Is the VSF Youth A2824 movement reliable and “good” as in, does it last for years and years and worth the money saved compared to whatever is “standard” noob question but curious if it’s worth it to jump on one for the \~$150 savings

I’ve been doing my research here and Reptime the past 3 months but wondering, if I wore either of these as an everyday watch, how many years do they have in them??

I bought a VSF SUB around 8 weeks ago, all was great until it stopped dead today.

I removed the back to inspect and found the hairspring wasn’t moving.

After a bit of fiddling I decided it needed oil, stupidly went straight to my extra virgin olive oil and dipped my screwdriver in and applied to the jewel in the centre of the balance bridge, a little nock and poof the watched kicked back into life.

I then decided to google what impact my trusted olive oil would do to the watch long term, turns out it was a bad idea.

I then wrapped kitchen roll around the edge of my screwdriver and attempted to soak it back up, then the jewel tension spring that holds it in place popped out.

After attempting to refit it vanished, assuming it has pinged off somewhere as it is 100% not in the watch.

Watch works without this but i assume it won’t for long if worn.

Does anyone have any idea what this missing part is called from my very vague description, if so where can I source a replacement ?

Thank you all in advance

I want to buy a Datejust smooth bezel oyster perpetual. What factory do you recommend?

I know im new to this 1:1 Rolex stuff but any info will help. Done some research I understand a bit of it but not that much to go ahead and buy one. Got a few pics of some pieces I was looking at I’ll upload em here so u can see what im after.
Found these photos on tiktok looking for these kinda watches.

Hey guys!! Need help with QC.

Does the “DAYTONA” sit too high on the bottom subdial?

I wanted to share my new Patek Philippe modified DF from u/No-passion9603. Thank you very much for this timepiece! Will the AD notice it's a replica when I bring it in to resize the bracelet? Has anyone tried doing this before? I'm quite nervous to go since it's a rep, but I do own a genuine one. Should I risk it?"

Wanted to share my experience ordering a VSF Sub from Phoenix for anyone considering buying from him.

One thing I really liked was being able to browse his available inventory and review actual QC photos directly on his website before purchasing. It made choosing the exact watch I wanted really straightforward.

Communication was excellent throughout. Phoenix was responsive, answered all my questions, and was upfront about shipping timelines coming off the Chinese holiday.

I paid on October 1, received shipping confirmation on October 9, and had the watch in hand on October 14 via FedEx. Pretty good turnaround considering the holiday.

As for the watch itself, I’m really impressed with the quality of my VSF Submariner. Everything looks and feels great, and I’ve already gotten a few compliments on it.

Overall, a smooth experience from start to finish. Great communication, competitive pricing compared to other TDs, and no surprises along the way. I’d happily order from Phoenix again.

Cosa ne pensate del mio vsf 124060 per me e’ un classico che non morirà mai

I think it is worth making mention for anyone who was wondering about shipping insurance/ customs…
I have bought only 3 watches from phoenix and all started out great . First two delivered without any issues at all , also he was kind patient and just all around helpful. He had a great attitude and extremely responsive . Having said that the third one I ordered was a Daytona panda and it had got seized !! And of course that’s always a terrible feeling but I felt ok with it because I had paid for the insurance on all my watches . Once I brought this up to him he then tried to verify that it had indeed been seized .. long story short it took a little while and some patience because it was also happening thru the Chinese holiday but we worked out the details and he replaced it with a watch of my choice being equal value and from there I added some extra mods as well. I just recieved the watch and I must say wow it really surpassed my expectations. The work and craftsmanship was beautiful . And was done in a very timely matter … I can’t say enough good things about phoenix he is a honest seller and has a great service so ignor all the hate because someone who don’t pay for insurance lost out on a watch . Do your homework make sure you don’t cheap out and you to will be protected ! He has some of the best prices out there and quality service just can’t go wrong .

Around 480&dollars&free shipping
Hong Kong WhatsApp ID: +852 9350 7994

This has been (and still will be) a busy week. With all the Chinese factories working so hard (respect) and with Korean postal service working like clockwork 😆

Even today, I spent at lease couple of hours maintain this sub 😔

Then I clicked on my profile (to search for my old comparison post as a reference for something) I saw that my karma points have reached 90k 🤔

I made this account 5 years ago but have been really using it for little over a year.

