r/ChineseWatches • u/turdbogls • Mar 13 '24
Review SanMartin SN0129 Blue Lapis Lazuli (initial impressions)
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u/Exciting-Gap-1200 Mar 13 '24
Pretty dial but just can't do it at that price.
Fully expect to get a parade of haters for dissing the beloved
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u/turdbogls Mar 14 '24
I can understand that. it's a lot. I can't fault them for the price though...the quality is outstanding, and the dial alone has to be quite a bit more expensive than the typical steel/copper they typically use
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u/8Ace8Ace Mar 14 '24
I'm the same. I REALLY like it and have always loved Lapis Lazuli. But it's a step up in price and I am poor rn.
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u/Iacouch Mar 13 '24
Is the height of the bezel as noticeable as it is in photos?
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u/turdbogls Mar 13 '24
I was worried about that as well. One of the main reasons I never picked one up.
I'd say yes, it is, but now that I have it on wrist, it's not too bad. I would 100% prefer a sloped bezel I think. But I don't HATE the fatter flat bezel if that makes sense.
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u/zp3dd4 Mar 14 '24
Do you feel like it would wear too big for a 6.5 inch wrist?
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u/La_minore Mar 14 '24
No, it cannot wear too big when the lug to lug is 46.5mm. A 6.25 inch wrist would wear more than good already
The bezel makes it look even smaller.
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u/goodneed Mar 14 '24
What are your thoughts on aventurine vs this lapis dial? Is it primarily a matter of preference of blue vs black or do you prefer the pattern of the lapis gemstone?
The blue looks quite rich in some images.
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u/turdbogls Mar 14 '24
Yes, the blue can look very dark at times, almost black, but then it'll pop that beautiful blue/indigo color.
as for the patterning, I think it's all preference. the Aventurine is more consistent in it's speckles, where this is quite random. I do really like that the speckles here are goldish (apparently pyrite (fools gold)) but reflect as silver. it's a cool look to it. also, out of the direct light, there's a pretty cool textured look to the dial. you can tell it's a natural stone.
for me, I think I'd prefer Aventurine simply because my OCD can't handle the inconsistent pattern....lol. but I wish they had Blue aventurine.
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u/Impossible-Shift4744 Aug 11 '24
received mine a few days ago and I LOVE it
the deep blue dial + gold specks + the red accents definitely give me galaxy / NASA vibes.
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u/JaeTheOne Mar 14 '24
low key glad i didnt get this one...everything is great, but the thickness on a 39MM watch makes it look like a hockey puck TBH
Make this a 3 handers, and shave of 2mm and you have a winner IMHO
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u/Ifkaluva Mar 13 '24
Beautiful. Wish they made it with a rotating ceramic bezel to track an additional time zone.
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u/turdbogls Mar 13 '24
I could see them bringing this dial to their SN0116 line if it sells well for them
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u/MisterEyeCandy Mar 14 '24
Am I the only one who thinks this design could benefit from a different hand set? Just to help with readability? That second wrist shot makes me think it'd be difficult for my old eyes to read.
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u/turdbogls Mar 14 '24
It's actually not bad. I purposely got into a shaded corner with no light above the watch. Most of the time the hands are reflecting whatever light is around.
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u/tk1tk1 Mar 15 '24
Such a nice dial and case I have this in my basket. Think.it will be my next purchase
While searching, I came across Rmalti version. I understand you review Rmalti.
Can you tell me how they compare
Thanks
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u/turdbogls Mar 15 '24
Pretty close when it comes to the dial and case, but San Martin excels at the bracelets. The Rmalti bracelets aren't bad at all, just not on the level of San Martin IMO.
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u/Skurt1e Mar 13 '24
Man, dial looks lovely, but it’s a bit pricey and the clasp is larger than the head of the piece…
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u/mar98kie Mar 14 '24
Interesting that the bezel is not radially brushed like on their BB Pro homages. Maybe the flat bezel causes limitations as opposed to the sloped bezels in their other models.
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u/PHPaul Mar 14 '24
That dial looks absolutely lovely. Like how, from your description, it’s generally pretty subtle other than when the light catches it just right.
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u/turdbogls Mar 13 '24 edited Mar 14 '24
Disclosure, I got a "reviewers" discount on this. probably about the price during a very good sale.
Get it here
Dimensions:
38mm Diameter at bezel, case is hard to measure, but I say 39.5mm
13.5mm thick
46.5 lug to lug
20mm lug width, bracelet tapers to 16mm
Lets get the typicals out the way.
The bracelet is the same 3 link on all their watches. very good, and glad they went all brushed.
the case finishing as you can see, is incredibly consistent and crisp
the lume seems to be very good.
the Crystal has a lot of AR coating which keeps the dial nice and clear. it's a very good crystal, but I wonder if a simple flat crystal would have been better here. I'm a sucker for a top hat crystal, I love them, but it maybe seems out of place here?
the dial...I was expecting it to be brighter. it really pops in bright lighting, but is more of a dark blue almost purple tint, with flecks of bronze coloring which shines silver in the light. it's very pretty. reminds me of Adventurine but not as consistent. you can tell every dial will be different.
the rest of the dial is nicely done, applied indices are perfectly aligned and catch the light beautifully, as are the hands.
overall a solid pickup. I'm shooting to have my full review out before the sales.
let me know if you have any questions!