VC 56 ZF Blue

[tribefan 6,768]

Been on a bit of a dress watch binge over the last year and this one has been on the list for a while.

This is a Fifty Six Complete Calendar ZF 1:1, 40MM, I've been wearing it for a few days now and really like it. While it says 40MM, is is actually 42 and change from side to side including the crown, but the dial/crystal is 32MM so it wears a little larger but reads a little smaller than you would expect from a 40MM. Case thickness is 11.75 compared to 11.5MM on the gen.

That said, one of the easiest time readers out there. Number are bold and chrome, stick are white and lumed. Regardless of the age a quick glance tells you what time it is, if the reflection subdues the numbers, the sticks are bold and easy to read with corresponding lumed hands.

Complete calendar does not equal perpetual calendar. Evidently the difference is adjusting the month manually.  Which is a piece of cake with the side pushers. They work great, easily flipped the appropriate display. Working moon phase I'm told. Crown does not lock, winds effortlessly, sets exactly as you would expect.

The display back on this sealed the deal for me. This is a high level fit and finish for a chinese rep. In real life with the naked eye, it is impressive to look at. It's only when you blow up digital pictures that you can see the details in workmanship from gen. And even blown up, it looks impressive.

Runs +25 sec a day, 272 amp and 0 beat error. I suppose I could adjust it, but why bother and risk messing up the back.

Downsides to this one:

- The pushers are not per gen. The gen does not have the fourth pusher on the left side. Instead it is on the case between the lower strap lugs. So there is an instant tell on the wrist. Because of this, I'll probably leave the stamped leather strap on it

- Deployant looks the part, but it one of the cheaper feeling ones. It works, but not without the occasional fiddling around with it. The spring back Blancpain Villeret is the still reigning champ of rep deployants.

- The numerical dates around the circumference of the dial are hard for me to read without proper light. In daylight, it is just fine. Low levels of indoor light make it hard to read.

Overall, I like this one quite a bit. It can be formal or casual. It would look superb with a nice shirt and pair of jeans. An MSRP of $26,400 seems crazy to me. I could / would buy a JLC Polaris and a BP Villeret and still be ahead. But it's an impressive rep.

 

[APjumbo 3,031]

Appreciate the good review. Looks great.  Let us know if the moonphase is working.

This 56, the JLC Polaris and the PP Grand Complications 5320G are all nice contenders for a more dressy but still a bit sporty piece.

[tribefan 6,768]

2 minutes ago, APjumbo said:

Appreciate the good review. Looks great.  Let us know if the moonphase is working.

This 56, the JLC Polaris and the PP Grand Complications 5320G are all nice contenders for a more dressy but still a bit sporty piece.

Thanks. Moonphase appears to work fine. I've worn it a few days now and it'a gone from dead center to just left of dead center.

[NCRich 13,743]

Very nice!  Lovely dial.

[crashuid 0]

I had this same watch but with the gen strap that really elevated the watch. Very sadly I sold it as I could never afford this watch in gen and I was breaking my rule of only having reps of watches that I can afford cash in hand. I miss it a lot.