So I got my VSF Silver/grey 300m in a little while ago and had some thoughts. Firstly, to address
Sonofalich and Craig S's concerns on the 9 o'clock marker, yours may very well be slightly off, however, the angle seemed fine when I put it in photoshop on grid view. Look on Omega's own site, and you will notice even theirs looks a little off. This is because the wave pattern creates a slight optical illusion, so if yours are off, the illusion would likely make it look more off than it is (I think they look fine).
Regarding the links, VSF seems to locktite all the link screws down and the screws themselves are...fine, but not great quality. As another post on here mentioned, you ABSOLUTELY need a hairdryer or heat gun to soften the locktite, or you will destroy the screws. Do not attempt without a heat gun, trust me.
The visual tells visible to the naked eye: This is a really impressive replica, but it is not perfect.
- It is about a 1/2mm thicker than the gen because of the thicker Asian 2824 movement.
- The movement dress-up is impressive, but it is still covering the real movement; you can see the real 2824 bridge underneath the faux 8800 full bridge.
- The faux 8800 regulator assembly is visibly less detailed than gen.
- The Oscillating weight is slightly thicker and slightly higher than the gen, making a noticeably more stark contrast between it, and the movement underneath in the crescent window above the text.
- [MAYBE] The naiad lock is supposedly to have the "Diver 300m" and "330m /1000ft" text align with the 12 and 6 o'clock positions, respectively (as is in all press material), however, understanding how rubber seals work, I find this claim dubious, and I have seen plenty of photos of legitimate Seamasters that are off as well.
That said, on all 4 of those [real] counts, you really need to know what you are looking for, and even some jewelers would likely not notice. All the other tells need magnification and a direct compare with a gen. Also, it's a really nice watch, in general. My only real complaint is that the bracelet's clasp scratches very easily. But I have not had any issue with the case itself. All in all, I definitely recommend, and for any of you waiting on yours, I think you will be happy. Hope some of this helped.