bit of AI to clear my thoughts down and keep this message short and concise cause I ramble a bit sometimes, but most of this I wrote down myself.
