Review: 128238 - Day-Date 36mm - GMF

[Nur-Uhr]

Hello RWI members,

as a big fan of the 36mm diameter Day-Date models, cause they are still classical and perfect size for the "president watch"
I ordered the latest batch of the GMF version: Rolex Day-Date reference no. 128238 yellow gold

As some of you will know, GMF and BP factory are "partners" or even the "same factory".

The latest versions of the BP 36mm was the older Rolex reference 118238 (also 36mm) but with the model change and some modifications the reference was renamed into 128238.

Some data:
watch case: 904 stainless steel - 18K gold plated
bracelet: 904 stainless steel - 18K gold plated
movement: A2836 clone movement with day and date function
dimension: diameter: 36 mm / thickness: 12,4 mm
weight: 114 gram


Case / Bracelet / Clasp:

GMF has improved the case shape and compared to the pics to GEN 128238 models - it really looks good.
Lug shape and case shape is well done.
Also the case between the lugs is for the "new" Rolex bracelets made = just like the GEN one have.
Engravings are correct (ref. # and Rolex Design...)
Thickness is good, but this is also what BP has done in the past very good.
The gold color = perfect = look at the pictures I compared with a GEN 18K / SS bracelet (93153 bracelet)
Also the crown is good. And also now period correct with two dots under the coronet (in the past the problem with BP models 118238 36 DD was, there was always a line under coronet instead of correct two dots!)
Rehaut engraving is okay - but I do not know how it looks on the 128238 - so I cannot say anthing about it.
But compared to the older BP 36 DD models, I would say it is more crisp and "clear" in text.

The president bracelet feels a bit sharp and the weight is very light. Compared to an ARF Datejust is feels pretty "cheap"
The brushing and polished links look good. The 18K plating is also very perfect. See the comparison pics with the 18K color of the 93153 bracelet.

Clasp: the hidden clasp is nice. The engravings are typically good. See at the pics (sorry guys - I had still the sticker on it when I took the pics)
The clasp feeld a bit loose and make small rattle noise. Not really to hear, only when you know about this.

Dial / Crystal / Date-Disc:
I have ordered the champagne colored dial.
just for info: actual the GEN yellow gold model is ONLY with 8 dials available
- champagne colored with stick markers (as I have ordered)
- white with roman numbers
- dark grey with diamond markers
- green "ombre" with diamond markers
- champagne colores with diamond markers
- mother of pearl white with diamond markers
- turquoise colored with roman numbers + diamonds
- full diamond pavè dial

The dial has a very nice color - look at the pics with different light. To be honest, natural light and in sunlight this dial is really top notch and looks great.
The text is crisp and the font is good but not perfect when you compare with pictures of the GEN.
But with normal eyes and normal distance- it is a great thing.

The crystal, not much to say about.
It looks like it could accept GEN crystal. So a Datejust / Day-Date / (and also Submariner) ... crystal from a 36mm model could fit.

Date-Disc: Font size and font itself looks good. Not too fat!! The dates are looking good.
Day-Disc: for this I am not sure.... It seems the text is a bit too small. But I am not really sure what I should think about it. On normal distance it is good. But when you get closer or look at the pics, I think there is a big deviation from the GEN text.

Movement:
A clone movement of the ETA2836 which can show Day and Date.
Here like all models the Asian clone with Overlays for day and date.
Running good and nothing new to say about these very reliable movements.
With 28.800 bph also like the GEN movements.
To this time, the GMF Day-Date 36mm is only available with A2836


I would update from time to time this review ...


And now, some pics (approx. 70 pictures) in the next post !

 

[Nur-Uhr]

 

[Nur-Uhr]

Pictures in daylight and more details will follow
Always very dark here in winter times with the foggy weather

 

[KJ2020]

Great pics and comments bro. I like the BP Day-dates and have been thinking about a YG one. Yours looks great!

