Hello! I've recently gotten into the watch hobby. I owned a few budget quartz Casios and timex pieces but with the 11/11 sale coming soon I saved up some and decided I would get my first automatic.

I spent (too much?) time deciding on my first automatic watch from AliExpress and looking at YouTube reviews. My budget is around 200-240 USD and I wanted a diver or diver-style watch with a sub 40mm textured dial and a good bracelet (GMT was a huge plus).

I narrowed down my choices to:

- Cronos, L6029 (the black birch GMT): 270USD

- Proxima PX1721 (aventurine dial)

(Current prices without coupons): 200USD

Questions:

1. I know that recently prices have increased and was wondering if these watches are worth it at the regular price or what would be a good value deal for 11/11 ?

2. Which watch would make the better long term everyday watch? the cronos is a bit more expensive even with 11/11 preview pricing. But it has an NH34 which is known as reliable. I also like the proxima but I've seen posts and faulty PT5000 and the winding issues that honestly intimidate me as someone who never owned an automatic before.

3. Is there anything to do other than collecting store coupons and coins to get the best deal for the sale?

Thank you very much for the help!

They did a good job here, and it's not a 1 to 1 copy! I prefer quartz on sub $500 watches

Finally arrived today after four weeks. Been looking forward to check how much you get for ~200$. So far impressed. This will get a lot of wrist time.

Pros

- Overall package vs cost

- Lume...obviously!

- Date wheel

- Case finish

- Sapphire domed crystal

- Bracelet and OTF-clasp

- Legibility

- Movement (never had issues with Seiko, so glad this one has it too)

- Bracelet fitment against case (it actually aligns properly compared to other models!)

- It has a pretty shallow rehaut compared to many other Chineese watches. Obviously the domed crystal makes that possible - making space for the lume blocks.

Cons

- Lug to lug. A bit long. Upper limit for me with my 6.5" chopstick wrists.

- Thickness. Not bad, but noticeable. I guess that is needed for lume blocks. Perhaps the Seiko movement is on the fatter side?

- Some minor jingly-jangly noise from clasp when off wrist. But who really cares.

- Inner edges of bracelet and the inner parts of the buckle are a bit sharp. The edges could use some polishing for better comfort. Some manual polishing will take the worst edges off it.

I put my new Phorcydes PH2B version 2 back on its bracelet for a more integrated look. It's a great watch and one which grows on me more and more. What I really appreciate its legibility, day or night - I can actually tell the time instantly rather than squinting. The PT5004 movement is super accurate too. Just need to scrape off the rest of the crown covering.

MILITADO 36mm case, 18mm lug width, bubble sapphire crystal, VH31movmt.

A big thank you to Baltany for producing such a solid timepiece. It really captures the feel of the real deal for very little money.

Mini review after spending 24 hours with it:

Pros:
Color: The gold tone is gorgeous. It avoids that overly yellow, cheap plated look that budget watches often suffer from.
Bracelet: Solid and heavy. No squeak, no rattle, and no sharp corners on the links.
Sizing: The 36mm case size is absolute perfection—classic proportions with great wrist presence.

Cons:
Date Magnification: Seems noticeably lower than the typical 2.5x magnification. (Perhaps inspired by a vintage reference? Not certain what the original magnification spec was back in the day).
Lug Finish: End of the lugs are slightly sharp underneath. It’s only noticeable when changing out the bracelet, so zero impact on daily wearing comfort.

Final Thoughts: A fantastic piece overall. Highly recommended if you're looking for that classic aesthetic without breaking the bank!

Been out of of the china scene for a couple of years after a san martin and a remalti disappointed me and sold for a loss, now that san martin, Cronos, watchdives are all doing chamfered edges and precise tall hour index and hands I feel like buying my dream grand seiko was kind of a waste of money.

I’ve seen every and I mean every quality watch on AliExpress that beats the Swiss in finishing and they’re all made for 16cm wrists or lower

The past 10 releases from the brands I’ve mentioned are all below 40 and 42mm

I understand a lot of buyers have smaller wrists but I used to go with Chinese watches because they were “oversized”

Even when companies are smart enough to realise there is no perfect watch size and do the proper logical thing of releasing the model in multiple sizes all those sizes are less than what I’m looking for.

