The Best Small Dive Watch For Under $250. San Martin Special Edition

[@technognosia]

nice review mate !

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks Chris. Really appreciate it:)

[@jackmcclary2136]

The more watches you handle the better equipped you are to assess watches in general. SM design aesthetics are evolving and will be more subjective for each user while performance spec’s are perhaps best for comparing apples to apples. My SM feels like a good watch period and not merely just a good watch for the money. The first question I ask when someone critiques SM is whether they have had any hands experience with the timepiece in question as many comments seemed aimed at the country of origin rather than the specific watch. Keep up the good work!

[@almac9203]

Isn't it a Black Bay homage?

[@daynevickers1079]

This exact watch was my fourth San Martin to enter my 10 watch collection. I think you are bang-on with your commentary. I have a 7" wrist, and this watch is absolutely perfect for it; not too big, not too small. Goldilocks territory. The fit, finish and QC is as good as it gets for less than $1,000. I actually prefer the NH35 over the PT5000 (which 2 of my SM's have), as they not only keep better time (this one coming in at about -7 secs/day), they also have crown/stem action about 90% as buttery smooth as my Rolex Datejust. And the lume? The hands seem as if they simply dipped them in C3 Super Luminova, as they pick up the light incredibly well and the hands are easily visible throughout the night. I haven't had the compliments that you received, but I don't care; the only person I'm trying to impress is myself, and this one has me patting myself on the back on what a great choice I made. Enjoyed your review.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Wow. Thanks for the comment...could have saved me a lot of time in making the video if you had just sent me your own review. So glad you are in agreeance and most importantly, that you love the watch for your own reasons. Wear it in good health! PS remember to subscribe :)

[@Gary-li7ib]

This review is eerily similar to my experience. Never had a SM before but saw this and it arrived from Watchdives a few days ago. When I opened the box, I said "bloody hell" as I was shocked at how nice it was. Case, indices, finishing, quality etc are exceptional for the price point and look way more expensive than it is and fits my 6.75 inch wrist perfectly. I always found something off with a lot of the other SM's but they really seemed to have nailed the design on this one (admittedly it's not their own). Some people have moaned about the ceramic bezel (I love it personally) and the "s" on the crown (doesnt bother me) but it's definitely a keeper for me. Looks great on a black tropic too.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks for the in depth comment. I had to be objective on my review but it couldn't hide my conceptions of the watch. It shocked me. Glad my conclusions are not mine alone! Many thanks and remember to subscribe! :)

[@Dronetothetop]

The watch making in it's finest. Absolutely amazing when you think about how much they charge for THIS marvel.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Real stunner.

[@LymanPhillips]

I just picked this one up in the latest sail for less than $200. I'm looking forward to it. Now I can give my Pagani one to my son. UPDATE It arrived a few days ago and it hasn't left my wrist. It's a beauty. The thing that impressed me the most is the brushing - so smooth and consistent. Simply amazing. The thing I like the least is the bracelet. I know it's on a 38mm watch, but it seems a little delicate. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing bracelet, and everything is really well built, but the proportions seem a little small for my wrist. I put it on a Bond NATO and it looks great. I put it on a StrapsCo FKM rubber dive strap - you know which one I mean - and it looks like a million bucks. My first SM watch and I'm really impressed!

[@johnswatchjoint]

Wow, very good price indeed!

[@LymanPhillips]

@@johnswatchjoint check out my uodste to my comment...

[@bangkokbullmoto]

Interesting review, I am seeing many older Pagani and SM watches go well under £100 so I think they have been forced to up their game to counteract Aliexpress rivals selling NH35 watches at £60-ish, which in themselves are often quite astounding value for money compared to the low end Seiko 5's at twice the price. The UK, at the moment, seems to be into cartel capitalism with artificially high prices on many products, amusing that communist China are doing proper competitive capitalism and Aliexpress is cutting out layers of middlemen. The UK tax man still gets his twenty percent commission, though!

