I have both the likes of Rolex and San Martin in my collection. Some people get their knickers in a twist because they copy someone else’s design. I don’t have a problem with homages, it is a consumer choice. If I quite like a style, but don‘t like it enough to spend thousands on it, a San Martin will do me nicely!
This is the best outlook to have to remain drama free. I personally think a lot of watch enthusiasts who complain couldn’t really care less but love a bit of drama.
Agree 100 percent. I have a couple Rolex watches, an omega. Love the look of the opaline Tudor, love that white monta gmt as well. But I can’t justify paying thousands of dollars for either when they are not grail pieces to me like my Rolex watches and omega. So why not get the San Martin? Use it and beat it up for $250 and get a taste
All watch companies with any sort of heritage are now, by and large, a homage brand of themselves. The bigger ones are also lazy and are going down the veblen goods route, and don't deserve a cent of our hard earned dollars. I sold my Rolex, Omega, Tudor, Beitling and TAG Heuer pieces as I get more enjoyment and crucially a better fit out of my San Martins, with the addition of some other AliExpress pieces like Steeldive, Boderry and Thorn. I did keep my JLC as my one token haute horology expensive piece as I've worn it on special occasions, and JLC pay taxes unlike nasty phuckers Rolex and Tudor, and aren't the clown fiesta that Omega has become.
I recently bought a pelagos 39, and have been enjoying it quite a bit, but I fell in love with the looks of the opaline Pepsi gmt. I thought I was going to have to save up and maybe get one in three or four years, but now I think I’ll just pick up a San Martin. Yes it might not be as accurate, but I can live with the few shortcomings for the price. Thanks for your great review!
I own both. The san martin doesnt feel that much difference to the tudor. They are unbelievable watches for the money , but a tudor will always be a tudor , so both have a valid place in the market.
I own a Tudor and I can’t wait to get the San Martín. Like you said luxury is subjective and yes Tudor makes great watches but it takes time to save up for luxury watches for me so for $300 the San Martín is a steal.
@@thewristwatchnewschannel yes I have one on order but it’s taking forever to get here to the USim hoping that it’ll arrive soon as it has already been 3 weeks.
Which store did you use? I've ordered my latest purchase from the Heimdallr store as a bit of a test. As I've had subscriber's advising, they were having some issues with them.
Good review. You can see the quality in the Tudor. I would love to own one. I would be happy with the SanMartin and I can wear it without worry of damage at work. So it’s a yes for both from me.
So sad most people still need a brand name to prove themselves. To prove they have succeeded in life. Ridiculous to pay 4000$ extra just for the Tudor name on the dial. Very good comparison video!
Sorry if you need to bring a brand name down just to make yourself feel better about buying a copied design watch. I have no problem with either but it seems the only reason you bring tudors name down is to make yourself feel better about buying a copycat watch.
It's chonky for sure, but I would advise trying one on if you get the chance. I wouldn't usually consider a watch with those specs either but enjoyed it on wrist.
Bought the SM about two weeks ago and it hasn't left my wrist since then. The dimensions are pretty much perfect for me - even though the watch is about as large as I can get away with on my 6.7in/17cm wrist. Seeing the Tudor on your similarly sized wrist, I can say that I'd find it too large for me. Personal preference, I guess. Gripes: - This being my first NH35/34 watch, interacting with the movement does feel decidedly less refined than on my Swiss autos (SW200/SW330). - It's harder to adjust time precisely (minute hand will jump a bit when I push the crown in too quickly) and the GMT-hand is a bit all over the place. Not sure if the hands are badly set or if it's a general problem with this movement. When in actual use, sometimes it'll hit the correct hour-markers, sometimes it won't ... and it's always slightly off when I adjust the time by hand. - While the finishing is excellent, it still has sharp-ish feeling edges. Most notably on the undersides of the flanks and on the tips of the lug. It's doesn't feel "I could cut myself"-sharp, but it's certainly noticeable when comparing it to my Christopher Ward or Steinhart. Likes: - Dimensions and wear-ability are great - I love the flat caseback they managed to give it. It makes the watch sit super-snugly on wrist. - The colors on the bezel-insert are incredible. Just "loud" enough to make it stand out, but dark/subdued enough to not be too flashy and to retain that "tool-watch"-look. - Bracelet and clasp are excellent - and not just for the price-point. - True 24h, bi-directional GMT-bezel. Unlike the Steinhart Pussy Galore GMT I used to own which had a 120 click dive-bezel. - regulation from SM seems excellent for this sort of movement. Mine runs pretty slow in almost all positions and on the winder (-7s/d), but on-wrist and dial up over night, it's more like -1s/d.
Sizing is very subjective. My daily for about 2 years was a C60 MK2 CW trident, which had 53mm lug to lug! Then I got into watches proper and wouldn't wear anything over 40mm case size, and now I don't mind case size as long as I don't have overhang. Love this additional personal review. Shame about the hand alignment issues you're having. I've had many NH movements now, and I've not experienced an alignment issue like you have explained.
