Hello everyone. Today I'm going to introduce a third-generation green Submariner.

Among all the Submariner models, this one actually receives relatively little attention. Most people tend to prefer the all-black Submariner, while others may feel that the green version looks a little too flashy. And if someone really likes a green Submariner, they often choose the second-generation model with the full green dial.

The main differences between the third-generation green Submariner and the second generation are, first of all, the size. The case increased from 40mm to 41mm. In actual wear, however, the size difference is not particularly noticeable. The most important difference is really the dial color.

The third-generation green Submariner is more like a combination of the black Submariner and the green Submariner. The original green dial has been replaced by a black lacquered dial. In that sense, the third-generation black Submariner and green Submariner are almost identical except for the color of the bezel.

Because the dial is black, this version looks slightly more understated than the second-generation Hulk. As for which one looks better, that is completely subjective. Everyone has different tastes.

This black-and-green combination gives buyers a third option beyond the traditional black Submariner and full-green Hulk. Because of this color combination, many people have nicknamed it the “Starbucks,” which is actually quite appropriate.

Personally, I really like the appearance of this model. It is not as flashy as the full-green version, but the green bezel adds just enough brightness to the otherwise restrained black design. The watch I have here is the VS Factory version.

Of course, when it comes to this green Submariner, many people recommend Clean Factory. So the main topic of today's review is: **between VS Factory and Clean Factory, which one should you choose?

First, let's briefly go over the specifications of the watch itself.

Since this is the third-generation green Submariner, it comes in a 41mm case and is equipped with a unidirectional rotating green ceramic bezel.

Many people like the green Submariner but are hesitant to buy one because they worry about color differences in the green ceramic. Because of that, they end up choosing the black Submariner instead.

But considering how advanced replica manufacturing has become today, the color accuracy of green Submariner bezels has already reached a very high level. Even aside from first-tier factories such as VS and Clean, some second-tier factories such as C+ can now reproduce the green color very accurately.

So today, as you can see from actual photos, the green bezel color is already extremely accurate, and the color difference is almost negligible. If you like the green Submariner, there is really no need to worry too much about the bezel color anymore.

The VS Factory third-generation Submariner uses a black dial and sapphire crystal.

You may have noticed that the crystal on a Submariner, and Rolex crystals in general, does not look excessively transparent. It is not like the ultra-clear crystals seen on some other brands.

Some replica manufacturers focus heavily on making their sapphire crystals extremely transparent, but that does not necessarily make them more accurate to the genuine Rolex.

Rolex sports watches have a particular crystal appearance, and the crystal should not look unnaturally clear. Some lower-tier Rolex replicas use crystals that are far too transparent, which immediately makes them look incorrect.

Even some well-known factories have had this issue. For example, some BT Factory Daytonas use crystals that appear extremely transparent. When you look at them, the effect can feel different from the genuine watch.

However, many inexperienced buyers are still persuaded by sellers to “upgrade” to so-called high-transparency crystals. In some cases, you are actually spending extra money to make the watch less accurate to the genuine version.

Movement

In terms of the movement, VS Factory uses the Dandong 3235 movement.

One of the easiest ways to identify a VS version is through the movement, because the Dandong 3235 has traditionally been strongly associated with VS Factory. Many other versions on the market use Shanghai-made 3235 movements instead.

So how can you tell whether the movement is the Dandong version?

One simple method is to fully wind the watch and check the power reserve. If it runs for around 60 to 70 hours, that is consistent with the longer power reserve associated with the Dandong 3235. If it only runs for around 30 hours, then it is unlikely to be the same movement.

From the movement perspective, this makes identification much easier.

Some people online suggest identifying factories by looking at clasp codes or the rehaut serial number around the six o'clock position. In my opinion, these methods are not particularly reliable.

Why?

Because if another factory wants to imitate VS Factory, it can simply reproduce the same clasp codes and serial numbers. If you rely entirely on those markings, you can easily be misled.

VS Factory or Clean Factory?

So when it comes to the Submariner, should you choose VS Factory or Clean Factory?

I believe around 95% of people would simply choose Clean Factory without thinking too much about it, because the general online consensus today strongly favors Clean.

For someone writing reviews, it would certainly be much easier to simply follow the crowd and say that Clean is better.

But a proper review should still be based on the actual watch and its details rather than repeating marketing claims.

Many people recommending Clean Factory may not even have studied the differences carefully themselves. They simply hear everyone else saying Clean is better, so they repeat the same thing.

