Why Does Everyone LOVE This $3500 Chinese Watch?

[@AQBPlays]

Will wait for the San Martin version

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

I'll take a $79 Tandorio/Addiesdive with NH36 or VH version, please!

[@julienfroidevaux1143]

This company is pretty rad .😊

[@G-rigger]

will wait for the Pagani version for 1/4 price of the SM. Even then I wouldn't get one, just get a seagull.

[@julienfroidevaux1143]

@@G-rigger 10 % more like it.

[@G-rigger]

@@DonaldJoeKennedy *Tandoori

[@eggsII]

Full court press for this watch! Jody, Peter Kotsa, the WatchCrunch guy, and at least two more recently released videos on this one…

[@alfieakaronaldog]

That Scouse guy was the best. Cross between John Bishop and a QVC presenter 😂

[@adk7962]

I first saw this on Peter Kotsa’s Channel. Way outside of my price range, but I think this is foretelling of where the Chinese watch market is headed in 5, 10, and 20 years time. Thanks for showing it us!

[@eggsII]

With Chinese watches cornering the low end of the market, it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for Chinese manufacturers to attain respect for quality and luxury. For years Grand Seiko’s reputation for luxury suffered due to the Seiko name…

[@redneck4528]

​@@eggsIIit didn't, grand seiko was priced equivalent to Rolex in the 1970's

[@MichaelPlum]

I don't think it's a $3500 watch. But the quality is great!

[@DrTerryBooth]

Makes the Christopher Ward 12 Titanium look good value. Now with an extending bracelet, I understand.

[@Hrethgir]

It's out of my price range, but I like this watch.

[@TheLegitAlpha]

Atelier Wen has been on my radar for a while. I love the look of their Perception series, and this one is just gorgeous.

[@MidEnginedFan]

That clasp extension is the bomb, I wish more brands would do this for their deployment clasps.

[@ivanharlokin]

@@G-rigger It is not a dive extension.

[@G-rigger]

@@ivanharlokin it's a fad

[@visiblemode]

@@G-riggerit’s not a fad, it’s for those of us that have to take several minutes getting a lot of our watches on and off due to our wrists being proportionally a fair bit smaller than our hands. You don’t think about it unless you experience it, but the extender is amazing and a lot of people could benefit.

[@Nylatt]

I feel sorry for little Jody when he comes back with one bad grade on his report card. "Oh I see you got a D in math. We'll come back to that later....." 😂😂😂

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

I can hear the Scottish accent!

[@KyllanMan]

That minute track is fantastic. I like the look of this, not sure of the logo but it's overall very pretty

[@DannyOhana]

The packaging of that watch is nicer than the watch boxes I've bought. 😄

[@KabobHope]

If I had this much spare change rattling around, I'd just put it in the Grand Seiko fund.

[@TemplarLove]

Same, reputable and we know the brand is going to be there for another 10-20 years when we need to get the watches serviced

[@zosothezephead837]

The social media influencers certainly do. Good money to be made on a $3500 watch.

[@KathernClary]

Picked up a MAMACOO's watch as my first watch last month and I’m absolutely in love with it. Perfect size, looks elegant, very comfortable. Now my only problem is holding off from buying more watches so quickly!

[@darkeye77]

I just don't see $3500 in this. I guess the attention to the dial is where the money goes, but I agree with you, that movement isn't quite worthy of this watch. I wouldn't buy this.

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

I think the dial is where most of th emoney is, the labour of a master craftsman. Case and bracelet also nice, movement, not as nice. Cheers!

[@WaterJake]

Hand turned dial and highly finished integrated bracelet and case with high end adjustment clasp, all in titanium. That's already a lot. You simply aren't going to find many hand turned guilloche dials at that price. If you want a similarly thin Swiss movement with everything else, how much do you think you'd be paying?

[@michaelk7007]

Hope they're paying that master craftsmans handsomely given how they're being used to justify a bargain movement watch for 3500. Think the MSRP on my tag solar quartz is the same, but used market* recognizes even a titanium Swiss watch with a quartz movement is comical. Grabbed it for a third used. If this master is making anywhere near that difference then I am all for it.

[@dl703]

Was close to breaking the bank account in getting one but now that the movement looks way under par for such a beautiful watch, will give it a pass. Just can’t get around a watch that doesn’t hack whilst adjusting the dial.d

[@robertposteschild2353]

People will complain about the movement in a $3500 chinese watch but will happily fork out 5k for a swiss watch with a dog tier SW-200 or eta2824. It's quite amusing.

