If you want me to decide which watch to start as my first replica watch, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak must be in my consideration list, their models 15400, 15500 and 15202 are too popular, they already become the three AP models that are mostly replicated by many watch factories. Take this Royal Oak Jumbo 15202 for example, as far as I know, there are three main watch factories that are replicating it, XF, ZF and BF. XF is the first manufacturer to make this Royal Oak 15202, there are two different versions, one with blue dial, the other with smoke blue dial. Among these three factories, I still think that 15202 from XF is the best, but I do not understand why ZF sells it at a much higher price than XF.
About the replica of Royal Oak 15202, it has two dial color options, blue and smoke blue. Both ZF and XF have both versions, the one you see in this article is from ZF. The case diameter of 15202 is 39mm, case is much thinner than model 15400 or 15500. The case thickness of ZF 15202 is about 9mm, I meansured it on XF 15202, about 8.5mm, so XF 15202 is closer to genuine in case thickness, but the difference is too small, only 0.5mm difference is hard to be noticed.
So, XF has a correct case thickness, so I can not explain why ZF 15202 has a much higher price. First, let me explain why ZF 15202 has a thicker case. It is because ZF uses a different movement in this smoke blue 15202, which is based on Miyota 9015, ZF added extra plate on the original movement so that it can look closer to genuine AP 2121 calibre, it is exactly the extra movement plate that thickens the entire case. However, inside the 15202 from XF, the movement is a custom-made AP 2121, which is not based on any Chinese or Japanese movement, so the case thickness can be controlled, and the watch also has a genuine time and date setting.
Maybe ZF 15202 has a better case and bracelet finish, this is the only reason I can think of to let me explain its higher price than XF 15202. Well, Audemars Piguet replicas from ZF can not represent the highest manufacturing level in our market, the AP from JF does, I compared the finish of 15400 between JF and ZF, and found JF’s finish is much better, yes, that’s the truth, I must say that JF 15400 has the best bracelet finish. So, on this 15202, I think ZF will upgrade the movement in future, otherwise people won’t accept such a high price.