Thank you for your review. I got the Tandorio in black sterile and I think it is great. Caught it on the sale last month so it was a very good price. I have not really checked the lume duration, but then I am not out at night in conditions where that would matter. Overall, I consider the purchase as spectacular. I always enjoy your views and have been subscribed for a while. Come on everyone else - what are you waiting for?
I saw the thumbnail and said, “John only bought 3 watches during this last sale?!” Then you said “Part 1…” They are all pretty good for the price, but I think you’re right, the 38mm Militado may be the winner. Looking forward to Part 2 through 17. 😅
I have 2 Tandorios, love them both! They offer best value for money I have ever seen, and lately they passed some pressure tests by youtubers, where the brand previously failed, so they improved! Fit and finish are plain excellent, there is nothing to niggle about! The 39mm, similar your orange dial, mine with black dial, khaki-yellow syringe-hands and numerals, has surprisingly become my daily wearer. The 36mm tonneau W10 Hamilton/CWC homage with white hands and numerals on black dial, is just a beauty! Both with sapphire crystal.
Got the Tandorio in red with brown strap and the cut out numerals as it is the farthest from the oc. Recieved it in just 6 days and it looks much better in hand than in the pictures. The red dial has a deeper color to my eyes. Agree the crystal is the weakest point but can not complain at this price. Regards John
I ordered the 38mm Militado a couple of days ago following your post. I have the ET khaki in white, which is excellent, so hopefully the Militado can excede it with the saphire.
I got a much broader variety from the last sale ... But included some oldies but goodies; Pierre Paulin jumping hour, Pagani AK project chrono, Seestern 600T, Addiesdive brown sand dial watch and Thorn Fifty Fathoms homage ... Which I also bought a nice leather rally strap and a sailcloth strap for ... I also bought a Marine Nationale strap for the Boldr Venture Carbon I bought a few months ago ... Which is a lovely titanium field watch.
Thanks for sharing....rather than just do a list of the watches I'd bought I thought I would split them up into categories and mini review them. Better all round. Do you agree?
@@johnswatchjoint most definitely .. my list isn't big enough to do that ... But I appreciate you doing so ... I will watch all the videos enthusiastically.
I was tempted by that Berny, but luckily got the T2576MS instead. I did not care much for the strap it came with (looks like simply a different color of the one here) so it is now on a tan paratrooper. I do have a Militado field chrono on the wish list, but the lume performance here gives me pause.
Good comparison John...the Tandorio dial is nice. I went crazy on this sale and bought nine watches. I bought three North Edge watches..and was pleasantly surprised.Big rugged watches all for around $40 AUD each. Apparently, they make smart watches as well. Worth a look!
Just got back from a couple of weeks in Costa Rica and I'm enjoying catching up with your reviews. Good to see a review of "ok" watches from time to time for balance. These 3 are all nice enough but would fail my "Timex test" in that they don't do anything significantly better than my collection of $20 timex indiglo's which have similar looks, depth rating, and wearability but with the advantage of better night legibility at the expense of a quartz rather than a mechanical movement. Still nice and fair review which is why we come back👍
Great comparative review, John. Looking forward to seeing the 38mm Militado review. The first Militados were Baltany clones. But they recently announced tasty models (like a 16570 39mm Polar Explorer GMT!)
Thanks for your videos, they have helped me figure out what is good and finding the best prices. My alisale haul delivered in order of price and preference; ixdao engineer, proxima with killer dial, san martin train timer and a pagani vintage air ruler. Tandorio looks best but I have a Murph 38 which has made it really hard for me to find any other field watch.
Militado is impressive for the money,was that a signed guarantee card? I was tempted. I did pickup the titanium Berny 2566, jury’s out to be honest . Love the colour of that Tandorio, I got one of their green big crown pilots and initial thoughts are that it’s fantastic. Hope you’re all well and had a decent Easter
I bought the red Tandorio without the logo. Very happy with it and came efficiently to Canada. Wearing it now in fact. Wasn't going to buy anything but red dial and price sucked me in.
