Is the Rolex Yacht-Master a very popular Rolex collection? In my impression, the last really popular Rolex Yacht-Master was probably the traditional 116680. The 42mm white gold Yacht-Master 226659 can also be considered one of the more popular models in recent years.
In the replica watch market, apart from the 116680, high-quality replicas can be found for almost all of the other Yacht-Master models.
At present, the main factories producing Rolex Yacht-Master replicas are VS, QF, and ER. VS has been producing them for quite some time, while QF and ER can now equip their Yacht-Master models with free-sprung 3235 movements. Unlike the so-called fake free-sprung design used by VS, QF’s free-sprung movement has balance weights.
VS has now upgraded this rose gold Yacht-Master to the V2 version. In fact, the main change is simply an increase in weight. Tungsten steel material has been added mainly inside the case, bringing the total weight of the watch to 129.7 grams.
Curved steel inserts have also been placed inside the rubber strap. The strap itself is a high-quality type that does not easily attract dust, and it is quite expensive even if you buy it separately. After adding the steel inserts, the strap feels like it fits the wrist better and is more comfortable to wear.
VS previously made two upgrades to another Yacht-Master model, the 226659, which has now reached the V3 version. The V2 version weighed more than 130 grams, while the V3 version weighs more than 140 grams. I do not know whether VS will continue increasing the weight of this rose gold Yacht-Master in the future and eventually release a V3 version.
This Rolex Yacht-Master is equipped with VS DD3235 movement, and there are both regulated and free-sprung versions available.
For a watch with a closed caseback like this, I personally feel that choosing a free-sprung movement does not have much meaning. If the watch develops a larger timekeeping error in the future, adjusting a free-sprung movement can also be more troublesome, especially in the case of VS fake free-sprung movement.
Since around 2019, the replica watch industry began seriously developing its own movements.
When it comes to so-called super clone movements, DD’s earliest modified 8900 movement and Panerai P.9000 movement were mainly developed by combining and heavily modifying existing 2824 and 7750 movement architectures.
This actually makes some sense, because the genuine Omega 8900 itself shows certain similarities to the 2824 and 2892 architecture, while the P.9000 was also independently developed with some design ideas related to the 7750.
Because of this, DD can be considered one of the industry leaders in replica watch movements field.
Later, the old SH movement factory, also known as MZ, was invited by AR Factory to develop a Rolex 3135 movement.
That movement was honestly pretty disappointing.
At the same time, VS had DD develop its own DD3135 movement, and the DD3135 completely destroyed the old SH version in comparison.
DD3135
More importantly, it was one of the earliest clone movements that allowed genuine movement components to be directly swapped onto it.
For example, you could install genuine parts such as balance bridge, escape wheel, pallet fork, main plate directly onto the DD3135.
At the time, this was an almost legendary-level movement in the replica watch market.
After that, DD continued pushing forward and produced many impressive movements.
These included the DD4130, which became famous worldwide among overseas buyers.
DD4130
Watch collectors were crazy about this movement.
Although, to be fair, I do not think this was entirely because DD itself was so incredible. A large part of the reason was that Rolex’s original 4130 design was simply excellent.
Then came the DD925 used in Jaeger-LeCoultre.
The early version of this movement was actually quite poor, and DD spent nearly three years gradually improving it before it became reasonably good.
The DD324 movement also took almost two years of optimization.
Later, DD developed movements including: 3235, 3285, 3230, 4131, RMUL, 4302, 4401, 8800, 69385, 330 and others.
As of now, these are basically the super clone movements that DD has developed.
Things Changed
Although DD has definitely brought many interesting movements to replica watches and to watch enthusiasts like me, I personally feel that something started to change beginning around the 4302.
Why?
I want to talk about several points.
Development of New Movements Has Slowed Down
Back when Clean was still heavily involved in Rolex, they also had plans to expand into brands such as AP and Patek Philippe.
So the DD 4302 and 4401 movements we see today were, to some extent, also influenced by Clean’s involvement and investment.
However, when it comes to Patek Philippe movements, we have not really seen much progress.
At the moment, the main fully clone movement we can see is the 330.
Other projects, such as additional 324-based modules and the previously discussed CH-520 movement, have shown almost no progress.
There has been no meaningful news for a long time.
