Buying A Rep - Movements

This is not a complete list. This is however a list of commonly used movements in replicas at the time of writing. There will be some variation, maker to maker, manufacturer to manufacturer. This list does not account for maker adulterated movements, in other words movements that came from a factory (think Seagull, Seiko, Etc) and were modified to add an addition complication, decoration, etc, as these modifications can both jeopardize and enhance a movement. This list is based off of our experiences with the movements listed.

Worth Purchase:

6497-2 clones (6497-2, 6497-1, 6498, etc)
Superclone 4130
Superclone 3135 (SH, VR, etc, avoiding SA)
Superclone 3235 (same makers as 3135, not 3235's based on 2824/36's, 25XX's, etc)
7750 (unadulterated, seconds at 9 and non-chrono versions only)
2824 / 2836 (most varieties at this point, short of the Shanghai 2824, see note for CHS and non-CHS versions of 2836 below)
8215 and 9015 (as well as other varieties produced by Miyota and company)
Seiko Models.

Avoid:

2813, 4813, 3804, watches listed as 21J's, watches listed as 23J's, 7750's with seconds at 6 and seconds at 9 modification (AP's, Daytona's, etc), Shanghai 2824, ST6, 7120, CHS (correct hand stack) versions of the 2836.

Other Thoughts:

Movements not listed, like the 2528, 2530, 2555, Panerai superclones, various Rolex supposed superclones, IWC superclones, 2836 GMT (non-CHS), and others not listed are what we consider middle ground. They are typically not worthy of a top tier designation in terms of reliability but they are also not models to avoid.

Listed above in avoid, 21J's, specifically 2813's, these are not horrible. In fact they power millions of watches and are found in name brand watches in many countries. That said, we replace a lot of these, at least 30 a month. They have decent timing and decent lifespan. They are cheap to replace. In many cases they can be replaced with the better built, better running 8215. For this reason they are OK in lower end reps. We get a metric tonne of people requesting to upgrade 21J's to "something better", typically due to not keeping the best time, low power reserve, or having to replace more than once over the life of the watch. This is reason they are on the avoid list but at the right price, with the right expectations, the 21J is OK to purchase. The thought here is that if you are to buy a 21J powered watch with plans to upgrade to something like a 8215, it may be best to spend that money toward a watch with a "better" movement. You be the judge.

Omega Replicas - Omega reps are by far the most serviced non Rolex rep, regardless of model or flavor. Superclones, modified 2836's, 2824's, etc, all due to the ridiculous amount of adornment done to the movement. Glued on parts coming loose makes up a vast majority of failures. Even movement models in the Worth Purchase column above should be considered haphazard in an Omega rep. While the general build quality of Omega reps is usually very good, with great cases and bracelets, the goofy sh*t the makers do to the movements leaves a lot to be desired.