I believe the Tandorio should also be available in Titanium, there is a titanium case version but the lume is white there. The Miltado looks like a no brainer to me; 42 mm version anyone? Berny tries to hard, if you ask me, they should work on their existing models rather than releasing so many models…
Thanks for taking another hit for the team John!, my first and only experience with Militado is in the form of the quartz chrono that arrived recently, the one that looks the same as the Baltany , I was quite underwhelmed to be honest, the setting of the time feels shockingly loose and it has put me right off the watch, I am now wondering how similar or worse it is to the Baltany version?, so far I have no complaints with Baltany watches, will be interested to see the next Militado review.
Did wonder about militado and baltany, strange decision by the parent company to have 2 brands doing basically the same watches, although the militado is cheaper. Cheers John great reveiws as ever.
It's a shame you were disappointed. I got my Tandorio from their official store, it came on rather a nice oiled brown leather strap and the bezel is brushed not polished. The original Murph bezel is polished, but I think brushed suits this dial well. I brushed my crown so it matches the case now. I think the dial and handset are excellent especially considering the price, lack of AR on the crystal does cause reflection, but I prefer that to a heavy blue tint. Lume on Tandorios is never great, but I could read the time on mine at 4am this morning, so it does its job just. I hope the other watches suit you better 🤞
I thought the Tandorio was ok. Their crystals are not the best being a budget brand and Lume is usually not that good so I wasn't respecting much. The Lume was as you saw worse than normal. My real world test means leaving it on my bed side cabinet and reading it when letting Molly out at around 4 or 5 am. All failed miserably :/
They are fantastic watches and if you have followed my channel you will know I have a personal collection of vintage Pulsar watches (pre Seiko era) and a 49 year old NOS Lorus dress watch. My Instagram shows pics of them all. If they were still being produced they would sell by the bucket load :)
I own the 36mm Militado field watch shown here. The only downsides I can see are the poor lume and low quality strap. It’s too bad the strap is low quality because the color matching is fantastic. I love this little watch…the water resistance (screw down crown), super clean dial - I even like the shiny hands, crystal, etc. I have watches worth many more times the value but I love putting on this watch….with a high quality FKM strap of course.
Great video love the pilot watches ⌚ and looking at getting a cheap one for work. The militardo was on my list, addiesdive hy02 and escape ment time flieger Any suggestions?
If you read this, make sure you are subscribed, to see the Militado 38 and to ensure you don't miss John's giveaway, once you tick him over 10K subscribers. PS. The older Berny T2576 full lume with San Martin strap you showed is amazing!
Just recently bought the Escapement Time Hamilton Khaki 38mm clone....great watch, no real regrets.... but now Militado has this 38mm version too, with white-outline hands ( like ET, and not chrome outline like the 36 Militado), slightly larger lume "pips".... and sapphire glass, for less/equal cost to ET. When buying, timing is everything it seems.... :(
@@johnswatchjoint ....right...and as a general statment, the only remaining "real" problem possibly extended to the ET version...is the mineral glass. But even here, we're not so sure. The mineral glass is K1 which is a better formulation, like Seiko uses...and besides....the core feature of mineral is that it has superior SHATTER resistance ( but scratches more easily compared to sapphire), ... vs .... sapphire, that is more scratch resistant yet shatters more easily. I therefore don't mind mineral glass as one can buy a 3-pack of custom-cut (diameter) clear vinyl protection film for about $3...that is optically-clear...and put that on mineral glass and therefore get the best of both mineral and sapphire. Don't understand the immense hand-wringing I see on watch forums when mineral glass is only offered. Cheers.
I totally agree with you and if I had to grab one watch from AliExpress It would be the ET Khaki. Unfortunately I have had a Sapphire shatter and it took out my watch dial and hands. Most of my collection are mineral and I don't have issues. BUT Seiko Hardlex is a different story, I don't know why but you cannot even sneeze on it as I have found out multiple times so I just don't rate Hardlex from my experience
@@johnswatchjoint ....thank you for added insight on Seiko Hardlex...as I was only quoting specs and not personal experience with Seiko Hardlex as you apparently have. Good feedback and something to remember. Aside......still amazed at the ET Khaki....seems an incredible value even after all we discussed.
hi, I would also like to see the Rdunae Ra03. The best of all in terms of aesthetics and which comes closest to the original Vietnam watch from which many fields are inspired
I have it. The quality and finish is fine, I like the smaller, authentic sizing. Lume is acceptable, I don't mind the mineral crystal, the strap should be replaced immediately (I put it on a black leather bund strap), and I wish it had a sweep second quartz movement, but it doesn't. If you can pick it up for around $50 it isn't terrible, but I can't say it is amazing either. It does look the part, though!
