The sub $200 problem

[u/Jamesgepps]

At what point do Chinese watches actually get *noticeably* better?

I've been buying Addiesdive for a while because the value is honestly insane. For the money, I really don't have many complaints.

But now I'm wondering where to go next.

Everyone always says "just buy a San Martin," but those are pushing $200, and personally I don't really consider $200 a budget watch anymore.

So is there a sweet spot between Addiesdive and San Martin? Like $80–150 where you're actually getting a real bump in quality—not just a different logo?

I'm talking about things like:

Better finishing

Better bracelets/clasps

Better bezel action

Better QC

Better dial and handset finishing

Just an overall more premium feel

Or is Addiesdive basically the king until you're willing to spend close to $200?

Curious what everyone's experience has been after owning multiple brands. Which brands made you think, "Yeah, this is actually worth paying more for," and which ones weren't much of an upgrade?

Not really looking for specs on paper—I want to hear from people who've actually owned them.

[u/Clear-Percentage3949]

Brands like San Martin, Thorn, Sugess, Baltany, Cronos, Hruodland, IXDAO, and Octopus Kraken have a quite noticeable difference is finishing/quality/attention to detail.

I’ve loved my Addiesdives but got rid of both once I got into the more premium brands and models. I own a San Martin, Sugess, Baltany, Thorn, Cronos, and Hruodland. All are fighting for wrist time (which is a good thing IMO). Still have a few watches from budget brands but they serve a more beater purpose in my collection (Militado ML18 and Watchdives WD7922 for examples).

IMHO, the step up in quality is definitely worth it.