Hello all and happy new year! I thought I'd throw a quick comparison together in the hope that it would be helpful to relative newbies like myself, who might be grappling with the question of going homage or rep. Part of what prevented me from getting in the rep game sooner is that I had what's considered a high-end submariner homage, and so what was the point of risking it with a rep assembled who knows where and with no warranty. I'm sure a lot of folks feel this way, but I can confidently say that taking the plunge was the right choice. Now, obviously, these are just two watches in one specific style (sub) in a direct comparison, and this doesn't account for other homage brands (Squale, Ginault, etc) and other rep factories. I am merely sharing some thoughts on two examples of one of the most popular watch styles around in case there are others out there on the fence, like I was. They are the VSF 116610 LV with VS3135, which can be had for around 450USD at a TD, and the Steinhart Ocean 39 Double-green ceramic with SW200 Elaboré Premium, which can be had for 495EUR pre-tax from Steinhart.
Note that I'm not judging these based on their similarity to the gen Rolex Hulk submariner, as the rep clearly wins that battle given its attempt at being an exact copy. Rather, I'm attempting to judge them as standalone watches, and comparing them solely to each other. This is a quick comparison that's mostly about overall impressions, so please don't flay me for not taking the pictures at the exact angles you wanted or whatever. Happy to expand on any points if folks have questions. Pics at the bottom.
First and overall impressions: First thing to note is that the VSF is heavier than the Steinhart (partly owing to the maxi case I assume) and appears to be more solidly built. The bracelet feels more rattly on the Steinhart. Both these are hulk submariner-style watches, but the green on the insert and dial seem lighter on the VSF. Steinhart has fatter hands and smaller markers, which looks a little bit unbalanced in my opinion. The bezel action is much cleaner on the VSF, with the Steinhart being a real pain in the ass to turn. It's loosened up a bit over time, but when I first got it you had to really use force to turn it.
Case: I prefer the maxi-style case, but that's just a question of personal preference. The Steinhart is more like a five-digit R sub. Both cases are quite well-finished, with fine brushing and mirror-polish surfaces. The Steinhart crown guards look a little bit small and silly to me, with the VSF having more substantial ones. I also prefer the VSF's SELs, which are slightly recessed and seem to fit better in the case than he Steinhart's, which sit flush with the lugs and even seem to protrude up a little bit in spots.
Bracelet: As mentioned, the Steinhart bracelet feels a bit rattly to me, though I do like the SEL with the inverted midlink, which allows it to sit better on wrist in my opinion. The clasp is perfectly fine, nothing to write home about, and only four micro-adjusts. The VSF bracelet feels much nicer, and you really can't beat a working glidelock, even if it's a little bit stiff. Both have screw pins and a nice taper.
Bezel & insert: While both inserts are slightly conical, the VSF's is much flatter, while the Steinhart's is more noticeably conical, which changes the look completely. The bezel teeth are finer and better finished on the VSF while protruding out more on the Steinhart. The color of the Steinhart's insert is a darker green that even seems to have notes of blue, depending on the light. The numerals are larger and filled in with white paint on the Steinhart, which makes them look brighter and much more prominent, which is a matter of taste. The VSF has finer numerals with metallic infill (to emulate the platinum fill of the R sub) which are more subtle and change with the light. Instead of a pearl, the Steinhart has a luminous triangle pip, which I prefer, as it blends more seamlessly into the insert. Both are shiny, though the VSF's seems to reflect light more.
Crystal: This is one of the big problems with the Steinhart. The cyclops is truly pathetic. It looks like they barely even tried, as it hardly magnifies the date at all and makes an otherwise solid watch look like a Canal St shitter. The VSF crystal is much nicer, with 2.5x mag and a nice black hole effect. As with R sub, no anti-reflective coating on the rest of the crystal, while the Steinhart has AR throughout.
Dial & hands: As mentioned the markers are much more prominent on the VSF, while smaller and with thicker surrounds on the Steinhart, which I don't personally like. On the Steinhart, the hands are fatter and seem overbearing, particularly the minute hand, while the lollipop on the second hand is the same size. Just looks weird. The VSF blows the Steinhart out of the water on a lume head-to-head, with more, brighter, and longer-lasting lume, though the Steinhart's certainly isn't the worst I've seen. As far as dial color and finish, though, I have to give it to Steinhart. It has cleaner transitions between different light profiles and a stunning forest green hue. It never gets the laser-like reflections that the VSF dial does in bright light.
Movement: This was a big thing for me when thinking about going rep, as I was afraid of getting a visually beautiful watch with a shit movement. In hand, however, I can say that the VS3135 and SW200 movements feel pretty equivalent to me. The winding on both is very smooth, and I haven't had any issues with the rep movement (though I know others have, and the SW200 is undoubtedly a cleaner and better-assembled movement). The Steinhart keeps better time, running in COSC specs even though it's not certified, while the VSF loses about 8 seconds a day. I'm sure that if the VS3135 was serviced, I could get it running about even.
Water resistance: Another big point for would-be rep owners, why get a rep dive watch that you can't even get wet. The Steinhart is rated to 30bar, and I've swam with it plenty with no problems. That said, I've also been swimming quite a bit with the VSF and I've had no problems at all. I read in one of the threads that someone got it tested to 20bar and it passed. It seems like in most conditions the VSF will be just fine, but of course that's not guaranteed. If you want to actually be doing watersports or diving, I'd opt for the Steinhart.
