The good news is that there are some decent 4500V reps at different price points. The bad news is that they each come with some inconsistent and problematic quality control. I'm creating this post hoping to make a quick reference for what we've seen thus far as QC issues from the factories. This will focus on the 8F version and the ZF version. This is mainly because the 8F and TWF versions are at comparable price points and when 8F is hitting the right spots, it's a better rep than TWF. Please share any QC things to keep an eye on that I may have missed. I've owned both 8F and ZF watches now and I have to say that IMO the ZF is the better watch, albeit with a heftier price tag.
8F Common issues:
-The dial cross can be poorly defined and "blobby". 8F is able to deliver watches with crisp, well-defined dial crosses, so if this is a sticking point for you, be aware of it
-The dial cross can be poorly centered relative to the 12 marker
-The case shape is inconsistent. There are some very rounded cases that 8F delivers that balloon out much more than the gen. They have delivered samples with good case shapes. The unfortunate thing is that often the fat case samples have good crosses, while the good cases have blobby crosses.
-Bracelet can have incorrect hallmarks stating Au750 instead of Stainless Steel. They can deliver bracelets with the correct hallmarks, and have.
ZF Common issues:
-The dials are often rotated counter clockwise a few degrees from straight. You can check your dial by looking at the indices relative to the bezel and making sure that everything is even and spaced correctly. You can also check relative to the crown, but sometimes perspective can make the crown not look properly centered relative to the indices. Of course, the first technique only works if the bezel is straight, which brings me to....
-There have been several examples with crooked bezels. This would be a tricky thing to fix on your own. Check for this by looking at where the bracelet attached to the watch relative to the opening on the bezel cross. The bracelet attachment should be evenly centered in the opening on the bezel cross
-The dial cross can be crooked or off-center
-The position of the date in the date window can be off center, too high, or too low
Again, both of these factories can and have delivered great watches, just know what to look for. If anyone has anything else to add, please do!
8F Common issues:
-The dial cross can be poorly defined and "blobby". 8F is able to deliver watches with crisp, well-defined dial crosses, so if this is a sticking point for you, be aware of it
-The dial cross can be poorly centered relative to the 12 marker
-The case shape is inconsistent. There are some very rounded cases that 8F delivers that balloon out much more than the gen. They have delivered samples with good case shapes. The unfortunate thing is that often the fat case samples have good crosses, while the good cases have blobby crosses.
-Bracelet can have incorrect hallmarks stating Au750 instead of Stainless Steel. They can deliver bracelets with the correct hallmarks, and have.
ZF Common issues:
-The dials are often rotated counter clockwise a few degrees from straight. You can check your dial by looking at the indices relative to the bezel and making sure that everything is even and spaced correctly. You can also check relative to the crown, but sometimes perspective can make the crown not look properly centered relative to the indices. Of course, the first technique only works if the bezel is straight, which brings me to....
-There have been several examples with crooked bezels. This would be a tricky thing to fix on your own. Check for this by looking at where the bracelet attached to the watch relative to the opening on the bezel cross. The bracelet attachment should be evenly centered in the opening on the bezel cross
-The dial cross can be crooked or off-center
-The position of the date in the date window can be off center, too high, or too low
Again, both of these factories can and have delivered great watches, just know what to look for. If anyone has anything else to add, please do!