Thank you for your review.
I got the Tandorio in black sterile and I think it is great. Caught it on the sale last month so it was a very good price. I have not really checked the lume duration, but then I am not out at night in conditions where that would matter. Overall, I consider the purchase as spectacular.
I always enjoy your views and have been subscribed for a while. Come on everyone else - what are you waiting for?
Thanks Stephen. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Tandorio for the Win! Best budget brand.
I saw the thumbnail and said, “John only bought 3 watches during this last sale?!” Then you said “Part 1…” They are all pretty good for the price, but I think you’re right, the 38mm Militado may be the winner. Looking forward to Part 2 through 17. 😅
Haha... Johns Suddenly superman!!! :)
I have 2 Tandorios, love them both! They offer best value for money I have ever seen, and lately they passed some pressure tests by youtubers, where the brand previously failed, so they improved! Fit and finish are plain excellent, there is nothing to niggle about!
The 39mm, similar your orange dial, mine with black dial, khaki-yellow syringe-hands and numerals, has surprisingly become my daily wearer. The 36mm tonneau W10 Hamilton/CWC homage with white hands and numerals on black dial, is just a beauty! Both with sapphire crystal.
Nice. Glad you enjoy them ☺️
Great Review John, after 12 watches I'm taking it easy from now on
Wow. That is a haul!
Got the Tandorio in red with brown strap and the cut out numerals as it is the farthest from the oc. Recieved it in just 6 days and it looks much better in hand than in the pictures. The red dial has a deeper color to my eyes. Agree the crystal is the weakest point but can not complain at this price. Regards John
As long as you are happy nothing else matters :)
I ordered the 38mm Militado a couple of days ago following your post. I have the ET khaki in white, which is excellent, so hopefully the Militado can excede it with the saphire.
I hope so too though the Lume may be the Biggie there. We'll see when it arrives :)
I got a much broader variety from the last sale ... But included some oldies but goodies; Pierre Paulin jumping hour, Pagani AK project chrono, Seestern 600T, Addiesdive brown sand dial watch and Thorn Fifty Fathoms homage ... Which I also bought a nice leather rally strap and a sailcloth strap for ... I also bought a Marine Nationale strap for the Boldr Venture Carbon I bought a few months ago ... Which is a lovely titanium field watch.
Thanks for sharing....rather than just do a list of the watches I'd bought I thought I would split them up into categories and mini review them. Better all round. Do you agree?
@@johnswatchjoint most definitely .. my list isn't big enough to do that ... But I appreciate you doing so ... I will watch all the videos enthusiastically.
Thanks. I appreciate it 😌
@@johnswatchjoint yep! I feel 3~4 watches per review is optimal to do the justice. More than 5 and things start to blur
Agreed 🤗
I was tempted by that Berny, but luckily got the T2576MS instead. I did not care much for the strap it came with (looks like simply a different color of the one here) so it is now on a tan paratrooper. I do have a Militado field chrono on the wish list, but the lume performance here gives me pause.
Yep ...first review I can say I've had where all watches kinda under performed. They aren't bad bad should be a lot better given the competition :)
Good comparison John...the Tandorio dial is nice. I went crazy on this sale and bought nine watches. I bought three North Edge watches..and was pleasantly surprised.Big rugged watches all for around $40 AUD each. Apparently, they make smart watches as well. Worth a look!
Hi Kenneth. I have seen them but never pulled the trigger. Thanks for the heads up. 🤗
Awesome !!!
As you can imagine, I like the Militado way more than the Escapement Time.
