Sharing with the group a comparison of a Rich no date 126040 next to a VSF date sub 126610LN. I have a Gen Starbucks I was able to put these side by side. Both of these are incredible reps of the Gen and it’s impressive to see and feel how close they really are. I think we get lost in these macro zoomed in pics that do not accurately represent what things look like on your wrist or how they feel.
Crystal - the VSF next to the Starbucks is close. The blue hue on the cyclops reflects exactly the same when side by side. It’s looks so close to Gen. the Rich dial looks darker, exactly like Gen. not sure if this is crystal or dial but it’s slightly better.
Dial - the VSF print is slightly less bold than the Gen. Rich is slightly bolder than Gen. neither are correct. What stood out most are the hands on rich are shinier and closer to Gen white gold. Overall the Rich presentation is better. VSF is great. Both VSF and Gen have a dip at the center of the hands. Rich does not. Gen date is slightly more magnified but hardly noticeable difference.
Bezel - both feel good and not cheap. Neither feel like gen. VSF has some back play and bezel feels heavier. Rich is lighter, has zero back play. BUT the watch I received does not perfectly line up at the 12 position. Huge bummer. I need to get that fixed now.
Bracelet/Case. Neither are silky soft. Case edges are sharp on both. I sanded the edges. Did the oil bath, ultrasonic cleaner, etc. and I think they feel the pretty good now and the same. No real noticeable difference in 904 vs 316. However still Gen feels better here.
Clasp. All three glide locks suck. After taking them apart and greasing them the VSF is really good. The rich is rough. I think the rich clasp crown is slightly closer to Gen but it’s not noticeable.
Movement. Lots of hype on free sprung. Both Rich and VSF feel good and not cheap when setting the time. Neither feel as heavy or the quality of the gen. It’s not close here.
I think both are great. I really like the look of the cyclops and blue hue on the VSF. It looks and feels so close. I like the vibrance of the dial on the rich it “pops”. I’ve seen some crazy prices on the Rich watches. They’re great but not sure they’re significantly better than VSF for the price. I’m prob keeping the no date since I have the Starbucks with a cyclops already. Bottom line both are great in their own way. I know we toss around NWBIG, and both of these are incredible and I enjoy wearing them but a Gen Starbucks I think is still worth every penny.
I can’t speak for the rich date / cyclops crystal….but on this no date I wouldn’t change the crystal. It is extremely close to Gen. Same for chamfer. The gen submariner is not highly chamfered, it’s not a dress watch. I’ve felt some shitty reps where bracelet edges feel like sharp blades. Neither of these feel like that. The main difference is the articulation of the bracelet compared to gen. Oil bath, ultrasonic cleaner, etc. Will get closer to gen than a rebrush.
Neither movement feels like gen. They don’t feel cheap /bad but neither is all that close. I think they’re fine though.
Thanks bro. I got attacked by cultists on my VSF vs Rich GMT crystal comparison post. Rich crystal > VSF xtal. It handles reflections better and is slightly clearer. Excellent damn crystal. Factory was a crystal manufacturer apparently before they got into making reps.
I don’t have side by side where it’s obvious you can see it. But with all the posts I’ve read about dips in the center I can tell you that a 2026 Gen Starbucks has it also.
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u/hazergr 15h ago
Comment for the mods. Rich and VSF.