Reviews

VSF Daytona Panda and Black Dial Review: 4130, 4131 and 4801/4802 Versions

VSF Daytona Panda and black-dial review: 116500LN vs 126500LN designs, DD4130, DD4131 and 4801/4802 options, sticker clues and winding claims.

Review date: Unknown
Page updated: 2026-09-21
Last verified: 2026-09-21

Verification applies only to the listed facts and explicit review scope.

On this page

Original video
Video chapters
Key facts
Detailed review
Strengths
What to watch for
Questions answered
Transcript
Sources & provenance

Original video

Video chapters

Key facts

Key facts
Field	Value	Assertion nature	Editorial verification	Source type
movement.budget_labels	Reviewer distinguishes non-skeletonized 4801 and skeletonized 4802 in the same price tier; later naming does not resolve every sample.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
identification.stickers	Phone comparison shows red S and QC PASS 01 stickers; the reviewer maps them to 4131 and 4130 respectively. Labels are not independent authentication.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
movement.opened_sample	An open caseback is shown while the reviewer identifies a 4130 alternative in the newer exterior. Movement-origin authentication is not supplied.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
winding.reviewer_explanation	Reviewer explains unidirectional automatic winding and rotor free spin for the budget option. No winding-efficiency or reserve-duration measurement.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
identification.packaging	SOB bag label visible; reviewer associates it with budget 4802. It is not treated as a separate authenticated factory.	OBSERVED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
comparison.historical_price	Reviewer reports RMB 500 plus RMB 200 reductions versus Clean, totaling RMB 700 at recording. Not a current price quote.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
availability.historical_scope	Mid-July shortage and early-June release are recording-context statements with unknown year, not current availability.	CLAIMED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT
identity.designs	White Panda and black-dial ceramic-bezel Daytona configurations shown in older 116500LN-style and newer 126500LN-style designs. Reference correspondence is an editorial identification, not authenticated engraving.	REPORTED	CONFIRMED	VIDEO_AND_TRANSCRIPT

Detailed review

What this review establishes

The central finding in this VSF Daytona review is that an exterior generation does not uniquely identify the movement inside. The reviewer describes an older Panda and black-dial pair with Dandong 4130, then explains newer-style watches offered with 4131, 4130 or a less expensive 4801/4802 alternative. Open casebacks, a movement comparison image and packaging examples make this a version-identification review, rather than a measured accuracy or finishing shootout.

Key takeaways for identifying the watch

The older ceramic-bezel design corresponds to 116500LN; the newer design corresponds to 126500LN. Both appear in white Panda and black-dial configurations on Oyster-style bracelets. These are design identifications from the footage and reference research, not authenticated reference engravings.

VS Factory is the reviewer's attribution, standardized here as VSF. A newer-style VSF Daytona in this recording is not necessarily a DD4131 watch: the reviewer explicitly presents a 4130 alternative in the newer exterior.

Four movement labels are discussed: DD4131, DD4130, 4801 and 4802. The last two are grouped into one budget tier by the reviewer. His count moves between three tiers and four labels; it does not establish four formal factory generations.

The red S and QC PASS 01 stickers are useful clues in this recording. They are removable labels, not reliable authentication or a substitute for inspecting the actual movement.

Panda, black dial and the two reference designs

At 00:22–00:43 the lineup and the pair held in the foreground distinguish the older watches from the newer examples behind them. Panda describes the white dial with dark contrasting subdial rings. Black-dial ceramic Daytona is the clearer name for the black dial with contrasting light rings. Both configurations have a black tachymeter bezel; “black ceramic” does not mean a black ceramic case.

Hodinkee's original hands-on inspection of 116500LN documents its white and black dials, black ceramic bezel and Rolex calibre 4130. Rolex's current white-dial 126500LN and black-dial 126500LN pages specify calibre 4131. These sources establish the genuine design references. They do not certify the replica's alloy, ceramic composition, accuracy or water resistance.

The newer-style samples show the slimmer counter-ring treatment and metal border around the black bezel. Those visual cues support the generation mapping alongside the reviewer's old/new distinction. No exact VSF production batch, V-number or recording year is established.

The movement choices explained in this recording

DD4130 in the older design: at 00:36–00:43, the reviewer attributes Dandong 4130 to the older Panda and black-dial pair. This is the movement designation he uses for that offering, not an independent manufacturing-origin certificate.

DD4131 in the newer design: at 01:58–02:04, he positions Dandong 4131 at the top of the newer range. Later, its appearance is shown in a comparison image on his phone. That is reference imagery presented by the reviewer, not a live teardown or performance test of a 4131 sample. The subtitle's “genuine Dandong” means the stated Dandong option; it does not mean a genuine Rolex movement.

4801 and 4802 budget alternatives: at 02:04–02:25, he distinguishes a skeletonized 4802 from a non-skeletonized 4801 and says they occupy the same price tier. “Skeletonized” here describes the movement treatment, not an openworked watch dial. The watches still have conventional Panda or black dials. Community discussions commonly use SL4801 and SL4802; the source itself mostly says 4801/4802 or Dandong 48-series.

DD4130 in the newer design: at 02:28–02:41, an open caseback is held to the camera while the reviewer identifies the movement as 4130, the same designation used for the older pair. This is the important exception to assuming that every 126500LN-style replica contains a 4131. It does not establish parts interchangeability with either genuine Rolex calibre.

