Two Hits And One BIG Miss! Unboxing My AliExpress Sale Haul!
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Steeldive 1970
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Baltany Chrono
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Epoch Tritium
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Well, yoou can't win them all, I suppose. I had been looking at that Epoch for years but something had always stopped me from buying it. Something was right! It'll make for an interesting mod project though, and the other two are crackers. Cheers, Jody
Seiko sells an homage of that Steeldive for over a grand. A tidy profit of $900 for them.
If you are allowed to buy just one watch, you can't go wrong with Steeldive 1970. Great spec, great looks and a bit of history to tell. All that at a very affordable price.
Got mine in blue, i’m waiting for it to come !
Steeldive are a QC nightmare as far as I’m concerned. Good luck with your purchase!
@@gipgap4 mines completely perfect, maybe I got lucky :)
A homage watch with history? Ok.
@@gipgap4 I have a few all great. They get so many great reviews. How are they a nightmare? Better luck with steeldive than Seiko 🤣. I did get a Heimdallr Godzilla and it's misaligned and not fixable as the chapter ring and dial are fused, which is a big disappointment.
The Steeldive is just a masterpiece, it's no surprise it's loved by everyone, super affordable and absurd quality.
Got one on 11.11 sale 😎
The design is great! If only it wasn't stolen...
@@TheMainCore Well, I haven't said anything about that, we all know that for the most part they're copies or homages if you will. But I doubt that they're stealing customers from Seiko given that people who can afford a 1000$ and more watch don't buy a chinese 100$ watch and call it a day. On the contrary, they're probably getting people into the hobby and some might end up buying a more affordable Seiko just because they now know about the brand.
@@Hikikomori34 Great choice, I love mine, especially the bezel, it's so good.
I ordered the Steeldive "Willard" on the 1st and it got to me(Bulgaria) in 9 days. Delivery was super fast, the watch is great, I got the black dial version on a black waffle strap which turned out to be extremely comfortable! All in all, best 70-ish $ I've spend in a long time. Thank you for the recommendation, Jody!
Pleasantly surprised to see a fellow Bulgarian here. Just wondering, have you ever tested the water resistance on one of these aliexpress watches ? I feel like I wouldn't be brave enough to do more than wash my hands with them.
I got my Steeldive from the U.S. warehouse when I ordered mine. Its very nice and looks good, but The movement is not a NH35. It hand winds but doesn't hack. I haven't opened the back to see what it is. The good thing is it runs gret and keeps very accurate time. The lume is awesome.
I bought two Steeldive SD1953, one with a stainless bracelet and one with a rubber strap. Ordered on Nov. 2 and 3, received all of it by Nov. 15. Love the new bracelets on the Steeldive- milled clasp now, 6 micro adjusts. So gooooood.
Yes, I've noticed they are arriving faster from AliX. I ordered a few then went on holiday for 2 weeks so I would have a present not long after I got back but they arrived while I was away (sub 14 days). Which surprised the wife 😁. I also like that you show the 'raw' packaging now. It increases the thrill factor 😝.
My watch landed in Australia on the 7th, "received by local delivery company" on the 8th....... and I'm still waiting as of today, I guess it's coming to WA by Australia Post Camel service. I like the rainbow colours on your Epoch, although one downside (for me) is that some of the markers look discoloured during the day.
Update - Arrived today (Pagani VK67 in green) and even came with a spare two tone grey NATO strap
Hey Jodie there is a submariner homage called a demirsen that i think you should know about it looks cool because it comes in exotic colours like red orange and even two tone colours.
I also bought a Steeldive 1970 to play with and there are a few things to be aware of. Dial feet are bespoke to this case and I wasn't able to find a dial that fitted. I have quite few original Seiko dials for the NH35 and all the way back to the 7006 with different crown positions. I also have a few after marked dials with two or three sets of feet arrangements already on them but none fitted. If you remove the bezel it's quite a pain to put it back together. Bezel inserts that fit are also tricky to find. In the end I left it as it was because it was too complicated finding the parts. I can't wait to see what you do with it. Maybe I'll revisit it if you're successful.
My Steeldive 1970 Willard (No logo) was my first entry into my watch hobby. I could not stop looking at it when I bought & to this day, after buying a series of "better" watches, it's still a beauty - esp on a waffle strap. It remains my go-to beater for my daily walks & the lume at night is a KILLER!