[@paulelliott7493]

I have the water ghost 6200 V3....same size same case,, excellent watch. very comfortable on my skinny wrist. runs perfect.

[@netzbandit]

Thank you for this great review. I just ordered mine an can‘t wait to get it delivered. I love hommages to this „snowflake“ brand much more than to the other one with the crown 😀 And this vintage look is just gorgeous.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thank you. Wearing mine just now. Also took it to Prague when I was as on holiday there a couple of weeks ago. Took my Baltany W10 as well as we were trike riding on cobbles...so it had to be able to take a spill haha.

[@JustWatches1]

I think San Martin is one of my watch brands at this price point. The bezel on this watch looks fantastic. Thanks for the review!

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thank you. Was a challenge. My video editing software did an update and it was a challenge to edit the video. Transitions were pretty much inoperable so could have been better. Frustrating!

[@JustWatches1]

@@johnswatchjoint I barely noticed, I had to go back and check, so I wouldn't sweat it :)

[@G17-911]

Never heard of SM Watches before , but I had to watch your review when I saw the watch. Simply beautiful. Good luck with it.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thank you kindly!

[@WesWatchRoom]

Nice to hear it gets the nod if you will from non-watch-folk too. But San Martin do always impress, just those prices are creeping up to microbrand levels that offer more unique stuff. Great work with the video.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks...and you are right. My first San Martin but my god it really does set the standard now. Quality on show is exceptional. I'm actually keeping this one!

[@zezem]

Mine, in blue, is -4 seconds. This is my only watch that loses. At that accuracy, I don't mind a bit.

[@TimeForAnotherWatch]

I have the blue version and it's a stunning watch for the price. Your black version is stunning as well, so I was torn bewteen the two colours. But this watch is so good, I'm tempted to pick up the black version at some point as well. Nice work with the review!

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thank you Al. I saw your blue one and I am tempted the other way haha!

[@TimeForAnotherWatch]

@@johnswatchjoint Lol and we've both got the milsub homage version on the way as well 😁

[@johnswatchjoint]

@@TimeForAnotherWatch That's good though... different takes on watches is good for our subscribers. We are very lucky that we have a great community. Maybe next year we can Collab on something when I'm a bit more established. Sure that people still see me as too new yet ;)

[@TimeForAnotherWatch]

@@johnswatchjoint Definitely, I always watch more than 1 review of the same watch if I'm interested in it. Yes, sure we can collaborate at some time, I'm a bit snowed under till the new year though, as I bought more watches than I intended during the sale, lol. Your channel is growing very well mate, I doubt it'll be long before you hit that magic 1K mark.

[@johnswatchjoint]

@@TimeForAnotherWatch Hopefully...though my observations on Baltany from my review yesterday seem to be true...very poor views. Take care and we'll get together when workloads permit ;)

[@iain772]

Absolutely sent me woth the beer mat comment 😂 I recently got an octopus kraken NTTD with something similar so nice to know they have their uses

[@johnswatchjoint]

Aye, free beer mat never goes amiss!

[@MarkoMarkovina]

This watch is just crazy good built for the money. Thing is I have some swiss watches form 500 euro like Steinhart and i tell you this is a better watch. Yes it has Nh 35 but NH 35 is crazy cheap to service and guess what... my runs at +2 sec a day when my 2 Steinharts with ETA2824 both run +8 seconds... Lume is way better on this San Martin, beze action is way better, clasp is way better and overal finishing is I will say the same but I was disappointed with ocean one 42 cause it had some sharp edges so even finishing is better on San martin. Only problem that watch has is a fact you can buy it on alliexpress. If it had swiss made at the dial it could be way above 500 euro price point and people would not complain about anything. Davosa is 850 euro and yeah this is better in my opinion. Cheers

[@johnswatchjoint]

Your comments say it all. Thank you for your input. Please remember to subscribe! :)

[@cecilyau4440]

I enjoyed your review. Well done. Also doesn’t hurt that you reviewed a San Martin 😁. I bought 2 bronze San Martin watches as mod bases, and the quality is superb.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks. Yeah the San Martin quality is being touted by all so I am glad my review caught that. Also this wee watch was a surprise to me. Wasn't expecting so much for the money. Remember to subscribe! :)

[@cecilyau4440]

@@johnswatchjoint Well, John, of course I subscribed 👍😁

[@johnswatchjoint]

@@cecilyau4440 Thx :)

[@gs8287]

Great review John,I like your style of reviews 👍 I've got this on the way so its made me very excited to get it. Cheers!