Peacock's SL4801 product documentation describes an automatic and hand-wound chronograph with a central chronograph seconds hand, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter and small seconds. That confirms SL4801 is a functional chronograph designation. It does not independently identify every movement shown here or transfer the manufacturer's specifications to an untested assembled replica.

What the stickers and bags can tell you

At 03:11–03:49, the phone comparison associates a red S sticker with 4131, QC PASS 01 with 4130, and an unstickered example with the budget movement. The reviewer subsequently displays packaging and identifies the bag marked SOB with the inexpensive 4802 option. We retain SOB as the visible label, rather than silently converting it into a separate factory identity.

The reviewer immediately warns against relying on stickers alone and says he checks the movement before shipment. That is sensible identification advice, while his shipping practice remains his statement. A sticker can be removed, reused or placed on the wrong watch; the recording does not establish a permanent labeling standard across sellers or batches.

Ask for a clear movement photograph tied to the offered watch, including the rotor, bridges and balance area. Pair it with a straight-on dial photograph and the complete movement name on the quote. A loose packaging photograph or a generic factory comparison image does not establish which movement is inside your sample.

Rotor behavior, winding and the limits of the reliability claims

At 04:41–04:54 the reviewer handles an opened budget movement while explaining unidirectional automatic winding and the rotor's rapid free rotation in the non-winding direction. The close views show the rotor in different positions; they do not measure energy delivered to the mainspring. The winding-direction explanation is attributed expert knowledge, not a winding-efficiency test.

There is a naming limitation worth preserving: the explanation says 4802, while the earlier discussion also distinguishes a plain 4801 from a skeletonized 4802. The footage does not justify assigning every plain-looking budget example to one exact variant. Obtain a sample-specific identification rather than treating those labels as interchangeable.

In a VSF 4801-versus-4131 owner discussion, buyers compare rotor noise, winding feel, reserve and whether an upgrade is worthwhile. Reports differ. A separate black-dial VSF Daytona discussion includes conflicting claims about budget chronograph operation. These are useful buyer questions, not controlled evidence that one movement always performs better.

The reviewer expresses confidence in all the options and favors 4130 for stability. No timegrapher result, timed power-reserve run, winding-efficiency measurement, chronograph endurance test or service history supports a numerical reliability ranking in this recording. It also supplies no weight, thickness or water-pressure measurements.

How to use the Clean comparison and price information

The reviewer gives Clean a small exterior-detail advantage over the older VSF pair, based on comparisons he says he has made previously. This video does not reproduce a controlled detail-by-detail comparison of dial printing, crystal, case, bracelet and clasp. His claim that the difference is negligible at normal viewing distance remains a subjective assessment.

He reports an initial RMB 500 price gap, followed by another RMB 200 reduction, producing a stated RMB 700 difference at recording. His VSF value recommendation depends on that historical gap. Neither this figure nor the comment about returning to prices from six years earlier is a current offer.

Likewise, the early-June release and mid-July 4131 shortage describe an undated recording. The year is unknown. These remarks cannot establish today's stock, delivery times or the full present VSF range. His remarks about limited colorways should be read within that same historical context.

A precise inquiry and QC checklist

Specify the design generation, dial color and movement separately: for example, “126500LN-style white Panda, VSF-attributed, quoted DD4130; please confirm the actual movement.” A request for “VSF Daytona” alone leaves several materially different offers open.

For the offered sample, request movement identification, chronograph start/stop/reset and counter-advancement evidence, a timing result with test conditions, and rotor/winding behavior. For exterior QC, inspect dial and subdial alignment, chronograph-hand reset alignment, bezel printing and spacing, crystal clarity, end-link fit and clasp operation. These are recommended checks, not results already demonstrated here.

Use the 116500LN reference context, 126500LN reference context and VS Factory entity to keep the identities separate. The practical outcome is a correctly specified watch and movement, with sample evidence proportionate to the claim.

Sources & provenance

Strengths

Separates design generation from movement choice; includes opened samples, comparison imagery, sticker and packaging identification.

What to watch for

Movement origin, exact batches and recording year unconfirmed. No measured accuracy, reserve, reliability, weight, thickness or water-resistance result. Historical pricing and shortages are not current offers.

Movement summary

Reviewer discusses DD4130, DD4131 and 4801/4802 alternatives. Live opened examples and phone reference imagery have different evidential weight.

Questions answered

Does every newer-style VSF Daytona use DD4131?

No. This reviewer discusses DD4131, DD4130 and the 4801/4802 budget alternatives in newer-style Daytona offerings. The exterior alone does not establish the installed movement.

Which references do Panda and black dial describe here?

The older design corresponds to 116500LN and the newer design to 126500LN. Both have white Panda and black-dial configurations. These are visual design identifications, not authenticated reference engravings.

Are 4801 and 4802 the same version?

The reviewer groups them into one budget tier but distinguishes a non-skeletonized 4801 from a skeletonized 4802. Later naming is less precise, so verify the actual sample rather than merging the labels.

Does a red S or QC PASS 01 sticker authenticate the movement?

No. The recording associates red S with 4131 and QC PASS 01 with 4130, but removable stickers and packaging are only supporting clues. Request evidence of the installed movement.

Does this review prove 4130 is more reliable than 4131 or 4801/4802?

No. That preference is the reviewer's judgment. No controlled reliability, reserve-duration or chronograph-endurance testing is supplied.

Are the quoted prices and 4131 shortage current?

No current price or availability is established. The reviewer refers to June and mid-July without a confirmed year, so these are historical recording-context statements.