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Theonewatches

Seamaster 300 Blue: A comprehensive comparison of GEN, VS, OR, ZF and AG

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Theonewatches

Overall comparison of Omega Seamaster 300m blue dial GEN, VS, OR, AG and ZF

Hello friends, this is Steve. I’m come back.

I have done a lot of comparison posts about the most popular Rolex models. We guess you guys may tired of reading it. For a change of pace this time, let's see how well the major factories have done with the Seamaster 300 Blue dial.

Without further bullshit, let's get straight to it!

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Dial Front View

In terms of color, VS and ZF are the closest to GEN, AG is not bad, OR is the most obvious, too dark!
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bezel view


All factories’ bezels are well polished, and the shape and smoothness of the sides are about the same! OR's bezel is better polished.

As far as the rotating feel is concerned, the VS’s is the most comfortable. Like the GEN, it is relatively loose to rotate. The sound is too loud is the only defect. OR, ZF, AG are all too tight to rotate!
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Detailed Engraving View


The enamel engraving process used by GEN is almost flat and has no ranges visually! There is no problem with what the rep factories do!

In terms of fonts, VS and ZF do better, OR is a bit thicker, and the flatness of AG edges is relatively poor!
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Night Pearl Triangle View


The enamel engraving process used by GEN is almost flat and has no ranges visually! There is no problem with what the rep factories do!

In terms of fonts, VS and ZF do better, OR is a bit thicker, and the flatness of AG edges is relatively poor!
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glass view


Overall, the crystal surface of ZF is better, and the secondary treatment of glass is done on the side. AG's glass surface is low.
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Stick view


The overall polishing of the scale is not bad, but the GEN’s dot time scale is flat, and the factories’ seem to be too round!

The double sticks at 12 o’clock are not very neatly arranged in all factories!
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Hand Luminous Filled View


The luminous light of the hands are made grainy in all factories which are not much difference.

Looking at the dot stick from this perspective, the factories’ are indeed too full, and the OR is obviously yellowish in color!

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Oil Font behind 12:00 Stick View


VS is also not bad. The best thing ZF does is the shape and flatness of the font. The downside is that the red SEAMASTER is darker, and the color closest to GEN is the OR factory.

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Oil Font behind 6:00 Stick View


On the whole, the OR factory is slightly worse. The letter A above the calendar window is the most obvious place. The skeleton part in the middle is made into a circle!

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Hand view


The GEN middle axle is solid, but all the factories are skeleton. VS’s and ZF's external leakage cylinders are better in shape, protruding like GEN, and very flat!

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Panel Wave Notch View


The depth of the notch is not bad in all factories. In terms of color, GEN is dark gray. Through physical observation, VS, ZF, AG are very close, and the graininess of the OR pattern is too strong!

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Date Window View


The window shapes of VS, ZF, and AG have secondary processing of beveled edges, while OR does not.

And only VS and ZF are correct for date fonts. GEN's font 20 is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

The upper part of the number is leaning towards the middle, and the lower part is inclined towards the outer edge (the same is true for 10 and 30, and the date after many days is this shape.

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Case Side View

There's nothing wrong with the shape of the case.

The shape of the upper part of the letter E of GEN's exhaust valve is an arched curved corner, and the factories’ are a bit square!

GEN's crown and exhaust valve are chamfered with circular arcs, which looks like a layered slide. All factories have noticed this detail, but VS and ZF are better at arc angle grinding.

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Thick Bottom Cover View


GEN's rear bottom cover has a very fine chamfered edge, VS and ZF have noticed it and have chamfered it, while OR and AG feel almost no treatment.

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Engraved view of lugs


The VS logo graphic is thinner.

In terms of lettering, the factories all use different lettering processes, so there will be some gaps, but the overall shape can still be seen clearly.

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Strap Detail View

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Lume View


GEN's sticks lume is more green, the factory's is more blue. The color is still different.

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Movement View


All factory movements use Seagull 2824 to imitate the 8800 SMD movement.

The structure of the four factories is slightly different. OR, ZF use fewer patches and more similar with GEN

The most obvious place for VS is the lack of a screw on the balance wheel.

In terms of polishing, OR and ZF are better, and in terms of gem color, OR is closer to GE

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Data Comparison

Illustrate: All watches are in a clamped state, and there may be precision due to the slight deviation of the caliper position. GEN and factories have steel tape protective films.

Well, today's post is here, thank you guys for watching. If there are any mistakes, please correct me.

If there is anything else I overlooked, you can put it up, and I will try my best to do it. Complementary and comprehensive, welcome to comment and exchange!

(Illustrate: Some photos deviate from the real object due to the problem of the light source. The details are mainly written in text. The size of the comparison picture is relatively large. You can download it and enlarge it for comparison.)