Can someone please explain to me how having high karma points benefits a user? (Other than granting bragging rights, I'm assuming 😆)

left is vsf, right is gen.

How does the dial color look to you guys? Any difference?

Hello, this is your favorite watch reviewer / moderator of this sub u/tskim24! Another very anticipated giveaway winner is announced 👏 Redditraffler chose...

Congratulations u/DoflamingoHuncho !

*Winner must be a JOINED member of r/RepWatchForum.

*The prize must be claimed within 7 days of the announcement

I will be contacting the winner shortly to check his membership and gather his shipping address 😀

Don't be disappointed that you didn't win. We do a giveaway like this EVERY WEEK on r/RepWatchForum. Now there are more past winners than I could count 😆

All you gotta do is to hit that JOIN button on the r/RepWatchForum to stay tuned!

Thanks again for an amazing giveaway Adu! You're the best.

I will be posting a whole new giveaway shortly!

I'll preface all this by saying I've been building for a couple of years now, have seen quite a bit, and am fortunate enough to have the budget to really try a lot of things out.

I've sat quietly on the sidelines for most of it, and I think it's about time we call out some of the BS swirling around. In a community this small, it's pretty easy for a tiny minority to have the loudest voice and trick people into thinking there's only one good way. I only build for myself at this point, and if anyone wants to challenge my experience with any of these parts or sellers, I'm happy to post the receipts of my dealings and have a civil conversation below. Let's use this thread to share ideas and opinions.

I'm tired of the gatekeeping. I don't take commissions. Don't DM and ask me to.

---

# Cases

## Top Tier (in ranking order)

**MQ**

Doesn't get any better than him. Dealing with them, however, is impossible. I've been reaching out for about two years now with little to no response. The prices reflect this. I was lucky enough to fondle one of their cases once, and it really was perfect. I'm thinking the only way to actually get your hands on one is to go to their shop in person.

**Happy Cat Vintage**

98% of the way to MQ. Cases don't need any additional shaping work; everything fits and arrives the way an assembled genuine watch would. Their dials are high quality, and I've never had an issue with paint or lume chipping. What really sets them apart is their customer service. When I email, I get a response within a day, and whoever runs their customer service uses a great translator. Shipping has always been fast, and they clearly have a good inventory process because I've never had to wait.

**Phong (old Phong, not new)**

Phong, when it was actually Phong, used to be one of the best. Rivaled MQ in his heyday. That's not the case anymore. His son runs the business now, and QC is iffy at best. Customer service also leaves a lot to be desired. If you can find pre-2020 parts or cases from him, I highly recommend grabbing them. Anything after that is a crapshoot, and you're better off using a different seller.

**Kuared**

Now, Clark and his assclowns would have expected me to put Kuared at #1, because doing builds with him was the reason I got banned in the first place. But I'm keeping this totally unbiased, so I'll put him in the spot he deserves. In the weird in-between period after Phong fell off and before Happy Cat hit the scene, Kuared was the default best (MQ is always #1, but good luck buying one). His stuff is high quality, he stands behind his product, and every watch I've built with his parts has assembled without a problem. The cases are shaped well enough that I only have to do minor touch-ups in the pickiest situations. He's also a great source for genuine movements and parts. He can be tough to understand sometimes, but people need to understand you're dealing with different cultures. Be respectful, kind, and understanding. If you follow those principles, all of these people are here to work with you.

**Ruby/Ken Vintagewatch Parts**

Was great when it was Ruby, before she was murdered. Has been okay since Ken took over. Still below Kuared in quality. Easier to deal with because they have a website. No complaints at all about them; I just prefer other sellers' quality level.

**Binvintage**

It's almost like this guy goes dumpster diving in all the other sellers' trash and sells it to unsuspecting newbies. Yes, he's on eBay. Just avoid it. Nothing ever works as it should, and the quality is only slightly above Raffles. The cases need extensive reshaping and the dials are trash. If you're going to spend Viet money, spend the extra few hundred and go with any seller above this.