Haha...I wonder why? 🤔
I got that Tandorio and for the price I think it is a great watch.
Tandorio is the pick of the bunch, top of the crown needs brushing.
Just got back from a couple of weeks in Costa Rica and I'm enjoying catching up with your reviews. Good to see a review of "ok" watches from time to time for balance. These 3 are all nice enough but would fail my "Timex test" in that they don't do anything significantly better than my collection of $20 timex indiglo's which have similar looks, depth rating, and wearability but with the advantage of better night legibility at the expense of a quartz rather than a mechanical movement. Still nice and fair review which is why we come back👍
Thx buddy and welcome back 😄
Great comparative review, John. Looking forward to seeing the 38mm Militado review. The first Militados were Baltany clones. But they recently announced tasty models (like a 16570 39mm Polar Explorer GMT!)
Thanks for the info Bensy. Send me an email. I'd like a proper chat my friend :)
Was very interested in the Militado and Berny myself.
Thanks for your videos, they have helped me figure out what is good and finding the best prices. My alisale haul delivered in order of price and preference; ixdao engineer, proxima with killer dial, san martin train timer and a pagani vintage air ruler. Tandorio looks best but I have a Murph 38 which has made it really hard for me to find any other field watch.
Very nice collection 😀
Militado is impressive for the money,was that a signed guarantee card? I was tempted. I did pickup the titanium Berny 2566, jury’s out to be honest . Love the colour of that Tandorio, I got one of their green big crown pilots and initial thoughts are that it’s fantastic. Hope you’re all well and had a decent Easter
Hi buddy all is well. Thanks for popping by 😊
I bought the red Tandorio without the logo. Very happy with it and came efficiently to Canada. Wearing it now in fact. Wasn't going to buy anything but red dial and price sucked me in.
Nice. Glad you're happy 😊
I believe the Tandorio should also be available in Titanium, there is a titanium case version but the lume is white there.
The Miltado looks like a no brainer to me; 42 mm version anyone?
Berny tries to hard, if you ask me, they should work on their existing models rather than releasing so many models…
Hi, great newcomers in my opinion. Militado looks fantastic. What pen are you using though, with the journal?
No idea 😐💡
Thanks for taking another hit for the team John!, my first and only experience with Militado is in the form of the quartz chrono that arrived recently, the one that looks the same as the Baltany , I was quite underwhelmed to be honest, the setting of the time feels shockingly loose and it has put me right off the watch,
I am now wondering how similar or worse it is to the Baltany version?, so far I have no complaints with Baltany watches, will be interested to see the next Militado review.
You can't go wrong with Baltany. Militado seem to be good bang for buck but I will have to review more for a clearer picture.
I've had a few VH31 watches, one of them was half a second per month.
They are very accurate
Thanks for the heads up on the Berny, as the dial looks great from a distance. I wonder if the black looks better close up?
Yes I think I picked the runt of the litter here haha!
Did wonder about militado and baltany, strange decision by the parent company to have 2 brands doing basically the same watches, although the militado is cheaper. Cheers John great reveiws as ever.
Militado is not at the same standards as Baltany (especially on the sapphire crystal's AR coating for ex)
It's a shame you were disappointed. I got my Tandorio from their official store, it came on rather a nice oiled brown leather strap and the bezel is brushed not polished. The original Murph bezel is polished, but I think brushed suits this dial well. I brushed my crown so it matches the case now. I think the dial and handset are excellent especially considering the price, lack of AR on the crystal does cause reflection, but I prefer that to a heavy blue tint. Lume on Tandorios is never great, but I could read the time on mine at 4am this morning, so it does its job just. I hope the other watches suit you better 🤞
I thought the Tandorio was ok. Their crystals are not the best being a budget brand and Lume is usually not that good so I wasn't respecting much. The Lume was as you saw worse than normal. My real world test means leaving it on my bed side cabinet and reading it when letting Molly out at around 4 or 5 am. All failed miserably :/
@@johnswatchjoint Poor lume isn't a deal breaker at £46, but you are right many are better. My Sinn style Berny was the same price and lume is good.
