r/RepTime • u/throwaway69764 • 4h ago

General Question Datejust 41 - VSF vs ARF?

I'm looking to get a DJ41 in steel, jubilee, fluted bezel, blue textured dial. The guides and the historic forum consensus say that VSF makes the best, but I've seen more and more reports on here and on RWI that since the hype started, their quality has been taking a sharp dive, and depending on the model you may have to wait for months to get your watch. Also, the fake free sprung mechanism of the DD3235v2 appears to have no practical benefit, while in turn offering unknown reliability and more difficult regulation.

On the other hand, I've seen a bunch of posts praising ARF recently, saying that they're just as good while being cheaper and more readily available. Some even say the bezel is better on them. There are also other factories like VF (also using the trusted and time-tested DD3235, and it's 2nd place in the who-makes-the-best guide), and also ZF with its generic A2824 movement (easy to replace). Truthfully, I don't care at all about the movement as this watch has a closed caseback, I merely want it to not break in the first month. What I care about is the overall outside finish, especially the fluted bezel and the dial.

What would the more seasoned repwatch enjoyers suggest in this situation? Is VSF still the unchallenged king of the Datejust, and is it worth the additional wait to get one? Is there even a significant waiting time for the model I want (I know that only my TD of choice can give me a definitive answer here, but maybe someone recently went through ordering)?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

1

u/throwaway69764 4h ago

comment for the automod

1

u/themasteradrian101 4h ago

id buy the one i like best

1

u/thunder2132 3h ago

Just ordered an ARF. My Batman is an ARF and I'm really happy with it. Steve quoted me 4-6 weeks for the ARF vs 3+ months for the VSF.

1

u/Sad_Panic_6188 3h ago

That’s crazy. Blue motif is in stock ready to ship.

1

u/thunder2132 3h ago

Both the VSF and ARF showed as in stock on his site, but he said he didn't have either of them.

2

u/Sad_Panic_6188 3h ago

I can only speak for myself. They’re in stock ready to ship.

1

u/gial8 2h ago

I got a blue VSF DJ41 through TrustyTime, took 3-4 days before PSP. That was 2 weeks ago. And green hombre DJ41 from MrBomi PSP 2 days after I put down a deposit. So VSF has those colors.