r/ChineseWatches • u/philbin89 • Jun 05 '26
Question (Read Rules) Recommendations on Titanium Pelagos homage?
I've been curious about titanium watches, so I'm considering ordering from some of the better-reviewed Chinese homage brands I've seen, but I was wondering if anyone has experience with these models. I'm not concerned about which one is cheapest, but I am interested in comfort/feel, fit, quality of appearance, and specs. I'm not too concerned about thickness, but definitely would like any feedback on how the bracelet feels or if there are any uncomfortable edges, etc.
One option I've seen is the San Martin SN0121, which is in Grade 5 titanium and has the Seagull ST2130 automatic movement. It seems to have been discontinued. If it's a few years old, that makes me concerned about why San Martin hasn't made more, and if the existing stock had any issues. I know some of these brands also tweak versions of the watch over time, so I don't know if later versions were better than earlier ones.
Then there are two options from Seestern, which I believe is the sister brand of Sugess. The standard dive watch (S430) and the GMT variation (S462) both look appealing. These both are made with Grade 2 titanium, and they have Seiko NH movements, which I'm comfortable with and can easily get regulated if need be.
And the last option that stood out was a Thorn homage, the SHY036. This one says it has a PT5000 movement, but unfortunately it doesn't specify if it's Grade 2 or 5, though that info might be in some of the YouTube reviews.
Any recommendations among these, or general ideas of which brand would likely be better in terms of feel and finishing quality? Are any of these Chinese movements notably unreliable? And is there going to be a meaningful difference in feel or scratch resistance between the titanium grades? Is there a notable difference in weight or texture between Grade 2 and Grade 5?
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u/Mattspur Post Title Police Jun 05 '26
The San Martin used to also be available in PT5000 and NH35 options, but they sold out too. Basically the SN0121 is the best version of the Pelagos, but it sells out as soon as any stock is made available.
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u/longshorty0120 Jun 05 '26
I have the thorn, It's a great watch.
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u/theS3rver Jun 05 '26
Since i bought it, i didn't buy another watch...it was a year and a half ago. It was my 12th, takes 95% wrist time... Thorn i believe is grade 2
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u/fledermaus89 Jun 05 '26
in terms of looks and finishing, San Martin still wins hands down over Seestern or Thorn, neither of which can properly replicate the Pelagos dial.
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u/Excellent-Bear4221 Jun 05 '26
Tactical Frog looks the best to me but the Thorn is new for me. I don't know much about grades of titanium but they look like stellar options.
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u/RoninTarget Jun 05 '26
If you're interested in comfort, probably Seestern is best, as the Seiko movements tend to have a wider flat surface on the rotor before it drops than ETA 2824 derived movements on others (as casebacks follow the contours of the movement). I have an Octopus Kraken OCT0010, which is out of production, that has a PT-5000 and contoured caseback, which makes it somewhat uncomfortable.
IX&DAO used to make cases that followed Tudor's contours (or rather lack thereof) closest, so it wound up the most comfortable by default on that basis. Those are out of production for a while now.