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GMF released a GMT 3186 clone movement

kevBquick

Active Member
9/10/18
382
142
43
I've been enjoying every moment of my GMF wrapped 3186

V4NcF8.jpg

looks fantastic! insert is good! enjoy that one!
 

Andreb

Getting To Know The Place
21/3/18
84
11
8
Italia
The yellow gold two tone? Pictures and impressioni?


Inviato dal mio SM-G986B utilizzando Tapatalk
 

Andreb

Getting To Know The Place
21/3/18
84
11
8
Italia
The yellow gold two tone? Pictures and impressions?


Inviato dal mio SM-G986B utilizzando Tapatalk
 

Bullflo3

Active Member
Supporter
Certified
13/2/18
499
415
63
So the top mid link is wrapped (nicely done job might I add) but not the rest of the mid links. I've ALWAYS said it's a no go for me if all mid links aren't wrapped, but I can honestly say it's unnoticeable, especially on wrist. Now the top mid link, had that not be RG, it would stand out pretty bad IMO.
 

Bullflo3

Active Member
Supporter
Certified
13/2/18
499
415
63
Congrats, it a beautie.

Protect your clasp ....


20200119_1339231796fe9ff62c4b66.md.jpg

ouchh is right. I usually err on the side of caution with my watches but i'll be extra careful with this one. But thank you!!
 
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timavo

Getting To Know The Place
21/1/20
40
10
8
Several other things I had noticed about yours that are worrh mentioning.

1) The 6 9 12 hour markers have diagonal tip cuts on the corners that give the illusion of rounded corners. Not as good as actual rounded corners but a definite step up from square corners like most rep dial markers have.

...

2) The rehaut engraving is pretty much perfectly aligned. This has long been a fault of GMF Subs and GMTs. Look at this one between 35 - 45. It's a $1K fully wrapped GMF Bluesy that I rejected and replaced with 3 other reps. TD wasn't happy but sorry not having that on a $1K watch. R's at 34 and 39 instead of 35 and 40, X at 43 instead of 44, uneven spacing, etc.

...

3) The 1's on the insert have better serifs. The serif tips are parallel to the 1 main body instead of diagonal. Small detail but nice to see that fixed. It's like the gen in that respect, and makes the numerals appear smoother with no odd angular element.

Compare to the diagonal serif tips here

...

Again thanks for the input! I was aware of the rehaut engraving but didn't notice 1) and 3)! Very nice details...

I recently found this QC guide for a Submariner:



Do you know if such a thing exists for a GMT or any other watch? I would offer to design such guides for different watches if someone can provide the details/input...
 

timavo

Getting To Know The Place
21/1/20
40
10
8
The QC pics of the movement just arrived. It has the old SA3186 movement (correct me if I am wrong)..... Should I decline it and try to get a VR3185 as I explicitly ordered? I've read that GMF stopped using this movement. Everyone but ARF is using the VR3185 now.

S1cTR.jpg
S1gb8.jpg
 
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KJ2020

Time Traveler
Supporter
12/3/18
34,662
66,753
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The QC pics of the movement just arrived. Correct me if I am wrong, but this looks like the SA movement to me..... Should I change it and try to get a VR? I've recently read that everyone but ARF is using the VR3185 now.


It is an SA3186 bro. And it is true that every factory using a true clone 3186 besides ARF was using the VR recently. So, either you got an early release V3 made when GMF was using only that movement, or perhaps they ran out of them and were just using VRs until they got more stock of the SA in. We can only speculate. BTW in addition to the beat corrector arm and regulator arm being reversed on the balance assembly, the SA has no paint on the red reversing gears teeth.

Anyway, it would be tough to reject this watch based on the movement not being a true clone because it is. Several members have this movement and haven't had issues with it.

Hazing
 

timavo

Getting To Know The Place
21/1/20
40
10
8
It is an SA3186 bro. And it is true that every factory using a true clone 3186 besides ARF was using the VR recently. So, either you got an early release V3 made when GMF was using only that movement, or perhaps they ran out of them and were just using VRs until they got more stock of the SA in. We can only speculate. BTW in addition to the beat corrector arm and regulator arm being reversed on the balance assembly, the SA has no paint on the red reversing gears teeth.

Anyway, it would be tough to reject this watch based on the movement not being a true clone because it is. Several members have this movement and haven't had issues with it.

Hazing

If I am looking at QC pictures I am looking to find reasons to buy the watch... I want to GL it. Most of my questions are to learn more about the reps and not to find flaws to reject it.

In this case, I explicitly ordered a VR3185 (if this is even possible in this business). I will read a little bit more into the different movements and check for the downsides of the SA3186. As far as I've read it's mostly about the click spring, which is less robust and it has a proprietary jump click, which provides hour jumping in the opposite direction.
 

