Noobfactory Rolex Daytona 116520 Black Dial & 116523 Two Tone White Dial Review
The watch in this review came from Timesshop, and it is available at other dealers.
Current Price: $268 plus shipping.
Here are the specs from TS:
RO4510 - Rolex Daytona Black Dial SS/SS Noobfactory - Asian 7750
MOVEMENT: New Asia 7750 Valjoux (28,800bph)
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
THICKNESS: 14mm
DIAL COLOR: Black Dial
CASE MATERIAL: Stainless Steel 316L
BRACELET: Stainless Steel 316L
FRONT GLASS: Sapphire
BACK GLASS: Solid Case Back
BEZEL: Solid SS with Tachymeter
HACK MOVEMENT: Yes
CLASP TYPE: Double Flip Lock
OTHER REMARKS:
Water Resistant
Seconds at 6:00
Solid End Links
Serial and Reference numbers engraved on lugs
Running seconds @ 6:00
Rolex Hologram sticker on Case Back
Fully Functional Chronograph
Pusher button at 2:00 starts/stops chronograph
Pusher button at 4:00 resets chronograph
Pusher buttons are screwed down and must be unscrewed before you can use them
So how is it? Lets take a peek:
Dial is aligned at 12 and so is the second hand
Sub-dial spacing is a little different from a gen, which shouldn't be a surprise give the different movement used. The A7750 is a clone of the ETA 7750 and is thicker than the Rolex 4130 movement as well as having slightly different positioning for the sub dials. If you are the type that will nit pick over such details this watch isn't for you, however if you like the style of the new Daytona's this watch is a bargain IMO. And it flat out looks great.
Gen: See how the sub-dials at 3 & 9 are closer to the markers than in the rep? Still, most of the dial print and markers are spot on.
Coronet at 6 on crystal
The font on the bezel and placement are very good
One tell is the case thickness to accommodate the thicker 7750 moment (see below). The bezel is more conical than on the gen and the case is also thicker.
Note how much flatter the bezel is on the Gen.
Crystal height is good and do are the SEL's.
Correct Model number engraving at 12 o'clock
M Series Serial number engraving at 6 o'clock
Now you know I can't leave it there so lets take this puppy apart and see how she is made.
I'm curious is to see how water resistant she can be. The bezel presses on to hold the crystal and crystal gasket in place, just like the gen. The advantage here is that it should also seal just like gen and it makes aligning the coronet at 6 a breeze if yours comes a little off. A case knife is all you need to pry the bezel up. The tape was to protect the lugs.
I removed the pushers so I could lubricate them with silicone grease. The c clip retainer must be removed from the inside in order to remove the plunger. Be careful that little booger is tiny.
Once the clip is removed you can slide the pusher out of the tube. There are two seals on the shaft, lube them with a little grease to ensure good sealing.
The spring goes over the shaft and allows the pusher to return to the normal position after being depressed.
Dial and movement removed for pressure testing.
End link engraving.
I tested 20% over the rating, as Rolex would. The Daytona is rated to 100 Meters. This rep passed at 12 ATM or 120 Meters. All I did was lube the pushers, the crown gaskets and the case back gaskets. Impressive...most impressive.
Wrist shot.
Lume shot. It is typical rep lume, not bad, but it isn't great either. It fades fairly rapidly but still, for the price what do you expect? It actually is better than a couple of my Invictas.
Nice Rolex looking rotor. Wont fool anyone who is familiar with the 4130 but then how many people really know what a Rolex movement looks like? (excluding members here of course)
This is supposed to be the newest A7750 so even though it has running seconds at 6 it is reputed to be more reliable than previous incarnations. Runs smooth so far and keeps great time.
Case back engraving:
Looks good on a green Rolex-type pouch.
Gen shots again for comparison. Overall I really like this watch. It is a classic design and looks great on the wrist. If you are a fan of the Daytona, you will like this rep. The purists may not be able to look past the faults due to the use of an A7750 but then you really have very little choice if you want a newer style Daytona rep. The noobfactory makes this in two tone models, models with a white face and several other variations so there is something for virtually anyone. Alas this one is destined for the sales section in a few minutes, I love the look but the Daytona wears a little too small for me. I think it is the smooth bezel. I also purchased a two tone with a white face and the jury is still out on that one.
November 12 update: I decided to add some images of the 116523 Two Tone white face with gold registers rings.
This watch is gorgeous. If I ever bought a Gen Daytona, this would be the one.
I had to tweak the timing on this one a little to remove a little beat error but as you can see it it is running strong and true.