The SD Wilard is pretty hard to beat and has remained cheap over the years. 👍🏼
I really like the Baltany chrono - and amazing value on the Steeldive (but the style is not for me). I am surprised that Seiko does not feel threatened enough by the Chinese brands offering such value for money to offer more themselves. I guess there are still enough enthusiasts out there willing to pay for the brand equity. Thanks for sharing!
Seiko takes a cut no matter what. Better have your movement running inside someone else's case than letting competitors like Miyota or Sea-Gull taking the market away completely. I think the Seiko movements running inside cheaper third party watches are not the same grade Seiko use in their own watches. If the movement fails, third party brand normally takes the blame, not Seiko.
Thanks Jody my first Aliexpress is a steel diver 1970 and I can’t wait to get it on my wrist.
Baltany does make some really nice watches. I've reviewed quite a few since I discovered them a while back now.
You can't go wrong with a Steeldive Willard homage. It's nice that they've upgraded the clasp now, so you don't have to yourself. Still one of the best value for money watches on AliExpress... Or anywhere for that matter.
I've very nearly bought one of those Epochs a few times now, but I just had a feeling it wouldn't be great... Thanks for taking one for the team there Jody 😉 👍
I'd love to hear your take on the Steeldive 1980 Jody. Almost identidal but with a subtle difference.
Weird pricing, I bought the Steeldive 1970 as well and it cost me little over 55 USD after all the discounts and a 1.5 USD coupon from Steeldive. Looking forward to it, as it still hasn't arrived.
I bought my SD 1970 for £64 and bought a single dome big chamfer crystal for a tenner to mod it for more vintage vibes- both came just under 2 weeks later and I’m now rocking a really good looking watch. For those like me, who thought the logo was massive- its not, looks alright! The only thing that would make this watch better was ditch the green lumed dial and hands for pure white to match the text…. Perfection.
That Steeldive 1970 is a real steal at the price you paid. With some regulation, you should be able to get it to around -2 to +3 seconds per day, which is what I have mine currently achieving. They are a great value! 👍
I like that Epoch and may have to reconsider it, it's all about the tritium. And no matter what I'm wearing during the day I always wear a tritium watch at night so I can read it. I never understood field watches that had poor loom and dials that were barely legible. A field watch would be used in conditions where it needed to be legible at all costs so tritium makes a lot of sense. And when you take off the dive bezel you can make the dial that much larger. A few odd features of the case don't bother me, I like the case style of the Baltamy and the Epoch much more than the odd shaped case of the Steeldive. The bracelet of the Epoch has odd proportions between the side links and center links, it isn't a traditional oyster style. I would have to wear it to see what it is really like. The hands of the Epoch look just like the hands of the Deep Blue that I'm wearing right now, and my Deep Blue has similar flat tritium tubes, it's possible that they come from the same factory. I had previously spotted a field watch by Carnival with smaller tritium tubes, at a much more affordable price. I just looked back at that Epoch and it is too expensive for a watch with the low end Miyota movement. If all it has going for it is tritium it would be too expensive with the NH35 movement too.
Glad you're happy with the Baltany, I also ordered one of these which is yet to arrive in UK. I ordered a bark brown distressed leather Maikes band to replace the NATO strap, it's already here!
I ordered the 1980 in black, and a 1970T (PT5000) in green. I’m extremely impressed with the 1980: larger dial appearance, longer hands, and intentional chapter ring.
Funny, I did the exact same thing, buying the 1980 in black and 1970 in green (along with 5 other watches during the sale!). Can't wait to receive them.
@@footfeathers Wow! Let's hear about those other 5 watches.. I bought the SM Panerai, SM Tuna, Rdunae compressor, a Rmalti RM001, and a cheap NH34 watch to mod. Any other overlap?
At this stage of the game, Jody, I would imagine that those chinese carrier pigeons, could fly the route to your house blindfolded and backwards, and still make it in record time.......as many time as they've made that journey 😄. Well done, as usual, and I'll see you in the next one👍👍. Cheers.....
Haha! Love it!
Ohhhh, right at the Baltani part. She looks niiiiice!
If you want Tritium, just by a British ‘Nite’ watch. T100 tube (on some, otherwise T25). Very well made.
The Baltany doesn't look to much different from my Timex Expedition, a really nice looking everyday type of watch. Will also be looking at at the Steeldive.
