Blancpain Submariner 5008D GS Factory Review

The Blancpain Submariner 5008D model is produced by GS Factory with a high-tech ceramic case, 43 mm diameter and high-precision automatic Super Clone 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.

Here is GS's dazzling work. 2022's highest level Japanese sapphire processing technique, double-sided anti-reflective coating, super clone Fifty Fathoms 5008 with radiation marking. Imported from Switzerland, radiation-free lume material in EU C3 standard, three-dimensional lume on the dial matching the original, comfortable and breathable use with natural rubber strap. Special Cal.1131 movement produced with the highest level of workmanship, platinum-plated bridge, chamfered edges, 40.3 mm size best suited to Asian wrists. The finest, most beautiful Blancpain: radiation-free Barracuda.

This Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5008D model measures 40.3 mm. This size is ideal for watch lovers whose wrists are not very thick. There is now a new option for those who love the classic Fifty Fathoms but cannot carry the 45 or 43 mm models because their wrists are not too thick. This small case diameter feels really comfortable in the hand.

I have a 15" wrist and I feel it fits very well on the hand. If your wrist is 16 or 17, it will fit even more comfortably. The cost price of this model is around 10.5 thousand, but it is almost impossible to buy it at this price; You will either become VIP or buy it from the second-hand market. It was around 120 thousand in the second-hand market a while ago, but I think it has increased to around 160 thousand recently. So this is a price that has increased almost twice as much.

Strap, Buckle and Comfort

The radiation-free pattern gives a very deep three-dimensional feeling; The size and color are just right, it looks very nice.

The thickness of the GS Factory Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5008D radiation-free Barracuda is 13.2 mm. The case is machined from 316 steel and its workmanship is the same as the ZF Factory Barracuda; There are differences only on the dial. The lume effect is also very bright, including the lume fill around the bezel.

Dive watches are usually a little thicker, this is normal. Screw-down crown; When you pull it one step up, you set the date, when you pull it up two steps, you set the time, by pushing it back and turning it up, you set it. Once the winding is finished, you lock it tightly; There is no problem in swimming.

There is also an undated version; In the undated model, the color is a little darker red. When setting the time, an extra empty date level appears, you have to move it two levels to set the time. In this form, the setting is slightly different from the original, because they did not remove that empty stage. The mechanism part is the same; The mechanism of the dated and undated model is the same. Personally, I like the dated one better, it looks more in line with the original. In terms of general workmanship, both are the same.

Case and Body Workmanship

The sound when turning the bezel is slightly louder; There is some difference with the original in this regard, but it does not affect the use. In the original, the steps are clearer and the gear feel is more distinct. This is perhaps a problem with the sample I have; For mass production, you can follow social media posts or consult me.

The date window is located at 3 o'clock. The date font has a full fill and the size is the same as the original.

Glass and Sapphire Crystal

The outer bezel and glass part are made of sapphire. Since this shaping work is quite complex, the efficiency rate is low, because they have to fit a huge block of sapphire onto the ceramic bezel; This increases the difficulty of labor considerably. The resulting result is still the same as the original.

There is a sign at 6 o'clock that means radiation-free. The meaning of this sign is this: The lume powder used at that time did not need to absorb light and shine like ordinary lume powders, and its longevity was quite long. However, this type of lume powder contained radium, which contained radiation. The element radium was the element that Madam Curie discovered in her laboratory at that time, and we all know what happened next. This self-luminous lume powder was harmful to human health because it contained radiation, so this lume powder containing radiation was no longer used. At that time, people were very worried about this issue, so Blancpain put this mark directly on the dial, indicating that the lume powder was radiation-free and did not contain radium. Today, with the advancement of technology, the lume powders used no longer contain radium. This replica of a watch from that period reflects the atmosphere of those days very well; The white-framed date window is also a nostalgic touch specific to that period. This is what the phrase "radiation-free" means; From then on, this radiation-free lume powder began to be used. I'm not going into more detail on this topic, let's get straight to the main topic of this post below.

General Evaluation and Conclusion

I generally picked up this Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, released by GS Factory, and tried it for a while; I felt that the overall workmanship was quite good. The biggest plus of this watch is the lume effect; The hour and minute hands, hour markers and bezel are completely filled with lume. The lume photo below is an image I took myself.

The lume effect is extremely beautiful, it is exactly the same as the lume effect of the original.

The cost of this sapphire in the shape of a pot lid is quite high, and the wastage rate of the sapphire bezel is relatively high; That's why it's a little more expensive than models like the Seamaster 300. Additionally, lume is filled into it and this filling process is quite difficult; If there is overflow, the part is wasted, thus the productivity rate decreases. That's why the price of these Fifty Fathoms is slightly higher overall.

Movement and Caliber Performance

The mechanism is a bridge mechanism improved from the Hangzhou 7 series; Same as ZF Factory Barracuda. In the GS Factory model, the balance is at 6 o'clock, while in the original it is at 7 o'clock; There is a slight deviation in position. In addition, the Hangzhou 7 series movement is currently the bridge mechanism that can be made closest to the original.

The engravings on the rear glass of the mechanism are quite appropriate. In the mechanism part, the balance area is very close to the original; However, while this gear could move in the original, in this model the bridge mechanism was used for decorative purposes. The mechanism is the same as ZF Factory; The rotor shape of the mechanism is almost identical to the original, there is only a slight difference in color. The rest is fine, only the rear glass models always have minor shortcomings.

The general structural similarity is over eighty-ninety percent. The average person cannot tell the difference unless they make a side by side comparison; It is a very good model to buy for pleasure.

A diamond pattern is engraved on the rubber strap that comes with it; This is the same as the original.

The rubber strap is quite soft, the carved inscriptions are clear, the workmanship is good, and the traditional pin buckle is used.

The entire watch weighs 92.3 grams; It is very light in the hand and extremely suitable for friends with thin wrists.

This GS Factory Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 5008D radiation-free Barracuda has overall very good workmanship; Those who like it can buy it with peace of mind. I hope my article was useful to you. I'll be sharing more detailed teardowns, live-action reviews, and real-replica comparisons in the future.