San Martin SN021g-B3 FULL REVIEW

[@TaylorCFP]

Got this one in the Dark blue and with the new 20mm bracelet. (According to San Martin’s website, haven’t measured myself) Amazing watch for the money! The crystal is gorgeous. My wife, who’s not really a watch person, immediately noticed the way the light plays with the crystal and polished bezel.

[@jjakiefte2165]

I have the black dial one. If I had to buy it again I'd go for the non-gilt version, the gilt is, perhaps, a touch garish, although in natural light that is less noticeable. Proportion-wise it may be the best SM watch to date (and 19mm straps are widely available). Finishing and QC are excellent. The printed logo is a very good idea, much less 'intrusive' than the solid applied one.

[@EscapeWheel]

Ah, I like the gold 🤣. Agree with everything else though

[@RabidMortal1]

I don't see a non gilt option?

[@EscapeWheel]

@@RabidMortal1 s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_AZMuFp Only Tiffany blue and black, though

[@jjakiefte2165]

@@RabidMortal1 Seek and thou shalt find....

[@the.Aruarian]

They do a dark blue, non-gilt option now on request.

[@daynevickers1079]

Great review, thanks for the comparison to V2...I just received mine with the black/gilt dial. In three words... I LOVE it! This is my third San Martin, and, with this one, they hit all my sweet spots. Fit and finish/QC is easily equal to most mid-tier Swiss pieces. Love the light weight on wrist. The dial is incredible; beautiful and extremely legible. The lume? Outstanding! Comfort level is a 9.5 out of 10. The only knock I have is that, on wrist, the watch looks smaller than I expected after looking at all available vids and pics, but all the good vibes this watch gives off totally make up for that. This one is gonna cause all the other watches in my collection to gather dust (for a while, at least).

[@matthewmelton1340]

I really enjoyed this review, very well put together. I just picked up the dark blue dial version of this and I am enjoying it, very impressed with my first San Martin.

[@TIGERTRONIK]

Awesome review - definitely the tipping point for me to purchase one myself. Same green gilt dial. Looking forward to receiving it (and yes I used your link).

[@EscapeWheel]

Seriously one xof my favorite watches I have reviewed on the channel. Enjoy it! And thank you so much for using my links and supporting the channel 🤜🤛

[@jamlove2020]

So happy your channel is back, I bought this watch but the movement has failed, first and last Chinese movement I'll buy, this is my third San Martin watch. San Martin have been good I guess, offered to take the watch back at their expense and fix it but I opted for a new movement shipped to me for $25 and replaced at my expense, it'll be be much quicker. The experience will probably mean this is the last Aliexpress watch I'll ever buy, I have enough anyway but it was a bummer that the most expensive one I ever bought was also a dud, meanwhile my $90 Courgeut with a Miyota is still ticking away happily and noisily after 4 years.

[@EscapeWheel]

yeah, those PT5000's are hit and miss...thankfully mine have all been really good. I'm glad you 2 could work something out in the end, and hopefully your new movement will last you a good long while.

[@AutisticOddball]

lovely review.Thank you. I bought the Black and gilt version after watching this. delighted with it. The tips of the lugs are a bit sharp without the bracelet but a minor quibble. Perfect everyday watch for the slender wristed. Wear mine on a 19mm black ops MN strap. extremely comfortable and ccurate af.

[@EscapeWheel]

Ooo that would be a sweet combo. You should post on Reddit Chinesewatches! Would love to see it

[@Crazy09starkillor]

Did you get the Pt5000 version or the sw200?

[@AutisticOddball]

@@Crazy09starkillor the Pt5000. Gorgeous little thing. Has gained 28 seconds in 19 days and has banging lume. Will buy another Pt5000 in the next sale.

[@seventyandone]

Hi Steve, thankx for this review. Well done! I can see you put much effort into it and I hope that other brands and youtubers will recognize your channel. The watch itself is a step back for me although I love to see that the lume increased significantly. The 19mm lugwith is a nogo for me and the printed logo a disapointment. Wishing you a nice weekend!