 

 

Edited by Theonewatches
  • Like 14

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pielover74

Thank you for the detailed breakdown! This was phenomenal 

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tribefan

Thanks Steve for taking the time to educate your clients! Awesome review. Looks like ZF and AG are legit VS contenders.

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Simonix

This needs to be a sticky!

 

great thread Steve. 

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Simonix

zrhsHo.jpgI do love my ORF…

 

  • Like 3

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Matze71

Great work!

 

Can this be transferred 1:1 to versions with a different dial color? Or are there then other differences on the table?

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Mr_B
2 hours ago, Theonewatches said:

Hello everyone, this is Steve and I'm coming again.

 

:giggle:

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pbwatch

My ZF on an ORF bracelet which has been on my wrist everyday for 2 months and running perfect. Definitely the best combo having had all the others in my humble opinion.
b1a3b9d09760327cfc5c8917576926fd.jpg

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tribefan
16 minutes ago, pbwatch said:

My ZF on an ORF bracelet which has been on my wrist everyday for 2 months and running perfect. Definitely the best combo having had all the others in my humble opinion.
 

Yeah, but who wound up with the ORF on the ZF bracelet is the real question.......

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Philiusmaximus

Is this the end of the VSF hysteria. It's the worst version in almost every crucial way.

 

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pbwatch
Yeah, but who wound up with the ORF on the ZF bracelet is the real question.......

Lol. No one as I have the ZF strap here still wrapped up and bought

the ORF bracelet separately. :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Aramis2288

Amazing post!

I wonder how the white dial versions compare against each other. I have the VSF version and my biggest issue with it are the yellowish hour markers. This color difference is quite visible on a snow-white dial. I wonder whether the ZF factory made a better rep...

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pbwatch
Amazing post!
I wonder how the white dial versions compare against each other. I have the VSF version and my biggest issue with it are the yellowish hour markers. This color difference is quite visible on a snow-white dial. I wonder whether the ZF factory made a better rep...

Yes ZF did make a better job of the white dial. Some guys already have it and commented on the better red script and white markers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Darkstar5

For anyone hoping to make a franken with the best parts from each: ORF bracelet fits on the ZF. VSF bezel however does not (wanted the better scallops). 

I also prefer the hands on the VSF so I'll try swapping onto the ZF movement this weekend. The ZF hand lume is just a bit dull and doesn't match the rest of the lume.

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wildchild696

Has anyone had a chance to compare the VSF and ZF versions of the black face version? I'm particularly interested in clarifying comments that I have read about the colour of the "seamaster" logo. Also are both movements unidirectional/noisy still? Bracelet unimportant, will go for the rubber strap. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

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wildchild696

Forgot to say, amazing review btw, thanks so much for taking the time and effort Steve!

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Ilikewaches

IMO VSF is the way to go. ORF removes one of the reversing wheels and puts a hole and click spring in the other reversing wheel in order to fit their deco plate.  This means it only winds in one direction and is more prone to failure. It also means that swapping in a new movement is very difficult because the deco plates will not fit over a movement without this modification.

 

I'd rather have the VSF deco which allows for a direct swap of the movement while retaining the deco plates.

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Hazey82

Hi All, Anyone know if the grey dial is as good as this blue and even the black? When i compare the hands to the Gen they are pretty damm good, My concern is from what I have seen of the blue hands on some images they can look a bit washed out and colour is not completly even or missing in edges/tips. This one of the VSF from Geek Time looks ok..

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This one from Trusty not so much..

https://trustytimewatch88.io/images/OMEGA7/OMG0691_08.jpg

 

Edited by Hazey82
.

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Chainen

Thanks Steve.  I really appreciate the detailed break down.  As a new member, I am still learning what details to look for when selecting a factory.  I sort of lucked into the VS Submariner as my first purchase, but this type of information will be really helpful for my next purchase.  

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Bunny

Such a comprehensive and detailed breakdown. Thank you for your work!

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andy66

I'm amazed at the detailed comparisons.

It's one thing to be told or to read the differences but to have visual side by side comparisons makes such a difference.

Thank you for putting the time in to do this.

Andy

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itsbigmal

Just taken delivery of Black OR factory and wonder before I mess it up can I take a link out? Just don't want to attempt if the screws on the bracelet are fixed just for show.

Many Thanks

Malcolm

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Wires
57 minutes ago, itsbigmal said:

Just taken delivery of Black OR factory and wonder before I mess it up can I take a link out? Just don't want to attempt if the screws on the bracelet are fixed just for show.

Many Thanks

Malcolm

Unscrew the link on both sides then poke out the pin if it doesn’t fall out, do the same with another link to make the bracelet shorter then put back together try to use a good size/quality screwdriver it’s really easy on this type of bracelet 

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itsbigmal

All Done, thanks for the tips.

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Giando

Hi orf have silent rotor? Or that have same as all replica a noisy rotor?

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