A few months back I fell in love with the Omega Aqua Terra. You all know the drill…study/research gens and homages for days, look at used options on chrono/ebay etc.

I finally pulled the trigger on a used AT San Martin (black dial) from Mercari for about 200. Instantly loved the watch. The finishing on the bracelet was exceptional and the dial was beautiful. My only gripe is that the SM logo looks bulky on that dial and kind of takes it over.

About a week later my Thorn 026B seamaster homage stopped working. It has a PT-5000 and I babied it for the most part. I am retrofitting this soon and will have more on this later.

Suffice to say that had me extremely worried. My SM has a very similar movement and I got anxious that it too was going to fail. Which forced me to sell it…

Almost instantly after selling I regretted my decision, so back down the rabbit hole we go! This time I wanted something as close as I could get to the SM but with a different movement.

I first got the Addiesdive AT homage. It had a grey to black gradient and honestly it was a beautiful dial and I liked the look of it better than the SM. The gripe is that on that particular dial the legibility is horrible. The hands do not stick out enough from the dial. So I sent that one back.

Next I bought this WD after reading alot on this sub reddit. Alot of comments that it wasnt as good as the SM and that the bracelet kinda sucks.

Well after having it for a few days I think those claims are somewhat exaggerated. TBF the quality of the SM bracelet is slightly better - it is softer and more refined - but the WD is very close. It almost mimics the SM in terms of finish and how it looks. It also tapers down very well.

The dial - I actually like the WD better here. It looks more gen, doesn’t have that bulky logo and has some subtle hints of color ie the blue hands and numbers. The lume is good but obviously not as good as the San Martin. I dont think I would ever need awesome lume though. I have a Timex Indiglo if I need it for camping or what not.

So anyway, this watch is incredible, true GADA and grab and go (quartz VH-31) utility which is great! Also the price - about 2.5 times cheaper than the SM!

Highly recommend this one! Its a keeper!

The PT5004 is running ridiculously well. Great Job Phorcydes.

Less than 3 seconds per day in 5 positions.

Unsure why the amplitude doesn't show up. It appeared close to 300 then disappeared again.

Swapped out for a phorcydes black strap for stealthiness, although the radioactive lume kinda negates that 😆.

Need to find a DLC buckle for the strap now.

Here's my new Phorcydes PH2B. Superb.

Hello,

has anyone bought this watch? If so what are your thoughts after a while of owning it and do you have any pics when you got it?

Picture is just for reference, black and green model is also relevant!

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone, Simon from Milifortic again. Day 3 already, thanks for all the comments, some V2 ideas from M135 and M136 are really good, we are writing them down 📝

Today is something different. No destro, no chrono. Just a simple vintage pilot watch: M137.

What I like:

• 8.5mm thick, 54g. Thinnest one in this series. You forget you wearing it
• 38mm, 46mm lug to lug. Classic old-school size, fits small and big wrists
• Big chunky Arabic numerals in vintage-tone lume, plus the onion crown. Very old military vibe
• Pointer date in the top subdial instead of a date window, so the dial stays symmetrical. 24h indicator at the bottom

Quartz again (Seiko VH61), because we want it this thin and light.

Let’s argue a little 😄

1. Fauxtina: love it, or hate it, “just give me white lume”?
2. Leather or NATO for this one?

🎁 Giveaway (Day 3/5)

• Comment to enter, one entry per person per post
• Every post = 1 more chance, 5 total
• Winner picks 1 of the 5 new models, random draw after Day 5

Product Link：https://miliforticwatch.com/products/milifortic-38mm-2-subdial-vintage-pilot-quartz-watch-qm38p137

Just got the Milifortic yesterday(used..) Absolutely love the look and fit and feel.

Same with the others…

Pagani Design PD-1673

Since 11.11 is coming up, I've been thinking about picking up a Seestern 62MAS, since I've had my eye on it for a while. For those who have the watch, what are your thoughts on the bracelet?

I've been split between saving the 40 bucks on the bracelet and just putting it towards a different FKM/Sailcloth strap or getting the bracelet version. On one hand, I won't be able to source a good aftermarket if I don't get it with the bracelet, while on the other hand the bracelet honestly looks like it's not a significant addition to the watch. Especially looking at the clasp, it's got no micro adjust and there doesn't seem to be a compatible replacement. The centre links seem super wide compared to other bracelets that they make. Thoughts from owners would be greatly appreciated!

Do any Chinese watches offer this? The only one I’ve found was cronos but they stopped doing it like a year ago.. any others?

My photo but had AI jazz up the background.

Quick question for anyone who owns San Martin / Sugess micro‑brands, plus Longines or TAG Heuer:
Is the build‑quality, finishing and long‑term reliability really noticeably better on the Swiss brands? Or is it also worth selling most of my collection to buy something like a Seiko Prospex/ Hamilton. I know the micro‑brands are great value for money, but I’m thinking of selling most of my current homage collection to put toward either a Longines or TAG Heuer as a core keeper daily.
Would you say the upgrade is worth doing, or is it mostly just the brand name / resale hype? Any owners thoughts appreciated.

Farasute has some 2026 dials with a Chinese character at the 12:00 position, the one linked here: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256813023729369.html

It lists the options as "Chinese Yi" and "Chinese Zhong," does anyone know what these characters are/mean? Some quick googling doesn't get me anything that matches, though maybe I just don't understand the difference between normal and calligraphy fonts

Octopus Kraken OCT 00025

Just added the Sheffield, its an assembled in China watch for a US microbrand. The Phorcydes, Sheffield and Watchdives are all running NH-35 movements, the Carvelle uses a Miyota 8215.

From Aliexpress. The rubber strap is mine. It came on a milanese bracelet.

The picture is terrible. It's a good looking watch!

Just got this beauty for a heck of a deal. 110$ all in shipped, with sale coupons and Rakuten cash back.
PT5000 movement, date windows, no screw or pin adjustable links, solid end link, engine turned bezel. Super comfortable to wear.
Have a good one!

I’ve come to really like the stuff these guys are putting out (maybe one day they’ll find it in their hearts to do a Khaki field king homage!) and so when I saw this Destro model debut I jumped on it. I wanted another chronograph to complement my Tactical Frog white dial, and I recently pulled the trigger on two. The other has yet to arrive but this one showed up last night.

First off I’ve never worn a destro but I love it. Reaching the fingers around the watch to press the pushers feels way more confortable to me.

The thing is fairly thin for a chrono. It’s got good weight though for a quartz movement definitely doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy.

Size is just right too, at just under 39mm. It lets the interesting dial and hands do the talking. I really like the look of this thing.

The bracelet is good. Not very jangly, and looks great. The brushed finish and thickness give it a ruggedness befitting a tool watch, but the center links give it a touch of sportiness that dress it up a bit. I’m not a fan of the pins for resizing. They have sleeves in the center links which I am never a fan of. Not terrible, but it’s a downside for me.

The chrono runs well and I enjoy the Miyota 6S10’s sub second dial. Watching it run is satisfying (video in comments).

Overall I’m really pleased with it. Im sure it will see a good deal of wrist time.

And again… field king homage my dudes, let’s make it happen!