3K Factory Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G blue dial detailed review

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G model is produced by 3K Factory with a solid stainless steel case, standard case diameter and integrated Clone Caliber 324 SC movement architecture. It is among the most successful 1:1 super clone watch reviews on the market, with its sapphire crystal AR coating glass, original case tolerances and detailed workmanship.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut series 5168G-001 wristwatch — price 341200

The dial is in the same dark blue tone as the original; The color exactly reflects the effect of the original: under the light, it shows a lightening and darkening transition from the inside to the outside. The checkerboard pattern relief motif on the surface creates a very harmonious background for the three-dimensional Arabic numeral hour markers.

Dial and Hand Details

The glass surface of the 3K Factory blue dial 5168 Aquanaut is made of sapphire glass and coated with a colorless coating to increase its transparency. The harmony between the glass and the case is extremely high; The joint at the edges is perfect. There are no rookie mistakes here, such as those white gaps that are seen in lower versions and make you say "it's fake at first glance".

Case and Body Workmanship

The bezel is processed with vertical brushing; It is quite thin and its texture is quite satisfying.

The “PATEK PHILIPPE GENEVE” brand text below 12 o'clock is slightly thinner than the original.

The hour markers and hour and minute hands are all filled with lume powder; The same design as the original was followed. The lume filling of the hour and minute hands is slightly whiter than the hour markers; This is a detail that remains true to the original.

3K Factory Aquanaut's date window is quite neat and positioned right in the middle; There is no problem with it being bent or partially covering the figure. In terms of font, it is slightly thinner than the original and ZF Factory Aquanaut; If the date writing was made a little thicker, like the ZF Factory Aquanaut, it would be even closer to the original.

Now let's look at the dimensions and thickness of the watch. This time, 3K Factory Aquanaut has reduced the thickness to the thinnest point; It kept it at the same 8.1mm as the original. This is also the only replica Aquanaut version on the market with the same 8.3mm thickness as the original.

The side surfaces of the case are extremely smooth and fluidly processed; The corners of the shoulder guards on both sides are also processed very softly.

The workmanship of the screw-down winding crown in the middle is fine; You can easily set the time by loosening the crown. When you pull it to the first stage, the setting is done, the date is set in the second stage, and the hour and minute hands are set in the third stage. After completing the adjustment, when you screw and tighten the handle again, water and dust resistance is ensured.

There is a point I want to make here: 3K Factory Aquanaut does not stop the seconds when setting the time in the same way as the original; This is an aspect that remains true to the original. However, some customers who are a little meticulous find this non-stop seconds feature a bit unnecessary, because the seconds cannot be synchronized. But let's also say this: the original's 324 movement was developed in the 70s and 80s to combat the quartz crisis; Almost none of the movements of that period had a stop-second mechanism, so this can be excused.

Movement and Caliber Performance

The transparent case back reveals the entire view of the movement. Sapphire glass was also used on the case back and was brushed twice. The six gear positions on the front face are also exactly the same as the original; Not even the smallest detail was neglected.

On the movement side, there is a Cal.324 movement produced by 3K Factory. This mechanism is infinitely close to the original in terms of both its structure and usage feel; Even the rotation of the gears during installation is the same. As for service, this self-made 324 movement has a very low failure rate; To summarize from my own sales experience, approximately every 100 units or two come to the service.

The inscriptions on the mechanism of the 3K Aquanaut V2 version have been upgraded with precision engraving; It is clear and wear-resistant, and its texture is processed down to the smallest detail. Its texture is much better than the previous print version and it better reflects the original feel. However, compared to the functioning of the original's 324 movement, it is of course a bit behind.

Scratch and noiseless version of the 3K Factory 324 one-piece movement — in the case of the 3K Factory Aquanaut V2 edition movement, the main upgrade has been made to the rotor bearing; One hundred percent noise cancellation was achieved by switching to Swiss-made ultra-precision bearings. The noise is much lower than the previous first version. 3K Factory used electroplating coloring on the rotor plate, while the original used 18K gold. Let's just state this briefly; It is not made with real gold, as some unscrupulous sellers exaggerate and praise. After all, the cost is obvious, there is no need to compare.

Strap, Buckle and Comfort

The strap is a midnight blue rubber strap; It fits much more harmoniously and comfortably when worn.

The strap mount fits perfectly into the case.

On the buckle side, a very elegant double folding buckle is used; All are processed with polished workmanship and shine brightly. The Calatrava cross star engraving motif is exactly the same as the original; The font is clear, the edges are smooth and textured.

When the buckle closes, the logo aligns perfectly; no slippage or distortion.

Summary: As one of Patek Philippe's most popular models, Aquanaut has always been a favorite among watch enthusiasts; It is more stylish and sporty compared to Nautilus. We can say that this 3K Factory Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5168G has taken this model one step higher. In particular, the closeness of the mechanism to reality has exceeded 90 percent; Indeed, the level of not being caught showing off has been reached! The case set is also the only version that comes from the original mould, has high-quality workmanship and measures exactly the same as the original. Watch lovers can wear it comfortably; definitely worth a try.