Hello everyone, I’m CH Watch. I’m passionate about sharing watch knowledge, comparing authentic and replica models, disassembling, and reviewing watches to guide you on your watch journey. Today, let’s delve into the new Rolex Daytona 4131 movement, a collaboration between Clean Factory and Shanghai Movement. Strictly speaking, this high-quality 4131 replica movement was co-developed by Shanghai Factory and the replica leader, Clean Factory. According to the latest updates from the manufacturer, Clean Factory currently holds the exclusive rights to the Shanghai 4131 movement on its official website, effectively making it the sole user of this movement. This also clarifies that the previously rumored Dandong 4131 movement is unrelated to Clean Factory. While we won’t delve into potential communication issues between the factories, let’s explore the latest details on this movement.
Comparing Clean Factory’s new Daytona, which features the Shanghai 4131 movement, to the authentic 4131 movement:
Firstly, by examining the genuine products, it’s clear that Rolex’s recently launched Daytona-1265 series models are all upgraded Daytona designs, evolving from the 1165 series models. Beyond the visual updates, the primary focus has been on movement enhancements. The 4131 movement, which includes updates like a skeletonized rotor, enhanced escapement system, and improved shock absorption, builds on the foundation of the 4130 movement. From this, we can discern two key points: the shift from the 4130 to the 4131 movement highlights the robustness of the original 4130, and secondly, there is no change in the power reserve or functional capabilities between the 4131 and 4130 movements.
What is the quality like for Clean Factory’s new Daytona model with the Shanghai 4131 movement?
In the past, Clean Factory’s high-quality imitation Daytonas from the 1165 series were powered by the Dandong 4130 movement, which became a significant selling point. Now, with the new Daytona models equipped with the Shanghai 4131 movement, some watch enthusiasts have raised concerns about its quality. These concerns stem from issues associated with the earlier Shanghai 4130 movement, which included 1) stability not meeting the original standard, 2) chronograph functions failing to reset properly, 3) rough rotor finish, 4) subpar winding feel, and 5) noisy automatic rotor. So, does the Shanghai 4131 movement still face these same issues?
Currently, the Shanghai 4130 movement is used by APS-ZF and some other manufacturers without copyright access to the Dandong 4130 movement. Most watch enthusiasts seeking high-end imitation Daytonas prefer the Clean Factory models, originally powered by the Dandong 4130 movement, from the N Factory era through its closure to the present Clean Factory, BT Factory, and new N Factory. The primary appeal of choosing Clean Factory lies in its movement quality and meticulous detailing. As for the highly anticipated Clean Factory Daytona 4131 movement, which is produced by the Shanghai Factory, it’s important to note that although it’s marketed as a collaborative effort, the reality differs. In fact, Clean Factory independently handles all aspects of the movement’s grinding, electroplating, scaling, polishing, and component fabrication.
Clean Factory places high demands on quality, as it holds the top sales position for Daytona replicas in the market. Naturally, they wouldn’t compromise their reputation by overstating the performance of the Shanghai 4131 movement. While this movement claims a 75-hour power reserve, the original authentic model still holds a 72-hour reserve. Watch enthusiasts can expect around 72 hours, but verifying the 75-hour claim will require real-world testing, as not every movement will consistently reach exactly 75 hours. Variations of a few hours are reasonable and substantiated. For both the Dandong and Shanghai 4130 movements, the power reserve typically ranges from 68 to 72 hours, which is impressive for a high-quality replica movement.
From the actual images, we observe that the original Rolex 4131 movement is on the left, while the Shanghai 4131 movement is on the right. Comparing the two, we find that about 98% of the structure has been accurately replicated. The rotor’s finishing and the polishing angles of the movement’s bottom bearings are particularly refined, closely mimicking the original movement’s details. While the intricate parts are too small and complex to discuss extensively, you can compare the surface position of the balance wheel and the scale on the openwork rotor. The Daytona scale near the anti-shaft area is sharp and tidy, though the markings for CHRONOMETER and PERPETUAL are less defined. It’s worth noting that most of the 1265 series Daytona models have a closed case back design.
Left: genuine 4131 movement – Right: Shanghai 4131 movement:
If the movement features a transparent case back, and there’s a substitute-level rotor, it can be modified and upgraded later on. The entire movement of the new ice blue Daytona m126506 is visible through the lens, making the reproduction process for high-end Daytonas more demanding. This often influences watch enthusiasts’ purchasing decisions. Nevertheless, the integrity of the replica movement remains impressive. One of the most challenging aspects of high-end imitation watches is replicating movements. Factories on the mainland have yet to match the quality of Swiss movements, and it will take time for manufacturers to address this gap. Currently, choosing the Clean Factory’s 4131 movement is a solid decision.
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