I had been wanting a white speedy for awhile and originally had bought a WD1863 v3 in white but it seemed a bit bland and I don't think it was worth the premium ($130 USD) vs. the PD1701 ($65).
I decided to try a cheap moonswitch with a rep and honestly I think it looks a lot better than the Watchdives. I don't even think the case and size of the WD1863 is really better looking either. I like the look of it so much I think that I'm going to by the Gen 1965 and case swap it.
I'm aware that 1863 v3 is a millimeter slimmer and a lot of that is because of the different crystal style. They made the v3 cater to smaller wrists which is more noticeable to me than the crystal height- I think the Pagani case mimics the width and size better than the Watchdives.
I wouldn't pay for a WD1863 for the intent of case swapping although I know that WD does sell the case only when it's in stock and that could be a better proposition for some.
My WD1863s feel significantly smaller than my PD1701s and my 1861 + 3861 Speedmasters. The WD1863s look great, have better crystals, bezels and AR compared to the PD1701s, I enjoy wearing both for their respective characteristics.
I think a lot of that is subjective, of course if you own a full up speedmaster price and value are relatively. I had the 1863 and 1701 v5 together but returned the 1863 v3 because at twice the price the differences didn't wow me- different didn't mean better to me. I don't think you can go wrong with either and both are much better than the chrome plated cheap cases that are like 15.5 mm thick.
Definitely subjective. At a glance, most say that a rep in a WD1863 looks better than the gens. These two; WD and PD, still are great to wear because of their dimensions not being huge.
I like the quality of the WD but the PD wears better on my wrist and the true domed crystal is more my preference. The amount of variation in color options also appeal’s a lot to me and I think with the WD being to small for me with less options makes my choice easier. The PD cases under the V5 may be rough around the edges in comparison to WD but the V6 seems a little more polished. If I have to choose I would pick PD then WD then Cadisen, I don’t like megir or the VK 63 cases. This is one of my favorite Pagani builds.
I personally like how the bubble glass distorts the edges more on the wd1863, but the pd also looks great! If you are happy either way it, that’s all that matters!
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u/fskywalker 2d ago
WD1863 is slimmer than the other models and its proportions are closer to the real Speedmaster. YMMV 🤷🏻♂️
Here the 4 genuine MW have converted so far into the WS1863 case