What gaps does the N Factory 4130 Daytona have compared to the original?

The Rolex Daytona model is produced by Noob Factory with an 18K thick gold-plated case, standard case diameter and 7750 automatic chronograph 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.

I'm actually a Rolex fan; I have been studying the course of Rolex prices for ten years. I don't know if you have noticed, steel watches are becoming more and more difficult to find, and the price difference is increasing. From the days when we could easily buy a Japanese diver's watch ten years ago, we have come to a point where there are no steel models left on display today. However, precious metal models are easily available; Even if it's Daytona, put ten or twenty thousand on it and it's over. So, have you ever thought about why? Let me explain it to you with a simple math question, it will be understood much better. In the case of the Daytona: the list price for the steel Daytona is 100 thousand, while the precious metal rubber strap version is 230 thousand. The only difference is the material. Let's take the gold price as 350 per gram; Let's assume that the gold usage in this Daytona, excluding the movement, is around 110 grams, according to my personal estimate. So Rolex needs to source the gold at XXX cost; Let's assume the cost of the Rolex is XXX, adding subsequent mixing and processing waste. When Rolex sells a precious metal Daytona, it makes a profit of 23-10-4 (XXX) more than a steel Daytona. If you were the boss of Rolex, would you rather sell precious metals or steel? I don't know which malicious person decided, but steel models are produced in reduced quantities every year; However, production cannot be stopped completely because steel watches have to appeal to middle segment users. It is not possible not to produce; They keep the steel model hot in the market by reducing production. At today's point, a panda Daytona is already approaching 190 thousand Hong Kong dollars. I think at this price many people would prefer precious metal anyway, right? This cunning of Rolex allows this company to maintain the highest market value among luxury brands with the smallest number of models. Many brands imitated Rolex's trick; For example, steel AP and steel PP prices are always increasing. This move not only helps the brand gain a "rare, sell-out" image in the eyes of the user, but also increases the profits of each watch by directing those who are a little more comfortable to precious metals. That's Rolex's markup game over the last decade. 2020 is set to be an uneasy year; Let me make a prediction for you: In this environment where gold is skyrocketing, Rolex will definitely make a new price adjustment at the end of the year. I advise customers who want to buy to buy from the right channel; The beginning of this year was the best time to buy the popular Rolex models.

Anyway, back to the weight issue. The density of the precious metal is greater than that of steel; Simply put, the same volume of gold is necessarily heavier than steel. Why do some people say "fake watch is light"? This is not the problem of the fake watch, but a matter of basic physics. If the material is already different, how can there be any comparison? The original 18 carat gold Daytona weighs close to 150 grams.

Case and Body Workmanship

The original all-metal coke-bezel model weighs approximately 140 grams; It's even lighter than a rose gold Daytona with a rubber strap. This clearly reflects the density difference of the two metals. Currently, the market for the all-cola version has reached 142 thousand Hong Kong dollars. Here's why I said it's a good time to buy popular models during the epidemic; The bottom was around 118 thousand Hong Kong dollars. You can wear it for two years and dispose of it for the price you bought it for, then switch to a new model; Does it get any better than this?

Replica Daytona is only 110 grams; This is the very fact that the material cannot be changed. The internal case volume of the watch is limited; It is not possible to add an extra 40 grams of counterweight. That's why those who buy a precious metal fake watch need to accept the weight difference. This is not the fake watch's fault; fake watch does not take this responsibility.

Now we enter the macro world. First of all, I should point out that the following content is discussed only from an expert perspective. Don't think "Did N Factory do this badly?" It is impossible to reach this standard of observation with the naked human eye, without using a device. Never apply this standard to anything XXX. If you are going to buy a fake watch with this standard, honestly go and buy a Tissot.

The Daytona has four stamps on the four corners of the case back; I chose two representative ones. Dog head stamp: I noticed the dog head is used in many places; For example, there are dog heads on camera lenses, and there are also dog heads on watches. So what is this? This dog is a kind of national dog of Switzerland; Saint Bernard dog head with full name. This stamp is the symbol of the precious metal standard in Swiss watches; If I remember correctly, it started to be used after 1995. When appraising antique clocks, looking at such stamps helps us greatly in estimating the year. The stamp pattern on the original is extremely clear; The fur, ears, mouth and nose of the dog's head are all chosen perfectly. Moreover, this is the detail after magnification 30 times. All watches (gold, silver, platinum, palladium) have this dog head.

Libra stamp and number 750; 750 indicates a gold alloy with a gold content of 75%, which is the most suitable material for a gold watch.

On the replica side, the details of the dog head are quite lost; Only a shape, a silhouette, can be made out.

I find the image of the Libra stamp at this magnification successful; After all, there is a 30-fold magnification.