Can't really beat the Steeldive for value for money. As a beater watch, just perfect ‼️
I bought my Steeldive when they were around $99 US. I found a deal for $88 and jumped on it. It's still one of my favorite watches. $65 is utterly absurd for it, and with a milled clasp now too! You certainly got your stuff fast, I ordered on the last day of the sale and one of mine hasn't even shipped yet.
I bought the same Baltany chrono and it came in yesterday! I am not a fan of chronos and it is my 1st. I got this one because I am a fan of pilot and field watch style watches and this one had that aesthetic. I think its a beautifully simple and unpretentious. I found the NATO to be nice and adequate but I think I'll eventually change it. I was happy that my chrono hand flies back accurately as there was one reviewer that his was slightly off. ENJOY YOURS!
Same here ordered on the 4th got mine on the 14th they are def getting much faster
How you manage to make every single one of your videos informative, interesting and funny is beyond me. Well done and keep up the great work.
Thanks mate!!! Some weeks are harder than others, but it's by far the best job I've ever had!
This year I've been building watches to my liking with parts sourced from Ali. Three of them being Willards. That Steeldive is incredible value. I cannot build one myself for that money. Worth buying for the parts alone.
i love that steeldive 1970. it was the watch that started the whole Chinese homage watch thing and it's still the best.
Like the Epoch, if only for the tritium. However I've just bought a Baltany chronograph, the one with the sub dials at 3 and 9. Looking forward to receiving it.
Great video as always 👍
I'll be fascinated to see how you go finding a new case for the Epoch tritium. I have enjoyed my Luminox 3000/3900 for over 15 years although the tritium glow has faded in that time. Quartz, still going despite being Swiss, resin case with rubber strap (which has lasted much better than my Citizen integrated rubber straps) so really lite & comfy. 200m water resistant (without a screw down crown!) & it has seen a bit of ocean time. Wears a lot like a Casio with a better strap. Only downside is that the strap is a dust magnet but with 200m it's easy to wash.
AliExpress explained in one video. For an uncertified auto dive the SD1970 is perhaps unbeatable.
I do wonder whether the branding of the watches is a reflection of the factory QA process, San Martin/Steeldive/Pagarni etc because you often see the same spec watch at very different price points.
That Steely is without doubt the best deal on Ali. Hands down. I've got the original blue AR and crappy clasp, and even that was a bargain.
I've had my eye on that rainbow tritium piece for a while. Thank you for "taking one for the team" Jody!
Damn you Jody! You're glowing little review of the Baltany caused them to sell out, not just on Ali but all of the other sites, including the Baltany home site. You definitely wield the power!
Bought my first... well, anything actually from Aliexpress this sale. Got the SD1970 for $80 Canadian (INSANE!) and it should be here any day now! I went with the green as it's my favorite color despite knowing black was a safer bet. I'm glad to see yours looks less shiny and saturated than the Aliexpress pictures. It looks a little more muted and subdued (not as much as the real Seikos olive green vintage look but...) looking less cheap than the pictures at least.
Jody! I ordered two of the same! The Steeldive for my Brother-in-law, it arrived to me in the American Midwest in less then a week. I sized it and have worn it a bit and am very impressed for the price. The Baltany should be here today and I’m excited to get it on wrist and have a strap fashion show. Thank you for all you do!
That SD 1970 offers so much for so little, thanks Jody for the unboxing 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
It's also worth mentioning that your Steeldive also has upgraded hands compared to your older green one. The new hands have chamfered edges and look more high quality
Thanks for pointing that out! Very tempted to upgrade my older SD1970 now. They actually addressed my biggest complaints about the watch: clasp, hands, blue ar.
Would you know if they've "moved" the lug holes at all? The previous version had them drilled quite low on the lugs so it looked a bit awkward on a strap.
@@SuperMariooo25 I'm not sure if the lug holes have been moved but for me the end links have been changed slightly. I tried to put the old bracelet on the new watch and the lugs didn't match the end links
Batlany really knocked it outta the park with that chrono. I think the NATO looks fab on it too!
That Baltany looks interesting. Like that their making homages of vintage military pieces.
Been with your channel for years and all I can say is congratulations Doc.
Thanks for that little insight.
Looking forward to the Willard mod. I’ve always felt the dial let’s my one down a bit. Case and movement are great, as is the sapphire and ceramic. There’s just something about the dial I’m not quite sure about. I wonder what it could be swapped for.
