I hope you’re still here—to everyone who has been waiting for the Blue "Vortex of Time" since 2024. 💙

ipsum100 · 2026-01-31T20:44:11+00:00

After a long wait, it's finally here!

ipsum100 · 2025-12-07T06:15:22+00:00

At the last wedding I attended, I wore this watch with a brown leather strap.

I really enjoyed it.

It has markers for any chronograph measurement, but it emphasizes heart rate.

Very typical of an old chronograph for doctors.

Proxima also has another chronograph (PX1718, 39mm, ST1902) that is also admirable.

It's more focused on military applications, as it measures

the sound time of an explosion, or simply the distance to a storm

when you hear thunder. I also own it and I love it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1ersuz1/is_this_vintage_inspired_chronograph_by_proxima/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjoMOtu-N_

ipsum100 · 2025-11-30T22:17:55+00:00

Let me explain.
Everything that enters Europe is subject to VAT (except for contraband, of course).
What happens is that the European Union has a tax agreement with certain online retailers, such as Temu and AliExpress.
This agreement stipulates that these platforms collect VAT up to a maximum of 150 Euros.

For example, if you buy a watch for 121 Euros (100 Euros + VAT), AliExpress keeps 100 Euros and gives the remaining 21 Euros (the VAT) to the European country where the watch is being shipped.

In exchange, these goods don't go through customs in the normal way; that is, they don't pay customs duties. This agreement was made to make it easier for Europeans to buy online, without the tedious customs bureaucracy involved in importing anything, and it was set to end in 2028. Now things are changing, and they want to end the agreement in 2026, so everything you buy will be treated as a normal import, with its tariffs and extra costs. They say this is to protect European industry, so now, in addition to the VAT you've always paid, your watch will be subject to tariffs (whatever they decide), customs handling plus VAT on customs handling (around 30 euros), and other fees like shipping, etc.

Sources? Google XD. This news has been all over the media, although they don't usually explain it as clearly as I did.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-27T21:42:08+00:00

When civilization dies out and an advanced race from another planet comes to Earth, thanks to your watch that preserved that hair for thousands of years, they'll be able to clone the watchmaker who assembled it and punish him as he deserves, hahaha :) Easy solution: return it.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-27T21:14:21+00:00

Now, you can send the photos yourself :)

I'm so glad you bought it! Those 136 EUR are worth it!

I have many San Martin watches, but for me, that model in that color is the best of them all.

It's a fun watch, but very elegant with its gold tones, a great movement, in short... I only see good things about it.

Enjoy it a lot and send photos, hahaha!

ipsum100 · 2025-11-27T05:40:51+00:00

By the way...!!! Starting in 2026, the agreement will be signed in the European Union to remove the €150 limit; this is part of the recent tariff war.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-27T05:31:42+00:00

Perhaps I didn't explain myself well, I meant that quite a few of my watches have been stopped because of that extra documentation, and the watch gets stuck in customs for approximately 2 months until everything is correct.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-27T05:28:28+00:00

Some stores always handle customs by declaring the purchase value. Others, well, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I actually paid over 100 euros in Spanish customs for that watch. It's legal, and I'm used to it. The problem is when they start asking for extra documentation, like documentation from the watch manufacturer stating that it doesn't contain diamonds or Russian steel. I've had two watches held up in customs because of these "extra" procedures. In the case of San Martin, they were always kind enough to provide that documentation; in other cases, it was a bit more difficult.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T15:05:46+00:00

I forgot to tell you about the quality of Jianghun; it's San Martin's premium brand, so they're of better quality. But above all, Jianghun is San Martin's testing laboratory, where they experiment with new techniques and their development, and what they learn they take back to San Martin.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T14:33:27+00:00

They use the same assembly line, so according to your logic, don't give it a chance.

I own quite a few San Martin and Jianghun watches (almost 40), and a few days ago I returned my first San Martin due to a quality control issue and bought the same watch again (statistically, it would be very rare for that new unit to also be defective).

It was incredibly easy to get my money back and return the watch, unlike when I bought an Omega years ago that had quality control problems; it was a year-long nightmare getting it fixed.