KJ2020

Time Traveler
Supporter
12/3/18
34,662
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If I am looking at QC pictures I am looking to find reasons to buy the watch... I want to GL it. Most of my questions are to learn more about the reps and not to find flaws to reject it.

In this case, I explicitly ordered a VR3185 (if this is even possible in this business). I will read a little bit more into the different movements and check for the downsides of the SA3186. As far as I've read it's mostly about the click spring, which is less robust and it has a proprietary jump click, which provides hour jumping in the opposite direction.

This thread has probably most of the info there is on the SA3186, and you've obviously read that already. I wouldn't mind having one mainly because I'm curious about the GMT module. You *should* be able to swap in a VR3185 if you have issues with the SA.

It is based on the SA3135, lots of (mostly not great) info about that movement here

https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...4-3135-movement-comparison-gen-sa-sh-vr/page2
 

maxus minimax

Getting To Know The Place
Supporter
8/6/20
43
8
8
16 emails later, after receiving first QC pics, showing a watch with a frisbee GMT hand , I could finally convince the TD to present a watch with a 3186 movement. New QC pics even show a VR 3186.
 
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KJ2020

Time Traveler
Supporter
12/3/18
34,662
66,753
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16 emails later, after receiving first QC pics, showing a watch with a frisbee GMT hand , I could finally convince the TD to present a watch with a 3186 movement. New QC pics even show a VR 3186.

Good job, hope it gets to you safely now!
 

Hazing

And So It Begins... Again
9/5/19
5,185
4,441
113
Yeah, I have the sa3186 in a V3 BLNR and it’s solid so far. It’s been doing really well. The functionality is good other than directionality of the grown but that’s nut important to me. I Know a lot of people are worried and all like “I don’t want to use the hour jumping feature so I never set the date with it” but I love the hour jumping feature on a gmt so I use it like I have nothing to worry about and it’s held up fine. It doesn’t feel fragile or weak in my opinion.

im off like +10sec a day though right now which kinda sucks. I’ll get to it eventually.

I will say I was surprised when GMF started using the vr movements so it wouldn’t surprise me if it went off. I think factories like GMF tend to have some/more variation with their parts a lot more than noob or ARF. ARF and noob spoil us. But as I said earlier when the vVR movement fir$t popped up in the V3 - I’d like to see more than one before assuming it’s a trend.

Also, I was talking to Li today and asking him about this movement and he refers to the SA as the VR. I know they call it different names than we do but it always throws me off. We talked about this very thing. The difference between his Vr and ours so this might be the cause of a miscommunication.

so the thing is, if you told Li you specifically wanted the VR... he might be calling this the VR and may have gone out of his way to get you this movement. But in my experience hes usually pretty reasonable.
 
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Doc brown

Active Member
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Certified
1/11/17
459
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Yeah, I have the sa3186 in a V3 BLNR and it’s solid so far. It’s been doing really well. The functionality is good other than directionality of the grown but that’s nut important to me. I Know a lot of people are worried and all like “I don’t want to use the hour jumping feature so I never set the date with it” but I love the hour jumping feature on a gmt so I use it like I have nothing to worry about and it’s held up fine. It doesn’t feel fragile or weak in my opinion.

im off like +10sec a day though right now which kinda sucks. I’ll get to it eventually.

I will say I was surprised when GMF started using the vr movements so it wouldn’t surprise me if it went off. I think factories like GMF tend to have some/more variation with their parts a lot more than noob or ARF. ARF and noob spoil us. But as I said earlier when the vVR movement fir$t popped up in the V3 - I’d like to see more than one before assuming it’s a trend.

Also, I was talking to Li today and asking him about this movement and he refers to the SA as the VR. I know they call it different names than we do but it always throws me off. We talked about this very thing. The difference between his Vr and ours so this might be the cause of a miscommunication.

so the thing is, if you told Li you specifically wanted the VR... he might be calling this the VR and may have gone out of his way to get you this movement. But in my experience hes usually pretty reasonable.

Yes he is quite nice. My V3 came from him with the VR in it and I didn't ask for it. Maybe just luck or he didn't know himself.
 

Hazing

And So It Begins... Again
9/5/19
5,185
4,441
113
Yes he is quite nice. My V3 came from him with the VR in it and I didn't ask for it. Maybe just luck or he didn't know himself.
Yeah and when I said he's pretty reasonable (if the above is what happened) I meant he's probably one of the more laid back tds and he's probably the one of assume most likely to say "well get what you want" instead of "you said you wanted a vr and this is a a vr. It's not my fault you called it something different". But not sure.

Good luck either way through.

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timavo

Getting To Know The Place
21/1/20
40
10
8
I've just received some updated QC pics with a new movement. Is this the ETA timebomb?! Ó_ò
 

James2020

Active Member
1/6/20
422
175
43
Shucks, looks like it.... KJ2020 posted a photo of the time bomb movement on pg 58