[@johnswatchjoint]

Congrats on your choice. Fantastic watch. Wear it well and don't forget to subscribe:)

[@gs8287]

@@johnswatchjoint will do. And have subscribed too. 🍻

[@barryvercueil2346]

Aaaaahhh I remember my first San Martin. Incredible quality. Love the accent. Great video. Cheers

[@johnswatchjoint]

Great watch, not sure about my accent... haha ;)

[@Crackers2549]

Very good and thorough review my friend... Well, I just bought one of these from watchdives but I don't know if I'll get the black version or the blue version, since they are running a pot luck grab bag of the two watches on their site... They call it random color and the watches are already located in the USA.... They pick the color at random and send it out and for that they offer the deal of $189.00 and I signed up for the coupon (which is to give them your email and I got an additional $12.00 off... I paid a grand total of $177.00 for the watch including free shipping and no tax... I collect watches and don't need another but I have watched many reviews on these San Martens and they all are very positive... The finish on these watches are up there with watches in the $2000 range from what I can tell... For an incredible price of $177.00 I had to purchase one.... Thanks again for the fine review....Greg

[@johnswatchjoint]

Well done Greg. You got a good deal there. I see you have subbed as well so thanks for that! Had that original review piece for a while then moved it on to fund more reviews...but I missed it...so now I have another in blue! Suffice to say whatever colour you get, you won't be disappointed. The quality vs price ratio is just nuts :)

[@Crackers2549]

@@johnswatchjoint Thanks buddy I appreciate your reply... I'm an old timer now and retired but still work part time here.... Too much time spent looking at watch videos which leads to more watches...LOL Yes, I am kind of excited about this grab bag deal since I don't know what I'm getting but I like both so it's all good... Yes I subscribed...! Ok, Have a great day and Merry Christmas, I'll be watching...! Greg in Indiana

[@johnswatchjoint]

@@Crackers2549 Merry Christmas to India from Scotland!

[@Crackers2549]

@@johnswatchjoint Indiana USA my man…! Cheers to Scotland 🎄👍

[@saatlerucuzolsun]

Good review man! Mine will arrive on Monday so can't waittttt :)

[@johnswatchjoint]

Good job sir!

[@Trex100]

Great review and super photography. Well done.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks again. The video you commented on first today is the first video with an upgraded smartphone and superior mic. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze the best out of them going forward. Thx for taking the time to comment. My subscribers are just the best!

[@johnnydangerously7186]

I own it’s big brother with the pt5000

[@JogieGlenMait16]

Imagine putting this on a two tone President bracelet. ❤️

[@ramspencer5492]

Oh.... You got a copy without the blue anti reflective coating? That killed the look of it before.... What is the bracelet resizing like? Is it single side screws or nightmare double sided screws with lock tight like the riveted bracelet version? My San Martin rivet bracelet was almost impossible to resize. Like damn near...

[@johnswatchjoint]

This is not the riveted version. No longer issue that I believe. The screws are one sided and a breeze to change. I have a new review up with their standard bracelet on a new release. You will see that.was easy too :)

[@ramspencer5492]

And no blue hued anti-reflective coating? That and the dial being almost a charcoal instead of black we're two reasons I got the blue variant of the version 2 of their BB homage.

[@chuckperry9716]

This was my first San Martin. I was really excited to receive it, but was disappointed when it arrived. The blue dial and blue bezel were way off in regard to matching color. The dial was a rich blue and the bezel was a light greyish blue. Has anyone else experienced this?

