u/BikeAdventurous2320

I received this VSF Rolex Explorer three weeks ago and just wanted to make a follow-up/appreciation post of my initial review of it.
Initially, I was on the fence due to the larger size, but after almost a month of daily wear, I can safely say that this watch rules! This is my second VSF with a DD3230 movement, and I'm happy to say that both the case and the movement are performing exceptionally! The watch needed demagnetising after delivery, but once that was done, the timekeeping has settled to around +2 s/d (using a timegrapher app to measure movement health and keep daily accuracy logs). I know that sometimes these movements are a hit or miss, so I guess I'm lucky?

If you're thinking of getting one of these, I can wholeheartedly recommend it, you won't regret it!

Hopefully supply and delivery issues will also be resolved soon. It's almost like the real Rolex experience!! :D

p.s.: app used for measurement: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759264433

I received this VSF Rolex Explorer three weeks ago and just wanted to make a follow-up/appreciation post of my initial review of it.
Initially, I was on the fence due to the larger size, but after almost a month of daily wear, I can safely say that this watch rules! This is my second VSF with a DD3230 movement, and I'm happy to say that both the case and the movement are performing exceptionally! The watch needed demagnetising after delivery, but once that was done, the timekeeping has settled to around +2 s/d (using a timegrapher app to measure movement health and keep daily accuracy logs). I know that sometimes these movements are a hit or miss, so I guess I'm lucky?

If you're thinking of getting one of these, I can wholeheartedly recommend it, you won't regret it!

Hopefully supply and delivery issues will also be resolved soon. It's almost like the real Rolex experience!! :D

p.s.: app used for measurement: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759264433

This is my late grandfather's 1969 Seamaster Date that he handed down to me before he passed away. It's my favourite watch and still running relatively well (see second picture). The movement was serviced a bit more than ten years ago, so it could do with some adjustment again (will do soon), but other than precision rate, the beat error and amplitude are still really, really good!

I really think that watches from this period look beautiful in their simplicity and curved, organic design.

PS: timegrapher https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759264433

This is my late grandfather's 1969 Seamaster Date that he handed down to me before he passed away. It's my favourite watch and still running relatively well (see second picture). The movement was serviced a bit more than ten years ago, so it could do with some adjustment again (will do soon), but other than precision rate, the beat error and amplitude are still really, really good!

I really think that watches from this period look beautiful in their simplicity and curved, organic design.

(timegrapher used: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759264433)

This is my late grandfather's 1969 Seamaster Date that he handed down to me before he passed away. It's my favourite watch and still running relatively well (see second picture). The movement was serviced a bit more than ten years ago, so it could do with some adjustment again (will do soon), but other than precision rate, the beat error and amplitude are still really, really good!

I really think that watches from this period look beautiful in their simplicity and curved, organic design.

Any vintage Omegas in this sub? If so, I'd love to see some of your numbers!

I've been wearing my VSF Oyster Perpetual 124300 almost exclusively since September last year, and the plan is for the Explorer to take over as my daily, at least that's the idea. One of the reasons I went for another time-only piece is that I'm a bit cautious and prefer my replica watches to be simple, so there's a lower chance of something going wrong compared to more complex replicas. Perhaps it's just my impression, but I've noticed a few posts here about sub bezels falling off, date wheels not clicking properly or not aligning correctly and i just didn't want to take that chance of that happening.

(Just a heads up, the OP is going to come up a lot as a point of reference/comparison)

Because of that, I've decided that my next rep should also have the same DD3230 movement as my OP. To be honest, I was considering getting a no-date sub, but I found a great deal on the Explorer and couldn't resist the opportunity. The order process was smooth, I messaged the TD, got QC the next day, had it GLd, and received the watch in about 12 days. From start to finish, the whole process took me about 2 weeks.

After removing all the wrapping, washing the bracelet with soap and resizing it, and applying Loctite, I was really impressed with the look and feel of the piece. I was also somewhat surprised by its size. It feels somehow much more substantial than my OP 41, more solid and heavy. I have a small kitchen scale and I have measured both watches. The OP is 128g while the Explorer is a 135. The difference is not much, but I can really feel it, but not necessarily in a bad way. One thing I shoufdl also note here that the Explorer is a bit more flashy. There just seems to be more shiny surfaces on the dial with the larger markers and hands.

The case is beautifully finished. Brushing and polishing are perfect, which I guess is almost needless to mention. It's 40mm but somehow wears larger than my OP (I'm sorry, I keep bringing the Oyster Perpetual up, but that's my only point of reference here.) and this is is something that I'm still trying to get used to. My wrist size is 18 cm (a bit over 7 inches) and I prefer my watches on the smaller side, 40 and 41 is really pushing the limits of what I find wearable for myself.

The bracelet is really good. Its feels so much better than my OP. To be fair that's a Z1 serial VSF while the Explorer is 5X. After some research on this sub, I'm guessing that some updates were made, as people seem to be liking these 5X series VSF pieces a lot. The easy extension and the double lock system both work really well and are firm and crisp to operate, no looseness or cheap feel to them. 5 out of 5 on the case and bracelet!

My only small complaint when it comes to the externals of the watch is that the crown is bigger than the crown on the OP (here we go again) and as I mostly wear my watches on my right hand, it scrapes the skin on my hand a bit, but I guess its something I will get used to, and this is something the gen version of this watch would do as well.

The dial and hands are also really well executed. Printing is crisp, markers align properly, hands are nicely polished and filled with LUME which I absolutely love. I have attached a lume-shot, tell me it's not beautiful, I DARE YOU!!! :D

I should also mention that crystal, but the fact is that it's so good that it just doesn't get in the way, it's clear and I guess it must have AR coating as reflections are not an issue even in bright light. I'm a big fan of perfect hands-index alignment, and this watch really nails it! The alignment is spot on! I have OCD, so this would be a real deal-breaker for me, but thankfully, they've done a fantastic job in this area.

The movement is a DD3230. When I first got it, it was running about +8.2 seconds per day fast, but now it's settled to around +3.8 seconds per day with a beat error of 0.2 milliseconds and and excellent 280 degrees of amplitude. With these numbers it "almost" performs as well as and OG!! That's really good in my book, and I'm very happy with how it performs. For comparison, I have a Gen Tudor Ranger that runs +2 seconds per day and cost me seven and a half times as much as the Explorer did! Is it seven and a half times better? I don't know… that's a topic for another write-up…

To make a long story short, this watch is great! If you were on the fence, don't think about it, just get it!!! It's a fantastic sports watch and will work even better once it's a bit scuffed up! It's comfortable, highly legible and just has a timeless design. The bracelet is comfortable and (at least for me) the movement is great!

Anyways, that's it from me, you chaps have a lovely day!

Tools used:

• 1.5 mm flathead jeweller's screwdriver (set): ~ $15
• Loctite 222: ~ $10
• Timegrapher app: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759264433 (one off purchase)