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ZF New Release: 15400 with CAL.3120
- Thread starter steve_theonewatches
- Start date
There are better rep movements IMHO like the A2836, which is more robust than the miyota, can be converted to low beat, and features the instant date change. It is also less noisy out of the box than the miyota.
One important feature of Rolex and AP movements with dates is that the date flips instantaneously instead of rolling over slowly like the miyota and the 3120 clone.
So if I have my choice, I will personally prefer a decorated A2836 with the correct datewheel font (ala the XF 15707 diver) over the miyota for the diver and royal oak reps. Yes balance wheel position is still wrong and decorations can never be accurate with this movement but that instant date change is important for me. I guess different things matter to each of us.
Theoretically possible, but completely wrong movement for the 15202, functionally and looks wise. Date font will be wrong too, naturally.
i am shocked almost likes like a toy and just spins forever it seems like. I love the look of the watch. Thank you Sir for putting my mind at ease actually.
OK you need to understand, that bi-directional winding rotors oscillate (swing both ways, like SHB :legend
to charge the watch up, whereas uni-directional winding watches spin in a single direction to achieve the same function. It is not uncommon for single directional winding movements (rotor assembly) to be noisy as a chopper landing and this is the same for the gen. If you hear a gen 5711 in action, you will be left wondering why a $100k watch sounds like a $10 cheap toy. lol
stuxnet
Getting To Know The Place
- 31/3/21
- 71
- 63
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I have had the exact same thought process as you Radolux and wanted to get the "old" Miyota version of the 15400 Blue dial from ZF too. Mostly because Miyota is precise, quite easy to repair/service, pretty robust, not so expensive and you can source parts easily if needed.
I am still hesitating on which version to purchase. So I asked a few TD's what exactly have changed between the 2019 Miyota version and the more recent Super Clone 3120 and I have had mixed answers. One TD told me that the case and bracelet have been updated as well as an improvement of the dial occured with the latest version. And another one told me that nothing has changed except they just went from Miyota to 3120 super clone.
Now I feel more lost than ever before... Besides, it appears the miyota version is not available from ZF factory anymore...
legend I read you handled both versions and found trivial differences. Do you know exactly what are those small differences between the decorated Miyota and the latest SA3120 ? Dial finish ? Thickness maybe ? (even though I thought they managed to get 9.8mm with the older Miyota versions).
Thanks in advance for your feedbacks
I have had the exact same thought process as you Radolux and wanted to get the "old" Miyota version of the 15400 Blue dial from ZF too. Mostly because Miyota is precise, quite easy to repair/service, pretty robust, not so expensive and you can source parts easily if needed.
I am still hesitating on which version to purchase. So I asked a few TD's what exactly have changed between the 2019 Miyota version and the more recent Super Clone 3120 and I have had mixed answers. One TD told me that the case and bracelet have been updated as well as an improvement of the dial occured with the latest version. And another one told me that nothing has changed except they just went from Miyota to 3120 super clone.
Now I feel more lost than ever before... Besides, it appears the miyota version is not available from ZF factory anymore...
legend I read you handled both versions and found trivial differences. Do you know exactly what are those small differences between the decorated Miyota and the latest SA3120 ? Dial finish ? Thickness maybe ? (even though I thought they managed to get 9.8mm with the older Miyota versions).
Thanks in advance for your feedbacks
IMHO (and remember its my opinion and not necessarily a fact), I think that the quality of the bracelet, dial, and case are about the same. Dial finish may have changed a little but neither are gen-like so to speak. The hands have been revised for use with the clone movement and are better than the miyota hands. The case has of course been modified for use with the 3120 clone movement. Based on a small sample size, no meaningful comparison can be made between the two models, because even between 2 specimens of the same model, differences exist as well. Neither is better than the other and if you already have the miyota version, there is no need for an change IMHO.
stuxnet
Getting To Know The Place
- 31/3/21
- 71
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Many thanks legend for your valuable input. I do not have a Miyota 9015 version of the 15400 but I wish I had. I have talked to a few TD who said the Miyota ones are no longer assembled nor available by the Z Factory, so I will have to go with the "super clone" movement anyway. Let's hope it will turn out to be as reliable as a good old Miyota.
