The short version
Buyers who argue about this pair are not arguing about a gulf in quality. They are arguing about which set of small details they would rather live with. The most-quoted line in the comparison threads — written by a long-time forum member, not by a seller — is that the finishing difference between the two is "like staring at two walls".
What follows is the same material you would find in those threads, laid out plainly, plus a clear note on which parts of it are community reporting and which parts are things we have measured ourselves. The second list is short, and we would rather admit that than pad it.
Where each side is said to be stronger
Every row below is community-reported — recurring claims from the comparison threads, not our own measurements. Where the threads disagree, both positions are shown.
| Area | Said of VS Factory | Said of Clean / Clean Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | Consistently credited as the stronger side — the Dandong/DD 3235 and the 3285 family, with the no-date "ghost date" issue fixed in later batches. | Also a Dandong 3235, and reviewers of the newer line describe it as the same upgraded calibre. The old dividing line — better movement here, worse there — has largely closed. |
| Crystal | Usually called clearer, to the point where members say no upgrade is needed. | Reported to have been updated at some point, with the catch that which version you receive has been described as luck of the draw rather than something a listing can promise. |
| Case shape & crown guards | Criticised by some members in annotated photos, on the specific point that the bezel overhangs the crown guards where the original does not. | Called closer to the original on the same detail by those same members — with the caveat, added in the same thread, that Clean's own crown guards are not correct either, just less obvious. |
| SEL fit & bracelet | Noted for the occasional visible gap at the lower-right lug join on some units. | Repeatedly credited with tighter SELs and a smoother clasp feel, with one member saying the bracelet is close to a genuine reference it was compared against. |
| Rehaut engraving | Less often praised on this point, and sometimes called out. | Called better in the same comparisons, by the same members who prefer VSF on movement. |
| Unit-to-unit QC | Reported to be approved on first QC photos in a number of buyer accounts; the same accounts mention a slightly rough feel when screwing the crown down. | One widely-read account describes approaching four sellers for the same no-date model and rejecting all four QC sets over dial printing and a crooked marker — with the acknowledgement that other buyers got clean units first time. |
Read that table the way it deserves to be read: the two lines are close, the specific complaints are small, and the variable that separates a good experience from a disappointing one is the individual watch, not the badge on it. Which is also the only part of this we can do something about — see below.
What happened to Clean, in order
Clean Factory's production was shut down in 2025. The thread that dominated the forums afterwards was not "which is better" but "what do we buy now", and a year on the question is still being asked in the same words.
What followed is where it gets confusing, and it is worth being precise about it:
- Parts supply did not stop when the factory did. The suppliers behind Clean's components stayed in business, which is why Clean-branded stock kept moving through channels afterwards.
- Clean Plus is a separate operation that began producing under the name, announced publicly in September 2025, opening with a Datejust 41, a 126500 and a titanium Yacht-Master 226627.
- The community did not simply accept it as "Clean". The most-upvoted sceptical reply made the distinction that matters here: assembling parts from the same suppliers is not the same as being the same factory, because the engraving, rehaut and final finishing were Clean's own work. Whether the new operation takes that on, or simply releases old models on the old supply chain, is the open question.
- Similar names are now attached to different operations. Clean Plus, C+ and SCF are not one business wearing three hats. This is why "is Clean still available" has no clean answer.
What we can and cannot verify
This is the part that separates a seller's comparison from a buyer's one, so we will be blunt about it.
We cannot verify: any of the table above. We do not sell Clean or Clean Plus, we have not had both lines on a bench side by side, and the annotated photo comparisons that circulate were made by other people with other watches. We are not going to repeat a measurement we did not take as though we had taken it.
We can tell you: everything about the line we do publish. Our catalogue holds 231 references with the factory line, reference number and movement recorded per listing, the price published on the page rather than quoted on request, and — the part that actually decides the outcome — every order is photographed and filmed before dispatch, and ships only after you approve that specific watch. If the unit is the variable, then the QC step is where you control it.
And one caveat about the strongest-sounding comparison. The most detailed side-by-side that favours the newer Clean line was published by a seller who also sells the replacement bezel recommended inside it. That does not make it wrong, but you should know it while you read it — the same caution applies to any forum post written by a vendor, including anything a competitor writes about us.
If you are trying to decide
Given the material above, the decision usually comes down to two questions that have nothing to do with either brand name:
- Which reference do you actually want? The comparison threads split by model, not factory — the same two lines trade places depending on whether it is a Submariner, a Datejust, an 11-series or a 12-series case. A blanket "X beats Y" answer would be wrong somewhere.
- Who is going to show you your watch before it ships? The recurring disappointment in these threads is a crooked marker or a bad SEL on an individual unit, detected at QC. A seller with a proper QC step lets you reject that unit; a seller without one ships it to you and hopes.
If you want to see how ours works, the QC process is documented here, and the movement of every reference we list is mapped here — including the ones where our record carries no designation, which are printed as such rather than guessed.
Questions buyers ask about VSF vs Clean Plus
Straight answers, no filler.
Is Clean Plus the same factory as Clean?
No, and the community is unanimous on that much. Clean was shut down in 2025. What followed was new ownership producing under the Clean Plus name, and the parts suppliers Clean used are reported to have stayed in business. Some buyers assume that means identical output; the more careful reading, which we share, is that a shared supply chain is not the same thing as the same factory — engraving, rehaut work and finishing were Clean's own, and whether Clean Plus takes those on is exactly what is still being watched.
Is Clean Plus a good watch?
We do not sell it and we have not measured it, so we will not score it. What buyers report in the comparison threads is that the case is close to the old Clean, that it runs the Dandong 3235, and that the bezel is the weak point several reviewers want to change. That is a second-hand account, not our finding.
So which is better, VSF or Clean Plus?
There is no honest blanket answer, and the threads show why: the sides mainly disagree about which details matter more. The recurring split is movement and crystal on the VSF side, case shape, SEL fit and bracelet feel on the Clean side. Both are small differences, and the phrase a forum veteran used — the finish difference is "like staring at two walls" — is the most common summary you will read.
Do you sell Clean or Clean Plus?
No. This site publishes one factory line — VS Factory — with 231 references, each with its factory line, reference number and movement recorded as our data holds it. We are not a comparison shop selling several factories, because we can only stand behind what we photograph ourselves before dispatch.
Why does anyone say Clean is still available if it was shut down?
Because supply did not stop when the factory did. Stock moved through channels, and several businesses later adopted a similar name — Clean Plus, C+ and SCF are different operations, not one. That naming overlap is the single biggest source of confusion in this market, and no amount of reading reviews will fix it. What you can do is ask any seller exactly which factory line a watch is, and check that the answer and the listing agree.
Is the difference even visible on the wrist?
By the community's own account, mostly no. Several long-time buyers in these threads end up saying the flaws they argued about are invisible at arm's length, and one makes the point that if the forum comparison itself needed annotated photographs to show a crown-guard overhang, nobody in the street is going to spot it.
Browse the VS Factory catalogue
Every reference is listed with its factory line, reference number and movement — and shipped only after you approve the QC photos of your own watch.
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