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You know the drill. You’ve ended up on social media, and before long, you’ve found yourself staring at a beautiful new watch. You feel the lust, click the link, and surprise, surprise; it costs more than your house.

Yeah, the internet usually leaves you feeling pretty bad about your finances, especially when it comes to watches.

For once, though, I’ve found a watch online that shocked me with how *little* it cost.

And honestly, you won’t believe the price when I tell you. So, stick with me, get ready to be mindblown!

Here’s how it all went down. I was casually browsing Instagram one evening and just stumbled upon a post from the brand San Martin. Now, this post was a few months old, but in it was a picture of a GMT with one particular standout feature. Any guesses?

Of course, it was the dial surface. It boasted what can only be described as a desert dunes finish, with what looked like a striking 3D effect across the entire surface, combined with a perfect sand-like texture. In an instant, this piqued my curiosity. I’d never seen anything quite like it, and this was from San Martin, a brand known for budget watches, not Grand Seiko or some other luxury brand!

It’s fair to say I immediately wanted to try one. However, there was one asterisk.

You see, brands like San Martin are predominantly known for their ‘homage’ pieces; essentially, low-cost clones of luxury watches. Was this special GMT just a copy and paste of some other timepiece? I mean, even if it was, it would still be impressive, but it would certainly neuter my excitement a little.

In my quest to find out, things took an unexpected turn. You see, I couldn’t find a desert dial watch offered by any major watch brand; in fact, I couldn’t find a desert dial watch from any brand...except for one.

Indeed, after searching high and low, I stumbled upon this: a Rolex-like dress watch from another Chinese manufacturer, Addiesdive.

Addiesdive AD2030 Watch Review

Now, Addiesdive is a company I’ve been aware of for some time. Like San Martin, they’re mainly known for making ‘homage’ watches, and I’ve seen them floating around on Amazon and AliExpress numerous times. You guys have also commented about them before, but I’ve never tried one, as clone watches typically aren’t my kind of thing.

Nevertheless, this model was too intriguing to ignore, perhaps even more than the San Martin. The reason? Well, by some miracle, it was priced far, far lower than the already insanely cheap San Martin I’d spotted on Instagram.

I’ll reveal how much I paid later in the post, but let’s just say it was so cheap that I bought all three colors, and had enough change to splash out on a second model, with a similarly funky dial.

By the way, I’ll also look at the San Martin later, to see how its dial compares. Out of the two, I think the Addiesdive released first, as the earliest YouTube videos with it predate those of the San Martin, but I can’t be sure.

Availability & Packaging

So, what is this bargain bucket watch? Well, it’s the Addiesdive AD2030. It comes in three colors, as you can see here, all of which ship with the desert dial. I purchased mine off AliExpress, it’s also available directly through the Addiesdive website, as well as on Amazon, though the latter tends to have the least competitive pricing.

It ships in surprisingly robust packaging, with a foam-lined plastic clamshell box comparable to that used by other Chinese watch brands; though, this may vary depending on where you purchase from.

Case

Either way, the watch itself is, as I alluded to earlier, clearly inspired by certain Rolex models, with an Oyster-like case shape and a high polish bezel. In fact, it could be the same one used in their Rolex homage, as the sizing is very similar to the 36mm Oyster Perpetual.

It has a 36.8mm diameter paired with a 45.7mm lug-to-lug and a 9mm case thickness, meaning it’s slim and quite small, though there are two surprises for you larger-wristed folk later on, so stay tuned. As it is, the AD2030 is perfect for smaller arms, though due to the relatively flat lug profile, substantially larger wrists should be able to pull it off. My wrist is only around six inches for context.

Most watches at this price aren’t made of stainless steel, yet this watch is listed as such, and has the ‘all stainless steel’ wording on the rear, so it should be. For the most part, I believe them. It looks and feels like stainless steel, with a level of polishing and brushing that isn’t usually possible with lesser materials.

The thing is, you can never be quite sure with these Chinese homage brands, some of whom have been caught lying in the past. I tried to check with my Mohs scratch test kit to quash any doubts, but this left me with even more questions. You see, this Addiesdive scratched at level 4, a level lower than all three different steel watches I tried in my scratch test video, leading me to suspect it was an inferior alloy of some sort.