Final thoughts: Having had both for a little bit now, I can say that I don't see a compelling reason to get this homage instead of just going rep. It feels more solid, better finished, and no less resistant to the elements. Some of my preference is aesthetic, such as with the dial and the maxi case, but I can at the very least say that getting a VSF sub shouldn't be cause for concern for other jittery newbies, and it is really a great watch.
Note that I'm not judging these based on their similarity to the gen Rolex Hulk submariner, as the rep clearly wins that battle given its attempt at being an exact copy. Rather, I'm attempting to judge them as standalone watches, and comparing them solely to each other. This is a quick comparison that's mostly about overall impressions, so please don't flay me for not taking the pictures at the exact angles you wanted or whatever. Happy to expand on any points if folks have questions. Pics at the bottom.
First and overall impressions: First thing to note is that the VSF is heavier than the Steinhart (partly owing to the maxi case I assume) and appears to be more solidly built. The bracelet feels more rattly on the Steinhart. Both these are hulk submariner-style watches, but the green on the insert and dial seem lighter on the VSF. Steinhart has fatter hands and smaller markers, which looks a little bit unbalanced in my opinion. The bezel action is much cleaner on the VSF, with the Steinhart being a real pain in the ass to turn. It's loosened up a bit over time, but when I first got it you had to really use force to turn it.
Case: I prefer the maxi-style case, but that's just a question of personal preference. The Steinhart is more like a five-digit R sub. Both cases are quite well-finished, with fine brushing and mirror-polish surfaces. The Steinhart crown guards look a little bit small and silly to me, with the VSF having more substantial ones. I also prefer the VSF's SELs, which are slightly recessed and seem to fit better in the case than he Steinhart's, which sit flush with the lugs and even seem to protrude up a little bit in spots.
Bracelet: As mentioned, the Steinhart bracelet feels a bit rattly to me, though I do like the SEL with the inverted midlink, which allows it to sit better on wrist in my opinion. The clasp is perfectly fine, nothing to write home about, and only four micro-adjusts. The VSF bracelet feels much nicer, and you really can't beat a working glidelock, even if it's a little bit stiff. Both have screw pins and a nice taper.
Bezel & insert: While both inserts are slightly conical, the VSF's is much flatter, while the Steinhart's is more noticeably conical, which changes the look completely. The bezel teeth are finer and better finished on the VSF while protruding out more on the Steinhart. The color of the Steinhart's insert is a darker green that even seems to have notes of blue, depending on the light. The numerals are larger and filled in with white paint on the Steinhart, which makes them look brighter and much more prominent, which is a matter of taste. The VSF has finer numerals with metallic infill (to emulate the platinum fill of the R sub) which are more subtle and change with the light. Instead of a pearl, the Steinhart has a luminous triangle pip, which I prefer, as it blends more seamlessly into the insert. Both are shiny, though the VSF's seems to reflect light more.
Crystal: This is one of the big problems with the Steinhart. The cyclops is truly pathetic. It looks like they barely even tried, as it hardly magnifies the date at all and makes an otherwise solid watch look like a Canal St shitter. The VSF crystal is much nicer, with 2.5x mag and a nice black hole effect. As with R sub, no anti-reflective coating on the rest of the crystal, while the Steinhart has AR throughout.
Dial & hands: As mentioned the markers are much more prominent on the VSF, while smaller and with thicker surrounds on the Steinhart, which I don't personally like. On the Steinhart, the hands are fatter and seem overbearing, particularly the minute hand, while the lollipop on the second hand is the same size. Just looks weird. The VSF blows the Steinhart out of the water on a lume head-to-head, with more, brighter, and longer-lasting lume, though the Steinhart's certainly isn't the worst I've seen. As far as dial color and finish, though, I have to give it to Steinhart. It has cleaner transitions between different light profiles and a stunning forest green hue. It never gets the laser-like reflections that the VSF dial does in bright light.
Movement: This was a big thing for me when thinking about going rep, as I was afraid of getting a visually beautiful watch with a shit movement. In hand, however, I can say that the VS3135 and SW200 movements feel pretty equivalent to me. The winding on both is very smooth, and I haven't had any issues with the rep movement (though I know others have, and the SW200 is undoubtedly a cleaner and better-assembled movement). The Steinhart keeps better time, running in COSC specs even though it's not certified, while the VSF loses about 8 seconds a day. I'm sure that if the VS3135 was serviced, I could get it running about even.
Water resistance: Another big point for would-be rep owners, why get a rep dive watch that you can't even get wet. The Steinhart is rated to 30bar, and I've swam with it plenty with no problems. That said, I've also been swimming quite a bit with the VSF and I've had no problems at all. I read in one of the threads that someone got it tested to 20bar and it passed. It seems like in most conditions the VSF will be just fine, but of course that's not guaranteed. If you want to actually be doing watersports or diving, I'd opt for the Steinhart.
Final thoughts: Having had both for a little bit now, I can say that I don't see a compelling reason to get this homage instead of just going rep. It feels more solid, better finished, and no less resistant to the elements. Some of my preference is aesthetic, such as with the dial and the maxi case, but I can at the very least say that getting a VSF sub shouldn't be cause for concern for other jittery newbies, and it is really a great watch.
