Hello RWI team... I ordered both the VSF and Clean 224270 from Puretime recently as I could not decide between the two... It's been fun to wear and really compare the two over the past week.
My review is both objective and subjective, but the differences between the two factories is so minor that it comes down to a (personal) subjective call on the winner. For subjective, I focused on areas that I deem most important when I purchase a rep: crystal, dial, hands, look/feel, and winding. The first three being things I could potentially replace if I want to go the franken route. Fortunately, both of these watches are amazing reps OOTB and since gen parts seem hard to come by for 224270's, we have to work with what we got.
OK, for the review... The clean will always be on the left side in comparison pictures... BTW- taking pictures of these watches is extremely hard from an iPhone so the nuanced differences will not be picked up from my pics. I applaud other members for taking as great of pictures as they do in their reviews. Unfortunately for you all, my pictures won't help much. I basically gave up after taking a handful of pictures. Maybe Ctime can do a macro comparison at some point.
WEIGHT (with all links):
Clean: 142 grams
VSF: 136 grames
MEASUREMENTS:
The 39mm measurement on Clean made me think I mistakenly got a 214270 But I took the bracelet off and the watch is branded with 224270. The VSF does feel slightly larger in size than the Clean... The lug widths are accurate so I'm a bit confused on the diameter of the Clean.
CRYSTAL:
I initially thought the crystals were essentially the same but after wearing the watches for a week, the crystal on the VSF is the clear winner. Given the diameter differences, I'm not sure if a crystal swap would work.
HANDS:
Very minor differences between the two. VSF hands appear to be ever so slightly wider than Clean. Clean hands, both hour and minute, are slightly longer than VSF. Quality is great on both. Close tie goes to VSF but the crystal clarity might be the driver on this one...
DIAL:
Dial print excellent on both watches. Both have the slight indentation on 6/9 so I'm calling this one a tie.
BRACELET/CLASP:
Both have the correct 21mm width but the Clean appears to have the closest-to-gen clasp sizing. Feel is better on the Clean to no one's surprise but I'll say the VSF makes an excellent bracelet.
SEL's:
Clean is the clear winner here.
WINDING/FEEL:
As mentioned in another thread, the Clean has a far better feel when winding and adjusting time. VSF is a bit gritty when unwinding the crown and winding. This was a huge surprise to me as I previously owned a ZZF V3 and VSF sub and the VSF was significantly better on feel/winding. Maybe I got a bad batch or maybe this is an issue with VSF explorers. Regardless Clean is the winner.
REHAUT:
Clean has deeper engraving but VSF is not far behind. Polish looks the same on both. If the Clean had the same crystal, I would say Clean is a clear (no pun intended) winner. Hard to pick a winner without the same crystal clarity.
CONCLUSION:
I'm going to stick with the Clean for now. While the crystal difference is noticeable, the crystal is fine (and replaceable) and the overall feel of the Clean is better. Both are outstanding watches and it's down to very subjective preferences. If I did this again, I would get a prof crystal or deep crystal installed on the Clean. However, I'm not going to mess with the crystal as the watch is fine OOTB and I won't be wearing the VSF on the other wrist to constantly compare it to.
Final disclaimer... I am but a mere mortal compared to most RWI members and experts. I'm happy to answer questions or provide more detail on each watch if anyone wants an opinion from a gen/rep owner (but not watchsmith/expert).
My review is both objective and subjective, but the differences between the two factories is so minor that it comes down to a (personal) subjective call on the winner. For subjective, I focused on areas that I deem most important when I purchase a rep: crystal, dial, hands, look/feel, and winding. The first three being things I could potentially replace if I want to go the franken route. Fortunately, both of these watches are amazing reps OOTB and since gen parts seem hard to come by for 224270's, we have to work with what we got.
OK, for the review... The clean will always be on the left side in comparison pictures... BTW- taking pictures of these watches is extremely hard from an iPhone so the nuanced differences will not be picked up from my pics. I applaud other members for taking as great of pictures as they do in their reviews. Unfortunately for you all, my pictures won't help much. I basically gave up after taking a handful of pictures. Maybe Ctime can do a macro comparison at some point.
WEIGHT (with all links):
Clean: 142 grams
VSF: 136 grames
MEASUREMENTS:
| Measurement | Clean | VSF |
| Diameter (including crown) | 42.0mm | 43.0mm |
| Diameter (ex crown) | 39.0mm | 39.7mm |
| Lug to Lug | 46.7mm | 47.3mm |
| Lug Width | 21.0mm | 21.0mm |
| Lug Width at Bottom (taper) | 2.4mm | 2.7mm |
| Bracelet Taper (bottom link) | 16.5mm | 15.5mm |
| Clasp Width | 18.6mm | 17.7mm |
| Crown | 7.0mm | 7.0mm |
| Thickness | 11.9mm | 11.7mm |
The 39mm measurement on Clean made me think I mistakenly got a 214270 But I took the bracelet off and the watch is branded with 224270. The VSF does feel slightly larger in size than the Clean... The lug widths are accurate so I'm a bit confused on the diameter of the Clean.
CRYSTAL:
I initially thought the crystals were essentially the same but after wearing the watches for a week, the crystal on the VSF is the clear winner. Given the diameter differences, I'm not sure if a crystal swap would work.
HANDS:
Very minor differences between the two. VSF hands appear to be ever so slightly wider than Clean. Clean hands, both hour and minute, are slightly longer than VSF. Quality is great on both. Close tie goes to VSF but the crystal clarity might be the driver on this one...
DIAL:
Dial print excellent on both watches. Both have the slight indentation on 6/9 so I'm calling this one a tie.
BRACELET/CLASP:
Both have the correct 21mm width but the Clean appears to have the closest-to-gen clasp sizing. Feel is better on the Clean to no one's surprise but I'll say the VSF makes an excellent bracelet.
SEL's:
Clean is the clear winner here.
WINDING/FEEL:
As mentioned in another thread, the Clean has a far better feel when winding and adjusting time. VSF is a bit gritty when unwinding the crown and winding. This was a huge surprise to me as I previously owned a ZZF V3 and VSF sub and the VSF was significantly better on feel/winding. Maybe I got a bad batch or maybe this is an issue with VSF explorers. Regardless Clean is the winner.
REHAUT:
Clean has deeper engraving but VSF is not far behind. Polish looks the same on both. If the Clean had the same crystal, I would say Clean is a clear (no pun intended) winner. Hard to pick a winner without the same crystal clarity.
CONCLUSION:
I'm going to stick with the Clean for now. While the crystal difference is noticeable, the crystal is fine (and replaceable) and the overall feel of the Clean is better. Both are outstanding watches and it's down to very subjective preferences. If I did this again, I would get a prof crystal or deep crystal installed on the Clean. However, I'm not going to mess with the crystal as the watch is fine OOTB and I won't be wearing the VSF on the other wrist to constantly compare it to.
Final disclaimer... I am but a mere mortal compared to most RWI members and experts. I'm happy to answer questions or provide more detail on each watch if anyone wants an opinion from a gen/rep owner (but not watchsmith/expert).