DD Has Become Lazy With Free-Sprung Movements
Starting with the 4302, DD began playing games with fake free-sprung systems.
For its AP clone movements, DD did not use a genuine weighted free-sprung balance wheel.
Instead, they created a lotus-shaped balance wheel and then hid a regulating stud underneath the bridge to make it look as though the movement were truly free-sprung.
From a consumer’s perspective, I honestly find this pretty disgusting.
Recently, DD has continued doing the same thing with movements such as the 3235 and 4131.
These so-called free-sprung versions are basically achieved by hiding the regulating stud and changing the appearance of the regulation system.
Visually, they may look more similar to the genuine movement.
But in reality, the balance wheel still does not have proper regulating weights.
And somehow, these movements are actually more expensive.
The even more ridiculous part is that most of these movements are used inside watches with closed casebacks.
Only a small number of newer Daytona models have transparent casebacks.
And on those transparent-caseback models, the lack of proper balance weights is still visible.
If you understand movement regulation systems, you can still see the flaw in DD’s fake free-sprung design.
If you do not understand movement regulation systems, then there is no real reason for you to pay extra for this fake free-sprung version anyway.
So in my opinion, the whole thing feels somewhat pointless.
Movement Quality Has Been Downgraded
On DD’s 32-series movements, the calendar retaining system was changed from the earlier special retaining screw plate to a much simpler slotted screw plate.
Functionally, there is not a massive difference.
But visually, it is obviously rougher.
The reason is simple: it is easier to manufacture.
Some of the later gear-train bridge shock-protection components also appear to have been slightly simplified.
I genuinely do not understand what DD gains from cutting corners like this.
Then there is the DD 8800.
That movement is even more obvious.
It is basically a heavily modified 2824 hybrid.
Forget about the genuine Omega co-axial escapement technology.
Even the positions of the gear train are significantly different from the genuine movement.
Everything I have described above is based on actual observable facts.
Conclusion
DD’s so-called free-sprung movements are not all genuinely free-sprung.
When choosing a replica watch, do not blindly buy something simply because it uses a DD movement.
And do not let the words “DD movement” become the main reason you choose one replica watch over another.
Yes, DD movements can be stable.
But that does not mean only DD movements are stable.
A replica watch is not just about the movement.
The most important thing is still the overall accuracy of the watch’s appearance compared with the genuine version.
When evaluating movement accuracy, the more relevant things to look at are mainly the finishing and the regulation system.
In the future, there will probably be fewer and fewer genuinely good new replica watch releases.
I hope everyone can make more objective and more suitable choices when selecting a replica watch.
I don’t understand why VS is making these so-called free-sprung movements. If it were a genuinely free-sprung movement, that would be one thing, but the factory has even released a fake free-sprung version. What is the point of that?
The fake version does nothing more than hide the regulator arm so that the movement looks free-sprung visually. That feels misleading to consumers. And on top of that, it costs several hundred more than the previous version. It really feels like the factory is playing games with buyers and squeezing more money out of them.
Because the factory’s next step may simply be to add regulating weights to the balance wheel. If they could have done that from the beginning but deliberately split the upgrade into several stages, then what else would you call it besides milking the market?
Some time ago, VS released a free-sprung version of the 3235 movement, which was first used in the titanium Yacht-Master. This time, the factory has introduced two Daytona models with free-sprung 4131 movements. One is the latest Daytona with the white enamel dial, and the other is the white-dial 126500 Panda Daytona.
Of these two Daytonas, the former has an exhibition caseback, while the latter has a closed caseback. If someone really understands movements, they will immediately notice the difference around the balance wheel, because there are no regulating weights on it.
As for watches with closed casebacks, I have always felt that whether the movement is free-sprung or not really does not matter that much.
Facing competition from factories such as QF and Rich, was VS simply not fully prepared, or did it deliberately choose a different path?
We know that the free-sprung movements used by QF, Rich, and some other factories have balance wheels fitted with regulating weights. Visually, they can be said to look almost identical to the genuine movement.
But the movement from VS is in a somewhat awkward position. The factory calls it a free-sprung movement, but visually there is still a clear difference compared with the 4131 movements from QF and those other factories.
Perhaps when facing competition from QF and others, VS was simply too eager to keep up with their pace this time. Maybe VS felt that during this wave of free-sprung movements, having something was still better than having nothing at all.
