For years, I had a genuine Submariner 114060 "no-date" as one of my daily beaters. I sold it during the height of COVID and have been missing it ever since. Rolex steel prices and the whole AD game are getting ridiculous though, so I recently picked up a VSF 114060. These are my personal impressions going from genuine to replica.
First of all, the VSF is incredibly close to the original. I don't think I have ever seen an unmodified rep that is this close. If the VSF were sitting in a display inside a store, I would have never guessed that it was a replica.
That said, it is not perfect. Here, I am focusing on the actual experience of wearing and handling the watch, from the perspective of someone who owned and loved the gen. I am not particularly interested in comparing macro shots and discussing tiny details that are not visible to the naked eye. Others are way better at nit-picking and hair-splitting.
Case, crown, dial, hands and crystal: No issues at all – all very, very good. The case is nicely polished and even the end links fit great. The crystal is clear and looks as good as the genuine. I know about the "floating m," but I believe this is a variation that also exists in some genuine dials. It's also hard to spot with the naked eye.
Rehaut: I didn't notice any difference until I read about it in the forums. Yes, the genuine probably has slightly different polish. No, this is not something you notice without specifically looking for it. The engraving looks the same to me (again, to the naked eye).
Bezel and insert: The Cerachrom is so good! This was my main worry, that the replica would not have that special Rolex sheen. The bezel teeth look great but are too sharp to the touch. The click sound is okay, but if I remember correctly, my gen was more "springy". This is only noticeable if you handle the watch.
Movement (VS3130): The movement feels smooth but sounds different when winding. There is also too much resistance when you pull out the crown to wind or set the time. Maybe it just needs to break in? I won't go into the movement itself because it's a closed caseback. It ticks along nicely and the rotor is quiet enough. About +7 sec/day.
Bracelet & clasp: The weakest area of the watch and where you can immediately feel the difference to the gen Rolex. It looks great, but the bracelet is not as smooth and has some semi-sharp edges. The clasp does not feel as clicky-solid and the Glidelock is wonky. In the genuine, the Glidelock slides perfectly and is very easy to adjust.
TL;DR: This is a great replica and maybe even the closest to the original that has ever come out of a Chinese factory. Don't waste your time and money replacing the dial, crystal or other parts of the head. The main area for improvement is the bracelet and clasp.
First of all, the VSF is incredibly close to the original. I don't think I have ever seen an unmodified rep that is this close. If the VSF were sitting in a display inside a store, I would have never guessed that it was a replica.
That said, it is not perfect. Here, I am focusing on the actual experience of wearing and handling the watch, from the perspective of someone who owned and loved the gen. I am not particularly interested in comparing macro shots and discussing tiny details that are not visible to the naked eye. Others are way better at nit-picking and hair-splitting.
Case, crown, dial, hands and crystal: No issues at all – all very, very good. The case is nicely polished and even the end links fit great. The crystal is clear and looks as good as the genuine. I know about the "floating m," but I believe this is a variation that also exists in some genuine dials. It's also hard to spot with the naked eye.
Rehaut: I didn't notice any difference until I read about it in the forums. Yes, the genuine probably has slightly different polish. No, this is not something you notice without specifically looking for it. The engraving looks the same to me (again, to the naked eye).
Bezel and insert: The Cerachrom is so good! This was my main worry, that the replica would not have that special Rolex sheen. The bezel teeth look great but are too sharp to the touch. The click sound is okay, but if I remember correctly, my gen was more "springy". This is only noticeable if you handle the watch.
Movement (VS3130): The movement feels smooth but sounds different when winding. There is also too much resistance when you pull out the crown to wind or set the time. Maybe it just needs to break in? I won't go into the movement itself because it's a closed caseback. It ticks along nicely and the rotor is quiet enough. About +7 sec/day.
Bracelet & clasp: The weakest area of the watch and where you can immediately feel the difference to the gen Rolex. It looks great, but the bracelet is not as smooth and has some semi-sharp edges. The clasp does not feel as clicky-solid and the Glidelock is wonky. In the genuine, the Glidelock slides perfectly and is very easy to adjust.
TL;DR: This is a great replica and maybe even the closest to the original that has ever come out of a Chinese factory. Don't waste your time and money replacing the dial, crystal or other parts of the head. The main area for improvement is the bracelet and clasp.