Strap, Buckle and Comfort

The metal bar of the buckle: the visible precious metal stamp is still highly embossed; It is obvious that it was not made with computer-controlled printing.

On the replica side, the feeling of pressure in this area is quite evident; The darkness-light balance is actually different from the original. The "scratched" impression predominates, the "etched" feeling is missing.

Now a point of information: the original Daytona has three black dots under the ROLEXSA lettering. Many people think this is for fraud prevention purposes; You can't really see these dots on a fake watch, they are very difficult to even notice with the human eye. But I think if a fake watch wants to do these three points, it can do it extremely easily; It doesn't matter if it is or not. There is no need to look here to understand whether a watch is real or fake. Just so that some obsessed people can feel a little more comfortable when these points happen.

As for the color tone, whether real or fake, they are very close to each other. I don't see any problems with the N Factory coating, at least in terms of color temperature. But as a limitation due to workmanship, the coating oxidizes when used for a long time; Color wear is inevitable.

On the replica side, the feeling of opening and closing the buckle has always been its weak point; After all, there is a difference in terms of the thinness of the metal, it is very difficult to bring the opening and closing to that "smoothly sliding" feeling. This is also something determined by cost; The price is obvious.

Even though it has a rounded corner process, it still feels a little stinging in the hand. Actually, in terms of workmanship, N Factory is not strong anyway. I worked with so many manufacturers; AR Factory is still the strongest in the craftsmanship of Rolex's buckle. It has captured 90 percent of the opening and closing feeling of the original factory. Unfortunately, AR Factory does not have a 4130 movement; If it had happened, N Factory could have closed down directly.

The inner buckle of the new Daytona model has also changed slightly; fine adjustment range reduced. Frequently, customers who buy a new Daytona also have to buy rubber straps from their own pockets to fit their wrists. Pair of original rubber straps XXX; The price scares people...

Dial and Hand Details

The original Daytona's hour and minute hands have a embossed feel; in the form of a perfect mushroom head. All hour and minute hands edges are machined and polished, zero burrs.

The spindle head in the middle is machined solid; At a macro view you see many of the flawless details of the original.

Overlapping detail of CD pattern on each ring mouth and numbers on top.

Now let's look at N Factory's mushroom head; It's actually not in mushroom form anymore, it's just a dot. The hour and minute hand engraving is also visually quite "flat".

The hollowness of the middle shaft is also slightly different from the original; This is the "filled or empty" issue that many buyers say.

CD pattern processing is still good; I think the difference is not that big anyway.

18 carat crown LOGO; Even though there is a slight difference, N Factory has done it extremely well.

The chronograph hour markers are also a mixed layer of gold alloy; so you will see a slightly shimmering feeling.

Due to the shooting angle, the actual image is not much different from the original. Let's say that these hour markers on the replica do not fade; Then I think the workmanship of this episode is quite good.

General Evaluation and Conclusion

Above, based on my own experience, I explained to you how to look at some detail points in general. Many people think that in order to understand whether a watch is real or fake, it is necessary to open the case back; whereas opening the case back is only the final step of the buyback. What really needs to be looked at are some detail points of the watch. If you cannot tell the real from the fake without opening the back of the case, it means you are not a master; Or we can say that you are not even at the beginning of the work in terms of expertise. The reason I chose the precious metal Daytona is that there are many points that cannot be copied or surpassed in any way in terms of cost and technology. I would be perfectly willing to fit the N Factory 4130 steel Daytona; After all, its weight is equal, there is no discoloration, and it does not burn with rough daily use. However, according to my own understanding of consumption, I can never accept that terrible price of almost 190 thousand for a panda model. For people like us who can afford the price of an original watch but cannot afford enough to buy an original for each of them, there is also a trick in choosing a fake watch. This is the advice I want to give you in this article. Will you choose a replica precious metal Daytona? You can wear it comfortably for a while and have it gold plated when the color wears off. If he is a lazy person like me, he will directly buy a steel model like the panda, show off and finish the job; simple, blunt and direct. In this article, I also shared the tricks of understanding the real and fake of this model; I hope it will be useful to all of you.

Movement and Caliber Performance

Finally, I finish the introduction by tirelessly copying the factory's 4130 movement features for reference: N Factory's completely custom-made Rolex Daytona-specific Cal.4130 automatic winding movement; its thickness is the same as the original, all functions are 100% fully realized, unprecedentedly custom-made KIF shock absorber is used. The entire movement is designed based on the real Cal.4130 movement; The three-layer base plate remains faithful to the original factory design, from chamfered to sun pattern. Not only does it outperform all replica Daytonas on the market, it's the only replica Daytona that can rival the original.

I hope this article helps you.