San Martin
Founded c. 2015 · Guangzhou, China
San Martin is among the best-regarded Chinese microbrands for finishing: ceramic bezels, two-texture polishing and titanium cases at prices nobody else offers them. It fits Japanese NH35 and Swiss movements, and makes no secret that many of its models are homages to familiar silhouettes.
History
The house appeared in Guangzhou in the middle of the last decade, inside the industrial ecosystem that builds watches for half the trade. What set it apart from its neighbours was the finishing: hand-polished chamfers, ceramic bezels and bracelets with solid links on pieces costing a fraction of what that work would cost in Switzerland. Its catalogue moves between diver, pilot and dress, almost always with a Seiko NH35 or Miyota movement, and with Swiss calibres in the top series. Public documentation on the house is thin: there is no archive, no known founder and no exact date, and none is invented here.
Iconic models
SN0116 (62MAS)
Its homage to the first Japanese diver of 1965; among the house's best sellers.
Titanium series
Titanium cases with mixed finishing, uncommon at this price.
Worth knowing
What sets San Martin apart is not the movement — it fits the same NH35 as half the trade — but the hand-polished chamfer, which is where the money goes on an expensive watch.
San Martin at Reserva de Marcha
See all 4 in the catalogue →
London Craftwork San Martin GMT Watch 39mm Automatic Steel 100M Seiko NH34
San Martin SN0118 Automatic Chronograph Watch for Men, 40mm Dive Watch Sapphire Crystal with AR Coating, C
Men Watch SN0017G-E, 40 mm 20 Bar Diver Watch ST2130 Automatic Mechanical Luxury Diving Waterproof Wrist Watch
San Martin SN0105XA 36mm 6004 VH31 Watches for Men Wristwatch Nylon Strap 10 Bar, Black