While we don’t tend to review Chinese watches often, specifically those that tend to sell via AliExpress, we have dabbled in that market a couple of times. Our very first review on here was the Proxima PX1701, a rather unique dressy diver with a translucent dial that really highlighted the date wheel, and prior to starting the site we had owned a Pagani Design ‘Moonwatch’ which didn’t stay in the collection for long. However, with such great microbrands springing up in European countries, and legacy brands like Bulova and Casio putting out interesting pieces, we fell away from the Chinese microbrand scene.
That was until we noticed the San Martin SN0148-GX. As we strive to maintain a six watch collection, the decisions on what to keep and what to lose get harder. Our much-loved Casio MTD-130D-1A3V had started to fall out of favour. We bought it for two reasons: the compass bezel (which, admittedly, we never really use) and the colour (a glorious green that we’ve found the perfect strap for. But what we didn’t like was the size (a slightly too large 44mm), the original bracelet, the cheap looking case and that “Hardlex” crystal nonsense.
The SN0148-GX though. Oh my. On paper, it’s quite the catch. The main draw is the dial. There’s a thing happening in watches that also happens with guitars. Take the guitar brand Harley Benton. They make every popular shape/type and pair them with fun, creative colours and finishes. The quality is pretty good and the cost is super affordable. And in the end you can end up with something that looks like you’re dream guitar but for a fraction of the price (if an original even exists) and it’ll do a job.
San Martin are the watch version of that. A solid watchmaker who give you decent specs, for a price that’s hard to resist, but with a design language that just takes it over the top. And while you might be nervously crossing your fingers that the quality control gods bestow a well-finished model (something that’s a real crapshoot with Harley Benton) and that you don’t get stung with import duties (spoiler alert: we did), when the watch arrives you should be pretty satisfied. Also, and this is important, they got the name and logo right. Too many Chinese brands have ridiculous names or polarising logos (miss us with that ‘Hroundland’ and ‘Sea-Gull’ silliness) but San Martin and, too a degree, Watchdives avoid that stigma.
As part of the annual AliExpress 11/11 sale, we decided it was time to pick up an SN0148 and took the plunge. Although, as ever, saying a price is sort of pointless because AliExpress prices are much like crypto values and never stay still for a second. And it finally got to Watch Country HQ a couple of weeks later after a few delays as the customs charge got sorted.
The unboxing was slightly spoiled by the fact that the watch had fallen to the side in the box, thanks to the bizarrely shaped pillow they use. Thankfully, the watch was covered in protective plastic but it’s not great knowing your watch has been bouncing about in the box. The good news is that the watch survived the journey though.
Once you get the stubborn plastic protection off, the watch immediately impresses thanks to the star of the show which is, of course, that gorgeous dial. It’s just so nice. What you get is a gradient green fumé dial that goes from a warm, bright green in the middle to a darker shade on the outer dial but with a ‘Nebula Vortex’ texture that demands closer inspection. It’s everything you want from a dial. It’s far from subtle but it’s classy and it catches the light wonderfully.
What’s great though is that while the dial is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, aesthetically-speaking, everything else about the watch supports it perfectly. The Broad Arrow watch hands allow for a good amount of lume, are very legible over a dial that might have seemed a little busy and look pretty elegant thanks to the minute and seconds hands reaching right to the end. It’s the sort of thing you’d see on an Omega Speedmaster but San Martin have borrowed more from the Rolex Submariner when it comes to the rest of the design.
The indices are the main giveaway with an arrow marker at 12, batons at 6 and 9 and round everywhere else. It’s classic Rolex but it works, especially for immediate and clear legibility. At three o’clock you get the date window, mercifully presented without a cyclops, and that’s colour-matched to the darkest shade of green that appears on the dial. That shade is then followed through to the ceramic bezel which almost acts as an outer layer for the colour gradient, taking it beyond the dial.
The Submariner comparisons continue there thanks to a triangular marker at the top of the bezel with numbers for at every ten minute interval and the 120-click unidirectional rotation that’s aided by a coin-edged grip. It’s very much a classic look but is understated enough to really help that dial pop.
The rest of the front of the watch is simple with San Martin’s inoffensive, and small, logo and some writing in the form of ‘Automatic’ and “200m=660ft” which is, of course, in reference to the watch’s solid water resistance. That’s a decent amount of protection but we’d probably swerve taking this on any real diving trips. But that’s mainly because we’re not looking to dive anywhere ever. It should be alright for accidental water contact though. We’re not the sort of maniacs who shower with our watches on.
The 316L stainless steel case itself is also very nicely executed. The watch opts mainly for a brushed polish, both on the case and the bracelet, but there is full polished chamfering just under the bezel. It’s a sneaky but lovely touch that suggests a bit of pride went into the design of this piece and is a little bit of detail for the owner to enjoy, even if your partner is like ‘oi! Are you staring at your chamfering again? I want a divorce.’
