I don't own one, but from what I've seen, their quality control is impeccable.

 

Bezel Alignment on SM SN015-G GMT ...threads/Bezel-Alignment-on-SM-SN015-G-GMT.5359733/&share_type=t&link_source=app

My experience with SM unfortunately has been unacceptable. Two watches with multiple issues. The bezel alignment and accuracy on the GMT was way off (100 seconds per day fast). I attempted to resolve through them but they wanted me to just turn the bezel to fix it. I ended up eating the $60 ish to ship it back and file a PayPal dispute. I eventually got refunded the cost but received nothing on the shipping end. Lesson learned I suppose.


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Why do San Martin watches cost more than other Chinese brands?

From photos of these watches, and youtube reviews, they all have the same fit and finish.

Well, they actually don't, choose your review source more carefully.

 

I've found a video showing the San Martin HQ and how they assemble and QC the watches using state of the art tech.

Very impressive.

This is no doubt why they are more expensive.

 

That's truly impressive if they do that for each and every watch they manufacture.

 

More time, more effort, more labor costs, etc.......

 

For the price, I've hardly seen another watch that can match San Martin under a macro lens. No misaligned chapter rings, and great bezel action with hardly any back-play. Are you listening Seiko?

 

Not sure if Seiko’s owner is a fellow WUS member.

 

Probably because San Martin noticed that people are willing to pay more their watch than for others. There are a million reasons why people will pay more for one brand than for another of the same quality.

 

I think they are ones of the brands that started with Clomage watches to get going and are now also branching out into more design and less copy and past. I know when they started out, they did so with the 6105 explosion that included Heimdallr, Bombfrog, San Martin, Steeldive and Detroit Mint. The assumption was that they all came from the same factory. Can't speak to that too much but having compared my Heimdallr to a Detroit Mint, there were differences. San Martin and Hemdallr still "borrow" design from some older Seikos, but at least seem to be trying to move towards original content. Maybe thats where the price increase comes in.

 

Homage Hype maybe? 😅

 

Ironically for a brand that basically only makes homages to other brands...it's the brand, I think. Although I will say that having held some of their most recent offerings since they've cracked well into the 2 and 300 range, they do seem a cut above your really low grade fake and homage fare. I was quite impressed really for that money and I've had a lot of homage experience.

 

Actually, I appreciate their original designs.

If this model were a mm or 2 larger I would really enjoying wearing it.

 

Because sanmartin’s owner is our fellow WUS member?

 

Really? Interesting... please do share

 

San Martin Watches

OfficIal forum dedicated to San Martin Watches

www.watchuseek.com

 

Sponsoring the WUS San Martin forum is not free. I'm sure a portion of the price goes to this website.

Kinda like Rolex sponsoring F1. It ain't free and its included in the price of the watch.

 

Sponsoring the WUS San Martin forum is not free. I'm sure a portion of the price goes to this website.

Kinda like Rolex sponsoring F1. It ain't free and its included in the price of the watch.

At least i get to browse and post in WUS.

i dont drive F1 cars.

 

They are better quality no doubt. But the recent price increases make it so that it is not worth the difference anymore.

 

I was able to drive at an F1 track though before. Once. But it wasnt with an F1 car.

 

This actually was posted yesterday and talks about what he considers the pluses and minuses.

 

He certainly has more pluses than minuses. The only minus is that he says the company has no original designs. As a homage lover, I can live with that.

 

I'm a minority, I need the day and the date! Otherwise I'd have not one but a few.

 

I owned the San Martin "Black Bay 58" and must say the quality is a lot better than the Chinese "pilot" watch I own. The lume on the San Martin was superb. The movement, a legit Chinese ETA clone at 28K, was a step up from the NH 35, at least the sweep was smoother as one would expect. The fit and finish were a lot better a lot of other Chinese watches as well as Seiko and other upper level watches. Why did I sell it? The damn logo, a stamped out hexagon that looks like a blob, drove me bananas. If San Martin could come up with a a printed logo then I could do another go around.

 

San Martin has a good reputation for quality and that level of effort probably costs more to deliver. Plus they realize that reputation allows them to charge a little more.

That being said I owned the SN004G a year ago and I thought the QC on it was really terrible. Everything from the bracelet to the bezel were subpar and the $225 I paid felt like it was overpriced.

 

San Martin has a good reputation for quality and that level of effort probably costs more to deliver. Plus they realize that reputation allows them to charge a little more.

That being said I owned the SN004G a year ago and I thought the QC on it was really terrible. Everything from the bracelet to the bezel were subpar and the $225 I paid felt like it was overpriced.

Well, I have an SN004G V3 and it’s fantastic in terms of QC.

 

I’m not familiar with this brand. I have had very good experience with escapement time - limited selection of models, but quality has been excellent.

 

Things are changing. A few years ago, I would have never considered buying a folding knife from you know where. But now there are quite a few makers from that country that are putting out quality stuff. Ever heard of We knives? Very well made. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. In the knife world, there's a new generation of Chinese knife maker's that have embraced quality over quantity. I think San Martin is an example of this in the watch world. An entrepreneur that understands the market and realizes that offering a quality product is the name of the game if you're after enduring success.

 

Hmmmm, maybe it's the quality of the lipstick.

 

Managed to get female end links after this image was taken. Wears so much better now.

 

More than happy with the San Martins I own. All are well made, well finished and I've not got any complaints about timekeeping either.

Standard San Martin's - albeit I ordered sterile dials for these

SN006 (leather dial)

SN061-T

BSH Custom Orders:

SN008G

SN017-G-A

 

Here’s the other issue that occurred. As you can tell the hands and dial are completely different colors.

Fortunately I purchased it through wrwatches who were extremely helpful. They paid to have it shipped back/correct the problem.

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Here’s the other issue that occurred. As you can tell the hands and dial are completely different colors.

Fortunately I purchased it through wrwatches who were extremely helpful. They paid to have it shipped back/correct the problem.

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That's the first version, isn't it. Things will have improved with the latest.

 

I must say I've been perusing their store. I just can't see putting down money on a cloned watch and knowing I'll not wear it out of shame for having a watch purporting to be what it isn't. For me the fun is actually owning the original and having successfully acquired a watch I really want. The ones which I really was attracted to were the Bluesy, Explorer, and PAM clones. If they had a Fifty Fathom clone with round lumes I might have bitten.

 

Fortunately, I've never had that hang-up.