Talking about AR Factory 1:1 Best Edition Swiss Replica Watches, oh! Maybe you like to call it “ARF” instead. Old players all know it has a big brother called “JF Factory”. Since that big brother got into trouble, AR Factory has been keeping a low profile. Of course, there are also crazy rumors saying ARF went bankrupt or ran away. Is the AR Factory still open? Actually they only stopped production for a few days. AR Factory is still producing 2026, but just shipping quietly, mostly through old customer channels. You know, tall trees catch the wind.
ARF vs VSF comparison: which one is stronger?
This question is like asking me “which is better, Mercedes or BMW?” Haha, to be honest, as a veteran player for ten years, I really can’t tell you which one is stronger because they each have their strengths:
AR Factory: Their strength has always been the case and bracelet craftsmanship especially the brushing and edge chamfering on the bracelet. Almost no other factory can beat them. But that’s just my opinion. Do you guys know any factory that can make a better bracelet than ARF? Let me know.
VS Factory Their movement is still their advantage, especially the Dandong 3135 and 3235 movements. Stability and accuracy are top level.
Many players who like to build “”Assemble” watches like to take VSF’s movement and pair it with ARF’s bracelet. That’s a real strong combo. But in recent years VSF has also improved their cases, so the gap isn’t as big as before.
AR Factory Rolex replica common movements
AR Factory doesn’t like to mess around with movements too much. For basic no-date three-handers, if you’re on a budget, you can get the Seagull 2824 movement version. This movement in the replica watch world is like the Santana in the car world – maybe that helps you understand. The Seagull 2824 has low repair cost, parts are easy to find everywhere, and it keeps time pretty stable. It can handle daily needs, but long-term durability is a bit lower compared to super clone movements.
For AR Factory Submariner and Datejust replicas, they use the Shanghai 3235 movement. It’s not as good as VSF’s Dandong 3235, but the regulation is very good. They control the出厂 timing very well, daily error ±10 seconds. But after one year, the amplitude drops a bit faster, and the return rate is higher than VSF.
Anyway, people who choose ARF have a good mindset. They care more about the case and bracelet. For the movement, as long as it’s accurate enough for basic timekeeping, that’s fine.
2026 ARF major upgrade: introducing Dandong 3235 clone movement
On a low budget, the Seagull 2824 movement version is a good choice. But if you have a bit more budget, now there’s the Dandong 3235 clone movement giving everyone a better option.
Actually, as early as the end of 2025, AR Factory started putting the Dandong 3235 movement in their new models, like the 41mm Submariner, Datejust, Yacht-Master, etc. By 2026, it should be considered the continuous shipping phase. The latest ARF Datejust and Submariner replicas you can buy on the market now mostly use Dandong 3235 as the mainstream movement.
Some people might ask: isn’t Dandong 3235 exclusive to VSF? In the early days, Dandong 3235 was basically monopolized by VSF, but by the end of 2025 the cooperation ended and the supply opened up. AR Factory and some other top factories got the supply one after another. So now it’s not just VSF using the 3235 movement.
Dandong 3235 vs Shanghai 3235 movement: what’s the difference?
- Power reserve improvement: Shanghai 3235 movement has about 40 hours power reserve, while Dandong 3235 increases to 70 hours
- Daily error reduction: Dandong 3235 movement daily error is ±5 seconds, better long-term stability
- Instant date change is crisp: Dandong 3235 movement’s date function flips more cleanly
- Return rate: Dandong 3235 movement’s normal return rate is below 5%, Shanghai 3235 movement’s return rate floats between 10%-15%.
How to avoid buying a fake AR Factory replica?
As mentioned above, now ARF sells through old customer channels. I can teach you a few tricks to tell whether the dealer is giving you a real AR Factory replica watch:
- Bracelet brushing direction: Real ARF bracelet brushing runs from beginning to end, from the lugs all the way to the edge of the clasp. The lines are very straight. Low-end watches have rough brushing, with breaks in the middle and inconsistent direction.
- Edge chamfering: ARF does a slight curved chamfer polish on every link’s edge. When you touch it, it’s smooth and not scratchy. From the side, you can see a light high polish. Other factories mostly do right angle brushing, not as smooth as AR Factory.
- Clasp: The crown decoration on the ARF clasp is in the same position as the genuine product, located at the top of the clasp, while the crown decoration on the clasp of some other manufacturers is embedded inside the clasp.
ARF replica hot model ranking: TOP4
- Rolex Datejust 41mm (model: 126334) / 36mm (model: 1262384)
- Rolex Yacht-Master 40mm (model: 1166222) / Rolex Yacht-Master 37mm (268622)
- Rolex GMT-Master II: 126710 Pepsi (red and blue) and Batman (blue and black)
- Rolex Day-Date 40mm (model: 228238)
Are ARF replica watches worth buying?
Very worth it. Reason: From the end of 2025 until now, the replica watch industry has experienced too many sad and painful things. The saddest thing was the fall of Clean Factory. Then a Victory Factory appeared with Clean Factory’s supply chain, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but soon after VF and APS Factory got raided. For a while the whole circle was anxious. In this context, it just highlights how rare it is that AR Factory is still continuously producing and shipping. It’s not that no one makes Rolex replica watches anymore – there are many. But top-tier big factories like Clean Factory, ARF, VSF, APS Factory are very hard to come by.
Top replica watch factory: AR Factory
The current ARF watches are pretty good. Their GMT watches can compete with Clean Factory watches. Their Day-Date series watches have generally good reviews, but there is a plating issue. Future top versions should improve on that. Based on this, I think the new AR Factory can be ranked among the top replica watch factories.