In a moment of imposter syndrome, I tested a steel Casio Edifice, and what do you know? It scratched at the same level! Now, Casio couldn’t get away with lying about materials, so their watch is surely steel, most likely grade 304, from what they’ve told me about other models.

Unfortunately, this means the Mohs test isn’t as consistent as I thought when determining a watch’s construction. In fact, outside of some expensive, heavily acidic testing liquid, it seems there’s no reliable way to identify or differentiate these case materials, given the number of metals and grades in use these days, which sucks for consumers. If you’re a metal expert with any ideas, please let me know in the comments. Some sites list this Addiesdive as 316L, but even if it’s the inferior 304 steel, it’s still great for the money at a price where most watches use chromed brass.

Overall, the finishing looks great for the money, comparable to watches at double or triple the cost. There’s nothing super unique going on, as it’s the same layout as most Rolex Oyster clones, with a brushed upper and polished flanks. On the back is a screwed rear, and the crown is screw-down too, combining for an advertised 100m of water resistance, which again is decent for a watch of this style.

Bracelet

Another absurd feature is the bracelet. The big brands really should be ashamed, as this watch, which often costs ten times less to buy, has a bracelet that has them completely trumped.

It not only features solid steel links, but, shockingly, solid end links, as well as a beautifully executed milled clasp with five micro-adjustment holes. I mean, this bracelet has everything you could dream of at the $100 mark, let alone way below that. You’ll probably find the perfect fit, it integrates with the case reasonably well, and it even has lasered-in branding; there really is nothing to complain about!

Dial Design

Of course, I’ve been circumventing the star of the show. No, not the domed mineral crystal, that’s nice, don’t get me wrong. No, it’s that unbelievable desert-effect dial.

Just look at it! The three dimensional dunes, the convincing sand-like texture, the applied markers. If I told you I paid less than £100 for something this beautiful and unique, you’d never believe me, would you? Well, I must admit I didn’t spend a hundred on this. No, I spent less than 50! No joke, I bought these three AD2030 watches for £42 each on AliExpress. £42!

I have never seen such a ridiculous deal in five years of reviewing watches. This has to be the most complex dial I’ve come across, by far, in this price bracket. If you’d heard a watch had a desert dune dial, you’d automatically assume it was the latest experimental Grand Seiko, but no, it’s the dirt cheap Addiesdive instead!

Of course, this isn’t done as well as some of those luxury pieces. The main downsides are all to do with the way text is used. First of all, it isn’t particularly readable, as each letter features a transparent stroke around it. Then, there’s the wording itself. Addiesdive, for one, is a pretty strange brand name; while the lower wording ‘DEEPSEAHUNTER’ and the diver-inspired logo are both completely out of place on this dressier design. If I were Addiesdive, I would straight up create a sub-brand for these non-sports models.

Despite this, it’s comfortably the most luxury-looking cheap watch I’ve seen in a long, long time. If I hadn’t heard of Addiesdive, I’d have thought this retailed for around £200 at least, especially from a distance. The dial works great when you move it in the light too, as it casts unique shadows depending on the angle. Overall, a stunning, stunning piece.

Out of the three colors, I think the coffee model is the most distinctive, even if it comes at the cost of some legibility. The blue version has a marginally less grainy texture, so it’s ridges are the least visible of the three.

I was keen to discover whether this dune pattern was randomly distributed on each piece, giving each unit a truly unique dial. Unsurprisingly, considering the price, that’s not the case, as each has the same pattern, though I guess this prevents you from ending up with an ugly arrangement of ridges.

Movement

You’ll notice that the second hand isn’t ticking like a normal quartz; instead of a bottom-of-the-barrel ticker, Addiesdive somehow squeezed in a Seiko VH31 mecha-quartz movement inside, simply to give it somewhat of a sweeping effect. It’s the first time I’ve reviewed a mecha-quartz in a non-chronograph watch and yeah, it’s £42, what can I say!