Good choice of watches Jody, I ordered the San Martin 62mas v4. £141 with coupon and discounts and only 7 days delivered
SD 1970 in black 👍 bought one for Christmas for my youngest (age 12 at the time) a couple of years ago. He’s is on a waffle strap , it’s still going strong and looking good. I’d say it’s pretty indestructible 😎.
Deep Blue in NY, USA makes some really nice tritium watches
Wow, love that Baltany, love the Steeldive. AliExpress brands are changing the landscape of the watch market for sure!
Just ordered the SD1970, $104 AUD delivered. Amazing value. I already have the Steeldive SD1971 Sumo copy, and it is unbeatable quality for the price with incredible lume, almost as good as my 017 Marinemaster! Cheers.
I just picked up the Baltany 1926 Cushion case officers watch with the black dial and manual wind movement. It is a beautiful watch, plus, the crown is screw-down, and they claim 200m water resistance, which is insane for what looks like a vintage dress watch
One of the best watch reviewer on the internet! Thank you for your service to the watch community, much appreciated. Never miss an episode.
Hey Jody. I too bought the Steeldive Willard in black and was astounded by the crazy ass delivery time. What an awesome timepiece. The Baltany, which I've also purchased during the sale, I was unfortunately notified that they had sold out after I purchased it... oh dear. But that's testament that this is truly a nice vintage style chrono or maybe you've assisted in influencing the many to get one too. Haha. Have a good one!!
I know it is $1000 but the Ball Enterprise is where I would go for tritium. Maybe a Marathon Navigator for something more casual.
if you're looking for tritium, Aragorn has several models but the Hercules model is good value (around US$150 for flat T100 tritium tubes, like a Ball watch). Only drawback of Aragorn watches is the size, most of them around 44-50mm. 42mm is rare and 48 is quite command. They have some black friday promo going on now. Not sure if there's any affiliate program though, probably not.
The Baltany takes it. The W10 50s British army issue looks beautiful 😍 & may have to be a buy
Hey Jody
That Baltany chronograph is out of stock, not just on AliExpress but also on their official UK website, ever since you put it up!
It is a cracker!
@@JustOneMoreWatch It definitely looks like one! Never thought I'd be waiting for an Ali Express watch to be back in stock and checking the page/e-mail everyday!!
I bought a Yelang unisex with the T100 tritium and love it! It fits perfectly on my 7" wrist and the night time legibility is awesome!
What you need is a Marathon Pilot's Navigator. You'll hardly notice it's there
I had to order a Steeldive 1970 after watching this video. With the upgraded clasp etc. the value is just too good to pass up. I HAVE to have one of these in my collection!
I don't see how the Epoch was "One BIG Miss", since you knew what you were getting beforehand, and the Tritium seemed to match you expectations. The 43mm case width, 21mm bracelet size, and funky end link design are all either clearly shown or stated in the listing. Only the LTL measurement is an unknown.
A Yelang NH35 watch would have been smaller, cheaper, and had a better movement. The only thing the Yelang doesn't have is the Epoch's rainbow T3 tube, color scheme.
Hi Jody, one thing that irks me about your program is the dim and dark background with the fake book shelves. Your early programs had a great look; light, bright and all your favourite objects. Could you brighten things up?
I'm most bothered by the purple light. Kinda makes him look a little bit green ish.
SD is an absolute bargain, looks fab, works well, it’s a must have tbh. Cheers Jody.
I also bought the sd1970, and I love it. It’s one of the best bargains on AliExpress
If they changed the green of the 1970 to a deep green, then I'd buy one too.
Superb review, love the steeldive and the baltany. I did try and buy a baltany last week but all sold out!
Please review the Escapement Time Dive Watch! It looks like an SKX homage!
The music while you're unpackaging the watches makes me want to mix up some martinis.
I ordered a San Martin from Ali in the 11/11 sale and I got it (in the UK) in just 8 days! I was very surprised and impressed.
I have two Baltany's - they are one of the top brands on Ali 😇 Both are superb watches
I also ordered Nov 1 and received yesterday in the U.S. for both the Baltany and a 36mm Escapement Time King Seiko homage. Both great.
I purchased the same combo. And feel the same.
Three great choices in my opinion! And honestly the Epoch looks just fine on your wrist. Enjoy ‘em!