While the back is completely plain, which is kind of unusual these days, with no engraving, text or design of any type, the screw-down crown is signed with an engraved San Martin logo. It’s a small, subtle detail but we like and appreciate the effort as ever. The crown operates setting and winding the watch’s Miyota 9015 automatic movement which is a solid choice at this price point (and features in our Henry Archer Tesseract, which is one of our favourite pieces and priced at more than double this watch).
For the uninitiated, this is a Japanese-made calibre, manufactured by Citizen, and allows for sleeker cases thanks to it being only 3.9mm thick. It offers a smooth sweep thanks to it beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour which definitely elevates any watch compared to a standard quartz movement and there’s some decent functionality there too thanks to it having hacking seconds (the second hand stops moving when setting the watch, perfect for invading an enemy base with your platoon in 1945) and a quick-set date function which simply means that if you pull the crown out to the first position (the further second position sets the time), you can rotate through the dates without having to do full 24-hour rotations.
The stated accuracy is -10/+30 but so far the watch seems well regulated and has been keeping up with our Citizen which synchronises with an atomic clock via radio transmissions but we’ll update the review when we get a longer sample period. That said, both our Henry Archer and our beloved Phoibos Wave Master have the same movement and we’ve not had issues with either watch.
We’ve not mentioned the dimensions of the watch yet but San Martin have played a blinder here. You see, the original SN0148-G was slightly larger with a case diameter of 40mm but this model, the SN0148-GX, shaves off a whole 2.5mm from that. At just 37.5mm, this is much sleeker and gives the watch more of a vintage look and feel. And what’s really great is that none of that space saving comes from reducing the dial. Instead they’ve simply removed an unnecessary silver/grey part of the bezel and changed the slanted transition from bezel to dial into a flat drop. You lose nothing that matters but end up with a significantly nicer watch. San Martin aren’t messing around. This is great design.
With a lug-to-lug of just 46mm, this watch is going to be a sure favourite for all of us who don’t have wrists like Geoff Capes (ask your dad) and that Miyota movement means that they’ve been able to keep the thickness down to 11.35mm and that includes the domed sapphire crystal. And with sapphire crystals being an absolute non-negotiable for us, it’s ensured that our previous green goddess, the aforementioned Casio, is now making its way to the grey market for someone else to enjoy.
Our other must-have these days is also present. Yes, the bracelet has screw links. We’re so over the pins and collars, even if that’s something you only have to worry about once with a watch, and this bracelet delivers. There’s also a very easy to operate adjustable clasp which should mean that this will be a watch for all seasons. It was in this area that we found our only quality control issue. That mechanism did seem to have a little bit of scratch damage but as this is in a non-visible area, it’s not something we’ll lose sleep over. Aside from that the polishing and five-link beads of rice styling make for a very attractive bracelet and it’s comfortable too.
The strange thing about this watch is that it arrived on the scene with a bit of a bang but never seems to make it onto those round-up videos where people review AliExpress brands or even the ones where they focus on San Martin. That’s odd because this is clearly the nicest watch in that sub-section of affordable automatics. That dial looks better in real life than it does in photos, and it already looks damn good there. And the specs are great for this price. In fact they’d be good specs if the watch was priced like a European brand. So, honestly, we’ve not got anything bad to say about the SN0148. And unless you’re a snob about Chinese microbrands, and if you are you’re missing out, this is definitely worth a try.
The ‘Six Watch Box’ Verdict: So, will it hold down a place in our six watch display case? It’s harder and harder to hold down a place in this ever-evolving collection (we’ve seen recent evictions of watches from Casio, Bulova and Revelot) but we think the SN0148 has a good chance of sticking around. It’s sized perfectly for us, has drop-dead gorgeous looks and offers a good mix of diver and dress watch versatility.
JUST THE FACTS
Availability/Options: Although San Martin sell these directly from their own shop, you might want to check out whatever’s happening at AliExpress. The official shop has these for $378 (about £286) while AliExpress has them for the same price (as of today but that changes all the time) but you can usually find some sort of code combination to get that down by a lot. If you also factor in TopCashBack who are currently offering 12.75% cashback, you might make a decent saving. We’re not affiliated with any of these brands by the way. We just like a bargain.
The downside is that you’re risking getting snagged up for import duties. We managed to get the watch (from the San Martin official store on AliExpress) for £188 but then paid £48 in import charges. Bah!
It’s worth also mentioning that this watch can be picked up in this or the 40mm size for the same price. Each size also offers blue and black as options.
Brand: San Martin
Model: SN0148-GX
Style: Diver
Case Size: 37.5mm
Movement: Automatic (Miyota 9015)
Material: Stainless Steel
Band Width: 20mm
Band Type: Bracelet
Price Paid: £188 new (£48 in import charges to the UK)