Addiesdive AD2118 Watch Review

Somehow, the madness doesn’t end there. I said earlier that I bought another watch because I had money left over. That watch was this, the AD2118 and it’s arguably even more like a Grand Seiko, specifically the Spring Drive OmiWatari.

That model is most popular in a light blue color, so out of curiosity, I went with the light blue version of this Addiesdive (available on Amazon, AliExpress and Addiesdive website). That was a mistake, for reasons I’ll get into in a moment. But for now, let’s discuss the specs...because they are mighty.

Specifications

Again, you have a stainless steel case, but in addition, you get the step up to domed sapphire crystal, for unparalleled scratch resistance, as well as an automatic movement under the hood. This one is the Seiko NH35, which is a solid workhorse choice that is equivalent to the movement used in some much more expensive Seiko watches. The only downside of this is that it does result in a thicker watch and Addiesdive hasn’t made much of an effort to keep the package very slim resulting in a substantial 14mm girth when including the raised crystal. It’s similarly styled to the AD2030, but has a 38.6mm case width and a 48mm lug to lug, making it feel a fair amount bigger on the wrist.

It’s not huge by any stretch, but it doesn’t slip under sleeves in the same manner as the quartz one, and isn’t so forgiving for smaller arms, so is best reserved for those with average to chunky wrists.

At a price of around £70 to £80, those specs, while strong, can be matched by some other brands.

Dial

Nevertheless, the dial is again what does the talking. Now, I feel a touch misled with my purchase. On the online listings for this watch, it looks like the dial has a frosty, icy texture, in a similar fashion to that Grand Seiko I mentioned earlier; but, there were no close ups.

When it arrived, I discovered that it has the interesting surface ridges, but the outcome is much glossier, with a tackier, cheaper appearance than the desert models. After seeing some videos online, I found out that the white version of this watch has a proper matte tone that better aligns with the stock images. In person, it’s more of a crispy silver-white and, as you can see, it makes the blue version completely obsolete, with a far higher-end finish.

Bracelet

My only gripe with the AD2118, aside from the dodgy brand name, was a quality control issue with one of the bracelets, where loose tolerances meant that the bracelet links collided with the lugs.

The rest was constructed nicely and the other unit was fine, but anticipate potentially needing a leather band instead.

Ok, so these Addiesdive watches seem completely overpowered for the money. A fifty-quid belter and a chunkier 70-quid monster. Surely...surely San Martin can’t beat that, right?

Well, I asked them to send me their desert watch to compare, and they delivered the goods. Both figuratively and literally.

San Martin SN0129 Watch Review

Meet the SN0129. This is the first desert dial watch I mentioned at the start, and holy smokes; this one is a doozy. Now, this watch typically retails for about four times the price of the dirt-cheap Addiesdives, and with watches in general, the law of diminishing returns is absolutely a thing. However, this model *almost* breaks that rule!

Like Addiesdive, San Martin is mostly a homage brand that makes copies of famous watch designs. However, following years of customer and reviewer requests, they’ve started branching out with some more original projects.

I’ve reviewed five or six San Martin watches to date, and there has been a clear, common throughline. Their cases were, across the board, the best made of any watch I’ve seen at their respective prices. They had truly insane case finishing, comparable to watches costing much closer to a grand. Nevertheless, the dials were slightly less impressive. Outside of one model, they all lacked texture and distinctiveness, with the older logo also being a point of concern, its elaborate, serif typeface being an illegible eyesore.

Luckily, most of their newer models have completely eliminated these issues. The SN0129, for example, carries over all the strengths of the previous watches: decent quality control, beautiful case finishing, and high-end materials.

Meanwhile, the updated and less distracting hexagonal logo is used across the board, and most importantly, the dials are spectacular.

Dial Design

Given the fairly close release dates, I’m unsure if the desert dial concept was inspired by the Addiesdive watch or if they already had this in the works, but either way, it’s both different and marginally better.

The San Martin has more frequent dunes, which are more evenly spaced and deeper. It’s close, but the text is slightly clearer, with a thinner border, and the sleeker logo and markers highlight the higher-quality execution.