If you ask them exactly where Clean is better, they may say that the appearance is more accurate, the finishing is better, or that appearance matters more than the movement in a replica watch.

But if you continue asking which specific exterior details are actually better, many of them cannot give a clear answer.

For me, there are two major standards for judging a complete replica watch.

The first is **accuracy compared with the genuine watch**.

The second is **movement stability**.

From the perspective of movement stability, I believe VS Factory has the advantage over Clean Factory. Clean Factory commonly uses a Shanghai 3235 movement, while VS uses the Dandong 3235. There is still a noticeable difference between the two in terms of specifications and power reserve.

So purely from the movement perspective, VS has a clear advantage.

Bezel

Now let's compare the appearance.

The most important exterior components are basically the bezel, hands, date, dial, and bracelet, so we can look at them one by one.

First, the bezel color.

Today, VS, Clean, and several other factories have all reached a very similar level. The bezel numerals use a platinum-colored filling process, and the overall finish is very durable. In terms of the accuracy of the green ceramic color, the major factories are now very close.

The more noticeable difference is the luminous pearl.

Many watch enthusiasts claim that the VS pearl is not good and that Clean's pearl is more accurate. But I think many people making that claim have not carefully examined a brand-new genuine Submariner pearl.

A lot of genuine examples people see online are older second-hand watches. Naturally, after many years of use, the luminous pearl can age, discolor, or oxidize.

On a brand-new green Submariner, the luminous pearl should look much fresher.

If you carefully examine the VS pearl, you can see that the metal surround sits very slightly higher than the edge of the luminous insert. This shape is quite close to the genuine watch.

Clean Factory's shape is slightly different, although the difference is extremely small and difficult to notice without careful inspection.

The more obvious difference is the color of the pearl. The VS pearl has a relatively light, whitish appearance.

There has been a lot of discussion online about which color is more correct. In reality, the genuine pearl can show a very subtle greenish tone under certain lighting rather than looking like a strongly colored green insert.

This is one of those details that really needs to be judged against a genuine example instead of relying purely on online opinions.

Dial

As for the dial itself, there is honestly not a huge difference between VS and Clean.

As you can see, both reproduce the subtle curvature around the outer portion of the dial and the slight shape around the center. These small details are already well executed by both factories.

The dials from both VS and Clean are very similar, so I do not think there is a clear winner simply based on the dial.

Hands and Central Pinion

However, the hands and central pinion show more noticeable differences.

People online often say that Clean Factory's hands look more three-dimensional and therefore must be better. I do not necessarily agree with that conclusion.

Why should more three-dimensional automatically mean more accurate?

The proportions of the VS hands are already very balanced. More importantly, the surface cleanliness, edge finishing, and side polishing of the VS hands are among the best I have seen in replica watches.

The way the hands reflect light is also handled very well.

Looking at the central pinion on the VS version, it has a relatively solid appearance. The center is properly filled, while the central opening remains small, giving it the compact and three-dimensional look seen on the genuine watch.

On some Clean Factory Submariners, the central pinion appears slightly larger than that of the genuine watch. This issue could already be seen on some second-generation versions, and similar differences can also be observed on certain third-generation black and green Submariners.

From the perspective of pure accuracy, I therefore think VS performs slightly better in this area.

That does not mean Clean Factory is bad. Clean still makes an excellent watch. We are simply comparing very small differences between two high-level products.

Date Printing

Another detail is the printing of the date numerals.

On the VS version, even under strong magnification, the numerals generally look very neat and clean. The edges of the printing remain controlled without obvious ink overflow.

This is an area where VS performs particularly well.

So whether you look at overall quality control or the refinement of small details, I personally believe VS has some advantages over Clean.

Final Thoughts

As a reviewer, I still want to give the most straightforward assessment possible.

From the perspective of the movement, movement stability, and overall quality control, I personally prefer VS Factory over Clean Factory for this model.

However, when it comes to the final choice between VS and Clean, both are already high-level versions, and the differences are mostly in relatively small details.

So whether you choose VS Factory or Clean Factory ultimately depends on which characteristics matter more to you.

https://sites.google.com/view/watchesguide/how-accurate-are-super-clone-watches

https://jasonwong.mataroa.blog/blog/can-a-watchmaker-tell-a-super-clone-from-a-genuine-watch/

https://ameblo.jp/jasonwatchreview/entry-12975034435.html