Please help me settle the debate between me and friends - Explorer, Tank, no date sub, Dumont, Seaq, Mark XX

[strfreak]

My group of friends and I are all into rep watches and we've been discussing for 2 hours now on the ranking of these models in terms of closeness to the gen version. I am of the opinion that no watch comes close to the Cartier Tank Solo. A close second would be the No-date sub, but my friends are insisting on the explorer I being the best.

How would you rank the following models?

- Explorer I 39 mm

- Cartier Tank Solo

- Submariner No date

- Cartier Santos Dumont

- Seaq Glashütte green

- IWC Mark XX

- IWC Portofino

 

[p0pperini]

Cartier Tank Solo? No-Date Sub? We all know that in a situation like this, there's only one way to find out...

 

[Hesekiel]

Cartier Tank Solo, Cartier Tank Must, and Cartier Santos Dumont (S and L) in steel, and steel only, are all excellent replicas.
Gold is a no-go, even if it's only on the bezel of the Dumont as that's a scratch magnet like no other, and the XL is a no-go as well due to the movement.
However, in 2025 I would not buy a Solo, but a Must instead.

No date Sub from VSF and Clean are among the best out there.

Can't comment on the other watches.

 

[strfreak]

Why tank must over solo?

 

[Hesekiel]

Tank Must case is an EXACT copy of the Tank Louis, THE TANK, but in stainless steel. I have one. Tank Solo is not as sexy, as it has the flat Branchards. Have one of those as well.

Tank Must "Large" (25.5 x 33.7mm)



Tank Solo "Large" (27.4 x 34.8mm)

 

[Jackster]

Umm which Sub no date? Many say the 114060... VSF.. My 124060 VSF is freakin awesome, indistinguishable (i spelt that first time!)
Oops, bit pissed! .... indistinguishable from the Gen!! Ha Ha!

 

[Endez]

Tank Must case is an EXACT copy of the Tank Louis, THE TANK, but in stainless steel. I have one. Tank Solo is not as sexy, as it has the flat Branchards. Have one of those as well.

Tank Must "Large" (25.5 x 33.7mm)



Tank Solo "Large" (27.4 x 34.8mm)

From which factory is your Tank must in red? Andiot is proposing me the DRf but I don’t know the factory. I have the AF in black and I am quite happy with the quality.

Thanks!

 

[RepsAllDay]

I can only comment on the two I have had - the 39mm Explorer and Mark XX are very close, the V7F Mk XX is in my opinion NWBIG

 

[dewieduck]

My group of friends and I are all into rep watches and we've been discussing for 2 hours now on the ranking of these models in terms of closeness to the gen version. I am of the opinion that no watch comes close to the Cartier Tank Solo. A close second would be the No-date sub, but my friends are insisting on the explorer I being the best.

How would you rank the following models?

- Explorer I 39 mm

- Cartier Tank Solo

- Submariner No date

- Cartier Santos Dumont

- Seaq Glashütte green

- IWC Mark XX

- IWC Portofino

None are perfect. Regardless, the best part is that my list is irrelevant. The vast majority of people will never know what you are wearing. The rep deviations are so minuscule and sometimes microscopic that most in the real world would not be able to tell the difference even side-by-side to gen.

1. Submariner No Date - VSF. Pretty close to perfect. Ghost date.
2. Tank Solo - Both AF and K11 quartz are great. The crown is good enough.
3. Explorer I 39mm - CF. The crystal is good enough.
4. Dumont - Both AF and F1 quartz are great. Bezel and crown are good enough.
5. Mark XX - V7F black dial is spot on. Date change is in the wrong direction. The case back is good enough. The green dial is good enough.
6. SeaQ - RXW green dial is a very different color from gen, though I prefer the rep green over the gen green. The rep comes with a very finicky crown that needs to be babied. Black dial is closer to gen.
7. Portofino - Stay away from the complications.

 

[wtrbrdm]

I sense a sneaky way to ask "who makes the best submariner?"....