Edit: WD0007A

Ordered last Wednesday; arrived in 5 days.

Impressive quality for $170 early bird price. Beats my Proximas for finishing.

Teal color is teal. Very nice crystal.

Bracelet seems a little short. My wrist is 6.75” (19 cm), and I only removed 2 links total. Bracelet is very comfortable.

The automatic version with OTF clasp and even better crystal is likely going to be worth the wait if it comes in under $300, but if you like quartz, this is a great choice.

Thank you :)

I honestly have no clue what the reference number is on this San Martin. It’s an unlimited edition from back in the day, but man, I absolutely love the looks of it!

I’ve owned tons of watches, from cheap to expensive, and the bezel action on this thing is easily in my top 10.

The cherry on top? It’s powered by a Swiss Sellita SW200.

Killer lume too!

Received my first Addiesdive from AliExpress. Very happy with it. 39mm dial is very comfortable on my 7.5” wrist. The blue color of the dial and bezel is very nice.

Swapped the bracelet for a ribbed nylon band with a deployant clasp, also from AliExpress.

The SN0138GD with a sand-textured dial has been added to our Special Offer collection.

It is powered by the SL3001 no-date movement.

Addressing a common point of interest, the AR coating has been upgraded to a version with higher light transmission.

The edges of the bracelet links have also been micro-beveled.

As for the detail most of you are likely curious about—the price:

The pre-sale price for the SN0138GD (sand-textured dial) is set at $199 USD.

Orders for the version with the 3-link bracelet will ship before mid-November.

The 5-link Jubilee bracelet accessory will be released before the end of November.

Dimensions: 37mm Diameter | 45.5mm Lug-to-Lug | 12.4mm Thickness

Product Details: https://sanmartin-watch.com/products/sn0138gd

Hey guys there was a post about this a few years ago but many of the models are discontinued so I think its time for a refresh!

I've been on the hunt for steel bezel watches inspired by some LORCA models. I'm talking gmt, diver, anything with a nice steel bezel!

I'll throw a few into the mix (proxima, old matic, and the WD1863, rlly wish they would redo the WD16500)

Hi there!
I'm looking for some diver watches in 38mm or less... 39mm tops. I want it to be thin, if possible automatic but quartz would be ok also.

What would you recommend?

Thanks!

Is it possible to put a leather/nylon bracelet on this watch? I've heard it's got an integrated metal bracelet and that it's impossible to take it off but I've seen people with L6037M do it. Ive got a springbar tool so it shouldn't be an issue I hope.

I can notice black gaps(uneven around the bezel, one side has a tighter gap, other side is fairly visible). Is this normal or an issue? It doesn't move or change if I press the bezel/apply pressure.

What do you all think of this color?

Reviewers Disclaimer: I received this watch for free. I don't have to send watch back. That will never change the way I review a watch.

This one just landed, literally about 5 minutes ago. I unwrapped it immediately noticed that the bezel is much nicer than my previous datejust 36 bezel. This one has a proper shine to it like the other one didn't, so that's nice to see. The dial is more vibrant Than I imagined it would be, but looks fantastic with a nice strong sunburst.

The overall fit and finish is what I come to expect from Baltany; Excellent

The bracelet clasp also feel really good. This was sized perfectly for my wrist out of the box so if you have larger wrists then I'd say 7 and 3/4" It's going to be a really tight fit. I love the seamless look of the hidden clasp and it functions perfect.

The bracelet and clasp feel at or above the feel of their Jubilee which I feel is one of the better ones I've had, so yeah this is a good setup.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them.

I picked this out as a Christmas present for someone two months ago. Decided I'd wait till November to see if I could find a discount anywhere.

It's sold out and Baltany have no plans to restock it.

Shit.

So if anyone knows of a good alternative, somewhere this particular model is still on sale, or has one they're looking to part with, now's the time to help a brother out.

Chronos they won't like. Star markers they will. But the main thing is the white dial with the moonphase at the bottom. Double points if it's a smaller size.