[@EscapeWheel]

Thanks, Andrew.. definitely some odd choices with this one. After having the explorer, and now this, I can definitely say I prefer the printed logo.

[@FRST2012]

A great update video, thanks. Now I know the changes and I have placed it on my wrist a few time (although still with plastic) it does looks good. The printed logo is better in my opinion, as mentioned the applied logo doesn’t quite work. It is an impressive piece. I wonder if I were to wear it and then go and look/try a BlackBay 36, whether I would now be disappointed with the latter because the San Martin is just so good at 10% of the cost?

[@EscapeWheel]

The Tudor doesn't do anything for me for some reason 🤷

[@georgepolyakov7732]

Great review! Gosh now I wanna pick one of these up, either the black gilt or the black 369. I had my doubts at first, but the new case looks really good 👍 san martin know what they're doing

[@EscapeWheel]

Indeed they do.

[@paulhanel332]

I prefer the gilt dial but like the B-2 case. I like the thinner bezel on the B-2 and of course the lug width. I have tried to buy the Smith's Explorer homage but am irritated by their failure to meet demand. This is just as high quality and with a Swiss movement still comes in at a lower price. When's the next sale? Thanks Steve!

[@scatterbrain9490]

I never knew it was an option with leather bands at least, I have a 20 lug and jeweler only had 22 mil leather bands. I thought I was out of luck, but he simply fitted it by snipping the corners. It lines up with the full width of the lugs and looks much better than the 20 mil I had previously. I am really surprised I had to find this out this way, after watching watch reviews for 10 months now, about 2 hours a day, 7 days a week. The most simplest things can be overlooked or just assumed they are common knowledge.

[@EscapeWheel]

True, but then you can't use the strap on those 20mm watches.

[@khairulhelmihashim2510]

I have no problem with 19mm bracelet. The SM bracelet quality is good, so I will tend not to change it.

[@EscapeWheel]

I figure most are like you. I'm a strap whore though, love me some straps 🤣

[@stevenmccarthy112]

The only change I would make is to shorten the lug to lug width by about 1.5 mm or even 2 mm.

[@EscapeWheel]

I've heard that from a few people. Maybe they'll listen 🤷. Thanks for watching!

[@TheDoberman972]

What’s your wrist size ?

[@error4159]

I think I found my next watch. I just got the 36mm Explorer version and I'm loving it but the green/gilt dial with Tudor hands just looks sexy to me, lol

[@quality_times]

great review mate, as always! may I ask, does the bracelet and the case have two different kinds of finishing? 🤔

[@EscapeWheel]

Yes, circular brushing on the top lugs, vertical bracelet brushing.

[@sunandwind2983]

Didn't think I'd like that green as much as I do 😊 nice ☺️

[@EscapeWheel]

It's beautiful in person.

[@edjustice7755]

Great review as usual!! Thx for the share. The quality for the price point is astonishing. If they were make bigger steps would we be enticed to the next price point, just food for thought. Myself, would not buy as many, but for sure would. Thx again!

[@EscapeWheel]

Not sure I'm willing to pay more than this. They could fancy up the clasp, add quick release to the bracelets, clean up the crown threading action...then sure, maybe another $40 could be squeezed out.

[@chrisgravel7157]

Love this watch and colour options. Pls San Martin make it in a 40-41mm case!

[@johnmuthan286]

I have ordered the black and guilt version of this same version. I think the new bezel, cristal and case is great, just disappointed by the 19mm lug width, they should keep it 20mm. Hope they will do a silver sunburst dial version one day, would be great.

[@jjakiefte2165]

The original Tudor is also 19mm. On the Barton website and on Ali you will find many 19mm straps, no problem.

[@kobusvanrensburg4092]

South Africa has green and gold as their sporting colours. This fits perfectly for that 👌🏼

[@EscapeWheel]

My college team colors are sometimes Green and gold....gives me more reason to like it (not that I needed any more)

[@umuttemelli7006]

Such a good review mate! Excellent piece also. Thank you very much.

