Hi everyone,
A few days ago I received my third Datejust rep. This time I went for the Clean Datejust 41 in mint green. I have always been obsessed with the mint green but was worried the dial colour was off in comparison to the Gen. I had seen a few posts for the Clean factory in mint green and was impressed! So I thought maybe it was time I bite the bullet and see for myself.
As seen in my previous posts comparing a VSF and Clean Datejust Wimbledon, I was always more impressed with VSF factory Datejusts for their beautiful finishes, clear crystal and superior quality movements. For me, choosing Clean this time was purely about the mint green dial colour. However, unbeknownst to me I was in for a very pleasant surprise.
Here is a breakdown of the watch and how it fairs in comparison to the two Datejusts I already own.
***Important note.
What AMAZES me most now is how different they all are. There are obviously similarities within factories but each individual watch has its own strengths and weaknesses. Maybe a crown is better here or a bezel is better there. You never know exactly what you are going to get. Its part of the beauty of buying replicas, you could be extremely lucky… or you could not… but you also have the opportunity to build something amazing. Part of me wishes I had the skills to take apart each watch and take the best of each.
First impressions.
Wow this is a nice watch. Aesthetically it’s incredible in terms of case and bracelet. Out of box you could leave it as it is and I believe be extremely content.
Bracelet and clasp
The bracelet is indistinguishable from my previous Clean with the 0RV stamp on the clasp. It has slightly thicker links compared to the VSF bracelet and in my opinion is the superior of the two.
The Case
The finish has improved drastically, it takes on some of the quality of the VSF I did not see on the clean the first time around. The case shape is obviously a little closer to the Gen than the VSF case which is well documented. However, now the crown is perfectly centred on the Rehaut something really only commonly seen on VSF Datejusts.
The Crown
Still superior to my VSF and closer to Gen.
Crystal
Despite some reports that say Clean crystals have been improved it is still a little cloudy and is the one thing I think lets this watch down from being a 10/10 replica. The VSF crystal is far superior and when placing both watches side by side it makes a big difference in appearance and beauty. Nevertheless, this is something easily remedied.
Bezel
Another major improvement. I actually own a new 18k white gold aftermarket bezel I intended to put on one of these reps. But honesty this stock bezel is just very very good. I might even sell my very expensive gold bezel as I am fairly content with this! The tones are good it seems to have the correct hue and it is clearly plated with something. It’s definitely good enough. The previous clean was also plated but the hue was maybe not quite as good and the VSF is just a stock stainless steel fluted bezel.
The Mint Green Dial (The Big One)
Funnily enough I live about 15 metres across from an official Rolex store. Each day I get to see and compare rolexes in the shop window. Sadly, the mint green dial from Clean is not the same. While these Rolex displays are very well lit. The mint green is indeed a shade or two lighter. It is absolutely stunning in Gen and the sunburst mesmerising. The sad thing is that Gen green dials to franken can cost upwards of $2500 dollars and are a bit out of my league. I do think I can attribute some of the colour difference to the not so great crystal and do intend to take the crystal off just to have a look. The dial changes colour with the light. Sometimes it is grey in low light and a very nice minty green when the sun is out. Overall, it’s very pretty and the darker shade should not be a defining factor in your decision if you are considering the mint green dial. I look forward to maybe trying out a Gen crystal on this lovely rep.
Movement
A quick one on the movement. So far so good. It is reported that clean updated the movement and now despite still not being an exact clone movement the power reserve has improved. I feel rotating the crown in various positions is much smoother and bares more similarity to the VSF which was a very welcome surprise. So far it runs about 7 seconds slow a day, my first Clean runs about 8 seconds fast a day, with the VSF running about 6 seconds fast a day.
Overall
Its fair to say that now the Clean Datejust 41 is probably now my preferred one of the two Datejust factories. I may have just struck a good rep and I still love my VSF Wimbledon. But just so many factors are coming together here. A few tweeks and you can get most of the way there. That is pretty amazing… and a very nice thing to have for those people who appreciate the beauty of some of these watches but can’t always afford the hefty price tags.
Thank you for reading
Happy Rep Hunting!
Feel free to reply if you have any questions, especially if you are torn between VSF and Clean and want to know a little more.
