- 21/4/19
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Polar Explorer II. Most of us know it in the rep realm thanks to Noob's spectacular 216570, which was based off an ETA construct. We had never really known a good stable version due to the 3187 being too unique for factories to clone on its own. There were differences between the relatively ubiquitous 3186/3185 and the very specialized 3187 that made it not worth it for factories to chase and research.
Years down the line, the 226570 came out and was based off the 3285, which is not unique to just the new Explorer II, but present in the entire GMT lineup. This was enough of a catalyst for factories to start working on the Explorer II lineup without any risk on affecting their production efficiency.
I, amongst all of the family here, spent a long time as well waiting for a good rep from VSF. But it never came, due to CF grabbing the dandong 3285 batch from under VSF. It's just good business, to quote pirates of the Caribbean. And so, when I got this GMF, it wasn't settling. It was after reading careful analysis thanks to absolute gods and mentors like KJ2020 here and understanding where to compromise and where to revel. As with any rep.
And thus after waiting many weeks, from ordering to QC, I'm here to present a small and light review of my first impressions of this beautiful watch. Let's dive in.
The 226570
Unlike the 216570, these have matte hands and a little crown at the 6 position on the dial. Easiest and quickest difference. I initially spot bad reps with awful yellowish/pus coloured font, compared to lush, zesty orange that the polar us known for. In this case, GMF did not disappoint. The first impression was marvelous, and nothing told me this was a rep right off the bat.
The crystal
The other factor I look for when spotting a rep is the crystal. GMF is well known for being a great producer of crystals, and before VSF, they were the go-to. In this case, I would say it's near flawless and as per gen. The quality and AR effect is spectacular and clean. Now, it is a white dial, so there is some greater benefit to it in this case. I would love to see folks sharing shots of the LN brother.
The crystal is an absolute knockout for me on the GMF Polar Explorer II.
The bezel and lugs
The best looked very clean and crisp. I wish I had a gen side by side because the thickness of the font appears different based on shadow and lighting, so on some cases it appears thin, in others, very thick. This nuance should be noted when doing comparisons merely by photos and not side by side.
The lugs look very accurate to gen and quite premium in the SELs. No wiggle or poor quality noted. Knurling on the crown was crisp and quality. No poor wiggle on the stem either.
Clasp code is 4A2. Serial is 9540X273.
The movement
The movement is noted as a VR3285. By the ratchet feeling, it felt like a 3186 to me. So I popped it to check the amplitude and it showed 330+, which is indicative of my gut feeling based on the winding. You can tell a LOT by winding a watch. Do it often and you'll make intricate connections.
The deco covering on the balance wheel shows this is indeed a VR movement and not a DD3285. I expect the same performance from a VR3186 from this movement. They are easily replaced and so are not a worry. I am very happy with the stats and movement! Will be getting it cleaned and primed for daily use.
Bonus lume
Anyone who knows me understand I am a fanatic for lume. A...lumatic
The 226570 has bigger plots and massive lume. An absolute lighthouse. You'll LOVE IT.
Final thoughts
We waited years and years for something like this. Something special, budget friendly and a GADA monster that's as versatile as it is under the radar. I don't often do this, but to me, this is a 10/10 watch. It could be the bias of waiting SO LONG for it, or the bias of being a die hard fan of the modern explorer II lineup. Either way, thank you for reading this far, and for taking the time to explore with me. Please share your thoughts and photos.
As always, RWI ROCKS
Years down the line, the 226570 came out and was based off the 3285, which is not unique to just the new Explorer II, but present in the entire GMT lineup. This was enough of a catalyst for factories to start working on the Explorer II lineup without any risk on affecting their production efficiency.
I, amongst all of the family here, spent a long time as well waiting for a good rep from VSF. But it never came, due to CF grabbing the dandong 3285 batch from under VSF. It's just good business, to quote pirates of the Caribbean. And so, when I got this GMF, it wasn't settling. It was after reading careful analysis thanks to absolute gods and mentors like KJ2020 here and understanding where to compromise and where to revel. As with any rep.
And thus after waiting many weeks, from ordering to QC, I'm here to present a small and light review of my first impressions of this beautiful watch. Let's dive in.
The 226570
Unlike the 216570, these have matte hands and a little crown at the 6 position on the dial. Easiest and quickest difference. I initially spot bad reps with awful yellowish/pus coloured font, compared to lush, zesty orange that the polar us known for. In this case, GMF did not disappoint. The first impression was marvelous, and nothing told me this was a rep right off the bat.
The crystal
The other factor I look for when spotting a rep is the crystal. GMF is well known for being a great producer of crystals, and before VSF, they were the go-to. In this case, I would say it's near flawless and as per gen. The quality and AR effect is spectacular and clean. Now, it is a white dial, so there is some greater benefit to it in this case. I would love to see folks sharing shots of the LN brother.
The crystal is an absolute knockout for me on the GMF Polar Explorer II.
The bezel and lugs
The best looked very clean and crisp. I wish I had a gen side by side because the thickness of the font appears different based on shadow and lighting, so on some cases it appears thin, in others, very thick. This nuance should be noted when doing comparisons merely by photos and not side by side.
The lugs look very accurate to gen and quite premium in the SELs. No wiggle or poor quality noted. Knurling on the crown was crisp and quality. No poor wiggle on the stem either.
Clasp code is 4A2. Serial is 9540X273.
The movement
The movement is noted as a VR3285. By the ratchet feeling, it felt like a 3186 to me. So I popped it to check the amplitude and it showed 330+, which is indicative of my gut feeling based on the winding. You can tell a LOT by winding a watch. Do it often and you'll make intricate connections.
The deco covering on the balance wheel shows this is indeed a VR movement and not a DD3285. I expect the same performance from a VR3186 from this movement. They are easily replaced and so are not a worry. I am very happy with the stats and movement! Will be getting it cleaned and primed for daily use.
Bonus lume
Anyone who knows me understand I am a fanatic for lume. A...lumatic
The 226570 has bigger plots and massive lume. An absolute lighthouse. You'll LOVE IT.
Final thoughts
We waited years and years for something like this. Something special, budget friendly and a GADA monster that's as versatile as it is under the radar. I don't often do this, but to me, this is a 10/10 watch. It could be the bias of waiting SO LONG for it, or the bias of being a die hard fan of the modern explorer II lineup. Either way, thank you for reading this far, and for taking the time to explore with me. Please share your thoughts and photos.
As always, RWI ROCKS
