San Martin: What you need to know before buying

San Martin and other homage / replica brands are proving to be very people. Especially since their quality has steadily improved. How good are they? How do they keep the costs so low and what are you missing out on?

Enjoy

To all viewers: Please be polite. Homage and Replicas bring out strong opinions both for and against those watches but also the watches they are emulating. Share your thoughts, but do so respectfully.

Cheers.

[bensa]

You have become the only watch channel I need in my life. Your videos feel more like a contemplation of life through the lense of watches. I really appreciate that.

[MrMOA]

Here's the thing, I'm a watch collector and I have a small budget I have to allocate to this hobby I enjoy, so I have to choose wisely. I initially dismissed San Martin and other Chinese watches years ago, until recently I realized many other brands use Chinese parts, even well known Swiss brands. So I gave San Martin a shot, I bad can it be, boy was I wrong wrong wrong. These watches from San Martin are high quality, the fit and finish is exceptional. I will enjoy my new San Martin with the Seiko NH35 movement for what it is. In the end....nobody cares if you have an $8000 Rolex or a $180 Chinese San Martin on your wrist, Only if you enjoy the watches.

[cheesychester]

I've been anti-homage until very recently.

Last year I purchased and quickly let go of a Tudor Pelagos 39. I enjoyed the watch for the summer, but it was not perfect for me to keep around: the glossy black dial on a tool watch didn't feel right; I wanted a date window; it had no no inner-chapter ring like on the normal Pelagos; and there is no blue option – all of this made it feel lackluster and a bit underwhelming to wear, especially for the price.

I recently discovered San Martin makes a well-regarded Pelagos 39 homage that comes with the chapter ring, option for date at 3 or 6, in gorgeous dark FXD blue or even a nice green, and in both titanium or stainless steel. I jumped right on it.

It just arrived last week and I'm very impressed. The bezel is snappy and perfectly lined up. The movement is plenty accurate for Seiko standards. And most importantly, it feels and looks great on wrist.

To me, San Martin beat Tudor at their own game in making the dream Pelagos I've always wanted. I'm a happy customer and will keep an eye out for their future releases.

[eguaio]

Your clarity, humility and total absence of prejudice is not seen on any other YouTube channel, on any topic. Especially considering that you do have the money to buy luxury watches. Greetings from Argentina.

[nedflanders]

Best and most thoughtful analysis on homage brands that I’ve seen on YouTube. 😊

[peppolicchiopappo]

The point I don’t agree with is “I feel I support the designer and the engineers” when buying from big corporations, I worked enough in the corporate world to know it’s not exactly like that, it’s why I started collecting micro/independent watches, there it is true.

[Huitzinga]

I have a San Martin with sellita movement, and it runs within COSC parameters. It is a 62MAS homage that even improves the original watch and of course the official Seiko reissues that are oversized and are extremely expensive limited editions.

[quarters-eye]

Mike,
Thank you for this thoughtful presentation.
One point I would like to bring up, that wasn’t discussed in the video, is the fact that the majority of watches sold around the globe are not purchased by watch enthusiasts. Overwhelmingly, consumers look for watches that are reasonably priced and reasonably reliable. The vast majority of consumers are not interested in brand history or watch movements. If you lose a $10, 000 Rolex, you’re probably not going to replace it anytime soon. Lose a San Martin, and you can replace it today.
Something to think about.

[SpaceG]

Your statement on original designs is the reason I became a fan of Aragon watches. Extremely affordable, good quality and original designs

[soulside]

Just picked up my first San Martin for $150. It was the SN0139 dive watch. A lot of people call it a SeaQ homage but I think it looks closer to the classic skindiver look that a lot of the 60's brands used (Douglas, Le Forban, Wolbrook, etc.) I collect mostly mid-tier Seikos so the NH35 movement doesn't bother me. The thing that really blew me away was the case finishing and bracelet quality. It reminds me of my buddy's Tudor in terms of the overall manufacturing quality of the hardware. The dial is beautiful and there are no mis-alignment issues. It really is that good! I can't believe this is now the "nicest" watch in my collection. I know why I should pay more for a Tudor - R&D, marketing costs, a superior movement, heritage etc - but do those factors justify a 4000% increase in cost when this San Martin feels just as premium, keeps great time, and looks stunning on my wrist? I am not so sure...