[@riocc]

at second 1 of the clip and wanting to answer the title: because it's amazing handcrafting on a watch at that price, great quality and looks. ok, now lets watch the vid.

[@spex7503]

Many high-end Swiss brands (including Patek) use non-hacking movements for genuine horological reasons (e.g. the hacking mechanism can affect accuracy). Not saying it's the same here but it's not always as simple as 'non-hacking = cheap and bad'. That said, I agree that a $3,500 watch should feel nice in every respect, especially the tactile experience of winding and setting.

[@OHJAJOH]

Snobby mc snob snob.

[@prwoland3750]

Absolutely - FP Journe is adamant abput the “brutality” of hacking on the delicate movement parts

[@mvm006]

Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure this movement is based on the Peacock SL-1258, which is a "clomage" movement of Patek 324. I wish we could see this movement on more watches, like Lobinni or Sugess.

[@Butters-s4i]

I think this watch is fantastic. Hand crafting that guilloche dial makes it worth it to me.

[@iklepsch]

I lost my wife in august. But the running joke we had when she went by my office door and heard you talking, she would ask; "are you shopping for watches?" I would reply "no dear, its porn, honest".

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

Sorry to hear that mate, hope you are doing OK. 💪

[@UnseenHero]

I picked one video to watch about this watch. I'm happy to hear your thoughts!

[@LietoUthe]

My favorite 2024 is the Prospex Limited Edition 1965 Recreation European Exclusive in Gradation Island Blue. The dial is stunning and the contrast when on a white strap is to die for. I will get my hands on one from MAMACOO

[@Shock_Treatment]

I don't really like much about this watch, but I love the purple dial. You hardly see purple nowadays.

[@visiblemode]

The large hand extender!!!! Best feature I’ve seen in a while. Why no hacking though? So close to perfect.

[@jaydub9509]

Thanks Jody! That dial is amazing! It's a shame about the rough noisy winding -- maybe the piece you received is a pre-production promotional version? As far as hacking goes, I say hacking, shmacking, that wouldn't deter me in the slightest (unlike the price).

[@danong9458]

The dial is great, but the movement falls short with no hacking for $3,500.

[@HaonProductions]

In Back to the Future 3, there's a part where 50s Doc mocks a part in the DeLorean for being made in Japan and Marty sets him straight. We're not quite there yet for made in China but we're closer than I thought we'd be.

[@nizarmurar]

Many thanks for beautiful, professional and unbiased revew

[@merlinh420]

I love the color. Anyone have any other good recommendations that have the purple dial?

[@charleshailey4461]

The tantalum is amazing. Looks identical to the Ti but probably weighs 8x as much and feels so darn good. I didn't want to take it off.

[@SaSpursFan]

Doesn’t that mean it is heavier than stainless steel? What’s the appeal?

[@relojeroschat]

@@SaSpursFan Just a flex. Tantalum is less abundant than gold and very hard to work on. It is a CNC tooling destroyer.

[@Tangylives]

The tantalum would be my pick if it was a more widely available model. As it is I have the salmon dial steel gen 2.

[@mingimg]

Just Jody casually leaking the new Origin GMT 👀

[@johnmonachelli5256]

Its definitely worth what they're asking

[@alfieakaronaldog]

@@johnmonachelli5256 Buying one then?

[@alfieakaronaldog]

@@johnmonachelli5256 Buying one then?

[@ciresolstice]

It's a beautiful dial, and I can appreciate the painstaking handcrafted detail. That said, the rest of the specs don't quite live up to the dial and price.

[@dab_bod3520]

I just saw an add for these last night.. Thought it was really nice looking.. Clicked the link and as soon as i saw the price i exited faster than i came. 😅

[@ptrm7815]

Plot twist: master Cheng is an 8 year old sweatshop worker.

[@mountman5386]

The thing I like about this watch is thinking about where Erebus could go. I can see a titanium Ascent like head, with a CNCed helix dial & a similar quality bracelet to this watch (as opposed to the feature rich but agricultural quality current one) with a decent Miyota or Swiss movement. That watch would be as good or better than this one but quite a bit cheaper. Just an idea . . . .

[@redletterl78]

Bit like Furlan Marri in terms of the obsessive attention they get with their releases. I think $3500 for a piece of art is fine, but as a daily wear not really. Impressed with the 5 year warranty - I hope they back it up!

[@HAL-xy3om]

Beautiful watch!