Last time, I introduced a very unique Bell & Ross watch, the BR-03 ASTRO. The design of that watch was indeed very impressive. Today, I am bringing you another Bell & Ross replica made by M+ Factory. It is the BR-03 Helipad. As you can see, there is a helicopter on the dial, which looks very impressive.
This square-shaped watch brand has really brought us quite a few interesting designs recently, but in the replica watch market, very few people buy Bell & Ross watches. When I first entered this industry, Bell & Ross did not have so many unusual and bold designs, but more people bought them at that time. It seems that people who like this kind of design are still a minority. There are many Bell & Ross replicas in the market, but most of them are only of average quality. Very few factories make super clone Bell & Ross watches. Even M+ Factory has only made a small number of Bell & Ross models.
M+ Factory claims that this watch uses a black ceramic case, the same as the genuine watch. However, I have not tested the material myself. The watch still feels quite heavy in the hand, and it does feel like ceramic, but some people previously questioned whether the BR-03 ASTRO released by M+ really used genuine ceramic. The entire black ceramic case has a matte finish, and the texture feels very good.
The dial is the biggest highlight of this watch. The entire dial design is inspired by a helipad and a helicopter. You cannot see the normal hour hand, minute hand, and second hand found on an ordinary watch. So how do you read the time? On the yellow circle on the dial, you can see a square-shaped marker, which indicates the hour. The nose of the helicopter points to the minutes, while the rotating rotor blades simulate the movement of the second hand. Do you like this way of reading the time?
The watch comes with a yellow banana-style strap, which matches the yellow color on the dial very well. At the same time, the factory also includes an additional fabric strap.
I didn’t expect VS Factory to continue releasing new Panerai replica. When VS discounted its Panerai inventory last time, I thought they probably would not release any more new models in the future. But just a few days ago, they released this PAM 1698.
This watch looks pretty much the same as the carbon-fiber Submersible models Panerai released over the past couple of years, with almost no real innovation. Maybe this is also one of the reasons Panerai has become much less popular in recent years. We simply haven’t seen many new models that are truly attractive or exciting.
Panerai used to be a fairly important part of VS Factory’s business, and their Panerai replicas sold very well in the past. But sales have dropped dramatically in recent years. I actually think VS should consider outsourcing its Panerai business to another factory or production team. After all, VS is now mainly focused on Rolex. If they outsourced the Panerai production, they could put more resources into developing their Rolex lineup and strengthening their position in this market.
Especially now that we have entered the era of free-sprung movements, other factories are becoming stronger and stronger in this area. In comparison, although VS used to have a very obvious advantage when it came to clone movements, its recent progress in free-sprung movements has not been as aggressive as I expected.
VS Factory has actually released quite a few carbon-fiber Submersible models before, including the PAM 1324, PAM 2231, PAM 961, and several others.
This green PAM 1698 comes with a 44mm carbon-fiber case, and the overall thickness is around 15mm. It has a strong military-inspired look, mainly because of the green color scheme.
The dial has a very high level of visual accuracy. The green surface has a slightly grainy texture and a noticeable gradient effect, with black around the outer edge that gradually transitions into green toward the center.
At 9 o’clock, the small seconds subdial features a white seconds hand, with an anchor logo printed underneath. The depth of the date window and the thickness of the date font are also carefully replicated to match the genuine watch.
The green nylon strap matches the dial very well and completes the overall military-style appearance.
This watch is equipped with the super clone P.900 movement. Sometimes I wonder about something: this movement has already been available for quite a long time, and other factories should also be able to get access to it now. So why don’t more factories make Panerai replicas?
Sonic has been around for several years, but it is still not widely known today. In its early days, it mainly gained attention through customized Richard Mille replica watches.
To talk about Sonic, we probably need to go back four or five years. At that time, there were not many major factories producing Richard Mille replicas, and ZF Factory’s RM 35-02 was generally considered the best option on the market.
The emergence of Sonic made the larger factories realize that producing replica Richard Mille watches could generate very high profits, because a customized Richard Mille from Sonic was extremely expensive at the time. This encouraged ZF to keep improving its RM 35-02 and was also one of the main reasons why factories such as BBR and APS later entered the competition. The potential profit was simply too attractive to ignore.
It can be said that Sonic, as a customization workshop, played a pioneering role in driving the continuous development and improvement of Richard Mille replicas.
