No More Time Bombs, VRF just released 1st fully cloned 3186 and 116710LN

[Eledhwen]

why would you even consider noob, it mounts that crappy timebomb movement and it costs just as much if not more iirc. now the game is between vrf and ARF.

Let me make a summary for everyone:

ARF:

Excellent insert
Good SEL
Good lugs
Shitty DW
Ok crystal (we still need "real" pics to see if they are using the same crystal as the ARF v3's, because that's good if it's true)
average dial


VR:
Assuming the VR3135 base we are expecting a more visually refined movement (still needs confirmation)
Good DW
Ok crystal
Better dial than ARF's
Average - bad SEL
Fat lugs
Shitty insert (seriously, change it)
Bad top-rehaut sanding, seems like the chinese used their grandma's backscratcher to sand it



In conclusion:

Assuming the movement is stable for both watches, the ideal and best money-conservative choice would be getting the ARF, changing the DW and you get a killer watch. If you have a 6 digit gen crystal sitting around you could go ahead and mount that on it as well, i doubt it's gonna be necessary, but we still need to see!

What wrong with VR insert? Apart from depth? Was thinking maybe sending it to spongebob

 

[mari115]

What wrong with VR insert? Apart from depth? Was thinking maybe sending it to spongebob

Well, ARF’s insert is way better, the font is exactly like gen, width and depth seem nice as well, color is ok.
Vr’s insert is way thinner, and the font is wrong for some numbers (2 and 1 for example)

I don’t think it’s worth it to send it to spongebob


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

 

[Princewilliam]

What wrong with VR insert? Apart from depth? Was thinking maybe sending it to spongebob

Looks like it was carved with an angle grinder then filled with sand an cement

Laughs in ARF

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RiffRalf]

I say let's wait till we see some of the brave souls who ordered these already presenting them in the threads before jumping to conclusions about which is best and which is horrible

And I want my root beer ....

 

[Vvvlllooo]

Looks like it was carved with an angle grinder then filled with sand an cement

Laughs in ARF

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Lol

 

[golem345]

Mine will be here in 2 days so I will put some photos up. Whether I keep it or not will be down to the bezel assembly being changeable to a gen which I also have here.... Fingers crossed..

Mine is on the way as well. Hoping for the same thing

 

[superyl]

The dw and xtal are the best imo.

Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk

 

[jptrosch]

Got mine today, and so far I have not been able to get my gen bezel assembly on. Mind you I'm being very conservative on the pressure so as not to crack the bezel. Unfortunately I broke the VRF bezel while removing it, so if the gen doesn't fit I just bought myself a nice new paperweight.

 

[golem345]

Got mine today, and so far I have not been able to get my gen bezel assembly on. Mind you I'm being very conservative on the pressure so as not to crack the bezel. Unfortunately I broke the VRF bezel while removing it, so if the gen doesn't fit I just bought myself a nice new paperweight.

Probably a silly question but I'm guessing the gen insert doesn't fit into the vrf bezel right?

Regardless I hope you can manage to get it on there.

 

[jptrosch]

Probably a silly question but I'm guessing the gen insert doesn't fit into the vrf bezel right?

Regardless I hope you can manage to get it on there.

I haven't tried. The assembly I'm using is from a CHNR, so the metal wouldn't match.

 

[KJ2020]

Got mine today, and so far I have not been able to get my gen bezel assembly on. Mind you I'm being very conservative on the pressure so as not to crack the bezel. Unfortunately I broke the VRF bezel while removing it, so if the gen doesn't fit I just bought myself a nice new paperweight.

Sorry to hear about that bro. Do you mean you broke the insert? Can you share with us how you did the removal to help others avoid a similar misfortune?

 

[jptrosch]

Sorry to hear about that bro. Do you mean you broke the insert? Can you share with us how you did the removal to help others avoid a similar misfortune?

I used a bezel assembly tool - one of those vices that holds the watch while four knives pull the bezel up. While I was tightening it the top of the bezel scraped against the tool, chipping some of the ceramic off.

 

[Vvvlllooo]

I used a bezel assembly tool - one of those vices that holds the watch while four knives pull the bezel up. While I was tightening it the top of the bezel scraped against the tool, chipping some of the ceramic off.

Damn man, that sucks...sorry to hear

 

[jptrosch]

Alright, I got it on. I had to swap out the gasket for a clark 2.3 gasket I had sitting on my work desk. This may not be necessary for everyone, but it worked for me.

 

[golem345]

I used a bezel assembly tool - one of those vices that holds the watch while four knives pull the bezel up. While I was tightening it the top of the bezel scraped against the tool, chipping some of the ceramic off.

That's very unfortunate, I have one coming in soon and was planning on swapping out the insert for a gen one if it fits. I wouldn't mind sending over that insert to you if you want it

Edit: Great to hear! Care to share some pics?

 

[jptrosch]

That's very unfortunate, I have one coming in soon and was planning on swapping out the insert for a gen one if it fits. I wouldn't mind sending over that insert to you if you want it

Edit: Great to hear! Care to share some pics?

Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. I'll post some pics in a bit.

It just dawned on me that the gasket I put on is probably too short. Does anyone know the gasket height for a gmt master ii?

 

[m5smg2]

Bzzz bzzz, rehaut's done Ling. Ok thanks Wang. Roll it out!

I had to come back to your humorous post. You’re not just technical. You have a kick ass sense of humor. I’m still laughing from this morning. Epic post brother!

 

[occb2]

That was what I was talking about. The VRF 116610 bezel did not fit a stock crystal. When the VRF 116610 3135 came out I compared it to the ARF and the Noob. Now the noob and ARF bezels swapped no issue. The VRF did not. Also the VRF does not have rolex spec bezel as far as the bezel, metal spacer then insert. The ARF and the Noob do. So if the 116710LN 3186 is anything like the VRF sub, the bezel will not fit a real one and the bracelet and lugs will be too small to fit a real or real spec bracelet.

 

[Vvvlllooo]

Yeah, that would be great. Thank you. I'll post some pics in a bit.

It just dawned on me that the gasket I put on is probably too short. Does anyone know the gasket height for a gmt master ii?

2.7mm

 

[DC109]

@jptrosch awesome that you got it to work. Can we see some pics?