[@johnswatchjoint]

I did not review the blue one obviously but I did review another blue San Martin Diver a while after this and did say that the blues were not consistent across the watch :)

[@lawrencefleischer1414]

I had 2 copies of this watch with the Chinese movement and found that it was the worst automatic movement I've experienced. The winding experience was rough, as if the spindle was grinding against sand. YMMV but mine was terrible. I return them both.

[@johnswatchjoint]

I don't know what watch you bought as this watch only ships with the Seiko NH35 Japanese movement. My watch is a daily wearer and is a fantastic timekeeper?

[@AleCardenasRealtor]

I think the new crown has a hex logo

[@johnswatchjoint]

You are correct...it was annoying a few customers.

[@AleCardenasRealtor]

I just ordered it yesterday from aliexpress, I hipe I get the version with hex logos and female endlinks so it fits my skinny wrist

[@johnswatchjoint]

@@AleCardenasRealtor well done. They all have female end links. My wrist is only 6.75 inches and it fits perfectly. Wear it with pride!

[@AleCardenasRealtor]

It is going to be my first watch over 100usd, Im pretty excited. Before I used to have an invicta pro diver but I made a good sale (im a new realtor) and its time for an upgrade

[@travis3430]

Think I'm going go for the new Dan Henry 1975 skin diver for my skinny wrists Been looking for a dive watch for my tiny 6" wrist. Needle in a haystack would be easier lol

[@johnswatchjoint]

Great choice I ordered the 37 mm quartz after seeing it on their web site. Had the 1964 Evil Panda for a couple of years and loved it but it just wasn't getting worn. Subscribe and you will see my review. This will be for me and not just for review. I love the old skindivers. Old Timex skindiver I had as a kid started this whole thing off :)

[@eurabio]

Thanks for the review. I'm between buying this model with 39mm on bezel and 46mm lug to lug or the traditional sn008g v3 that is 40.5mm and 48mm respectively. I like this smaller size better but the issue is that its thicker with 13.3mm, the other one is only 11.7mm thick. I also have a 6 3/4 wrist! Don't you feel it to be too thick? Hope you can answer and thanks for the review again.

[@johnswatchjoint]

Hi and thanks for watching. The BB58 retro special in the video I found perfect size wise. Not too thick. I have not worn the sn008g but did find the actual Tudor BB58 a bit thick and slab sided. In the end it's all about the decisions we make! Good luck and remember to subscribe :)

[@austinprice770]

Do you think this is a little thick? I see that it's over a mm thicker than the BB58

[@johnswatchjoint]

Thanks for the question. The watch, the way it is designed, does not wear thick at all. My wrist is only 6.75 inches so you be the judge :)

[@AleCardenasRealtor]

By the way, great video

[@wls265]

Did you have import taxes to pay for uk?

[@johnswatchjoint]

Hi there and thanks for the question. When you get to the check out, you apply your discount codes and then you will find that Ali Express automatically add VAT if you are in UK. All in you will find that the price should balance out. I had no further duties to pay but sometimes you can be unlucky as I found out a couple of times when buying from Singapore. My answer is always to factor the extras in just in case. The price in the thumbnail was accurate for me :). If you buy through Watchdives like I did then the price quoted is usually the price you pay. That has been my experience.

[@tsega60]

Is this a 90 click bezel? Or 120 click?

[@johnswatchjoint]

Hi there. It was advertised as 120 click but we found out it was 90 click. Super smooth and makes no real difference in operation as far as I am concerned.

[@chrislim7976]

Can one put a NATO strap on this. Is the lug width 20mm so no integrated bracelet correct?

[@johnswatchjoint]

Correct .

[@chrislim7976]

@@johnswatchjoint Thank you sir. 🍺

[@AlexanderB.]

I bought a different San Martin homage watch with an NH35 a couple of months ago and I wasn't impressed with how they regulated it, it was running at - 10 seconds a day. Luckily I'm able to regulate movements using a timegrapher, so it's no longer an issue.