Now, let’s return to this watch. Sonic previously produced several similar customized Daytona models inspired by DiW and Blaken, but this particular version features a Ferrari-themed design. Regardless of how closely this replica resembles the genuine watch, one thing that can be said with confidence is that its overall quality is quite good.
In the past, when buying a replica watch, I believe most people had the same concern: how long would it last before something went wrong? Today, however, the quality of high-end replicas has improved considerably, and many of them can operate reliably for several years. Of course, I am not encouraging anyone to purchase replica watches. This is simply an honest observation about the current quality of the market.
The entire watch incorporates a large number of Ferrari-inspired design elements. Unless you particularly like this style, it probably would not be your first choice for everyday wear. The case is made entirely from carbon fiber, giving it a distinctive texture. Interestingly, the patterns on the case and bezel are different. To be honest, I am not particularly fond of the texture on the case, and I am not sure exactly how the manufacturer created or treated it. The case thickness, however, is claimed to be consistent with that of the genuine watch.
The subdials on the dial take inspiration from the instrument cluster of a Ferrari sports car. The yellow subdial at 6 o’clock is especially eye-catching and features a small red seconds hand. The two subdials positioned at 3 and 9 o’clock are slightly larger and are used to display the chronograph minutes and hours.
This replica Daytona is equipped with one of the best clone 4130 movement. Through the crystal back, we can see the movement with genuine-like Rolex 4130 decoration. The watch will look better if DiW has used Ferrari car’s elements on the movement rotor.
The WS Factory Nautilus 5712 has been on the market for several weeks now. The factory has made some very bold claims about it, calling it the best Nautilus 5712 currently available. However, when compared with a 5712 modified with a SW dial, there are still some noticeable differences. Therefore, it cannot really be considered the best version on the market. Today, I am going to make a detailed comparison between them.
The left is Nautilus 5712 from WS Factory, the right one is a SW dial.Compared with the dial used on PPF Nautilus 5712, WS dial’s color looks lighter and closer to that of the SW dial.
However, when the two are compared side by side, the SW dial still has the better color. It features a more accurate light grayish-blue tone. The outer edge of the SW dial is dark gray, and the color gradually becomes lighter toward the center, creating a clear gradient effect.
The central hands and the two smaller hands all appear to have solid center pinions, but in fact, only the caps on the hands are solid.
But the moon phase background’s light blue color is too bright, the star is too big.
The lugs do have eagle-beak profile, which has a better shape than the Nautilus 5712 from PPF.
The lug shape comparison between WS and PPF. The right one is the case of PPF 5712
The case back is not screw-down, it needs to be opened with a professional tool. By comparison, the PPF version uses a screw-down case back.
Left one is 240 movement from WS Factory, the right one is the well-known ACE 240.
It looks like the WS 240 movement has a brighter and better decoration on the movement plates.
Movement engravings: WS 240 vs ACE 240
Compare the movement engravings. The color looks different. WS 240 movement engravings looks golden. The ACE 240 features thicker engravings.
Did Panerai really produce these wall clocks? I was quite curious about this, especially since they actually look very attractive.
After doing some research, I found that Panerai did indeed release this type of wooden wall clock in 2003. You may also see similar clocks hanging on the walls when visiting certain Panerai boutiques.
In the replica watch market, round Rolex wall clocks are much more common. These square Panerai clocks are relatively rare. They were easier to find many years ago, but today they have almost disappeared from the market. However, you may still be able to find one if you ask around at larger watch markets. The square Panerai wall clocks shown below feature some truly classic designs.
However, anyone interested in one of them should pay attention to its dimensions. The clock measures approximately 25 cm wide, 30.6 cm high, and 2.5 cm thick. Although the clock itself is not particularly large, its outer packaging box is quite bulky, so international shipping will not be cheap.
Free-sprung movements are becoming increasingly popular. The next two years will likely be one of the most important periods for major factories to compete for dominance in the super clone Rolex market. The emergence and rapid rise of free-sprung movements have weakened the advantages once enjoyed by the established factories that previously controlled a large share of the replica Rolex market.
Although some major factories, such as VS, have also begun releasing free-sprung movements, I still feel that its versions are somewhat unconvincing. For example, the free-sprung 3235 movement it released recently does not have regulating weights on the balance wheel, which makes it feel less like a genuine free-sprung movement.
