Michael Sullivan
I bought the Type-B dial with the stainless bracelet. This is my first San Martin watch, and bought it to see if it delivered on its value proposition. It does.The fit and finish is as good or better than watches I have from Seiko and similar brands, at the price point. The sapphire crystal is welcome, as is the Seiko-manufactured movement. The latter sold me on trying this watch as I knew it would have solid guts. The hands are well done, and I feel like they got the hour hand right, and for a lot of type-b dials I don’t always think that’s the case. They really slathered on the lume - this thing glows like the sun during the first little while after exposure to light. The bracelet seems well made, the brushed finish matches the finish on the case well. I was really happy to see it was the screw type, which is really easy to adjust. I do wish they put in a half link as I’d like to fine tune the sizing. The crown is a bit scratchy when screwing down, which could be improved. I’m quite satisfied with it overall - it’s a nice watch.Now, the question you have to ask yourself: Do you want to buy from a brand that so blatantly copies the design of numerous other brands? Well, in this case I rationalized it by telling myself this dial was designed nearly a century ago, and the designers may have, uh, forfeited their IP rights. San Martin also makes a great knockoff of an Explorer II, but I’m not sure I can rationalize buying that one. I’ll leave that call up to you!