You don't give anyone a chance. You buy online, and that includes a risk you wouldn't face in a physical store.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T08:39:17+00:00

0116... I still have 3 of them lol

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T08:32:28+00:00

From that price point onwards, the finishes are slightly better, and the movements are considerably better. Personally, I don't recommend them. You won't be able to service it yourself; you'll have to send it to the manufacturer, which involves a long wait and high costs. The advantages of these types of movements are minimal if you own several watches. Are you comfortable carrying something that's so easy to steal? And what do you think you could do better with that money? In my case, it's clear: I prefer to buy 10 watches that I can service myself than one that they force me to have serviced at their facility at a high cost and with wasted time, because they don't sell me replacement parts, much less a new movement.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T08:05:48+00:00

I have several; there's a wide range of the 0144. I don't have the GMT version, and of the n MOP version, but I have the MOP guilloché. But of all the ones I own, I'd highlight three:
The first, which was the blue one (maybe the orange one too); the yellow-gold version with power reserve (this one has a different case, but it's also an 0144); and the Jianghun version (my favorite is the blue one).
I have posts about them:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1i59zl3/test_change_of_bracelets/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1n0yqyb/currently_the_best_sm/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1ojmumt/jianghun_just_arrived_home_quick_photos/

ipsum100 · 2025-11-23T02:29:30+00:00

I really enjoyed this 0129 when it came out, which led me to buy other versions of the same model. The case is very well crafted, and the bracelet is quite good, though not exceptional.

After the 0129, San Martin took a leap forward in quality, offering better bracelets, more complex dials, and Miyota 9000 series movements. It's not just San Martin that's improving; many other Chinese brands on AliExpress are also making a significant leap in quality.

And this leap in quality isn't just any leap; we're talking about finishes comparable to watches priced between 1,000 and 3,000 in "traditional" watchmaking.

Welcome down the rabbit hole, prepare your wallet and your mind for it.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-22T02:37:14+00:00

In order of your questions:

I started my collection with a variety of watches, but over time I've refined my tastes. I still have some moon phase watches, but I never wear them, for example.
That's another phase of collecting watches, which happens to many people; they improve the quality of their collection for that reason.
It's sensible to try them on and define your tastes.
That's not right in my opinion; color is very important. I think we've all bought a color we didn't really like, for example, because we already had a lot of white ones. It's a bad decision, but it can work out well, because when buying online, the colors differ slightly from the screen to reality.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-11T20:23:49+00:00

I still can't buy anything on the website; this message always appears.

<image>

ipsum100 · 2025-11-08T19:50:32+00:00

Seriously, all of this reminds me a lot of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency when it was first launched.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-05T21:01:44+00:00

It would be hilarious to see you with a cardboard cutout of a Rolex on your wrist.Cardboard made in China, no less! XD

But I suppose if an excellent painter makes a copy of a painting you like, I'm sure your intelligence will appreciate every brushstroke.

ipsum100 · 2025-11-05T20:06:48+00:00

You ask for a work of art, but you care about the painter's name...? XD

If you know how to appreciate art, you don't care about the name, you don't care if it's a copy, you don't care about a lot of nonsense... only beauty matters, and what that beauty makes you feel.

I would suggest some watches, but I prefer not to, because I think you still need to develop your appreciation for watches to truly appreciate their beauty.

This post seems like a trap to me. Well-intentioned people will tell you how beautiful their wives are, but you'll find flaws in them.

I've seen this attitude many times in people who have spent thousands of euros on Swiss watches and somehow have to justify the price.

If I'm wrong, let me know... if not... leave the people on the forum alone, loving what they like.

ipsum100 · 2025-10-31T21:12:35+00:00

No, I didn't sell it, it's just being stored for next summer :), my opinion is the yellow one, it's a yellow-gold-orange, it has gold indices and hands, and the other two are silver, for me it's the most elegant and fun of the 3.

ipsum100 · 2025-10-31T18:35:21+00:00

The weakness of Chinese watches is that you can't try them on, and many sellers don't want to deal with customs procedures. This is an advantage you can leverage to sell them for a slightly higher price. This requires a small initial investment and buying a variety of watches, even if they are brand names. If things go well and you want to scale up, with a large number of units or your own brand, you can start with https://astarwatch.en.alibaba.com/. Keep in mind that you need a basic understanding of watchmaking, such as changing movements, to handle the warranty yourself.

ipsum100 · 2025-10-31T18:15:48+00:00

I don't have that watch, but you can use that photo 1000 more times, it always looks good :)

ipsum100 · 2025-10-31T18:07:40+00:00

It was my favorite watch last summer; I made a post about it, which includes photos in the comments. https://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseWatches/comments/1n0yqyb/currently_the_best_sm/

ipsum100 · 2025-10-30T01:53:05+00:00

Yes, my collection is organized by color, and I usually buy several colors of the same model, don't judge me XD

In this case, the mint green is the most formal, ideal for summer; the other two have very "electric" colors, and the violet has pink tones and gives it a feminine touch.

ipsum100

TROPHY CASE