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XF SD43 126600 - review & macros

YellowFin

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Here's a quick review of my XF 126600 received yesterday from Sead. QC was approved end of January, just too close to CNY to get it shipped. At first glance it's a really nice rep, better than the ARF SD43 out of the box in my opinion. Movement runs fine out of the box and keeps time, gained a second since yesterday.

Build quality is great, apart from scratches/dings on the lugs out of the box that I've not seen on other reps so far. Happens, I guess and it's going to be a beater anyway. The bracelet feel great, clasp as well including the quick adjustment. I immediately took out the obnoxious diving extension as many others with their SD43. Wears really comfy on the wrist now. Bezel rotation is spot on, case shape and crown guards look fine. The polished and brushed surfaces are also good at high magnification. SELs are somewhat uneven and too recessed for a 126600. Dial print is sharp, datewheel print as well. The dial is a little too black and misses that grey/coarse look in full sunlight - close but no cigar. You see the same issue as on the VSF crystals that a fully sharp picture of the datewheel font can't be taken due to the low optical quality of the cyclops. Hands and markers are finished OK with minor scratches here and there and tiny residuals from polishing/assembly on the hands. See minute hand and the 12 triangle in the macros. Bezel numbers are paint/plated evenly with no visible grinding marks, same as on my VSF Subs. The bezel insert and datewheel are aligned, rehaut as well with a similar alignment issue in the serial number as on the VSF 126610 where the last letters/numbers are a little off. Here are some pictures.


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p0pperini

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Great macros
You took the words right out of my mouth. :)

Shame about the dings/scratches to the lugs. And of course it’s the sort of thing that QC pics won’t help with - everything’s covered in plastic.
 
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mrsullivan

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Thank you, I was waiting for such an overview of the XF. Look great overall.

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Copterguy

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Nice looking watch. The flaws I noticed was that date wheel ink mess and rough minutes hand. Of course, I'd never see it without a macro. :p
 

m5smg2

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Great example and review with spectacular photos. Thanks!
 
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YellowFin

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Here are some more pictures of the rehaut alignment, engraving details. Also a comparison shot against gen regarding the rehaut angle that was claimed to be wrong in the XF126600 thread.


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mrsullivan

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It looks great, good job by XF here. It seems ARF has lost the SD43 crown.

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rcom440

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Looks great! I’m waiting for vsf/xf to release deep blue.
Im fine with wearing 47mm panerais so I think I should be also fine with deep blue. I never owned one.
 

SS72

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YellowFin thanks for the review, and your macros are always brilliant!

By the looks of things, a decent rep all round. Of course they'll never be perfect, or there'd be no need for a next release and it'd be boring.

I hate to draw your attention to it (or you may already have noticed), but the top of that 6 o'clock marker looks like it's slanted to the left, and the bottom of the 12 o'clock marker looks the same. I hope I'm wrong and it's just an angle illusion, as I thought crooked markers was purely a Noob specialty on older reps.
 

wonkycrown

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So guys, are we saying this is the one to buy now or wait for VSF? Thats's IF VSF make one. I'm just on the fence with these at the mo. Any chance of some wrist shots YellowFin for a more realistic perspective? Thanks!
 

rcom440

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So guys, are we saying this is the one to buy now or wait for VSF? Thats's IF VSF make one. I'm just on the fence with these at the mo. Any chance of some wrist shots YellowFin for a more realistic perspective? Thanks!

VSF and XF is same factory run by same people.
 

SS72

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So guys, are we saying this is the one to buy now or wait for VSF? Thats's IF VSF make one. I'm just on the fence with these at the mo. Any chance of some wrist shots YellowFin for a more realistic perspective? Thanks!

I've been hanging for a good replacement for my ARF SD43 because it has poor CG, sharp and incorrectly coloured dial markers and terrible SEL fitting. For me, this XF isn't worth buying unless I want to franken it with a gen dial, date wheel and crystal, or if they release a v2 with fixes.