Luminescence

One of the shortcomings of the Addiesdive watches is the complete absence of luminescence. When the lights go out, you can’t see sh*t. This is something I’ve changed my mind on in recent times. I used to think, well, eh, dress watches, they don’t really need lume. When would you use it? Whereas, dive watches, you know, you’re swimming in the depths; you need to see the time clearly...well, we don’t actually go scuba diving, do we? I mean, thinking about it, you’re just as likely to check the time in a dark nightclub or bar, or outside after an event with your dress watch on. So, yeah, no lume may actually be a pain in some scenarios. Still, for the price, it’s not a deal breaker for me.

The San Martin does, on the other hand, have something to work with. It’s got BGW-9 pigment on the hands and markers, which provides a solid blue glow.

Bracelet

As with the Addiesdive, the SN0129 has a bracelet that incinerates the big brand offerings. Again, you have solid steel links across the board, as well as an impressively manufactured clasp that even has a concealed micro-adjustment system, which you can use by simply pressing a push button, with no need for extra tooling. It looks great, and has an embedded logo; what more do you need?

Watch Movement

Well, an automatic GMT movement, it seems! In here is the Seiko NH34, which I’ve only encountered more recently. While nothing out of this world, other brands charge you a chunk more for these, often with compromises in other areas. It’s part of one of the most widely-produced caliber series, and this particular unit has a phenomenal accuracy hovering between -1 and 0 seconds per day when measured on my time-grapher.

So yeah, great movement, great finishing, great everything really. But not great enough for San Martin. Yeah, when they emailed, they insisted on sending me a different version of this watch. Supposedly, one that was even better.

San Martin aventurine

Meet the ‘other’ SN0129. It’s the same in every way except for the dial. It’s not a desert model like the other one, which comes in three colors, by the way. Instead, it’s part of a set that makes use of more experimental materials. This model uses the mineral Aventurine, to create an intoxicating night-sky effect that I am an absolute sucker for.

Now, I have to be careful not to get carried away with losing my Aventurine virginity. This isn’t the first time it’s been used on a watch. In fact, far from it. Loads of brands have dabbled with this before, with similarly lovely results. Nevertheless, this is perhaps the lowest-cost implementation I’ve seen online, and the outcome still blows away most competitors at this price.

You get a variety of different reflections, depending on the angle you hold the watch, with some shards providing brighter sparkles than others, giving an illusion of depth unmatched by any other dial material. It really does look like outer space, incredible.

While this is easily one of the best and coolest materials to use on a watch, the darker tone inherently creates a dressier vibe, limiting the versatility a little.

Dimensions

The SN0129 sits in the middle of the Addiesdive’s in terms of sizing, with a diameter of approximately 39mm, though it does depend on where you measure. The bezel width is 37.8mm, the lug-to-lug is 46.5mm, and the thickness is 13.5mm, including the domed crystal. This is sapphire, with a better anti-reflective coating than the sapphire-fitted Addiesdive.

Price

Right now, this is retailing for between £200 and £300, which is considerably more than the Addiesdives, but is still mind-boggling, considering the fit and finish. If these watches had a big brand logo on them, I’m under no illusion that they would cost five or ten times more. I’ve shown these to my friends and family in utter disbelief, and even they (as non-watch folk) were extremely impressed, especially by the Aventurine model.

Final Thoughts

It’s been a long time coming, but personally, I feel like this is somewhat of a watershed moment. I’ve reviewed many Chinese home brand watches over the years. From the start, they always had strong specs and low prices, but there was always an Achilles heel or two holding them back. As a result, I always felt like the Casios and Seikos were the overall better, more well-rounded choice.

Now, we’ve reached the stage where these are just outright superior products than the heritage brands in every facet. The only advantages most older brands now hold are an easier returns process, higher resale value, and a richer history.

Of course, there are always questions about labor practices in China, doubly so, with these fully Chinese brands. The factory videos do look promising, but we can’t know exactly under what conditions these are produced. However, with more and more watch brands having components made in China or other communist nations, and with others artificially restricting supply or simply asking absurd amounts of money out of pure greed, the original designs released by these brands are becoming harder and harder to ignore.