How ON EARTH Are These Incredible Watches SO Cheap?! 🤯

🛒 WATCHES FEATURED (Affiliate)

The Addiesdive watches were purchased with my own money. The San Martin review samples were provided by the San Martin Official Store on AliExpress.

In this desert dial watch review video, I look at some of the best cheap watches I've ever encountered. I begin with an Addiesdive AD2030 review, followed by an Addiesdive AD2118 review and a San Martin SN0129 review towards the end. I take a look at the first watch in the sand or coffee, blue and white colors. Are these the best budget watches of all time?

✋ Wrist size: 6¼ inches / 16cm

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Stock Media provided by AudioKords / Pond5
Stock Media provided by Melodex / Pond5

🚨 Disclosures

[niksoncutts]

I'm honestly super happy that a lot of the Chinese homage brands have decided to start moving into making their own unique designs. Now it's not just the strong specs that carry the brands, but also interesting designs. I'm really looking forwards to where they're going to go.

[mrbrisvegas]

A few years ago I had a conversation with a watchmaker for a major Australian retailer. He told me about visiting watch factories in China and seeing all the *genuine* 'Swiss Made' watches being made. They are then sent to Switzerland to have the movement fitted. 'Swiss Made' is a deceptive legal definition that refers to the value of labour in the movement. It does NOT mean a watch is made in Switzerland.

[raposoraposo]

I love the fact that big youtubers are noticing the existence of good chinese watches (other than "Time for another watch", that has been doing it for a while). Everytime I see a video about "the most affordable watches out there" I can't help but think "yeah, it might be for americans/europeans, but in Brazil those are still expensive af", and chinese watches has always been our way of using nice watches for a price we can actually pay.

[TheRealEtaoinShrdlu]

A: because making quality watches these days is fairly cheap, people have just been brainwashed into thinking they have to be expensive to be high quality because of the insane markups that some brands add.

[laurencehogg]

I'd ask the thumbnail's question the other way. How on Earth are luxury watches (which are mostly made in China and assembled in Switzerland with a Swiss movement) so expensive? The answer of course is the brand. The point though is that in terms of everything else physical/ tangible about the product, the gap between these and entry luxury is now tiny.
I remember when this SM came out last year; I bought it straight away. Even for SM it was a game changer.

[androidaccount]

Shows how much luxury brands are overcharging us.

[zwerko]

I have the white San Martin, it's shockingly high quality for the price. In fact, some aspects of it are better than I have on any of my watches and I have watches that are multiples of tens of times more expensive. For example, the butter-smooth screw-down crown, I have a Doxa and a couple of ORIS divers that can't come even close to the smoothness of this San Martin... And then, there's the dial, it's stunning!

[StrikeWarlock]

How the hell did San Martin manage to come up with an Omega looking dial? That's pretty impressive.

[Black_noir_mw]

Addies dive and steeldive is actually insane price to quality, their willard is a spec monster

[johnm]

Huge fan of the Seiko sweep second meca quartz movements. I have so many automatics, it's nice to have a grab and go that doesn't tick an ugly once per second

[AllAhabNoMoby]

I recently bought an Addiesdive MM300 homage for €105, - and it is incredible value for money. Build quality is great, lumen is insane and it's quicky become my favorite watch, also being by far the cheapest. I don't know how they do it but there it is.

[Ekachu]

I’m pretty certain this addiesdive and wave style dial has been around for a few years. When San Martin introduced theirs it seemed budget focused watch channels had either ignored or weren’t aware of other way cheaper watches with this feature. JOMW for example mentioned that Chinese brands are now starting to work on dial designs when less popular channels and sales numbers on this addiesdive and suggess would tell you it started happening earlier than now.

In a similar way when CW released their new aventurine moonphase, the hype train jumped on aventurine/moonphase combos with the CW being heralded as a rare gem. Sugess and other Chinese brands have had aventurine and moonphase for a few years - yeah the cw design is cool, but what’s being offered isn’t rare or expensive to implement at all.

All that said, I wish budget channels would do a better job of finding these “hidden gems” earlier or at least exposing the fact that some of the “rare” design features have been done cheaply for a good while.

[thomrobertson]

just received the watch. It looks great! However im not sure how to use the micro adjustments on the bracelet to make it fit. Any help?

[MijinLaw]

Have the smaller addiesdive, and it's great. I was hesitant about the small dial / strap but glad I went for it, because as a dress watch it totally works. It looks neat, rather than small.

[leeandrewclarke]

I brought the brown version. I can't believe how well made it is for the money. There really are King Seiko vibes. I slung mine on a leather strap and it looks fantastic and is very thin and comfortable. It was meant to be a beater but I'm currently preferring it to watches 10x the price. I've now decided to buy the blue version. Never thought I'd buy two different colour options for the same watch. Only downside is the crystal will probably scratch if abused.

[ikobruu]

I own the same (sand waves) and buy at the same price some months ago
Very nice and the quartz movement is not bad at all .. in fact better than more expensive quartz watches (+ 6 sec/month)

[jamied]

I have this exact San Martin. It is genuinely fantastic

[brianmsahin]

The Addiesdive watches are 316l stainless steel. Stainless steel is not a luxury material. However, there are watches below $50 that will be alloy.

[conniethunder]

From yourself and other Utubers, I jumped on the Ali Ex wagon and grabbed a few timepieces.
Lots of nods to Addiesdive and Pagani, but I think you need to give I&W some recognition.
Just grabbed the 'Carnival' in green with day/date at 3. Lovely butterfly bracelet with markings, 3 link with center pollished, end links in matt. Crown is marked but needs to be a little larger - maybe with guards.
Thanks x

[RM-pgjs]

I have a bunch of Addie's..Tandorios and Heimdallr. Huge bang for less than 80 bucks..ceramic bezel..sapphire..nh35 engine..stainless steel 316 case and strap. What more you want ? 😂