Yeah that was the surprising thing for me. My last Berny as you saw was excellent and there were no issues. This one looks rushed.
I think I'll be skipping all three! lol
Hi Dan. Unfortunately my reviews don't all end up sweetness and light but it's my job to save folk from getting a clunker ! 😐
Instead of £55 Militado, I bought a £30 Lorus RJ655AX-9 with full Lumibrite dial. It is a better watch imho.
They are fantastic watches and if you have followed my channel you will know I have a personal collection of vintage Pulsar watches (pre Seiko era) and a 49 year old NOS Lorus dress watch. My Instagram shows pics of them all. If they were still being produced they would sell by the bucket load :)
I own the 36mm Militado field watch shown here. The only downsides I can see are the poor lume and low quality strap. It’s too bad the strap is low quality because the color matching is fantastic. I love this little watch…the water resistance (screw down crown), super clean dial - I even like the shiny hands, crystal, etc. I have watches worth many more times the value but I love putting on this watch….with a high quality FKM strap of course.
It is the looker and would be a great daily :)
Great video love the pilot watches ⌚ and looking at getting a cheap one for work. The militardo was on my list, addiesdive hy02 and escape ment time flieger
Any suggestions?
Addiesdive and Steeldive as well as Steeflier all do great budget pilot watches. Check them out.
Is the berny thickness 8.7mm ? I think whith black dial looks better
I would argue that the Tandoori is not a field watch.
If you read this, make sure you are subscribed, to see the Militado 38 and to ensure you don't miss John's giveaway, once you tick him over 10K subscribers.
PS. The older Berny T2576 full lume with San Martin strap you showed is amazing!
Above and beyond buddy 🙏
Just recently bought the Escapement Time Hamilton Khaki 38mm clone....great watch, no real regrets.... but now Militado has this 38mm version too, with white-outline hands ( like ET, and not chrome outline like the 36 Militado), slightly larger lume "pips".... and sapphire glass, for less/equal cost to ET. When buying, timing is everything it seems.... :(
Yes but we shall see if the Militado has solved it's lume problems first.
@@johnswatchjoint ....right...and as a general statment, the only remaining "real" problem possibly extended to the ET version...is the mineral glass. But even here, we're not so sure. The mineral glass is K1 which is a better formulation, like Seiko uses...and besides....the core feature of mineral is that it has superior SHATTER resistance ( but scratches more easily compared to sapphire), ... vs .... sapphire, that is more scratch resistant yet shatters more easily. I therefore don't mind mineral glass as one can buy a 3-pack of custom-cut (diameter) clear vinyl protection film for about $3...that is optically-clear...and put that on mineral glass and therefore get the best of both mineral and sapphire. Don't understand the immense hand-wringing I see on watch forums when mineral glass is only offered. Cheers.
I totally agree with you and if I had to grab one watch from AliExpress It would be the ET Khaki. Unfortunately I have had a Sapphire shatter and it took out my watch dial and hands. Most of my collection are mineral and I don't have issues. BUT Seiko Hardlex is a different story, I don't know why but you cannot even sneeze on it as I have found out multiple times so I just don't rate Hardlex from my experience
@@johnswatchjoint ....thank you for added insight on Seiko Hardlex...as I was only quoting specs and not personal experience with Seiko Hardlex as you apparently have. Good feedback and something to remember. Aside......still amazed at the ET Khaki....seems an incredible value even after all we discussed.
hi, I would also like to see the Rdunae Ra03. The best of all in terms of aesthetics and which comes closest to the original Vietnam watch from which many fields are inspired
Unfortunately I will not be reviewing it as there is no interest in it and poor sales.
I have it. The quality and finish is fine, I like the smaller, authentic sizing. Lume is acceptable, I don't mind the mineral crystal, the strap should be replaced immediately (I put it on a black leather bund strap), and I wish it had a sweep second quartz movement, but it doesn't. If you can pick it up for around $50 it isn't terrible, but I can't say it is amazing either. It does look the part, though!
There you go. Your own mini review! Thanks for that 😊
Very disappointed in Berny. What gives ?
Mee too. No doubt I got a bad one with the misalignment but just avoid the white version.