[@johnswatchjoint]

10 seconds per day for an NH35 is actually ok and well within spec...I remember everyone and their dog declaring the Seiko SKX and Seiko 5's with 7s26 movements as fantastic....they were awful. All the SKX watches I had could not be properly regulated long term. Always 30 to 40 secs per day out. They were awful!

[@AlexanderB.]

@@johnswatchjoint I know, I just don't want my watches to lose time, I'm particular about that 😅

[@VRTYlifestyle]

I have this watch. I bought it from watchdives and it has a blue AR coating. Yours seems to be clear. Is that correct?

[@johnswatchjoint]

Hi there and thanks for the question. Mine seems to be clear. The description on Watchdives does not specify so if you have a query I suggest you message them direct. I know they are manufactured in many different production runs so maybe crystal supplies vary. Hope this helps but hope you love your watch! :)

[@unwokeneuropean3590]

San Martin SN004-g is more of my thing. Never liked this kind of "tudor" hands. Prefer the sword hands and mercedes ones.

[@AleCardenasRealtor]

Do you think it would fit my 6.1 inch wrist?

[@johnswatchjoint]

Doesn't matter what I think. You have seen it on my 6.75 inch wrist....so it's decision time my friend :) !

[@chrislim7976]

Nice but it looks slightly large on a 6.75 wrist.

[@johnswatchjoint]

It is not. Camera perspective always magnifies. Wears perfectly on me...and I have worn hundreds of watches.

[@chrislim7976]

@@johnswatchjoint Cheers. I have the same wrist size and am trying really, really hard not to want another watch. 😉

[@johnswatchjoint]

Aah...got it...then it absolutely looks like a double decker bus on my wrist....does that make you feel better ;) haha 😂

[@chrislim7976]

Thank you sir. Indeed it does look ridiculous. Do not want. Moving on. Yuck. Do not want. 🍺

[@johnswatchjoint]

...so have you bought it yet haha?!?

[@Taojin10]

This watch is beautiful and for the money a great deal but I’m not feeling the logo… it seems as if the logo was an afterthought.

[@johnswatchjoint]

My thoughts too but when you see the watch and put it on....it is a stunner. Between this and my Baltany W10 I feel spoiled.

[@garyk8285]

If you had to choose one watch between the Seestern Sub600T and this one, which one would you take?

[@johnswatchjoint]

For me with a 6.75 inch wrist it is the San Martin. I am wearing it now. For me It fits perfectly and is also more versatile for my lifestyle. For the price the San Martin looks and feels like a premium watch. The Seestern is chunkier and less versatile but would suit a larger wrist better. It looks very good and is finished very well but the San Martin is the better watch for me personally. Go with your gut. You alone know your lifestyle and how each watch would suit. Thanx for the question and thanx for watching. Remember to subscribe ;)

[@mattimattwa9064]

Just get both like I did 🫠 They are well worth the price, cheap enough too!

[@michaelk487]

C00l😀😀😀😀

[@CocoKoi321]

Hate the logo tbf

[@johnswatchjoint]

Beg your pardon. Was replying re another video. I agree with you but I must say that with it printed it is inobtusive. It's when they apply it that creates the monstrosity. Until a month ago I wouldn't buy one but after seeing the quality first hand, I will be keeping it. Stunning and accurate . Thanks for watching and leaving a comment :)

[@davesmith4804]

There is only one problem, big problem you have to keep winding it up like every day with 50 winds, if not it stops

[@johnswatchjoint]

Not the case. Modern automatic watches have a power reserve of nearly two days. If you wear it constantly then no winding is required. If you don't like autos then just buy a quartz.

[@davesmith4804]

@@johnswatchjoint I got one chap and as I said if you don't wind that puppy up every day it will slow down and stop ...got one bin there dune it ...so nuff said

[@davesmith4804]

@@sinjinadams2862 aha Yeah right...well I have a Seiko chronograph and had it for like 30 years : )....never wound it up once...Quartz all day

[@davesmith4804]

@@sinjinadams2862 aha don't be silly haha