 

[Karlus]

The day font is very close to gen now. I have been thinking about snagging a few of these myself before you cant

 

[Nur-Uhr]

The day font is very close to gen now. I have been thinking about snagging a few of these myself before you cant

Thank you for the comment regarding the day font - highly appreciated.
I was unsure about this.

Date font is much better and not fat anymore.
So this is now fixed and when you compare with GEN 128238 pics, date font is now good.

 

[Seefeld]

Amazing pics and review, thank you very much.
And the result is that a daydate is now tempting me again.
I'd only change crystal, considering that a gen one is not so pricey and the difference in the mag would be big...but I also like it as it is now.
My only concern is always the same: the yellow gold. How long it's going to last?
Somehow in this forum most of the people says it's better to avoid a yellow gold one preferring the steel (which we know should imitate the platinum).... the truth is that once you have seen a gen platinum daydate, even if not in your hands, you know that the 904 stainless stell is a different world.
I have a friend I sometimes meet and his platinum daydate screams every time lights and opulence the stainless steel cannot definetly transmits. And I own two stainless steel gen rolex, I know the difference.
So probably the yellow gold (which actually I prefer, expecially with a leather strap) should be the right choice. If I only knew if it's going to loose colour or not.
So keep us updated please!

 

[StreetFighter]

I bought 3 of the GMF DD40's.. a YG, RG and WG (SS). I was so unimpressed that I didn't even take the stickers off any of them, they all went straight to M2M sales and all are now sold.

They felt very cheap to me, the bracelets are very lightweight even for SS and with sharp edges all over. The watches themselves were stunning looking though. If I hadn't been spoiled by some of the more recent super reps my expectations may not have been as high.

 

[StreetFighter]

The president bracelet feels a bit sharp and the weight is very light. Compared to an ARF Datejust is feels pretty "cheap"
The brushing and polished links look good. The 18K plating is also very perfect.

I bought 3 of the GMF DD40's.. a YG, RG and WG (SS). I was so unimpressed that I didn't even take the stickers off any of them, they all went straight to M2M sales and all are now sold.

They felt very cheap to me, the bracelets are very lightweight even for SS and with sharp edges all over. The watches themselves were stunning looking though. If I hadn't been spoiled by some of the more recent super reps my expectations may not have been as high.

My thoughts mirror your review. The rest of the watch and the plating are really good and the dials were superb and the look on the wrist is very gen like.

 

[RolexDayt]

Font is amazing! GMF did a great job on this but did you compare the color of the gold with a BP version? I’m really curious if there are and what the differences are.

 

[Nur-Uhr]

Font is amazing! GMF did a great job on this but did you compare the color of the gold with a BP version? I’m really curious if there are and what the differences are.

Yes, the watch itself is really nice.
I did not compate the color with a BP - my BP Day-Date is actual at my watchmaker, but can do that.

But please see the pics, I compared it with real GEN 18K solid gold links from the Two-Tone Submariner. As you can see, the gold color is really great.

 

[RolexDayt]

Yes, the watch itself is really nice.
I did not compate the color with a BP - my BP Day-Date is actual at my watchmaker, but can do that.

But please see the pics, I compared it with real GEN 18K solid gold links from the Two-Tone Submariner. As you can see, the gold color is really great.

I see. Very very good quality of GMF. But I’ve to say some pictures the gold the gen looks darker and some pictures vice versa.

But Ive zoomed in the 6th and 7th Last photo and on these pics I see it is very very close. Maybe I’ll go for a YG DD40 after chinese new year. Thanks for updates mate!

 

[Nur-Uhr]

You are welcome. The gold color (also of GEN solid gold 18K) can vary from light conditions and different angle of light / watch.

I have now also checked a real 118238 Day-Date for the weight of the watch (118238 =previuos reference model until 2020) and it has the weight of 170 gram
The GMF Rep as written and weigh on my scale has 114 gram
So a big difference of 56gram, of course caused of the solid gold of the GEN.

But on the wrist, this watch is amazing for this price.