One last thing. Knowing that reps will never be as good and well finished as gens and based on your experience and knowledge on these models, in your opinion which one between the ZF blue 15400 and the ZF blue 15500 is the "closest to gen" ? I'm asking this because I have never had the chance to compare these two reps models next to a gen so I cannot make my own opinion.
Cheers.
Between the ZF 15400 and ZF15500, on the wrist, the 15500 is the clear and distinct winner for me. The dial just looks a lot better, there are no tells on the hands and the watch is visually perfect.
Yes, specifically the blue dial. For me, that dial is a work of beauty and convincing enough for me in real life, as a gen AP collector.
I would not doubt it is gen if someone tells me so.
stuxnet
Getting To Know The Place
- 31/3/21
- 71
- 63
- 18
Thanks legend I was 90% going to buy the ZF 15400 blue dial, but now it came back down to 50% after your statements on the zf 15500 blue :bang:
What I like about the blue ZF 15400: longer indices, classic hands, the automatic logo, the symmetry, thickness of 9.8 vs 10. 4 is not a big deal for me. I don't like the small case back, the super clone movement which I am sure will be a pain in the ass to service or source parts for repair.
What I like about the ZF 15500 blue is the dial which seems to reflect light differently from its zf 15400 sister although a bit emptier. Maybe darker blue shades? I like the case back and the good old 9015 movement. I like the date wheel fonts and bigger date format. I don't like the 3 o'clock marker missing. I don't mind the right-side position of the date. The bigger AP logo without the white separation is a big plus in my opinion.
Man I just can't decide
...
Thanks legend I was 90% going to buy the ZF 15400 blue dial, but now it came back down to 50% after your statements on the zf 15500 blue :bang:
What I like about the blue ZF 15400: longer indices, classic hands, the automatic logo, the symmetry, thickness of 9.8 vs 10. 4 is not a big deal for me. I don't like the small case back, the super clone movement which I am sure will be a pain in the ass to service or source parts for repair.
What I like about the ZF 15500 blue is the dial which seems to reflect light differently from its zf 15400 sister although a bit emptier. Maybe darker blue shades? I like the case back and the good old 9015 movement. I like the date wheel fonts and bigger date format. I don't like the 3 o'clock marker missing. I don't mind the right-side position of the date. The bigger AP logo without the white separation is a big plus in my opinion.
Man I just can't decide
Well don’t let my opinion sway you if you like the 15400. Perhaps an analogy I would give is that the 15500 is like a jaguar and the 15400 the gazelle. One is stockier, more beefy and wears larger while the other is more elegant and gentle on the wrist. One thing good about the price levels of reps is that you can buy both to try and sell the one you like less.
Legend - no long time listener first time caller. I have the blue ZF 15500 in blue as well; do you not find the dial a bit more matte than the gen? It does reflect a sunburst in sunlight but otherwise a bit plasticky matte?
The 15500 and 15400 are the same sizes technically. The 15500 looks beefier on the wrist due to the dial proportions and bezel/case proportions. They do fit the same actually even if the 15500 is about 0.6mm thicker.
I don't know which version of the ZF 15500 you have. Yes the first iteration can look plasticky but the latest dial (lets call it the V3) is a gem to behold where rep AP dials go. It is one of the nicest dials I have seen in any AP rep, if not the nicest one. There is nothing plasticky about it. You do need to know also that for the gen, there are very slight variations in the 2018 dial and the 2022 one as well. Nobody does blue dials like AP does (well maybe VC does in their own ways) but even so, they are not 100% consistent where the color and finish go. The variance is slight but they do exist, based on my sample size of handling 4-5 blue dial gen 15500s.