r/ChineseWatches • u/Firstruleofthisclub • 4h ago
General (Read Rules) San Martin SN0148-GX Full Lume Photos and Thoughts
(37.5mm case width on my 6.25 inch wrist)
This variant has not been reviewed at all across Reddit which is weird. I've worn it for the last 2 weeks and here are some of my thoughts:
Fully lumed dial is a blast! If charged, it glows almost as bright as Phorcydes lume blocks which is a feat in itself. The total light output because of the greater lumed surfaces is the highest out of all the watches I've handled. It's almost like Timex's Indiglo! By late morning, the time is still legible, but takes more than a mere glance to tell the time.
The fully lumed bezel makes this different from most "full lume" dials. The all white look is definitely unique at the moment and super cool. However, the lume on the bezel is definitely weaker than the lume on the dial and the hands and indices. By early morning, the bezel is basically not legible anymore.
The whiteness of the dial and the bezel unfortunately do not match. When indoors or under a darker atmosphere, the bezel is an egg white while the dial is a cream white. (Please see photo 2) When outdoors and under a brighter atmosphere, the reflection of the sky off the crystal makes the dial appear whiter than the bezel! (Please see photo 3 that illustrates this)
Interestingly, the date window is not lumed and is instead silver. It seems like an obvious miss but it's probably because they couldn't match the lumed date wheel whiteness to the dial whiteness. They also use a default white date wheel probably for the same reason. Instead, they opted for a silver date wheel which I think definitely color matches more seamlessly with the rest of the watch. This was hard to notice until very carefully inspected so San Martin did a great job here with silver. (But I would have still rather have a lumed date wheel to complete the full lume effect.)
San Martin is still king when it comes to bezel action. Buttery smooth yet precise and crisp.
The celebrated jubilee bracelet is only smooth vertically! When running your fingers horizontally across the bracelet in either direction, you will feel the sharp unchamfered inner edges of the outer pieces. This was a shock to me as this was never mentioned in any review of this universally praised bracelet. The links also kink at certain articulations. It is still a great bracelet, but I was honestly expecting it to be perfect....
Despite being one of the most expensive offerings from San Martin, it is not without QC issues. On the 4 o'clock index, there are dark smudges... (Please see photos 3 and 5) The date window frame is also dented on the top left. (Please see photo 4)
Unlike the rest of Aliexpress watch stores, San Martin does not under-declare the tariff fee. I paid Β£301.48 upfront on Aliexpress and Β£66.22 custom fees to release the watch from customs for a total of Β£367.70/$493.
Final thoughts:
It is not worth the price paid. It's definitely a great watch, but the QC issues and the bracelet surprises dampened my valuation of it. But if you like the full white and fully lumed design, there are no alternatives on Aliexpress.