[@EscapeWheel]

Thank you! And also, thanks for checking out the video. Much appreciated 👍

[@jeremy67A]

wouldn't mind seeing the green one with the arabic numerals that the black one has

[@noou]

sorry, I don't get it. The current model has gone back to 20mm lugs? 19mm while a bit difficult to find, looks more proportioned on such a small watch

[@Mr-Safology]

That green is so satisfying. If San Martin make that same dial in the 62mas case (with bezel) 37mm, then it would be the best seller. I would buy a few. Again, great review as usual. San Martin are the micro brand of Asia. I have a question. I'm searching for a Cartier Santos medium style watch, or a square watch not large in size, with Roman numerals. Any suggestions? Around

[@EscapeWheel]

Unfortunately "tanks" and Santos are out there, but not great. I've seen a couple Santos homages but they are "lady size". Check out Peugeot, and pablo Raez. I think both are pretty low quality, though. Berny has some tank style watches as well. Agelecore (or however is spelled) has the nicest one but it's like $200+ for a quartz. Sanda has a tank....there are plenty out there, but nothing "middle of the road" unfortunately

[@bijakbijak4024]

I have the pastel blue already but i love this green dial

[@EscapeWheel]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of these colors 😍

[@niqpw]

Great review! I really like the bracelet but the edges seem extremely sharp so after a couple of days my wrist is quite tender. I compared to a SARB033 bracelet and those edges are lovely and smooth. Have I just got a bad one?

[@EscapeWheel]

They could be smoothed out a bit for sure. Maybe I have a tough wrist, because others have said certain bracelets are sharp, but then just never bother me 🤷

[@niqpw]

@@EscapeWheel Yep, maybe I'm just a bit too sensitive. The tolerances and everything else on the bracelet is really outstanding, this is the only failing. Maybe I'll get a dremel on it 🙂

[@EscapeWheel]

@@niqpw it honestly wouldn't take much, and it's the bottom edge so it's hidden

[@unknowninvictus2520]

I'm gonna be a bit critical here, but they should really use more scratch-resistant steel, cause of all that work and polishing which pretty much gets ruined after a week of handling. What's the point?

[@EscapeWheel]

316L is the standard across most watches these days...not sure many use a coating or something. Rolex using a softer 904L and no ody complains 🤷

[@unknowninvictus2520]

​@@EscapeWheel In my mind, they could've used titanium for the watch or the bezel/ visible scratch surfaces (which adds to the cost, I know, but the watch itself isn't what that cheap) to maintain the highly polished surface and make it a daily wearable item. In its state now, A beautiful watch, but only usable as a dress watch.

[@AlexanderB.]

It's a fabulously well made watch and I love the design this is based on. I would have like a blue and silver version (I don't mean Tiffany) I think this green an gilt colour combination is a bit weird, an answer to a question nobody has asked.

[@EscapeWheel]

Haha, I love it. I also think I saw them say they are working on a navy and gilt dial. That would look pretty good I think.

[@AlexanderB.]

@@EscapeWheel Yikes! Navy and gilt? So nineties, not interested! 🤢

[@TopStrikerMaverick]

Is there a jubilee version?

[@EscapeWheel]

Sadly not at this time. Would be wise if then to make a compatible one

[@ryanmcfadin09]

Man I'm trying to decide between the black BB36 gilt or the BB58 homage. Such a thought choice. I'm leaning towards the 36

[@EscapeWheel]

The watchdives one? Or the SN008?. Either way, tough choice indeed. The watchdives one is based on the SN004 /6200 so it's BB58 sized and it's cheaper using the NH35. I'll have my review up in a while, but it'll be sold out by then probably as they are limited editions and only like 100 of each color is being made.

[@LCMNUNES1962]

EXCELENTE RELÓGIO VERY GOOD WATCH SAN MARTIN 36mm 👍👍👍 🇧🇷

[@drwindsurf]

Fantastic Review. Thank you 👍

[@EscapeWheel]

Thanks! Thanks for watching!

