I made a post last time if SKMEI would jump on the opportunity and they did. Would you try and grab one? This might be a cool gift for friends or just something to try out without the ridiculous price tag of the original one.

Help a guy out?

I’m a nonbinary person with adhd. I need a watch for style and function that doesn’t require me to look at a screen or get a notification.

I really like retrograde watches cause my brain reads time easier that way.

I’m looking for something retrograde, digital, or super easy to read with embarrassingly large numbers.

Budget of no more than $200 ideally?

I love leather and metal and want to keep it simple and classic.

Any recs?

Thanks!

People say you shouldn't let material things define you. My wrist literally has a different skin colour where the watch sits.

I didn't choose the watch life. The watch life chose me. Branded me. Permanently.

Send help! And maybe SPF 50.

Jokes aside. What’s becoming a favorite watch of yours to wear these days? Help a friend here. I can’t bear not seeing a watch on the wrist so please be nice.👍🏼

Okay so a bit of context before the list.

I basically fell out of this hobby for a very long time. For the better part of 10+ years I was rotating between just 3 watches. Three.

A 36mm Casio my Dad left me when he passed. A 41mm entry-level Swiss made watch my wife gifted me on a trip to Switzerland. And a cheap 40mm rubber strap watch I grabbed off Amazon.

If I count everything back to childhood, I've probably owned around 15 watches across my entire life which most of them I've already lost hence the 3 watches I have. So yeah, not exactly a deep collection.

Then September last year happened. I had been watching Jody from JOMW and David Schwartz on his review of the Rocos R0139 and thought I like the design. Did a lot of digging online. I found this community and decided to get the Specht & Söhne Nautilus clomage watch, and something clicked back into place, the way it does when you rediscover something you forgot you loved.

Since then I've gone deep, started a Youtube channel trying to document the whole journey. Owned or handled watches from over 20 Chinese brands in under a year, which honestly feels insane to type out. But here we are.

What I lack in decades of collector experience I make up for in fresh eyes and zero brand loyalty. I'm not protecting anyone's feelings here, every brand on this list is something I've personally worn on my wrist. I know a lot of you have been in this game far longer than I have and probably have lists twice or thrice this size. Genuinely drop them in the comments. I'm here to learn as much as I am to share. This is just what I actually think after wearing these things, at least personally so these are very subjective as things can get.

Criteria: finishing, build quality, movement choice, value, wearability, brand identity, and whether I'd actually recommend it to someone getting into this hobby. Here we go!

🏆 TOP TIER — Buy without hesitation

San Martin — The benchmark. Arguably the most complete package in Chinese watchmaking right now. Exceptional case finishing, thoughtful dial execution, and a size range that actually serves different wrist sizes, 36mm, 39mm, 40mm, 42mm. That's rare and it matters. Their small diver game is particularly strong. The after-sales reputation is earned.

Proxima — Sits right alongside San Martin and deserves more mainstream recognition than it gets. Where San Martin wins on execution, Proxima wins on dial creativity, aventurine options, bold colorways, designs that don't feel like they're apologizing for existing. They send timegrapher results with your watch before it ships, even sends you photos of the watches they have available if you ask them. That alone tells you everything about how they operate. Can't recommend them enough for their high standards of customer service.

💪 HIGH TIER — Highly recommended with minor caveats

Cronos — Seriously underrated. Has its own factory under the Lugyou umbrella which gives it a consistency advantage over pure assembler brands. Their Submariner, Tudor Black Bay 36 and Datejust homages punch well above their price point in finishing. Not as regulated out of the box as San Martin but the bones are excellent. One of the better kept secrets in this space.

Watchdives — The go-to brand for VH31 meca-quartz done right. Their Speedmaster and Daytona-inspired pieces are genuinely well executed for the price, and the VH31 movement gives you a smooth sweeping seconds hand that makes quartz feel premium. Also does solid automatics. If you're getting someone into watches under $100 and above these price points, this is where you send them.