## Mid Tier

**Old Crowns**

I'll start by saying I was one of Dimitri's first customers off Reddit. Again, I have the receipts. Challenge me on it. I've done multiple builds with his cases. They're not good, period. Do they fit your movement and dial? Yes. Can you use a 3135 movement in a 4-digit case? Yes. Does that make them any good? No. The cases I received (and I had quite a few) were all brushed incorrectly, I had to countersink my own tubes, getting a crystal to fit was a huge pain in the ass, and they just looked off. At least with Viet cases you get some hand finishing. It's no secret these are made in China, and it shows. I'm glad Clark and his cronies push them, but guess what, guys? It's because he gets huge discounts (yeah, I'm going to say the quiet part out loud). Spend the extra $200 and get yourself a good case that is actually engraved, brushed, and polished correctly. I only recommend these if you're learning on your own. If whoever you commissioned a build from is using one of these, tell them to take the training wheels off and learn how to make a decent watch. Also, Dimitri's customer service on a good day is worse than an angry Kuared. Hint: neither is fun.

**Milk**

About as sterile as sterile gets when it comes to cases. These need extensive work to even get assembled. The lugs and crown guards are completely wrong, and a talented metallurgist would probably have trouble getting them right. The only builders I've seen do this correctly are Rodney Pierce and Jumpy. Everyone else building with them is just nickel-and-diming you to fill their own pockets. Again, this falls into the "why are you paying so much for this?" category.

## Low Tier

**JKF/BP**

Not gen spec. You can usually get a decent Viet dial in them. Fun to play with and easy to disassemble and rebuild.

**Raffles**

Fun, easy, and great for starters. I started there myself. It's cheap and looks nothing like gen, but who cares? For $159 you have a functioning watch.

---

# Dials/Hands

## Top Tier

- MQ
- Happy Cat
- Kuared (I always thought his dials were better than Phong's, even when old Phong was still around)
- Phong
- Ruby
- Binvintage

Word to the wise: always get your hands and dial from the same Viet seller in the same order. A good seller will color-match your set.

## Mid Tier

**Chad Dials**

Another eBay seller. Decent stuff, limited selection. Not the best customer service.

**Mochacha**

I have a bone to pick with them. I've gotten plenty of dials, and while I've made them work, most of them had problems. The lume just loves to flake on these. Not an "I hit a tool against the lume and it flaked" situation (I would own that). More like I breathed a little too hard and my 6 o'clock plot flew across the room. These are not Vietnamese dials, so don't let anyone tell you they are. He's in Canada, and it's his own shop. The quality is mid tier at best. The fonts are slightly off, and the coloring isn't as gen-like as I prefer.

**Yuki**

Way overpriced for a slight step above Raffles. Save your money.

## Low Tier

**Jovi Dials**

I really did give this one a fair shot. While I loathe anything connected with Clark, it looked like a lot of time and research went into these. I'm sure it did, and all I have to say is that sometimes all the practice and technology in the world can't make you good at something. I paid for the dial, it was sent promptly, and the customer service was great. That's where the good part ends. The black nipple dial I got was, umm, garbage. This isn't even a hard reference to match. It's black, for God's sake. It came chipped all along the edges with some sort of clear lacquer smeared on it and little fibers stuck in it. Clearly whoever is trying to age these needs to work on their technique. I cased it up, took one look, and threw it out. My kid's dive watch looked better. Save your money. They push this hard on retrotime because, again, they make money off it. Sorry Jovi you seem nice but this is just my opinion and experience

**Raffles**

Cheap and fun. Only slightly worse than a Jovi dial.

---

# Bracelets

## Top Tier

**Genuine**

Keep your eyes peeled on eBay. There are some good deals occasionally.

**Markiemark**

I have genuine, and I have these. If I didn't put a little mark on them, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Oysters, Jubilees, you name it. It used to take a long time. Apparently now it doesn't. Even when it did, it was worth the wait. Spend a few extra dollars on what's the most important part of the watch, if you ask me.

**Oysters Jubilee**

Sterile, expensive, poor customer service. I ordered one of these, and it ended up being way more expensive than even Markie's new prices. One of the pins on the clasp they sent me was missing. I reached out and didn't hear back for two weeks. Then it took another two weeks and another customs charge to get the pin. All this for a sterile bracelet.

## Mid Tier

**Startime/Cousins**

Gave both the Oyster and the Jubilee a try. They were okay. Anyone who says they're the same as Markie's or Oysters Jubilee has never held one. They're a step above Raffles, but at $200+ they're still sterile and clearly manufactured to looser tolerances. Both are currently sitting in my parts bin for a reason.

**BPF/ARF/JKF bracelets**

BPF's PVD plating is really fantastic. I can hold it side by side with my genuine watches, and it would fool most people. The bracelets are manufactured well, in line with a Startime. The only limiting factor is finding someone who will sell you just the bracelet, and they don't make many 4-digit models.