[@carbondragon]

Sadly, when they're not working for others who have actual quality standards, they don't feel the need to have such standards themselves. It's only a matter of time (I hope) till Chinese manufacturers decide to promote quality (as Japan did after WWII) but not sure when it's going to be. That said, the day a Chinese brand actually makes a high quality (consistently) watch and supports it with customer service before and after the sale, I'll be cheering them on.

[@Happyfacehotwheels]

Now that is a sweet $400 watch!

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

Lol, pretty much!

[@P_Ezi]

I still wouldn't wear it

[@DXPetti]

I think Beans & Bezels did the best review on this one. While it under heavy magnification, I was kind of shocked to see the imperfections in the hand made dial. Realistically it should be expected but it still hurts. Also agree the Perception model, despite being not that all is reaching saturation of special/limited editions. None the less, I don't think any review has pointed out that while this model comes with 5yr warranty out of the box, the previous ones didn't. AW however are backdating previous ones and upgrading all from 2 to 5yrs. Thats pretty bloody commendable

[@andrewallen9993]

If everyone loved it I wouldn't rather have 40 Vostoks instead!

[@RampartPh]

That rich purple is definitely an homage to the ube.

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

All hail ube! 😄

[@AbdulRWatches]

Great watch, but I have to say 3.5k is a bit steep for this watch, especially with that movement.

[@mrunner7671]

I wish you would review the new Pan Am collection from Timex!

[@nathanaelsmith3553]

Like those porcelain dial models

[@angleofthehell]

Idk but this looks like a watch from two guys with economy degree but no watchmaking background. I wonder who even designed the watch, I doubt it was one of the two.

[@davect01]

Nice fancy pants watch 😊

[@gazzertrn]

Love the colour , nice watch . Sounds like a lot of work went in to it . if i had some spare cash , well maybe .........

[@rickrounds5150]

I'll take the new Citizen - Zenshin Forza and save $3,000.

[@spex7503]

Funnily enough, the tantalum is probably the only thing drawing me to this watch. Nothing rational about it, just that one of my grails happens to be a vintage AP in tantalum

[@Totallyabigfanoftotaldrama]

I recently purchased a good Swiss movement my self for $600 AuD and I think better than this movement, further I have a Christopher Ward 12 Titanium and can only see the clasp as better on this watch, I appreciate the hand cut dial, however I work in China and believe the 10 hours labour wold not be a vast cost compared to the $3500 price tag. The only reason this would be $3500 is it will then appeal to the Chinese new rich, that will pay any price as long as it’s high

[@K1ngfunK]

How have you liked your 12? Honestly the main thing holding me back from this is that I've been desiring a 12 since its initial debut.

[@Totallyabigfanoftotaldrama]

I love the 12, I had a PRX before the 12 and much prefer the 12

[@wayne83t89]

I want one I just can’t get passed that movement for 3.5k

[@Mystery_Man84]

If you put that movement in let’s say a Citizen Tsuyosa watch, I wonder how much it would be

[@JoseAntonio-yq4oj]

Beautiful craftmanship in the guilloché dial! But I find the integrated bracelet watch with this dial utterly bizarre, they should have made a nice dress watch, with a quality leather band.

[@alanwright3172]

I love the dial but it appears to me as dress watch dial in a sports watch case, and I find that "Nautilus" style case very unappealing, I think I'll have to wait for them to make a dress/evening watch😐

[@genghiskhan7041]

It was inevitable that the Chinese would begin producing well made luxury watches eventually. I'm shocked it's non-hacking, that's a show stopper for me, no matter how beautiful the watch is.

[@dl703]

Was close to breaking the bank account in getting one but now that the movement looks way under par for such a beautiful watch, will give it a pass. Just can’t get around a watch that doesn’t hack whilst adjusting the dial.

[@pizzagogo6151]

It is a interesting design, although not to my personal taste, all reports are that it's very well made & certainly very nicely presented. Even if I did like it , theres no way I'd spend close to that sort of money on an unknown brand, I think the price is just too high- by a lot😮. Hat goes off to making a really original and lovely watch though..

[@bboooobbyy]

My wedding ring is made of tantalum. Would love to have a matching watch...

[@Barbecuejag]

My Titoni Seascoper (Swiss made, 1/2 the price, hacking) has the same "press the logo" micro adjust feature. But no guilloche. Just saying.

[@alfieakaronaldog]

The Bunion case shape and Phantom of the Opera caseback are a no for me.

