I decided to give San Martin even more money! Best $300 I ever spent. Easily better finishing and construction that a watch that costs 10x more money.
Haters gonna hate. Might try the jianghun next, I hear they are even better for $500.
He's the official macros and a picture of actual San Martin 017ge end links. The gaps and fit are wildly different, off by at least 0.2mm.
You can chalk that up to QC or whatever, but methinks they are using ai enhanced images.
You can see it's not a shadow there's a noticeable step and even gaps from between the end links and lugs.
The official macros make it look flawless and perfect integration.
Is it a deal breaker? No, you can't expect Rolex tolerances from a $200 watch.
But just be honest about it and don't false advertise.
I have a bunch of homage subs that are incredible quality. Was interested in comparing u1 to them.
Currently wearing 4hz pt5000 or nh35 powered sub. Pick these up on sale from Ali for $100-135 shipped.
My biggest peeve is the end link wiggling.. On my homages the end links and bezel fit rock solid. No play or wiggle anywhere on most of them. Especially the milifortic and watchdives. The sugess and cronos it is minimal.
Does u1 come with dg2813 and miyota only? How about end links and bezel tolerances. Is dhg the best place to buy or somewhere else?
Pfa (only let's me post 12)
I have a few different 5513-style NH35 watches, and they all have terrible bezels. They're the kind that sound decent if you spin them quickly, but when you rotate them slowly they feel mushy, metallic, and somehow seem to switch from 120-click to almost 240-click behavior. The lateral side-to-side play is what really kills them for me. I'm guessing they're using a cheap retaining wire and click spring, and it definitely feels like it.
This new one uses a ball-bearing bezel mechanism, and the difference is night and day. It's tighter, more consistent, and has a crisp, positive click with no slop. Add the riveted bracelet and on-the-fly clasp, and I'd put this on the same level as San Martin or Seestern. In my opinion, it moves Watchdives into the upper tier of Chinese watch brands.
The only concern is how long the pt5000 will hold up, I've had some issues with others in the past (not hand winding issues but balance assembly problems.)
One of my favorite subs
Perfect fitting end links and ball bearing bezel for tight crisp action
I picked this up during some drunken Fourth of July AliExpress shopping. The original price was only about $198, and with coupons I ended up paying around $175 shipped. I wanted to pick up some other colorways but realized they jacked up the price this week. They're asking close to $285 for it now.
Overall, it's an incredible watch, but it has a few glaring flaws.
The biggest issue is the end link design and fit. They have a noticeable amount of wiggle, which is one of my biggest peeves, and the integration with the case looks a bit off. On the plus side, the female end links dramatically reduce overhang, making the watch wear much better on smaller wrists.
The case itself isn't perfect either. The lugs aren't laser straight, and the brushing shows some distortion and waviness. The flat surfaces could have been lapped more evenly for a cleaner finish.
The lume is also mediocre. It's bright enough initially, but it fades much faster than I'd like.
The bezel, however, is excellent...very tight with zero play and crisp, positive clicks. Compared to my Steeldive and Proxima MM300 homages, the San Martin bezel feels far superior. Those use what appears to be a traditional click-spring design with noticeably loose action, while the San Martin feels more like a ball-bearing system. That said, the Steeldive does have one advantage, its end links are rock solid with virtually no play.
The bracelet is finished beautifully, with very flat links and exceptionally straight brushing. My only complaints are the pin-and-collar sizing system and a little more lateral play between the links than I'd prefer.
Other highlights include the domed top-hat crystal, the monobloc (unibloc) case construction, the reliable NH35 movement, and outstanding wrist presence.
Is it worth the $175 I paid? Absolutely. I'd even say it's a strong value up to about $225–250. At $285, though, I'd have a much harder time recommending it unless you're a die-hard Seiko 6159 fan.
Ultimately, the market will decide whether these higher prices stick. My guess is that demand will soften, and we'll start seeing the deep discounts and AliExpress coupons return on many of the recently inflated models.
First impressions
I own just about every major Sub homage - Sugess, Cronos, San Martin, Watchdives, and Steeldive - in multiple movement options, including the PT5000 and NH35.
After handling all of them, the Milifortic stands above the rest.
