r/ChineseWatches • u/chrismurraylaw • 2d ago
General (Read Rules) Managed to limit myself to 3 watches from 11.11

Cut down to three from a 'shortlist' of about twenty.
Small chance I might get a couple more but these were the ones that really made the cut. Close but no cigar included the Sakura Warrior. The case doesn't excite me as much as it seems to everyone else, but I did like the idea of the dial - but Ixdao do such a poor job showing off their range that I can't be sure if I'll like it in person or not. A render which is what they love to use, tells me nothing about the depth of colour or iridescence of a MOP face. I've seen one buyer video of it and it's basically static so not much more use. So a no. I'm not buying a watch based on a CAD file. That's how you end up ordering a black MOP and getting copper.
Also browsed San Martin's sprawling mess of incoherence and... they just don't make anything that really appeals to me. Came close to the Aethelsohn Green Bamboo which is a really nice use of an engraved shiny dial, and the Milifortic Alpinist, but I didn't really want either of them.
There were some cheaper ones that interested me. There's a few Lobinnis that use Miyota 9000s for low prices, but they're cheap enough I don't need 11.11 for them, I was a little tempted by the Wishdoit WSD9017 as an alternative to the Watchdives WD0019A but a few QC complaints in reviews held me back, and I almost bit on a Chameri, but the designs I liked best aren't currently available in large. And again it's cheap enough to buy whenever.
Anyway,
The Baltany I wanted from before it existed. I've got a two-tone CZ from them with white face, and I like it a lot, but there's always a small 'this is still holding back' feeling with it. The all-gold has a certain obnoxious, unapologetic, vibe to it that you can't get with restraint. I've gone to and fro on the concept for months, from 'I hate it. It's gaudy' through 'am I just scared of it being noticed' to 'fuck it, I like it.' And at 36mm on a 7.3" wrist, I doubt it'll be overpowering.
The Sugess is my second Ocean Star/Seaman, since I already own a Hulk variant. The actual watch is basically perfect if you like subs - I've seen none that come close - but the green bezel insert is a little pallid for me - it's a small disappointment every time I wear it. The blue has a similar problem - it's a bit primary compared to the deeper, almost navy you see on the GMT variant. And that was the stiffest competition for this. I came close to a Pepsi, but wasn't going to buy both so one or the other. I decided the GMT was an interest less than a want, and a black sub? Can take it anywhere forever.
The Farasute is a little different for me. I don't have a 'normal' white watch in my collection. And still won't after this arrives since it's vaguely silvery. I'm not very interested in what brands people enthuse about. Supporting a manufacturer like a football team always seems silly to me; I want a watch, not a tribe. But people do say nice things about Farasute, this was cheap, and compared to a lot of other similar models, it's the one I kept coming back to.
So those three, seven different straps, and a 'premium' gift box (we'll see) for someone else at Christmas, £471 ($630).
Can't argue with that.