[@robedmunds7163]

How much, nah, no mate. Clasp is outstanding, though.

[@alexandersolid]

Un grosso saluto dall' Italia, ti seguo sempre con molto interesse. Molto bravo, complimenti 👋

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

GORRRGEOUS!!! Come on, Jody, do a giveaway for this watch!

[@shawn1928]

@DonaldJoeKennedy I agree it’s a gorgeous, albeit, non-hacking watch (especially at the price quoted), but he can’t give it away if he neither owns it nor received it to keep by the watch brand

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

Honestly, I don't care about hacking. It used to be a big deal to me. Then one day it just wasn't. But that's just me and I've got nothing against insisting on hacking. Jody can buy one of these with his own money, and then give it away. To me. 👍🏼

[@itsaflyboything]

the thumbnail didnt do it justice, but the more you showed of the watch, the more I absolutely fell in love with it despite the whole thing not really fitting into my usual motif. now if only I had that kind of change to get one =(

[@Barbecuejag]

Disappointed that they teased a Tantalum release but ended up being Titanium. I would have definitely gone for the Tantalum, even at the >$10,000 likely price. Guess I will wait until they actually start doing more in Tantalum.

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

Well, three people and going to get a Tantalum..... But only three!

[@BluNotte7]

@Barbecuejag My thoughts are exactly like yours! But fret not, they will indeed release one in full Tantalum sometimes in Q1 2025. And yes it will be in the >10kUSD range 😊 Let us both wait for that patiently shall we?

[@Barbecuejag]

@BluNotte7 We will patiently wait my friend.

[@WaterJake]

They are releasing a tantalum watch with a red dial. Pricing will be around $10,000, so you're in luck!

[@BluNotte7]

@@WaterJake I believe that you are referring to the Perception Hong, which has indeed been released already as a limited edition of 25 pieces and is sold out. That was a collaboration with Grail Watch, but the one that I am pointing out for 2025 will be a non limited edtion whereby everyone who desires for one can get one 😁

[@CAPgroupONE]

I like the Chris Ward 12 better in this category

[@MichaelB-qx1eh]

Gasped out loud at the lume shot.

[@onemorewatchplease]

What a masterpiece 🙂

[@mindfulawareness1]

Raises a lot of questions this one. Mark-up?

[@jamesblonde2271]

I think its priced right, similarly hand turned , (& thats a rabbithole in a minefield in & of it'self) Swiss movements are multiples of this & some high horology brands use C&C machines. I think Mr Chen runs a workshop with more than one client, I would be surprised if he handled each watch personally. I love the brand but this does look a bit like aftershave packaging to me.........

[@Tangylives]

I think he has a few apprentices helping with the 3 main colours in the lineup, but special editions are all his work.

[@jamesblonde2271]

@@Tangylives Theres an article on Srew Down Crown about the various levels of guilloche, as I say its a bit of a rabbit hole....

[@Tangylives]

@@jamesblonde2271 yeah one day I'd love a kari voutilainen guilloche dial, but that is wildly out of reach. The Artelier Wen dials are "affordable" for a hand made dial.

[@victoriadelao5513]

*I'm overjoyed and grateful to see God's blessings and abundance manifest in my family's life. We're thriving and happy once again, and I can now provide for my loved ones even in retirement, thanks to a remarkable weekly income of $67,000. It's a game-changer after* *facing many challenges*.

[@victoriadelao5513]

Only God knows how much grateful i am. After so much struggles I now own a new house and my family is happy once again everything is finally falling into place!!

[@xy-fz5gk]

Please how ?

[@xy-fz5gk]

Am a born Christian and sometimes I feel so down 😭 of myself because of low finance but I still believe God😞

[@victoriadelao5513]

Thanks to my co-worker (Scott) who suggested Mrs Maria Angelina🙏.

[@victoriadelao5513]

She's a licensed broker in the states 🇺🇸

[@Ian-dd5dm]

That watch is a Chinese Gerald Genta offering. I own a cheap Second Hour Mandala and it also has a nice dial. However 3500 I feel that is ridiculous .

[@fsdafas749]

7:08 this immediately rose up as a question for me, how would this operation feel any better if it were steel? Titanium is a much harder material right? so it should at least feel better, instead of worse.

[@endowatch]

I understand that this is a prototype but for that price, they should do better centering their logo in the circle under 12 o’clock

[@Justme0495]

Well I can pay around $ 150 for a Seagull 1963 or around $650 for a Sea-Gull 1963 and its all original and made in China as well 😅 And the dial is the star of the show as well..