[MuelPeterson]

I’ve got a San Martin BB58 homage in my wrist right now. I’ve really been enjoying it, while also understanding full well what it is and what it isn’t.

I grew to love the BB designs over the past year and I am saving up for one… but with my current income it will take me a few years to be able to afford the real thing! In the mean time, I am happy with what I’ve got.

I do want to pay more for the superior movements. I find value in the craftsmanship and quality of the original. But I’m limited by what I can afford right now, so I am happy to have an affordable option in the mean time.

[sssf]

San Martin also just started coming out with original watches which are equally exceptional. With these watches there really isn't much of an argument against purchasing them.

[darrenhojnacki]

Baltany does unique homages and does a good job of using the right movement for the watch.

[A_Dude_And_His_Watch]

The two worst things about homage watches. 1) People that think it's basically Rolex or whatever brand minus the movement. 2) People that look down on others who buy them. I think homage watches are great. They can get people interested in watches and can provide a really solid watch for the price if you don't care about brand. I started off with Squale, San Martin, and Steinhart. I've sold them all and now own Tudor and Grand Seiko. To me, I think the best middle ground between high end and cheap are Seiko SPB line especially in the secondary market. Great video as always.

[mickallen]

As usual you open the window of the stuffy room that is inhabited by the majority of YouTube watch reviewers.
Your videos are so impartial and balanced and above all intuitive. Its like having a lecture in business studies ( but way more entertaining)
They currency that you are dealing with here is trust. Youvare earning it by the bucket load.

[jinxUKBK]

I did pull the trigger and buy a san martin. It was the zulu timer homage and I absolutely love it. The finishing, the bracelet quality, the regulation they do to the movement and the premium materials they use.

So bottom line is, ur getting far more for far less. Keep up the good work and looking forward to more of your videos.

[MrHavk]

I have zero issue with homages. I think in many places it's quite frankly crazy to be wearing five figures on your wrist. In those instances a homage makes total and complete sense to me. Nevermind additional uses like figuring out what you like, getting into the watch game, etc.

[BenOwen]

Very well stated. I think people get this argument wrong a lot on both sides (anti-homage and anti-luxury), neither are bad, they just offer different things and it comes down to preference and what you find important. For me I have both, (to be fair the expensive stuff I own I've received as gifts, the cheap stuff I bought myself). But I find I wear the cheaper stuff more often (more micro-brands than Chinese homages, but I have some of those too). I own 3 San Martin watches and all of them are shockingly good and I really like all of them. My current favorite watch is a San Martin, which took a Tudor design (39mm Ranger) that I've always liked and fixed the stuff I didn't like about it (printed dial and lack of color choices, and San Martin took the case down to 38mm). This thing is GD beautiful! I like the applied indices better than the printed dial on the Tudor and the blue enamel dial is amazing and changes the look dramatically from the black Tudor. Nobody would mistake this thing for a Tudor (and I wouldn't want them to). Buy what you like and enjoy!

[hansakselos]

Interesting topic and video. Would like to add 2 things. 1) San Martin is not a watch “factory”. They assemble watches with parts made from other sub-suppliers. Yes, they spec many of the items to their requirements, but they just assembly the watches. 2) An homage doesn’t needs to be 100% alike the “original” to be a great homage. That’s actually the point, it’s supposed to take inspiration from the original and create their version of it. So when so many do not like the look of the helium escape valve, it’s fine to remove it. Same with rivets on the bracelet. Also it’s fine to use generic clasp. It’s suppose to be a homage and not a replica bar the brand name.

[lhuddyness]

I own Omega, Breitling, DOXA, Christopher Ward and others at various price points. The bronze San Martin homage of the Captain Willard I own was cheap and looks fantastic. Would I buy a Captain WIllard at the current price of approx. £1000? Not a chance. So, the San Martin scratches an itch and I enjoy wearing it. I feel very differently, however, about my Omega Seamaster, Breitling Colt Chrono and DOXA Sub 300. These watches have heritage and lots that the homages simply don't and it's not even necessarily anything tangible. There's plenty of room for both homage and original watches. I love both for lots of completely polarised reasons. Thanks for another fantastic video.