By comparison, the JH3235 free-sprung movement used by QF does have regulating weights on the balance wheel. However, most customers are unlikely to adjust those weights themselves because specialized tools and professional skills are required. This means that, regardless of which free-sprung 3235 version is used, the movement’s accuracy will most likely still be adjusted through the regulating stud located above the balance wheel.
I previously introduced the titanium Yacht-Master from VS Factory. It was the first Rolex replica from VS to feature a free-sprung movement. I believe VS will gradually release more models equipped with free-sprung movements, and the next one could possibly be a Daytona powered by a free-sprung 4131 movement.
Following the launch of the titanium Yacht-Master, VS Factory has now begun using the free-sprung 3235 movement across a wide range of its Datejust models. Today, I am going to introduce one of its flagship models: the grey-dial Datejust fitted with a Jubilee bracelet.
I really like this Datejust, and it is also an important model for judging a factory’s overall manufacturing capabilities. The brushed sunburst finish pairs beautifully with the gray dial. The brushing has been applied with just the right intensity, allowing the sunburst pattern to remain clearly visible. Some factories make this finish too fine and delicate, which is not necessarily a good thing. Under direct sunlight, the dial shows subtle variations when viewed from different angles. This dynamic light-reflecting effect complements the strong reflections produced by VS Factory’s improved fluted bezel perfectly.
As I mentioned before, VS Factory is gradually improving one particular detail of the hands across its Rolex models, making them appear more three-dimensional and better defined.
This free-sprung 3235 movement was modified from VS Factory’s DD3235. No major changes were made, the main difference is that the unnecessary regulator post above the balance wheel has been removed. This modification has not affected the movement’s stability. The free-sprung 3235 also retains a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Recently, the price of tungsten-based raw materials has increased sharply – roughly doubled in some cases. I mentioned this in my previous posts, so it is very likely that weighted watch models will become more expensive going forward.
RC and QF have already raised their prices. VS will almost certainly follow, and CBD is also expected to increase prices in July. Just giving everyone an early heads-up.
There is another point that many buyers misunderstand: some people hear the word “weighted” and immediately assume that a weighted watch is unsafe. Let me explain this clearly.
The tungsten material used inside a properly made weighted watch is not normally exposed to the skin during regular wear. As long as the watch remains intact and is not taken apart, repaired improperly, or damaged, you will not even come into contact with the tungsten core. The outer surface is typically stainless steel – the same type of material used on ordinary steel watches.
That is why many weighted models can still be gold-plated or gold-wrapped. VS and QF, for example, generally have no issue with this. CBD and RC may require more care because their outer steel layer can be thinner, but the basic construction itself is not inherently unsafe.
So where did the concern about “toxic weighted cases” come from?
It mainly came from some early ARF weighted cases, as well as certain unknown workshop-made weighted cases on the market. At that time, the external finishing could look quite refined, but tungsten processing technology was less mature. Some makers used a rough tungsten core and covered it with a nickel coating.
The problem was not simply the presence of tungsten. The issue was the quality and durability of the coating. When the nickel layer deteriorated, reacted with sweat, moisture, or other metals, and began to corrode, it could produce visible pitting and surface damage on the caseback.
You can clearly see this kind of damage on some old casebacks: large areas of pitting, corrosion marks, and damaged surface layers. In those cases, prolonged skin contact with degraded nickel-containing coatings could potentially cause irritation or allergic reactions, especially for people with sensitive skin. This is the real source of the negative reputation surrounding early weighted cases.
These problematic cases were usually from unknown workshops, or from older weighted watches that had peeling surfaces and were later re-plated by random gold-plating shops. Some earlier large-factory weighted cases also used similar construction methods, including ARF and another factory name that I cannot remember at the moment. I will add it later when I recall it.
To summarize: weighted watches from factories such as GM, GS, QF, VS,Gold V4, CBD, PPM, RC, and others generally use a tungsten core covered by a stainless-steel outer layer. The basic principle is similar across the market.
The difference is mainly in cost and material proportion. Some watches use a thicker steel layer and slightly less tungsten, so they are lighter. Others use more tungsten with a thinner steel layer, making them heavier. But as long as the case construction and outer steel layer are properly made, these weighted watches are generally safe for normal wear.
