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The new Chinese Micro Brand Review
How’d I end up with this watch? The brainchild of San Martin, a micro brand with a difficult to pronounce name for Westerners (at least to some…I’m not convinced it’s any harder to pronounce than Glaschutte), Jianghun was certainly not on my radar. I just saw a couple of YouTube videos about the release and thought I would investigate.
First off, the idea of getting the first model of a new brand is kind of appealing, especially from under the umbrella of San Martin. In other words, purely from a business standpoint, this brand has the backing to last a while if they find product/market fit.
Secondly, if they put the same or more effort into this watch as the SM brand, then these are going to be really good! And this one really is.
There are 4 models all with a list price of $299US. There’s a pre-order deal for $269, but the charge on my CC was only $244. So, like, inexpensive my brothers.
First off, is there anything else like this out there? I haven’t seen it.
They are leaning into the Chinese heritage which is cool. I’m not entirely sure the design elements themselves are Chinese or loosely inspired.
That case, entirely brushed, with pole lugs coming out and a fixed bezel. It’s just weird and wonderful. Lug to lug of 49.8. 42mm diameter.
The crown is this big-ass onion. 10mm I love it. Easy to grip and deliciously smooth.
Case back design is cool. But not screw down 🤷🏼? NH38A movement. 200m water resistance.
The dial is really great. Texture of fine sand. Sandwich indices with amazing C3 green lume. 3,6,9,12 have a bit of yellow/orange lume.
Only drawback, and it’s minor, is the strap. Very sturdy and thick and well made but quite stiff. It’s also kind of small and just barely fits my 7” wrist. Larger wrists will need to swap it.
I think what is clear is that the design team at San Martin has been given the leeway to spread their wings and try some new stuff, which I applaud 👏! For the price it’s excellent value and judging by my 2 WRUW postings of the Jianghun, a lot of crunchers might feel the same way.
I have a little video of the unboxing here if you’re interested: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLbS8CSN/
The new Chinese Micro Brand Review
Yes
No
4/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
4/5
- Unique Styling
- Onion Crown
- Dial design
- Outstanding Lume
- Small, stiff leather strap
- No screw down caseback
15 comments
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Cris B
Haven’t been collecting long. Vintage mostly, but experimenting lately with some new stuff. Most of my purchases are less than $100.
Massachusetts, USA
Member since
Last active: 11 min ago
17.78 cm
I'm seriously considering getting in on this myself, thanks for a great review and the gentle nudge towards the purchase.
what color are you leaning towards?
my sources tell me that all doubts have cleared at Jianghun headquarters, and that they are now certain that the lug engineer lied in his resume.
rest assured, corrective action will be taken immediately.
I'm surprised it's priced that low. I would be confident that it's well made. I lean toward watches that are different but this one is not for me. Great to see them do something bold. Bravo
I'm surprised it's priced that low. I would be confident that it's well made. I lean toward watches that are different but this one is not for me. Great to see them do something bold. Bravo
When I first heard "micro-brand" my mind immediately went to the $600-$800 range, so I had no intention of spending that kind of bread. But for that low price (lower than most San Martins now) I figured it was worth a little gamble.
what color are you leaning towards?
First choice, black. Closely followed by your choice.
Very cool! Nice thst it is nh based too, easier for the modders
Although the bezel design is a bit too ornate for my taste, and I’m not sure about those lugs, I appreciate the bold approach!
Not the design for me, but any original design work is appreciated, and this is nothing if not original!
Love the look of it
Thanks for the review!
I don't think a screw-on case back is a downside. If there's a good o-ring and the WR is indeed 10 bar, it's all good. Remember, Formex Essence has that too. And it even doesn't have a threaded crown.
Thanks for the review!
I don't think a screw-on case back is a downside. If there's a good o-ring and the WR is indeed 10 bar, it's all good. Remember, Formex Essence has that too. And it even doesn't have a threaded crown.
Excellent point!
Thanks for the feedback, we have recently added the option of an extended strap, which can be used on wrists between 17cm and 21cm. We hope this can solve the problems encountered by some users.🙏
Thanks for the feedback, we have recently added the option of an extended strap, which can be used on wrists between 17cm and 21cm. We hope this can solve the problems encountered by some users.🙏
Great idea ! I hope the watches are selling well. Thank you for your passion in watchmaking 🤩.
I was intrigued when I saw this watch and eventually went for it! Just arrived and it is super comfortable despite maybe the photos making that not clear. Wears nicely and is finished as well as has been shared. I don’t find the strap all that stiff. Got the purple and love it. Very solid watch. Happy I went for it.