 

[Nur-Uhr]

Hello members,

some impression of this watch. Now more than two weeks here and did some tests, just for interest.
Normally when I have a watch - they got a service and some works from watchmaker. And most of my rep watches are highly modded or Frankens or SuperFrankens.
This now - no modification.

As we have now a nice winter here with -2°C in sunny clear days up to -16°C in the late evening - I wore the watch a lot outside to check the feeling and if it is also running good in this condition.
And yes, it is. Also approx 1h in the snow and no problem. Water and washing with the watch, also okay. So most of the natural environment of such watch is covered

The movement is running really good. It has a time plus per day from approx. 15-20sec
But for a not regulated movement it is absolute okay. And I prefer to have it in the "plus" instead it is in the "minus" per day.

As already written in another post here in this thread, the look and feel is nice. When you disregard the missing weight to the GEN - it is a really nice REP to wear.

Regarding the bracelet: BP / GMF typically, they only have the minimum amount of links in the bracelet. For me it is ok (wrist size: 18,5cm ~ 7,3")
So if you have a wrist size of 7,3 or more = it would make sense to order some spare links !!!
Also after a creamy soap bath and some jewelry spray afterwards, the feeling is better and not so rattly as it came from factory

And here are now some pics in daylight:

 

[Hinclimincli]

Really good review, thanks a lot mate. The President is a watch I have always piqued my curiosity but I am not sure if I would really be comfortable wearing. To me, you have picked the quintaessential combination for that watch: yellow gold, champagne dial, baton markers.

We know BP's strenght lies on their dials, they usually punch above their weight, but that gets "compensated" with their bracelets, which are usually subpar (but can be improved with some easy work/cleaning), you got yourself a very very nice watch!

The only thing missing now is a cigar and a box of cannoli ;-P

 

[Peguine]

besides spending a cool 6k USD on a 18k aftermarket bracelet, any fantastical suggestions on getting the weight up?

Considering this table maybe tungsten (very hard to work with) can be used. or screw it just use uranium hahaha

 

[Hinclimincli]

If the factories charge a premium of $100 at least for an almost identical kind of steel, I don't want to even start to think how much they would charge for using tungsten for the bracelets. "Requires special tools and machinery. Weight 1:1 as per gen!" would be the intro line, surely...

 

[Nur-Uhr]

Tungsten would be great and the weight would be perfect. Also for a "white gold" model the tungsten would be good to use - cause the silver-white shine of machined Tungsten is than very close to white-gold.
There is also Tungsten jewelry available (rings, bracelets ...) - so it would be doable to make a bracelet for a watch.
But would the REP factories do this? I think the Day-Date is not this "high volume" model which sells like Sub or another model.

These Day-Date are really nice REP models. The weight is the big difference of course.

But older Day-Dates like a 18028 or 18238 - they are much more "lighter" in weight cause of their older "rattly" gold bracelets which were not so massive like the newer ones.
The REP'S for this models (only build by some guys cause of sourcing good parts) can be much more closer to the weight of a GEN

 

[Nur-Uhr]

Hello,

just some small updates:
Power reserve is very good. Typically 2836 movement.
Also the movement itself is now not running "so fast" as a few days back. It is still in the + for a few seconds a day, but all fine and as mentioned better than slow

Here are some comparsion pics.
First pics (day: Monday / date: 4) GEN 128238
Second pics (day: Thursday / date: 4) REP 128238 from GMF - these pics are from today. I made them very quickly, so the quality is not so good :-(

GEN 128238

REP 128238 (GMF)

 

[rek00001]

Beautiful watch, enjoy it. It truly is.

I just ordered a GMF DayDate, SS, blue dial, diamond hour markers from Watchfinder Tim.

I really wanted something smaller, (6.5" wrist), and a bit more fancy. I know the watch hasn't gotten stellar reviews, but I'm not that fussy. I just want to wear it and smile when I look at my wrist.

Your excellent review is giving me some joy in my anticipation, thanks!