NWA! San Martin Explorer 36mm
This beauty finally arrived today! Be prepared for long post…
This is actually my first mechanical watch that i bought for myself to commemorate my 27 birthday, the birth of my first child and my graduation in culinary school. So it had to be a meaningful piece to me.
My favorite watch is the Rolex Explorer 1016, so i started looking from there.
After a long search i narrowed down my options to 4:
This San Martin
Smiths Everest
Traska summiter
Lorier falcon
Just to put it in context, I live in Brazil, and the price of watches here is extremely high. In order to translate the cost of a watch here for you, i can't simply convert the local currency into dollars or vice versa.
The easiest way to understand the cost of something is to compare the percentage of a minimum wage in each country that the price of tgis product consumes.
In the United States, the minimum wage is approximately 1.160 dollars and this San Martin was 344 dollars. That's 29.65% of the minimum wage.
In Brazil, the current minimum wage is 1.412 reais and 1 dollar is currently 4.93 reais, so the watch cost 1.698 reais and adding up the taxes, a total amount 3.199.00 reais, which is 226.55% of the Brazilian minimum wage. So an equivalent watch in the United States would cost 2.627 dollars! It's pretty much a luxury watch.
So i needed a Watch with incredible value for money, something that this San Martin really delivers.
So now let’s talk about the watch itself.
37mm, 11mm thickness, box sapphire crystal, 100m of water resitance with screwed down crown all powered by the PT500 moviment with 28.800 VPH, which is essencially a chinese version (or copy) of the sw200.
The bracelet and finnishing on the case are impeccable, the lines batween the brushed and the polished parts are super crisp and well defined. I just wish they would put the new clasp with the adjustment on the fly, but it still comes with the older one. It’s completely fine, but i ordered the new one.
And now the dial, and what a dial my friends. The camera don’t make justice. It’s a matte black with the classic 369 numerals, but with gorgeous applied indicies, which were a wonderful decision by San Martin.
This detail makes this model the perfect blend between the 1016 and the current models, they play with the light really well and are filled with BGW9 that give them an awesome lume!
I was a bit worried with the movement, but i saw a bunch of good reviews and the fact that you can buy the whole movement in AliExpress made me more confident to pull the trigger.
Final thoughts: i’m obsessed with this watch, i love
every thing about it, the looks, the site. It just melts on the wrist, i almost forget that im wearing it. If you are considering about buying this Watch, don’t hesitate.
Thank you for your attention
Brazilian watch enthusiast
Hey man, congratulations on the watch! I'm so pleased you love it given how much it has cost you. Wear it with pride!
Hey man, congratulations on the watch! I'm so pleased you love it given how much it has cost you. Wear it with pride!
Thanks man! Hope it will last long enough so i can pass to my son
Looks really good and welcome to the slippery slope that is collecting and watch forums.
Congratulations. I'm a big fan of San Martin. Best quality for the $ IMO good choice. 👍
Beautiful and well-made watch. Congrats on the watch and all your life milestones! Enjoy!
The only problem I see with this brand is that they stole my name lol 😁
Congratulations. Enjoy the e watch in good health! Great option :)
Congratulations. Enjoy the e watch in good health! Great option :)
Thank you Mario! Big fan of your yt channel, let us know if you sell the explorer 😅. Keep with the good work
Great appreciation there it is great to know you gave this such consideration to achieve value for your buck. I'm lucky enough to have a few good watches so health to enjoy my friends. Also that is indeed a handsome looking watch. I have a couple of Aliexpress watch and I enjoy them when I wear them so enjoy every minute of your watch. 👌😁
I personaly love San Martin. Enjoy your new watch man!
Thank you Mario! Big fan of your yt channel, let us know if you sell the explorer 😅. Keep with the good work
Thanks a lot. This means a lot to me! :)
Good one! And enjoy it!
Looks clean 💪
With watches like the 1016 where the prices are just insanely high for what you are realistically getting (overpriced like most vintage Rolex) a watch like yours becomes a very attractive proposition. I also agree that it is a lot of money but these Chinese watches are often VERY well made and this San Martin is no exception. I mean look at how well defined the the case lines are and every surfaces has nice and clean reflections. Fitment of the endlink seems excellent... to my eye it looks tighter than on an Omega Aqua Terra. This model looks really good too, design wise I mean. Top choice 👌
I wouldn't worry too much about the movement, you probably can't get parts but you can buy these as a whole and have it swapped or do it yourself. should last forever.
Now that I think about it, it's in several ways better than my similarly priced Tisell (modern style clomage). Matte dial - less glare. Old style markers make it better legible with the similarly sized hands and it's a bit more originaľ with the applied markers. The domed crystal must make some lovely distortions...
How's the lume? It looks blue, so it might be fairly long lasting.
Great choice. A lovely watch. I love mine, the PT5000 runs at less than a second per day deviation. I hope it lasts you a lifetime. 👌
Congratulations on everything you are celebrating, including the new watch.
Looks gorgeous, congrats. 369 is the answer 😀
Congratulations 🎊, looks great!
San Martin is a good brand. ENJOY IT!
This looks good!! San Martin puts a LOT of entry level micro brands into identity crisis. The finishing and quality control is top notch!!
Congrats for the watch! Wear it in good health 🍻
I personally aim to get a San Martin SN0107 the Tudor Ranger homage, but i think i will pick the printed indices version instead of the applied one. Why? Because instead of a triangle (like yours) it has a 12, and somehow the number 1 on that 12 appears kinda bigger/different than the 2 on the applied indices version, you just can't unsee it once you've noticed it 😂
Here's the 12 on the applied indices version:
Here's the 12 on the printed indices version:
Both courtesy from https://sanmartin-watch.com/products/explore-climbing-series-sn0107-g?VariantsId=12212
Anyway, San Martin really made great watches with superb quality that should put some larger brands to shame. You've made an awesome choice! 🍻
That is a gorgeous watch 😍 completely appreciate your circumstances and research you carried out to end up with San Martin - the value is incredible and you can even get greater prices is Ali sales. Well done, great choice 👏🏻
What's the San Martin model number? I can't seem to find it on Ali.
Congrats for the watch! Wear it in good health 🍻
I personally aim to get a San Martin SN0107 the Tudor Ranger homage, but i think i will pick the printed indices version instead of the applied one. Why? Because instead of a triangle (like yours) it has a 12, and somehow the number 1 on that 12 appears kinda bigger/different than the 2 on the applied indices version, you just can't unsee it once you've noticed it 😂
Here's the 12 on the applied indices version:
Here's the 12 on the printed indices version:
Both courtesy from https://sanmartin-watch.com/products/explore-climbing-series-sn0107-g?VariantsId=12212
Anyway, San Martin really made great watches with superb quality that should put some larger brands to shame. You've made an awesome choice! 🍻
I had considered the ranger as well, and also noticed the bigger 1 😂. With time, i think it will be hard to not look at this odd sizing
What's the San Martin model number? I can't seem to find it on Ali.
Its the SN021-G-B1
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM5WVPo
I had considered the ranger as well, and also noticed the bigger 1 😂. With time, i think it will be hard to not look at this odd sizing
Yes, if somehow San Martin fix that 1 in the near future then perhaps i will get the applied indices version instead of the printed one
Its the SN021-G-B1
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM5WVPo
Cool cheers!
Nice watch! Congratulations on all fronts. I think it was a good choice. I just recently picked up an Addiesdive version of this watch in quartz. I really like the look of the explorer style watches too.
Congrats, San Martin delivers a ton of beauty and value for the money and I'm sure you'll love yours!