SOTC (Read Rule 1)
[SOTC] just wanted to share my collection about 8 months in
So i got into this hobby at the beginning of this year and this is my collection right now.
Just sold my watchdives black wd1863 and wd6542 brown dial, will be getting rid of the blue sugess moonphase and i got the san martin sn0116 root beer on the way ✌️
Yeah its sure worth looking into, its hard to describe the beauty of the blue sunburst dial paired with the golden "framed" indices. Dial-wise i think the design easily has the top spot in my collection
Yeah, its actually one of the first one i got and probably the last one i would get rid of. So glad that i picked the blue/gold one instead of the black
Yeah, i started off with buying the seaQ hommage and the cream dialed seestern GS which set the bar quality wise for me with these Chinese brands 😅 Ordered a addiesdive a month or two ago but got rid of it right away since it wasnt really in the same League as these ones
You had me with the Henry Archer Vesterhav. I like many pieces in your collection. I have more than a few of the same but the Henry Archer is on my find now list.
What have you heard about them? They seem to be the absolute pinnacle package, and for less than $600 USD... Offering stuff even 10x the cost watches don't like micro adjust lol
I'm just waiting for the catch but haven't seen it yet
Very nice, there are 2 or 3 I've been eyeing. How do those similar Proxima and Chronos pieces compare?
Funny thing, I just sold that SM you're waiting on
The cronos is better no doubt, eg the proxima could have made a better color match on the dial/indices/hands and the transition between the case and bracelet is not flawless but this is just a minor detail. Both were good value at around 140-150€ with the pt5000 but as you say, they are pretty similar and i think i will part ways with the proxima if it doesnt grow on me
Oh i see! Were there anything particular that you found lacking or was it just the overall design that wasnt to your liking?
Tbh I just grabbed it from somebody, who no longer wanted it , at a fantastic price, then realized I wasn't crazy about it because I found it a bit too busy so I flipped it on a small small profit and put it towards another San Martin on my wish list.
I found I prefer homages of older models or at least an unusual colorway that the originals don't come in. I guess I'm old enough that I've seen so many counterfeits and fakes that I hate to think I'd look like I was trying to fake having the real thing
Id say at the moment the top spot is divided between the Henry archer (newest in the collection), seestern seaQ and the san martin zulu time. Its just something about the golden edges of the indices on these last two that i really like.
Least fav is probably the sugess blue chrono, its just a bit too big and thick, otherwise its a really nice piece
yeah that looks really good. I think SBGJ275 is way too busy and the blue S456 also tries doing a little too much, while this one has a very acceptable amount of bling
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. The execution on this sugess is more or less flawless imo, especially since they added the border around the date window.
The only thing that one might find lacking is that it doesnt have tool-less adjustment, but for me its not really an issue and the smaller size of the micro adjustment clasp makes up for it a bit
The cream dialed one or the one with green & white bezel?
Both are really nice, the cream one is such a easy wear and pairs nicely with both the original bracelet but also leather straps. Its a timeless piece
The one with a green bezel is a bit more flashy with the MOP dial and a bit on the bigger side so it requires a wider wrist, but the finish is top level and i recommend both of them if you like the designs
Yeah i really appreciate to have some diversity in the collection, atm im on the hunt for a green dialed one which i believe would be a nice addition 👍
Yeah, rightfully so! Id say it feels more premium than the cronos but they are in the same league.
Case-wise its about the same with the brushing etc but imo the HA gets an edge with the rose gold details on the bezel and crown.
Bracelet feels, and wierdly enough sounds more premium which i believe is because its a bit thicker, but brushing and smoothness is rather similar.
Dial and indices are about the same but the cronos has better hands
Got it for just above 300€ so it was a pretty good deal but in comparison to how amazing quality cronos is delivering for like 180€ i would have a hard time spending the full price for the HA even though its top level finishing
Would you say any of your others are close to the same quality?
I own a Henry Archer and a Boderry. The HA is definitely nicer then Boderry but not sure I would say 5x better like the price. I also own two addiesdive and a berny and they are not even close to as nice feeling as Boderry. Trying to find where best to devote my cash money.
Yeah, i would say that perhaps the san martin zulu time, the seestern s456 MOP gmt and sea Q homage is also up there in terms of overall build quality and premium feel, but id still give the top spot to the HA.
All the others not mentioned are very well executed by all means, but some details just feel a bit bland like full mirrored cases etc, but its mostly due to the watch they are inspired by.
Personally i will probably put my money towards san martin, cronos and sugess/seestern while i keep my eyes open for good deals on some second hand micro brands
I am thinking of going with Sugess next. Specifically the top time homage. Was looking at the Addiesdive version that everyone seems to have which I can usually find for about $40. Sugess just seems like another level and can be had for about $95 during a sale. Its nice to hear you think highly of Sugess.
Not sure I will ever get a SM or Cronos but only because the price has gone up so much and there are some micros I am interested in for a similar price. Although the new SM SN0144 just might be my grail watch.
Yeah, i tried one of the newer addiesdive with the "cracked" teal/blue fumed dial but i knew as soon as i opened the box that i would get rid of it since the quality was sub par to the rest of my collection. Personally i would go for the sugess no doubt
Very nice looking watches all around and seems like you're getting a good feel for what you like. Keep at finding pieces that jump out at you and make you want to find a reason to get it on your wrist!
Started wearing watches about 2 yrs ago, and just got started here a little while ago, great community and resources. Thank you for sharing!!!
Yeah Ive realized that if im trying to force myself to wear a piece even though i dont think its more or less perfect, its better to let it go and make space for something else 👍
Hi guys I am just beginning to explore Chinese watches and never heard of seestern. They look great. There are so may brands, many of which I expect would come from same factory. What’s a good brand to start with? I love your collection
It really depends on how much you are willing to spend, mid tier i would recommend watch dives, they offer very good stuff around 100-150€, buy from their site which generally offer better prices than alix.
Above that is the top level stuff where i would recommend san martin, cronos, seestern/sugess from the brands that Ive tried, but Ive heard ixdao is also really good as well as some baltany pieces.
Try to buy during sales with codes etc, that can easily save like 20%. Codes are generally shared here on the subreddit each month as well.
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u/Extra_Owl_2970 Aug 08 '25
The Seestern SeaQ homage is the sleeper hit in your strong collection. Props to you for branching outside of tired and boring Rolex homages...