[@dentmaster9069]

Man the black version of this ( with white instead of gold) would be an absolute monster of a watch

[@EscapeWheel]

They are fantastic...staring to like snowflake over Mercedes.

[@jjakiefte2165]

They have a silver index and hands one. The case is now also 19mm (used to be 20mm)

[@dentmaster9069]

@@jjakiefte2165 I Know which model you're referring to but that one has an applied logo and a matt black dial instead off glossy. That is a huge deał breaker specially the applied logo witch throws out the proportion

[@jjakiefte2165]

@@dentmaster9069 The black dial of this version is matte too..... You can have the applied logo customised by replacing it with a printed one.

[@newschannel9708]

Which dial color is good , black or blue?

[@the_9ent]

Should I get green/ gilt, black/ gilt, black/ silver or wait to see if they bring out a blue/ gilt?

[@EscapeWheel]

I heard they were doing a blue gilt dial, just not sure when

[@yousefshokir6481]

Do they have black silver????

[@EscapeWheel]

@@yousefshokir6481 they do. Same everything except silver and applied logo s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_9vjvtB

[@slhon1]

Hi. Great review, great watch. I’m seriously considering buying it. Can you give us more details about how easy or not is the sizing of the bracelet ? I saw everything and its opposite. Do we need to use tools to heat up the bracelet to melt the Loctite, buy a loctite tube etc? I’m expatriated in a small town in Vietnam and I don’t have good experience there so far with watch sellers… To wrap this up: how easy is it, are the screwdrivers provided with the box enough for a safe wear? Tks in advance ! I’m going to have a look on your review about the vintage Sub homage now 😉

[@EscapeWheel]

Thank you! and sure thing. sizing is really easy with these if you have the tools..thankfully SM provides a screwdriver in the box and that's all one should need. simply unscrew the screws and they pull right out, remove as many links as necessary and screw it all back in place. I've never had a bad screw with a san martin watch, very high quality finishing on the screws and threads when compared to something like Pagani design. I've also had this bracelet on a few watches now and quite a bit of use and never had a screw back out. SM did provide some locktite with a coupe watches (rivet bracelets, and the SN012 full Lume helm i just reviewed) but they don't ship the watch with locktite so no need to heat it up.

[@slhon1]

@@EscapeWheel Tks for your complete answer. Very useful. There’s just the « quite a bit of use » that intrigues me a bit though🤔.

[@EscapeWheel]

@@slhon1 just means a lot of wrist time on the bracelet. Screws tend to back out after a couple days on wrist... These have seen many days with no sign of backing out.

[@slhon1]

@@EscapeWheel ok. Tks again. 😀👍🏻

[@slhon1]

This is the answer I got from SM. that’s what you said but just wanted to share the official recommendations from SM. « Hello Mr.Sébastien Lhoneux, Thanks for your interest and wish you all the best. I see your request and there is no need to add glue on the screw after sizing the bracelet, but if you worry about it, we can send you some glue along with the watch so you can add some to make sure it won't come loose, no worries. »

[@butts4653]

why is gold suddenly "gilt"?

[@EscapeWheel]

"gilt" just means something that is covered in a thin layer of gold or gold like substance....so since its golden markers it's "Gilt" but honestly I have no idea...sounds better I guess.

[@russellco1209]

Would you be able to do a direct comparison between this san martin and the equivalent Pagani PD1716? I assume there are many people that would like to understand the value difference between these two models as they are so similar.

[@EscapeWheel]

Yes, I would be willing to do that. I've got a couple reviews to get through, but it could make for an interesting review

[@utente3062]

Ciao il mio San Martin quadrante verde con logo stampato l'ansa e 20 mm.arrivato ieri,saluti.

[@eugenevedensky6071]

That green is gorgeous. Do you feel this case is better balanced than the explorer case?