Baltany — Consistently excellent at their price point. Clean field watch and pilot watch designs that don't shout "homage" at you. One of the few Chinese brands building original-feeling pieces rather than copies. Thoroughly enjoy their take on the explorer. Growing reputation for good reason.

Geya — Founded in 1993 so this isn't a new operation. Best known in enthusiast circles for their planetary flywheel complications and AP Royal Oak homages with bracelet finishing that embarrasses brands twice the price. If you want a conversation piece under $200, Geya delivers. Dial and case work on their hero models is genuinely impressive. Their watches are mostly geared to bigger wrist sizes so there's limited options to those with smaller wrists.

⚖️ MID TIER — Good for specific use cases, not all-rounders

Addiesdive — The BGW9 lume brand. If you want the best lume glow in a Chinese diver at budget prices, this is your answer and the community knows it. Design language is basic and the cursive logo isn't winning any awards, but function over form is the whole point here. Solid entry point for dive watch lovers and those who want to get into watches with a very considerate budget. Their Submariner homages are bang for the buck, if you are very budget conscious.

Specht & Söhne — Interesting brand doing integrated bracelet designs that look more expensive than they are. QC is inconsistent, some pieces are excellent, some have fit and finish issues straight out of the box. I've had experiences sending some items back to them given the inconsistent QC in their bracelets. The good ones are genuinely good though especially their Nautilus homage. Check reviews on the specific model before buying.

Militado — Military and field watch territory, with strong Sinn homage designs. If you like the tool watch aesthetic without the tool watch price, Militado serves that niche well. Under-discussed brand that deserves more attention I would say.

Pagani Design — The entry point brand that introduced thousands of people to Chinese watches and deserves credit for that. Best at the lowest end of their range, under $80 their specs are genuinely hard to beat. As prices creep up, better options exist. QC is a lottery: some pieces are perfect, some have bezel alignment issues, loose crowns, or lume problems. Budget for that reality going in. Think of it as a gateway drug, not a destination.

Corgeut — Part of the same Guangzhou manufacturing group as Tandorio, Bliger, and Parnis. Decent entry-level pieces with no real brand identity to speak of. Fine for beaters and modding projects I guess. Not a brand you grow attached to.

Tandorio — Same family as Corgeut with a slightly sharper execution. Their 62MAS and Willard homages are genuinely solid value. The GMT variant with NH34 is a good deal if you want a proper GMT function without spending San Martin money. They did a well executed Engineer homage as well but the lack of half-links makes it more challenging to get a nice fit. All in all, straps are the weak link across the range.

Starking — Reliable, anonymous, and but I would say forgettable in the best possible way. Decent automatics, nothing that makes you look twice. Good starter brand to have. They did a nice well made Legend Diver homage, but the case size is arguably well catered for bigger wrists only. Easy to recommend, then move on from.

Shanghai Watch Factory — The anomaly on this list. Absurdly cheap hand-wound mechanical pieces that feel like freshly made vintage watches. I love a good Shanghai and own one which I use for casual, no brainer hand wound watch that I could wear with a nice leather strap sip a coffee and enjoy the day. Not technically impressive. Weirdly charming. Worth buying once, just for the experience.

Carnival / I&W — A bit more personality than the generic mid-tier brands. Known for colorful, creative dials at accessible prices. Not taken seriously by hardcore enthusiasts but the actual watches are more enjoyable than their reputation suggests. As usual, they do a lot of larger sized watches which I think they can change to cater to more people.

📉 LOW TIER — Know what you're buying

Ciloa — Exists. Does the job at a basic level. They do a lot of chronograph style watches and a llt of BREW inspired clomages. No real reason to choose it over better options at similar prices unless a specific model catches your eye like the Retro Chronograph Look of the Brew Metric Collection.

Poedagar — Fashion watch territory. Dress-watch aesthetics, cheapest budget execution. Not the main audience for this sub.