[@grenphelps7455]

I don't really see what the hang up is over whether the watch hacks or not, it's not like your planning a military movement is it, nowadays it's better to use your phone for accurate time....

[@Makingnewnamesisdumb]

Atelier where?

[@gerardhiggins1]

Beautiful watch. Even the box is sexy. Can anyone tell me what type of bracelet pins are in the Bulova Modern - 97D120. Are they pin and collar?

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

That's a beautiful Bulova! I'm quite the Bulova fanboy and have many models. Unfortunately, I don't have the 97D120 but I don't believe I've ever come across collars on a Bulova. Citizen, on the other hand, loves to alternate between split pins and collars, making new bracelet adjustments a daredevil sport if you're near carpet!

[@gerardhiggins1]

@@DonaldJoeKennedy Thanks bro. I have 20+ watches but that Bulova is one of my favourites

[@DonaldJoeKennedy]

No problem, Gerard. It's a handsome watch. Enjoy it in good health! 🥂

[@jozsefizsak]

That's rather marvelous.

[@GaryHayward-ix6lf]

I will stick with my purple helix assent thank you.

[@Ian_CognitoOnIG]

Leaf hands feel out of place on a sport watch.

[@williamrizzo1285]

The VC Overseas doesn't hack as well 😢

[@sweetcorn1968]

It certainly looks very impressive. I'd definitely consider one, if I wasn't banned from buying any more watches

[@JustOneMoreWatch]

Ha! Who banned you, or is it self-imposed?

[@Kyle-ql5dz]

You just he married

[@sweetcorn1968]

The "Finance Director," also known as my wife.

[@sweetcorn1968]

Mind you, she said that at Christmas, and I've had half a dozen new watches since then. Including a Signum Cuda 39 and a Bremont Supermarine Ocean.

[@Smartzenegger]

I don't understand their logo... what is it supposed to be anyway?

[@wristopia4101]

I would be surprised if more than 50% of people that have a legitimate opinion of this LOVE it.

[@josephpatenaude642]

Dail, bracelet and clasp are fantastic. Case hour hands and markers not so sure not for me.

[@reezevlog]

same price as a GS… this watch is insane !!!!

[@wristopia4101]

Emperors New Watch!

[@P_Ezi]

No one has the courage to tell him the truth

[@sojithssp]

Please review some G-Shocks.

[@Jay-yj1il]

Hello Jody, Do you want to buy a Militado ML05? I hope you can unbox this watch. 🙂

[@johnsrabe]

So … are there better Chinese movements? And how much more would they have cost?

[@chair5728]

Ali sells Tourbillon watches for less than a grand, would be strange for this watch but for the price I don’t think it would be out of place

[@Tangylives]

@@chair5728 They went for the thinnest Chinese movement they could afford. That turned out to be a semi-custom Peacock movement. I understand that Peacock still hope to be able to add a hacking module in the future, but haven't managed it yet. Given it's 0.2mm thinner than the 2892 at 3.4mm, it should be doable, but technically quite difficult.

[@RobB-s9j]

Atelier Wen it’s 12 ‘o’ clock

[@sinjinadams2862]

Yes the dial is beautiful but this just isn't my style of watch. I am a huge fan of Titanium though so that's a plus. I think the watch is just too darn expensive though for what you get.

[@MrMeowNow]

Love it!❤

[@stephenday-dh6zd]

Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and this to me is awful. The shape of the case is ugly and the squiggles around the face are messy. I wouldn't buy this at £35, let alone with 2 noughts added

[@wristopia4101]

This is a Time Capsule Queen 😂

[@SecronSeven]

Man, I almost wish the Perception had been less of a success. The design remains mostly unchanged, and as others have pointed out, that crown HAS to change. Id love to see them release a "2.0" with a refined design on the case and crown, instead of dial and metal variations. Also, i owned the purple nebula Zelos aurora field, and let me tell you, it's TOUGH to find an outfit that will look good with the purple. Pretty much all black or nothing. And good luck selling a second hand purple watch, even if it's a limited edition.

[@DXPetti]

This is the V2 design my man. While they don't outright say it in the name, easiest way to tell is looking at the middle links. V1 flat, no chamfer, V2 chamfer

[@shj2000]

Everybody loves?

[@michaelhorn8962]

Not me!

[@Mystery_Man84]

Wow Jody never spent $3500 on a watch? That’s somewhat surprises me…