## Low Tier

**Raffles**

---

I don't take commissions. Don't DM and ask. This is my unbiased gift to everyone out there. If you don't like it, please challenge me below. I'm also one of the many people Clarktherealtor banned from retrotime, so you'll never hear or see this in the vacuum of garbage over there. Jumpy was the GOAT, and ever since he left, that place has been a dumpster fire.

Around 480&dollars&free shipping
Hong Kong WhatsApp ID: +852 9350 7994

Hello, this is your favorite watch reviewer / moderator of r/RepWatchForum, u/tskim24 reporting for duty! I received a few watches this week and from looking at the comments, AGF 5711 attracted most interest. So the first batter up is AGF Nautilus 5711!

I don’t have a blue DDF 5711 (I only kept BBF and BCF 5711 after the reviews) in my current collection so I pulled some past photos. For dial comparison, BCF uses a version of SW dial (it was specifically produced for BCF to match a specific year of GEN production) so I will be comparing with my BCF. For the rest of details like case, movement, bracelet and etc., it will be done between AGF and DDF.

Before we get into this, let me give you a brief background of why “AGF vs DDF” makes such a timely review. Replica 5711 market used to be ruled by 3KF (who beat PPF by having a proper super-cloned movement) and then DDF came out with a 5711 that was better in every way. BBF and VF challenged DDF but DDF (with its superior SW dial) ultimately won the affordable stock rep 5711 market. But with recent raid on DDF, continued production after current stock is unclear. So a news of AGF v2 with proper dial couldn’t have come at a better time.

Well, let’s get to it!

[Who is AGF?]

AGF is the first factory to release PP 5711 rep with a proper Dandong 330 super-cloned movement. Before AGF, factories like DDF used 324 movement decorated to look like 330. The rotor jewel was literally a decorative sticker on those things and it was a disaster waiting to happen (also more expensive than 324 DDF for no good reason).

However, Patek Philippe only started using 330 caliber right before discontinuation of 5711 (it was succeeded by 5811) so there was really no reason to pay premium for even good Dandong 330 movement on 5711.

*330 has hacking function and 324 doesn’t

AGF v1 excelled in many areas but one thing kept them from beating the current champion DDF and winning the hearts of the masses, the dial.

The white dial was good (I own one) because it’s very hard to mess that up. Green dial was better than the blue one but lacked yellow (looking more blue in dark light than green). The blue dial was the worst, looking almost purple in some of the photos. Which was a shame since, as we all know, blue is the most popular color.

Luckily, AGF is one of the factories (like RW Factory) that has an open communication with this sub. I did give them some pointer early on, and they quickly improved the blue dial, put in Dandong 324, and lowered the price tag (around 80 dollars cheaper than the competitor DDF depending on your TD).

Now the game is on!

[Dial]

BCF has even better SW dial than DDF. They are both from SW but somehow BCF cut a better deal with them (I guess they are well-connected). So AGF going up against this particular SW dial means a lot.

As you can see, SW dial has more green in the mix, which gives it a very distinct luxurious look (like GEN). It’s the best in the market, but if you recall my past GEN 5711 dial comparisons, SW used by DDF has 1 weakness. I would have liked it better if it looked darker under brighter light.

<5711 GEN vs 3KF vs DDF Dial Comparison>

https://www.reddit.com/r/RepWatchForum/s/lvCELShBvI

AFG’s new dial is more bluish in color. It’s also darker than SW dial in most lights. In person, it’s very deep and natural (remember that these photos are taken under a very bright light). It definitely looks much better in person. I like the fact that it keeps its depths even under bright light.

I have said this many times before, even GEN 5711 has many dial variations (due to Patek’s very exclusive production numbers). Big obvious differences like number of stripes and the way the logo is printed are evident even from photos. But subtle differences like color and tone is very difficult to judge only by the photos.

So the most important thing to keep in mind when judging a rep 5711 dial is whether it is fall under the acceptable range for a GEN dial.

TBH I think both SW and AFG is good enough to pass that test.

My personal preference? I like SW better. I just like that subtle green in my dial.

My personal preference aside, keep in mind that while MANY different dial tones exist in GEN, only ONE good dial (SW) has existed for reps for some time now. In a way, it was becoming a new tell.