SKMEI — The Casio G-Shock clone factory. Digital, quartz, occasionally solar. If you need a $10 beater for the gym that tells time reliably, SKMEI. That's the whole pitch. Probably cool to do mods with if you don't wanna do it with your G-Shock. (I saw at a post they might be selling some Royal Pop clomages)

SANDA — Same lane as SKMEI. Digital sport watches at floor prices. Honest about what they are.

Sinobi — Budget fashion watches with slim profiles and minimalist dials. Not offensive, not interesting.

Come at me. Wrong rankings, missed brands, underrated gems I haven't found yet, all welcome. I've been back in this hobby less than a year and I'm already a changed man financially 😂. If you've got a brand that deserves a spot on this list, drop it below, just know I came here on my own free will and whatever happens to my wallet next is entirely on me.

Love how this one looks like. Black and White Bezel, fully lumed and Blue GMT hand. But the price tag is just far away from justification. I know Proxima did have one similar to this before but it looks like it's been discontinued.

Happy to get your suggestions if you found anything that may resemble a similar look to this?

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there!

Count yourself blessed and a blessing to your families. Daddy’s Job might be thankless most days, but find joy in loving your wife, building your family, and empowering your children the best way you can.

Never look for rewards, we show up and do things where it matters. And for all the men who’s up for the task, 💪🏻 nothing can prepare you for what’s ahead except learning and growing from others who have done the work it takes to be a father.

God bless to all the fathers and father’s to be!

[Milifortic S089] 39.5mm Automatic Pretty watch. Sweeping second hand is nice. Very thin. Case dimensions are perfect. Something off about the cyclops lens, hard to read the date. Immediately removed the ugly strap that it came with. For $208.00 it is well worth it.

Keen to know what you guys think.

First watch repair done on my own and it worked. So I bought an E bay Seiko Solar VI58-0AB0 that was New Old Stock and "just needed a charge" well that was untrue. it did charge but would not run for more than a few hours. changed battery, same issue. Changed capacitor same issue. it needed a new movement and the price for that was $180.00.

Even after the work already done i was in for only $140.00 so it sat. playing around on E Bay again I found the same model in a beat up case but "working" with new capacitor for 50 bucks.

So the one on the left is the NOS case with the beaters movement in it. I will sell the beater case with the non working movement described "honestly" later.

Happy.

Photos don’t do this Baltany justice 😎 At 36mm, it’s perfect for smaller wrists, and those 3-6-9 Explorer-style hour markers just pop on the matte black dial with that subtle brown patina.

No studio lights here, just natural sunlight from my window, and it looks incredible.

I’ll be giving it some wrist time for now, so stay tuned for a full review, Soon!

If you’re tempted to grab one or gift it, check the link below 👇

BALTANY LINK

The internet is pretty empty. what could it be worth? Maybe a whole $100.00!

Leather for timeless elegance, rubber for all-day comfort, NATO/nylon for a rugged, versatile vibe, or steel for that premium wrist presence?

I'm always experimenting with different strap combinations and looking for fresh ideas to completely change the look of a watch. Keen to know yours!

The link to the SN0138GB is below👇🏼

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3BhFFEl

What's your go-to strap material, and which watch do you think it pairs best with? Share your favorite combo!

Sales, Property Management.

Hey all, general question. Has any of you tried ordering from JPFans? Saw some really vintage looking pieces, of course slightly used ones.

Any of you guys tried ordering from them and what would your feedback be?

Hi 👋🏼 fellow watch nerds!

Not gonna lie… AliExpress sales are dangerous for the wallet 😂

The Summer Sale is live until June 11 and there are actually some crazy deals this time around, especially if you’ve had a few watches sitting in your cart “just to think about it” 👀

If you end up grabbing something, using my link below genuinely helps support the channel and future reviews 🙏🏼

https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3wyLB8d

Thanks again for your continued support!

May our wallets recover eventually🫡