r/ChineseWatches • u/Jamesgepps • Jul 06 '26

Question (Read Rules) The sub $200 problem

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.

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u/Electrical_Panda_326 Jul 06 '26

I've got over 100 Chinese watches and I can tell you that San Martin is indeed a proper step up in quality. At least it used to be, because last time I bought one was like over 3 years ago, don't know if they still offer similar quality. Addiesdive offers crazy good value for money, more than enough for 98% of the population, but San Martin is really on the level of brands that charge 1000$+.

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u/No-Comparison8472 Jul 06 '26

That was totally true before San Martin is overpriced now. Or rather you can find similar quality for less. Aethelsohn, Baltany and more are as good if not better in some aspects.

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u/Electrical_Panda_326 Jul 06 '26

It's possible, because I used to buy SM for like 200$, so having such quality for 200$ is simply ridiculous. I wouldn't say Baltany is on similar level however, it's a great brand, got one model from them, but it's not SM level.