ZF RM55, new super clone movement

[Stuart Pitt]

Best 055 replica so far, but rough looking painted ribs.
Keeping my milled rib v1 while I will wait for the next version.

 

[greenbeans]

Best 055 replica so far, but rough looking painted ribs.
Keeping my milled rib v1 while I will wait for the next version.

Yes agreed, especially as they make up such a big part of the aesthetics of this watch.

 

[MasterWatch]

Yas Marina is calling me... fuck I just got the BBR though

I want this as well but the rehaut and crown color still seems off. It should me more green ish. See the Font color on the case back for Yas that's the right color for the bezel.

Gen:


Rep:

 

[fletch512]

Best 055 replica so far, but rough looking painted ribs.
Keeping my milled rib v1 while I will wait for the next version.

My thoughts, as well. The ribs look completely painted (rather than an elevated part of the front bridge) and pretty grainy - almost like ZF is trying to create a more sparkly reflective appearance. The gen has milled, slightly brushed raised metal ribs that certainly shimmer, but can also appear dark when not in direct light. I believe the BBR RM055 has paint applied to raised (plastic?) ribs, but at least they try to imitate the brushed metal of the gen. I'm not the biggest fan of the print quality on the rehaut (Look at the splotchy Richard Mille at 12 o'clock).

All minor gripes, I'm sure you'll agree, and no one will call out your ZF at wrist distance as you're driving your Bentley to your private jet. Still, how much money is ZF really saving by powder coating the ribs like that?

 

[KRS3]

Just give me the grey boutique and im done

 

[Stuart Pitt]

If you download and view actual size the first two images in the thread, the ribs are raised and slight overspray is seen, they look too shallow to be milled.
The original isn't of one piece with the structure under the rehaut, because that is hard rubber to absorb shock.
I'll forgive that detail if it's essentially the same visually, which ZF did on the front.
I can't explain what they're going for at the rear attachment points, looks like they didn't even try.

 

[KRS3]

Just give me the grey ceramic

 

[GiantSquid]

I hope ZF can get the finishing up to the level of their v1, that was absolutely fantastically finished and the light playing over the ribs and hands was mesmerizing. BBR nailed the hands on the v3 finally but no one's yet made a (mass market) rep that lives up to the level of finishing of the original ZF imho. The new movement, if reliable and proven, with the finishing from the original would be a stunner.

 

[fletch512]

If you download and view actual size the first two images in the thread, the ribs are raised and slight overspray is seen, they look too shallow to be milled.
The original isn't of one piece with the structure under the rehaut, because that is hard rubber to absorb shock.
I'll forgive that detail if it's essentially the same visually, which ZF did on the front.
I can't explain what they're going for at the rear attachment points, looks like they didn't even try.

The ribs are certainly raised a bit on the ZF, but hard to tell whether the paint is applied on top of an actual raised rib, or whether the sparkly paint is just thickly coated on the front bridge. Below are two close-up, the first a gen 055 and the second the ZF rep. It's pretty clear the gen has a brushed metal rib while the gen has some sort of grainy sparkly paint, similar to what's applied on the watch hands. I guess it's too much work to mill or apply metal ribs on the rep (we know the rep industry isn't very good at keeping indices aligned, much less these small ribs), but the paint application will create a different kind of look and light reflection. Maybe better, may be worse, but the ZF movement took away the unnecessary bulk at 7 o'clock that was a tell on the BBR but then made some other alterations to the front and back which aren't consistent with the gen. As always, one step forward, one step back, and one step sideways.

 

[notyouravgwatchconsumer]

Just give me the grey boutique and im done

Fingers cross someone is working on it right now. It’s such a sick piece but with the mixture of materials might be a tough ask

 

[pleasebegentle:)]

This actually is a variation on the gen too. There are some (likely earlier) watches for 55, 61 that are using the S shaped spring.

you're right, this is a gen grey 55 available in my city

 

[seanizcool]

Wowowow once the white ceramic comes out, I'm in

 

[trtr]

Curious what everyone thinks about the side profile case shape.

 

[FrankUnderwood1]

Really hoping for an Asia Edition

 

[Cheesegrater]

I hope ZF can get the finishing up to the level of their v1, that was absolutely fantastically finished and the light playing over the ribs and hands was mesmerizing. BBR nailed the hands on the v3 finally but no one's yet made a (mass market) rep that lives up to the level of finishing of the original ZF imho. The new movement, if reliable and proven, with the finishing from the original would be a stunner.

You're sayiing ZF finishing on v1 is almost flawless? Which means unlike BBR, we may not have to wait for v2 or v3 on ZF?

 

[Bombardier]

I want all ti, white and blue ceramic

 

[GiantSquid]

You're sayiing ZF finishing on v1 is almost flawless? Which means unlike BBR, we may not have to wait for v2 or v3 on ZF?

I'm saying those original ZFs with the deco plates and Seiko movements were finished amazingly, but from the shots here it looks like this ZF with the cloned movement is not finished as well. I don't think it's painted on on either watch, just different levels of brushing and attention to detail. Whether or not ZF will up the finishing for this clone movement remains to be seen, but it would be a quick way to make an improvement for a v2.

 

[nobigdeal2010]

The ribs are certainly raised a bit on the ZF, but hard to tell whether the paint is applied on top of an actual raised rib, or whether the sparkly paint is just thickly coated on the front bridge. Below are two close-up, the first a gen 055 and the second the ZF rep. It's pretty clear the gen has a brushed metal rib while the gen has some sort of grainy sparkly paint, similar to what's applied on the watch hands. I guess it's too much work to mill or apply metal ribs on the rep (we know the rep industry isn't very good at keeping indices aligned, much less these small ribs), but the paint application will create a different kind of look and light reflection. Maybe better, may be worse, but the ZF movement took away the unnecessary bulk at 7 o'clock that was a tell on the BBR but then made some other alterations to the front and back which aren't consistent with the gen. As always, one step forward, one step back, and one step sideways.

Good observation. The problem with ZF painting the ribs and not milling them will be the reflection at certain angles. On the genuine movement, the milled ribs turn black and nearly match the bridge color at certain angles. I doubt the painted surface on the ZF ribs will do the same

 

[Stuart Pitt]

The original looks brushed with its parallel fine lines, so the less fine milled ZF v1 wouldn't really be accurate either.
It would be hard to paint with the precision seen, the pattern is random, so maybe laser etched?

 

[GiantSquid]

I've tried to paint stuff like that and even with pad printing the work shown here would be a gigantic pain in the ass to get right. I think they're both milled but the ZF clone isn't brushed as finely. The BBR v3 has the correctly finished hands but the bridges are also roughly finished. It's one of those things that you don't ever notice except in real life and once you do you can't unsee it. I still have my OG ZF non-clone because the finishing is that good.