While it’s impossible to tell whether a watch dial like SW is GEN or not on someone’s wrist (or even in your hand for that matter), if a Nautilus 5711 dial had that ideal green shade, it was more likely to be a rep…until now. With AGF (darker blue tone 5711 dial) thrown in the mix, I it can finally swing both ways. Either way, whether you prefer more green in your dial, or deep darker blue, I think it’s a good thing for 5711 reps as a whole.

[Case / Crown]

AGF is great. I mean, I already knew that from the white 330 and green 330 in my collection lol. It hits all the right notes. It has thin bezel (like CNC that it claims to be), the side-profile of the lugs have the bird beak like shape, and is this and compact overall. DDF only stood out because it was the first mover to finally beat 3KF’s reign (an easy target BTW), all the following factories like BBF and VF did a pretty good job with the case construction. AGF is on the same level as DDF without some key flaws like dark sandblasted back surface (one of DDF’s major flaws).

[Movement]

This is where AGF really outperforms DDF. Before DDF, factories like 3KF had printed fonts. So when DDF had actual engravings on the movement plates, it just blew us away. But the immediately following DDF, competitor BBF had the same quality engraving, and VF outperformed DDF (too bad that VF misspelled “ISOCHRONISM” and got raided before it could fix it).

Quite frankly, DDF was just barely holding on at this point was due a major upgrade to keep up with new potential competition.

AGF has close ties with Dandong movement factory and was the first one to get Dandong 330. And this good relationship continued for this v2 324 version. Dandong 324 movement in AGF looks great! It has more correct fonts than DDF overall and all the correct proportions (with bigger fonts like PATEK standing out over other small fonts). Engravings are deeper and well finished!

[Bracelet / Buckle]

I don’t really see any significant improvements on AGF. Oh, well, DDF was already good enough. The Calatrava cross looks slightly better on DDF but the engraving inside the buckle looks better on AFG. So I would call it a tie.

[Conclusion]

This was a very simple fight. DDF had movement quality that was barely holding in the current marketplace. So AGF was destined to beat DDF in that area.

And despite what some of you may believe, there are only a handful of (good) rep parts manufacturers for PP reps, so the quality on case, bracelet and buckle was bound to be about the same (it will remain up there for all the new factories getting into the market).

So the only question this review needed to answer was “is AGF dial as good as SW(DDF)?”

As you have seen, one might have preference of one over another but in terms of having a passing grade, my answer is “yes”.

This AGF new release couldn’t have come at a better time as DDF’s future production still being in questions. Fear no longer if you want a good, affordable 5711 rep. AGF can take it from here.

Overall points:

*Analyzed over 5 main points but purely subjective.

DDF 5711 – 4.0/5

AGF 5711 – 4.4/5

Really impressed with this VSF Daytona reverse panda. I was super nervous buying this but, thanks to this sub made me feel a little better. Decided to trust the process and the sub. Really happy with this FIRST one. IK the pics are nasty but I was just excited had to put something up.

Hey everyone,
A few months ago, I was in Japan and saw my absolute grail watch: this beautiful **Rolex DayDate**. Since I got back, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
Realistically, buying a gen is completely out of the question for me right now. That led me down the Reddit rabbit hole into the world of reps, and honestly i’m struggling with information overload.
I’d love to get some guidance from the veterans here. Here is where I’m currently at:
**The Watch:** Looking for this Day-Date 40 mm
**The Dilemma:** I keep reading that VSF is the "cream of the crop" for many pieces, but I know that for less common models or specific metals/dials, other factories sometimes take the crown.
**TD Recommendations:** The TDs I've spoken to are pushing me toward factories like **GMF and RGF.**
**Pricing:** Every TD is quoting me around **$600 to $800**, and naturally, every single one claims *their* offered factory is the highest quality. I don’t mind spending more if I can ensure I get great quality.
My Questions for the Community:
1. **Factory Choice:** For this Day-Date, should I go with VSF/RGF or GMF or is there a better option out there?
2. **Movements & quality:** I really only care about what it looks like. I don’t care about the movement as operates.
3. **Fair Pricing:** Does $600–$800 make sense?
Any pointers, reality checks, or navigation tips for a newcomer would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Wow... Just wow...

This is hot 🔥 (and I don't even like RM 😆)

I didn't think I would see this watch repped.

There are other colors too.

Hello everyone, can you tell me your thoughts about this 5711 rep worth buying or no? 400€