[@EscapeWheel]

I do. Seems just about right now. The explorer case always seemed like the bracelet was a touch too wide. This fixed that

[@pilou6457]

Thank you beautiful video and watch..👍🤩🤩

[@EscapeWheel]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrPINKFL0YD]

The height of the crystal and the AR ruins it..

[@pirapongsee4171]

Is the winding while screwing normal? Just bought this. Felt weird

[@EscapeWheel]

Yup, normal. SM hasn't quite adopted the spring loaded crowns yet. Cronos, proxima, and baltany are the ones Ali brands I have come across that don't wind while screwing in.

[@thegorn]

Is than an enamel dial?

[@EscapeWheel]

They call it enamel. It's glossy and deep. Not sure it's a true enameled dial though

[@chrislim7976]

19mm. Why. 😞

[@denisdaly1708]

really nice

[@EscapeWheel]

Thanks for watching!

[@wallytuber]

I wonder why they decided to print the logo instead of an applied logo in the newer version. Seems like a downgrade.

[@EscapeWheel]

It's a polarizing decision. Some love it, some hate it. The applied logo looks great in pics, but definitely turns into a blob of metal on the dial at times. I prefer the printed logo

[@doncarlas4928]

I recently bought a San Martin from the official website and I noticed a few things about it. It's about the SN021-g b2 in black. According to the manufacturer, the bandwidth should be 20mm, but it is 19mm and no its not with the printed logo. I also noticed that the manual winding does not work smoothly. As soon as you set the time and I push in a notch, the minute hand shifts quite a bit and there is also a strong resistance that doesn't make it easy to push in. It's not my first automatic watch and I've never had this problem with any of my others. I still have 2 years of warranty. I have written to San Martin several times but nothing has come from their side and their phone number does not exist. Who should I contact and how can I to fix the problem? Thank you and best regards

[@Tobi_Jones]

i prefer the version 2 case, i like the look of the thinner bezel an the 20mm lug width

[@EscapeWheel]

While I like the V3, I never saw anyone complain about the V2's proportions. 🤷

[@JiiHate]

The thicker bezel just isn't good. They got it wrong the first time and now they went back.

[@EscapeWheel]

I wouldn't go THAT far. It's not as bad as V1, but I also don't remember seeing people complain about the V2 bezel being too thin

[@carlogalopo2605]

The timing of Allie express watches couldn't be more perfect since value Seiko's are slowly disappearing.

[@EscapeWheel]

So true. I expect this to drop under $300 during the sale

[@carlogalopo2605]

@@EscapeWheel you can't even buy a Seiko with sapphire crystal at this price point. Plus the bezel alignment on the divers are a hit and miss. My mini turtle is slightly off

[@EscapeWheel]

@@carlogalopo2605 I'm very aware of Seiko's....nuances...lol. I used to really like them and recommend them, but you have to really care about branding to go with them these days. There's some really great stuff coming out of China.

[@stefbacum4454]

What would you choose between the V2 (explorer) and the Bb36 version and why? I just can't make up my mind..

[@EscapeWheel]

Well, now, at this point, it's pretty much design. I think both are awesome, but the Gilt dial accents look so damn good. But then I glance down at my wrist and see the 3,6,9 shimmering away. If I had to have one, black snowflake, probably.

[@stefbacum4454]

@@EscapeWheel cool! Thanks for the reply! BTW, great channel 👍

[@EscapeWheel]

@@stefbacum4454 thanks for the kind words, And thanks for watching 👍

[@steveyoung101]

It is a nice watch. However, homage watches have no collectible values.

[@EscapeWheel]

I definitely don't buy homages for profit....very few watches actually GAIN valie

[@stavros_katsopr]

Guilty! It's for Brits indeed...😜

[@t88t33]

Realy nice vid, but those gloves 😉

[@EscapeWheel]

Lol, I need some new ones...time for an upgrade...lol Thanks for the compliments.

[@oliviersebastian1516]

Just dont hold the watches, yur hands trembles,