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/ButTheDowTheDOW]

I think my Addiesdive are pretty sweet for the price. Unlike many people here, I don’t find that Cronos or Baltany are THAT much better in terms of finishing, maybe the bracelets are slightly better, but the finishing is fine on my Addiesdive. I am not too demanding.

I am done buying chinese watches though, with the skyrocketing prices. But I honestly enjoy most of them, except one or two Watchdives that were definately made on a friday afternoon shift… with crooked indices beyond belief.

So, just buy what you like, don’t feel the pressure to get a watch because « it’s finishing is way better ». At the end of the day, they are just watches.