The first thing that stands out is how thin the midcase and rehaut are. The overall case proportions are very close to, if not identical to, the Sugess, but the execution is cleaner. The bezel is exceptionally smooth with zero side-to-side or vertical play, giving it a much more premium feel. And as a bonus, it doesn't have "Seaman" printed on the dial.
Bracelet fit is another highlight. The SEL tolerances are outstanding. Shining an LED behind the lugs reveals no light whatsoever on three of the four lugs, and only about half a hair's width on the fourth. That's among the tightest fitments I've seen on any homage.
The bracelet also has zero lateral movement in the end links, with no clicking or shifting when pulling or pushing hard on them. The use of female end links is another welcome touch, allowing the bracelet to articulate and wear more comfortably on a wider range of wrist sizes.
The shallow rehaut also proves an important point: you don't have to settle for a deep tunnel rehaut just because you're using an NH35. With proper case design, the NH35 can look every bit as refined as more expensive movements and case geometry.
Pros
Outstanding overall refinement
Excellent case proportions
Thin, shallow rehaut
Tight, precise bezel with no play
Exceptional SEL fitment
Solid bracelet with zero end-link movement
Female end links for improved comfort
Cons
Add that, and this would easily be a 10/10.
I picked this up during some drunken Fourth of July AliExpress shopping. The original price was only about $198, and with coupons I ended up paying around $175 shipped. They're asking close to $285 for it now.
Overall, it's an incredible watch, but it has a few glaring flaws.
The biggest issue is the end link design and fit. They have a noticeable amount of wiggle, which is one of my biggest peeves, and the integration with the case looks a bit off. On the plus side, the female end links dramatically reduce overhang, making the watch wear much better on smaller wrists.
The case itself isn't perfect either. The lugs aren't laser straight, and the brushing shows some distortion and waviness. The flat surfaces could have been lapped more evenly for a cleaner finish.
The lume is also mediocre. It's bright enough initially, but it fades much faster than I'd like.
The bezel, however, is excellent...very tight with zero play and crisp, positive clicks. Compared to my Steeldive and Proxima MM300 homages, the San Martin bezel feels far superior. Those use what appears to be a traditional click-spring design with noticeably loose action, while the San Martin feels more like a ball-bearing system. That said, the Steeldive does have one advantage, its end links are rock solid with virtually no play.
The bracelet is finished beautifully, with very flat links and exceptionally straight brushing. My only complaints are the pin-and-collar sizing system and a little more lateral play between the links than I'd prefer.
Other highlights include the domed top-hat crystal, the monobloc (unibloc) case construction, the reliable NH35 movement, and outstanding wrist presence.
Is it worth the $175 I paid? Absolutely. I'd even say it's a strong value up to about $225–250. At $285, though, I'd have a much harder time recommending it unless you're a die-hard Seiko 6159 fan.
Ultimately, the market will decide whether these higher prices stick. My guess is that demand will soften, and we'll start seeing the deep discounts and AliExpress coupons return on many of the recently inflated models.
My only nitpick is that the crown doesn't always pop out when you finish unscrewing it.
Sometimes it just keeps rotating until you pull it out manually, while other times it pops out on its own with either a light snap or a more pronounced pop.
Other than that, the bezel feels crisp, tight and uniform like it uses ball bearing detents and hytrel friction ring snap on system.
The OTF clasp is a game changer, the lume is incredible, and it's impressively slim for an NH35 powered watch.
The see thru caseback I could take or leave, an engraved diver style motif would have been more suitable as the nh35 isn't much to look at.
Currently running about -18 on full wind, but it's simple enough to bump up to +5 once it settles in.
This cronos bezel is completely stuck.
Previous owner said it came that way from the factory. I finally got a chance to remove the insert carefully by soaking in wd40 and then using an extremely thin scalpel as a pry bar.
After softening the adhesive and lifting the edge of the bezel insert I was able to carefully cut the adhesive in a 360 fashion parallel to the bezel and remove it being extremely careful not to crack it.
Underneath I see an assembly I'm not too familiar with, it looks like the crystal is pressed down with some kind of metal over nylon ring that's extruded out and catching the bezel inner skirt, causing it to get completely stuck.
Any ideas how to remove and fix? I cut off a little piece of the gasket that was sticking out, so it feels like nylon and not adhesive.
I have two ways I can go about this. Try to lift the bezel up and hope it does not deform the bezel or I can use a crystal press and press the crystal out which should also push out the crystal gasket and metal retaining ring as one piece, then the bezel should be able to come loose immediately.