A few days ago I received my third Datejust rep. This time I went for the Clean Datejust 41 in mint green. I have always been obsessed with the mint green but was worried the dial colour was off in comparison to the Gen. I had seen a few posts for the Clean factory in mint green and was impressed! So I thought maybe it was time I bite the bullet and see for myself.
As seen in my previous posts comparing a VSF and Clean Datejust Wimbledon, I was always more impressed with VSF factory Datejusts for their beautiful finishes, clear crystal and superior quality movements. For me, choosing Clean this time was purely about the mint green dial colour. However, unbeknownst to me I was in for a very pleasant surprise.
Here is a breakdown of the watch and how it fairs in comparison to the two Datejusts I already own.
***Important note.
What AMAZES me most now is how different they all are. There are obviously similarities within factories but each individual watch has its own strengths and weaknesses. Maybe a crown is better here or a bezel is better there. You never know exactly what you are going to get. Its part of the beauty of buying replicas, you could be extremely lucky… or you could not… but you also have the opportunity to build something amazing. Part of me wishes I had the skills to take apart each watch and take the best of each.
First impressions.
Wow this is a nice watch. Aesthetically it’s incredible in terms of case and bracelet. Out of box you could leave it as it is and I believe be extremely content.
Bracelet and clasp
The bracelet is indistinguishable from my previous Clean with the 0RV stamp on the clasp. It has slightly thicker links compared to the VSF bracelet and in my opinion is the superior of the two.
The Case
The finish has improved drastically, it takes on some of the quality of the VSF I did not see on the clean the first time around. The case shape is obviously a little closer to the Gen than the VSF case which is well documented. However, now the crown is perfectly centred on the Rehaut something really only commonly seen on VSF Datejusts.
The Crown
Still superior to my VSF and closer to Gen.
Crystal
Despite some reports that say Clean crystals have been improved it is still a little cloudy and is the one thing I think lets this watch down from being a 10/10 replica. The VSF crystal is far superior and when placing both watches side by side it makes a big difference in appearance and beauty. Nevertheless, this is something easily remedied.
Bezel
Another major improvement. I actually own a new 18k white gold aftermarket bezel I intended to put on one of these reps. But honesty this stock bezel is just very very good. I might even sell my very expensive gold bezel as I am fairly content with this! The tones are good it seems to have the correct hue and it is clearly plated with something. It’s definitely good enough. The previous clean was also plated but the hue was maybe not quite as good and the VSF is just a stock stainless steel fluted bezel.
The Mint Green Dial (The Big One)
Funnily enough I live about 15 metres across from an official Rolex store. Each day I get to see and compare rolexes in the shop window. Sadly, the mint green dial from Clean is not the same. While these Rolex displays are very well lit. The mint green is indeed a shade or two lighter. It is absolutely stunning in Gen and the sunburst mesmerising. The sad thing is that Gen green dials to franken can cost upwards of $2500 dollars and are a bit out of my league. I do think I can attribute some of the colour difference to the not so great crystal and do intend to take the crystal off just to have a look. The dial changes colour with the light. Sometimes it is grey in low light and a very nice minty green when the sun is out. Overall, it’s very pretty and the darker shade should not be a defining factor in your decision if you are considering the mint green dial. I look forward to maybe trying out a Gen crystal on this lovely rep.
Movement
A quick one on the movement. So far so good. It is reported that clean updated the movement and now despite still not being an exact clone movement the power reserve has improved. I feel rotating the crown in various positions is much smoother and bares more similarity to the VSF which was a very welcome surprise. So far it runs about 7 seconds slow a day, my first Clean runs about 8 seconds fast a day, with the VSF running about 6 seconds fast a day.
Overall
Its fair to say that now the Clean Datejust 41 is probably now my preferred one of the two Datejust factories. I may have just struck a good rep and I still love my VSF Wimbledon. But just so many factors are coming together here. A few tweeks and you can get most of the way there. That is pretty amazing… and a very nice thing to have for those people who appreciate the beauty of some of these watches but can’t always afford the hefty price tags.
Thank you for reading
Happy Rep Hunting!
Feel free to reply if you have any questions, especially if you are torn between VSF and Clean and want to know a little more.
