A chinese watch, assembled in Europe! (No, not the PRX)
Behold the Baltic Hermétique Tourer: the watch that boldly declares 'I'm ruggedly adventurous', yet makes you weep at the sight of the first scratch from typing too aggressively on your $3000 MacBook Pro (Yes, the one you bought on finance and only use to type emails and watch po..). Its almost entirely polished bracelet is a magnet for life's little tragedies, perfectly mirroring your quest for a semblance of adventure in the no-man’s-land between coffeeshops and your ergonomic office chair. The harshest thing this watch will experience in its lifetime is picking up dog-poop. #AdventureAwaitsAtTheGeniusBar #FirstWorldAnxieties"
Time aficionado by day, horological satirist by night. I've got a penchant for timepieces that tick louder than a bomb and shine brighter than my future. I consider the Invicta Pro Diver the pinnacle...
I feel your pain with regards the bracelet. Its exactly the same with my San Martin, not even had it a week yet!
I feel your pain with regards the bracelet. Its exactly the same with my San Martin, not even had it a week yet!
Your clasp is brushed, mine is polished, we're not the same.
I had been wearing my Submariner for only a couple of hours, then while removing Christmas lights from the outside of the house I scraped it on a wall! 🥺. I take it off to tie my shoes now.
Scratches on the clasp - expected & acceptable.
Scratches on the case or crystal - OH THE HORROR
Seriously though, the clasp will get scratched through resting one's wrist on the counter, desk, bar top, etc. I'm very gentle with my watches and rare is the occasion that I ever do any damage.
My plastic Casio digitals are the exception though and will get some scuffs via gardening, woodworking, general house maintenance, etc., and that's fine since they're beaters.
LOVE the Baltic, BTW, looks great! 😍
I feel your pain with regards the bracelet. Its exactly the same with my San Martin, not even had it a week yet!
San Martin specialty are massive bracelets with a clasp the size of a life boat. I kept the one that came with the SN021 "absolutely not Explorer", but immediately replaced the one on the SN007 62MAS with a more period correct and infinitely more comfortable FKM waffle strap.
Love these microbrands, Baltic, Serica, Yema - all French I think? Would you recommend? (In spite of the scratch magnet persona?)
San Martin specialty are massive bracelets with a clasp the size of a life boat. I kept the one that came with the SN021 "absolutely not Explorer", but immediately replaced the one on the SN007 62MAS with a more period correct and infinitely more comfortable FKM waffle strap.
I think I'm going to have a hard time finding a strap that matches this though!
Love these microbrands, Baltic, Serica, Yema - all French I think? Would you recommend? (In spite of the scratch magnet persona?)
Only watches I'll ever recommend are the Invicta Pro Diver and Casio f91w.
You can check HV (Hardness Vickers) which is a steel hardness measurement. Tipically 250 HV is the standard in 316L stainless steel but there are a few companies and microbrands making over 1000 HV which is close to scratch-proof.
Airplane overhead bin latches are my watch’s clasp nemesis
San Martin specialty are massive bracelets with a clasp the size of a life boat. I kept the one that came with the SN021 "absolutely not Explorer", but immediately replaced the one on the SN007 62MAS with a more period correct and infinitely more comfortable FKM waffle strap.
Where do you recommend to buy an FKM rubber waffle strap? I mean so that you don't get a 3$ AliExpress "FKM Rubber" repackaged and sold by another retailer for 85$.
Where do you recommend to buy an FKM rubber waffle strap? I mean so that you don't get a 3$ AliExpress "FKM Rubber" repackaged and sold by another retailer for 85$.
The one I fitted on my SN007 was bought from San Martin store. It's now offered as an option instead of the bracelet IIRC. I also bought a few of the DASARI line from StrapesCo and I can vouch for their quality but none of them were waffle straps.
A Chinese watch ? Hmmm… it has parts made in China like in fact most watches, but yet it has a Japanese caliber, made in Japan, the assembly in France is well done and the design made in France is really unique and makes most of the watch interest.
So I don’t think it deserves the title « a Chinese watch » or if does, then 80% of watches here also do.
But no, it really does not.
A Chinese watch ? Hmmm… it has parts made in China like in fact most watches, but yet it has a Japanese caliber, made in Japan, the assembly in France is well done and the design made in France is really unique and makes most of the watch interest.
So I don’t think it deserves the title « a Chinese watch » or if does, then 80% of watches here also do.
But no, it really does not.
Case, bracelet, crystall and hands - all made in china. But is that really a bad thing, or are we all the swiss marketing soy boys?
Case, bracelet, crystall and hands - all made in china. But is that really a bad thing, or are we all the swiss marketing soy boys?
No it’s not a problem. My point is that it’s a bit too much to point it as a Chinese watch.
If it had been assembled in China, or if the movement was Chinese, maybe.
In fact, legally, Baltic could say « made in France » without any problem, but at least they are honest about it.
Most « Swiss made » watches are doing exactly the same. And most micro-brands.