Then I have to figure out what kind of new crystal gasket would fit since these seem very proprietary and difficult to find
I've posted before that the cronos bezel is completely stuck. Cronos uses rep parts so I'm guessing this is the best place to ask advice
Previous owner said it came that way from the factory. I finally got a chance to remove the insert carefully by soaking in wd40 and then using an extremely thin scalpel as a pry bar.
After softening the adhesive and lifting the edge of the bezel insert I was able to carefully cut the adhesive in a 360 fashion parallel to the bezel and remove it being extremely careful not to crack it.
Underneath I see an assembly I'm not too familiar with, it looks like the crystal is pressed down with some kind of metal over nylon ring that's extruded out and catching the bezel inner skirt, causing it to get completely stuck.
Any ideas how to remove and fix? I cut off a little piece of the gasket that was sticking out, so it feels like nylon and not adhesive.
Very nice small and thin watch. Crown is a bit hard to thread.
Here it is next to a cronos gmt for size comparison.
Timekeeping test was done briefly in 3 positions, and it kept time almost exactly the same in all positions.
Watch is very clean and bezel is not damaged or warped in any way. It will not budge
Other than taking the insert out, then removing the retaining wire to figure out what's making it stuck and risk breaking it or ruining the paint, is there anything I can try to pop it off?
I heard you can use one of those bezel removal tools that look like a jar opener but I don't know those require twisting and pulling at the same time
This is stuck so I don't think that will work
Watch is very clean and bezel is not damaged or warped in any way. It will not budge
Other than taking the insert out, then removing the retaining wire to figure out what's making it stuck and risk breaking it or ruining the paint, is there anything I can try to pop it off?
I heard you can use one of those bezel removal tools that look like a jar opener but I don't know those require twisting and pulling at the same time
This is stuck so I don't think that will work
​
First impressions
I own just about every major Sub homage - Sugess, Cronos, San Martin, Watchdives, and Steeldive - in multiple movement options, including the PT5000 and NH35.
After handling all of them, the Milifortic stands above the rest.
The first thing that stands out is how thin the midcase and rehaut are. The overall case proportions are very close to, if not identical to, the Sugess, but the execution is cleaner. The bezel is exceptionally smooth with zero side-to-side or vertical play, giving it a much more premium feel. And as a bonus, it doesn't have "Seaman" printed on the dial.
Bracelet fit is another highlight. The SEL tolerances are outstanding. Shining an LED behind the lugs reveals no light whatsoever on three of the four lugs, and only about half a hair's width on the fourth. That's among the tightest fitments I've seen on any homage.
The bracelet also has zero lateral movement in the end links, with no clicking or shifting when pulling or pushing hard on them. The use of female end links is another welcome touch, allowing the bracelet to articulate and wear more comfortably on a wider range of wrist sizes.
The shallow rehaut also proves an important point: you don't have to settle for a deep tunnel rehaut just because you're using an NH35. With proper case design, the NH35 can look every bit as refined as more expensive movements and case geometry.
Pros
- Outstanding overall refinement
- Excellent case proportions
- Thin, shallow rehaut
- Tight, precise bezel with no play
- Exceptional SEL fitment
- Solid bracelet with zero end-link movement
- Female end links for improved comfort
Cons
- The clasp. It's perfectly functional, but this watch deserves an on-the-fly or Glidelock-style clasp like the Sugess. Add that, and this would easily be a 10/10.
The Marine Master 300/6159
San Martin upgraded the clasp, but I can't find it by itself because mine has the old clasp and I want to switch it
Bought this used. It's at least 4-5 years old but doesn't look heavily worn. Wondering how the movement holds up compared to other popular gmts.
This is one of the best clasps I've come across from all the main brands like cronos, San Martin or watchdives
The inner clasp has almost no lateral play or slop anywhere and the glide lock feels like perfection personified.
I thought it might house Teflon pads on the inside of the clasp like gen but it looks like some kind of ball bearing detent system. I'm not sure since I have not taken it apart.
The watch head itself is a bit disappointing, the bezel clicks are soft and a bit mushy, and the end links wiggle up and down which sugess that maybe the spring bars are slightly small or the inner lugs case holes are slightly too large or the spring bar tips have slop in them.