Since GM Factory released the first heavy Rolex Day-Date replica, many other watch factories have entered the market over the past two years, making competition in this field incredibly intense. Every factory claims that their version of the Day-Date is the best, and prices continue to rise.
As customers, this can be very confusing—is it really worth spending a significant amount of money on a heavy Rolex Day-Date replica? And which watchmaker should you choose?
Comparing GM, THB, and CY Day-Date Replicas
Today, I will compare the Day-Date replicas from three major watchmakers—GM, THB, and CY—to provide a basic review and help you decide which one to buy.
GM V3 Edition: The Best Choice?
GM Factory was the first to introduce a heavy Rolex Day-Date replica to the market. In 2022, they launched their first model, and today, there are two versions available: V3 and V5. Below are images of the GM V3 Day-Date, which I believe is the best option.
Why Choose the GM V3?
- Affordable Price – It is significantly cheaper than models from THB and CY.
- Good Finishing – The overall craftsmanship is well-executed for the price.
- Weight – The V3 weighs between 175g and 178g, which is still different from the genuine Rolex but remains a reasonable compromise.
GM V5 (Rebranded as “QF”): Is It Worth It?
GM Factory now sells the V5 edition under the new name “QF”, most likely as a marketing strategy to increase profits. However, the only difference between the V3 and V5 is the addition of two extra bracelet links, making the V5’s bracelet longer—but at a higher price.
Is it necessary to choose the V5 over the V3? Not really. The V3 already features a sufficiently long bracelet, so paying extra for the V5 doesn’t seem worthwhile.
The following two pictures show you the Day-Date from THB factory. It has the bracelet that is the same length as that of GM V5, but THB Day-Date is about 195 grams, while GM V5 is about 186 grams. THB uses a super clone 3255 movement, which seems to become the main selling point, but I do not think there is a big difference between the GM 3255 and theirs.
Last, it is the Day-Date produced by CY. I totally not recommend this one, it is too expensive, I know THB already has a very high price, which is very close to that of Daytona, but the price of Day-Date made by CY is more expensive than THB, this is crazy. CY factory found a strange solution to gain weight, they make the links on the bracelet thicker, I measured the links, each is about 0.3mm thicker than the one on GM. This is not good.
My advice for beginner is just choosing the V3 Day-Date from GM, with clone ETA 2836 movement. It has a more reasonable price, GM has been in this industry for years, the finish is acceptable.