Throw this movement in a cushion case - maybe that green SteelDive! Have fun! Good vid. Keep at it!
I finally pulled the trigger on a black SD1970 during the sale and was browsing milled clasps, so I'm really chuffed to see that it's included now. Great work as always, Jody! 👍
You get a gold rotor in a stainless steel Sinn watch and it looks good! 😄
My Addiesdive Pilot with green dial and bracelet for $65 arrived yesterday 17th November and its a great watch .
Yes 2 weeks from China to WA .
Jody, if you're on the hunt for tritium embellished watches check out the Aragon brand. I bought a DF-45 red dial with T100 middle of last year and the landed cost here was a very pleasant AUD$260 as I got in early when a discount code was available. That model has sold out though. The designer likes to use tritium tubes in a number of his models so worth checking out.
Omg I don't think I've ever been this early! 🤣🤣.
You are not just early, you're #1! (I'm late!)
@@JustOneMoreWatch confirmation from the man himself. Day made.
I was actually wearing my steeldive while watching. I wish I had that milled clasp...oh well. I dunno about that Beltany, I can't wait for the full review. I am, as you are, disappointed about that Epoch. Glad you took the plunge so I don't have to do it! Thanks for another awesome review!
This is what's puzzling me... That Steeldiver is a substantial watch, but it costs only $70. Tho, I wouldn't buy it even if it would be for free. But I would pay $100 for an equally made quartz version.
Why is it so hard to find a good quality quartz watch on the budget, with a sapphire crystal and good (at least 100m) WR??
It was a great sale, I got my mom and me some watches. The Steeldive is more like a stealdive, I got the 1953 because I intend to dive with it. Great video!!
Black SD1970 inbound thanks to you! hit the 11/11 sale. 75 USD
I bought a steel dive after your lume wars video. One of the best. A good now budget tritium watch is the luminous color ark on amazon. $225-$250 usd
Cheers Jody, Steeldive...wow such bang for your buck, impressive!
I share your quest for some reasonable value, coloured tritium! If you had said nice things I would have bought the Epoch. I was actually expecting the watch to be good but the tritium dodgy, but seems it was the other way around. All it is going to take is that trit in a more wearable case and I will be all over it. Steeldive tritium edition?
That 1970 is amazing, so much better spec than my Seiko Turtle, and it has everything aligned unlike my 777.
Baltany watched are so underrated, beautiful dials and quality construction, a little bit expensive considering they have a quartz movement, however they look so good that I don't care...
Bought the steeldive 1970. Fantastic for the price.
Actually fantastic anyway.
Hey Jody you should check out the Addiesdive fleiger it's a great watch.
Just a guess 🤔 but, maybe that green arrow sticker on the Baltany was pointing↘️ in the direction ⤵️ to where to start the wrapper peeling on the backside to make it easier?🧐
I bought the Willard in the sale too. It's a Christmas gift for myself so I'm not wearing it yet. I had a quick peek and spotted the upgraded clasp. The watch looks incredible!
Hah! Same same. A Willard under the Xmas tree for me. Got the steel bracelet because why not?, but now I'm thinking maybe a rubber strap would be better. So I'm off to AliX so I'll have something for my Xmas stocking too.
P.S. back in October, I was in my local jewellers getting a watch serviced, and I noticed they had an actual Seiko Prospex "Willard" limited edition re-issue in the showcase, so I asked to look at it. Very nice, until I saw the price tag: $3,700 CDN! Yikes. I thought this was outrageous, especially considering that the bog-standard "non-Willard" Seiko Prospex dive watch right next to it costs $700 CDN. Then I saw Jody's video, and on Nov 1 I pulled the trigger for the Steeldive.
Even better. I ordered two watches in Ali sale on 7th and they have just been delivered to me in uk today in 16th.
Yeah I knew that about the epoch watch still waiting for marathon GP to go on sale...
Darn it Jody! You've made me want one of those Steeldives now.... I'm going to be circling around whether to grab it and mod it for AGES! xD
Hard to argue with the black Steeldive 1970 as its much nicer than your previous green one. The Baltany doesn't look that bad either but the Epoch Tritium is a fail for the asking price... Great video Jody!
Really like the look of the Balthany
Brought this on your 11/11 video recommendation. Ordered a milled clasp separate as well and what a bonus when it came with a milled clasp. Absolutely fantastic watch.
Thanks for the heads up.