@@thewristwatchnewschannel I'll be taking it to my local watchmaker and ask him for his opinion... not sure if he has experience with Seiko movements though. Like I said: I'm not sure if SM messed up slightly when they set the GMT-hand or if it's a general problem with this sort of movement. I've seen a few other examples of this watch on YT (and other SMs with the NH34) that showed the same slight misalignment. In any case: It doesn't really bother me on a watch that's relatively affordable and still finished quite nicely. Which is just as well, since I don't see myself sending this thing back to China for repairs .. :)
You're right. I used to think to myself "I don't wear a watch; I wear a tool on my wrist!" But after realizing how silly that sounds, I've come to the same conclusion as you - no one NEEDS a mechanical watch. And I think the people who refer to their watch as a "tool," or a "sports model," or a "dress watch" are just trying to use fancy-sounding words to reassure themselves that they're not crazy for spending thousands of dollars on jewelry that is no longer necessary. This is coming from a current Tudor GMT owner by the way :)
Great and entertaining review. Personally, out of those exact two, I think I would go for the San Martin. Mainly because I think the proportions on the Tudor are a bit off for my taste. I really want a Rolex Batgirl or Pepsi, but it's far beyond my price range right now. The Tudor is not, but I don't like the design enough that I can justify buying it, just because I can't afford a Rolex. What I did instead was hire a bloke to build/mod me a GMT. A Seiko Samurai and LX mash-up with a OEM Padi dial and a Rolex style BLNR bezel insert.
@thewristwatchnewschannel of course I can send you some photos. I got a twxt yesterday that the watch is finally done. Hopefully, I'll have it before next year.
Tudor strangely have made their in house thicker then a sellita which you can get some San Martin with. It actually makes the old tudors and san martin look better on the wrist ?.
The thickness of tudors has always been a bit of contention as it's seems to be by design rather than requirement as the movement itself is not so thick it requires a nearly 15mm case depth.
Value and worth are indeed very subjective topics. I appreciate a fine watch probably more than the average joe, but still am far from what people in the hobby would consider a true enthusiast. To me, even taking into consideration brand and heritage, the Tudor is not twenty times better than the San Martin. I’ll happily pay 3, 4, maybe 5 times more for a tangibly superior product, but the way I see it is: I accomplished a lot myself twenty years ago, but nobody is paying me for that today; therefore I couldn’t care less what a company did a hundred years ago and certainly wouldn’t pay for it. Give me one free of charge and I’ll take the Tudor, but for my money, the San Martin is the one.
I'm so glad I went with the tudor root beer model because I can get the san martin pepsi model and i highly doubt san martin will make the root beer model, but never say never.
If they do I wouldn't buy it, I bought their two-tone sea dweller homage, and the gold looked really cheap. Have you found that when homages are available of a higher priced watch, it puts you off buying the original or makes you want it more?
@@thewristwatchnewschannel great question! I think I would say it puts me off a little for buying the original version. I was super close to buying the Tudor gmt pepsi, I was literally about to buy it but I waited a bit so that I can see the root beer version. When the AD called me and I looked at it, I bought it on the spot and I'm so glad I bought it, not because san martin made the pepsi version but because I'm just in love with the root beer version.
I never saw anything here that showed me the Tudor was, "leagues ahead" - if anything the gap looked to be a lot closer than I'd expect given the price difference 🤷♂️
It's one of those almost indiscernible things to see in the video, but in hand, the tudor has that extra bit of quality above the San Martin. Whether that bit of quality and, of course, an in-house movement are worth the extra $ is up to the individual. The San Martin is superb for the money.
my watch repair shop owner told me to look at San Martins, the quality is amazing for the price. I bought a sub homage, and am really blown away by the quality, especially of the case and bracelet. You're not paying for sponsorships and marketing, just the watch. I'll take San Martins and Apple stock all day.
The sizing is much better on San Martin and you're not paying $4000 extra on the Tudor logo. I really dislike the modern brand and the marketing of Tudor. On the other hand the vintage Tudors are really beautiful and worth the money IMO.
I'd be willing to bet that San Martin could catch up on the dial. I know that at the moment Rolex is a few levels above but the people that clone Rolex in China caught up. Most people can't tell the difference.
sure nothing wrong with Homages your average person doesn't have the money for the Tudor I'm a watch collector who owns vintage & more up to date Top brands so for a every day beater a homage watch is what it is. Found better cheaper homage watches than San Martin some of these watches are suburb from a distance you wouldn't notice the difference.
What are the cheaper better options you have found? perhaps I could get some in for the channel. San Martin, although well made, does leave me a bit cold sometimes. Something about their clinical nature, I suppose.
