3K Factory (3KF) made its name with the first clone of the Patek Philippe 324 movement for the Nautilus 5711. In 2026 it is no longer the first choice for the 5711: the May 2026 r/RepTime "Who Makes the Best" guide ranks DDF first, BBF second and 3KF third. 3KF still leads the Calatrava 5227 and 6007, the ladies Nautilus, the 6102 Celestial and the Cartier Pasha.
3K Factory at a glance
| Status, October 2026 | Producing; listed in the May 2026 guide and in owner posts from 2026 |
| Known for | Patek Philippe Nautilus, Calatrava and Aquanaut; Cartier Santos, Ballon Bleu and Pasha |
| Movement | Dandong 324 clone with printed plate text; "330" plates use the same 324 base |
| Community guide, May 2026 | First choice in 8 rows; second or third for the 5711, 5811, Aquanaut and two Cartier lines |
| Where to buy | 3K Factory Direct on our Trusted Dealers list |
What 3KF makes best: the May 2026 guide
| Model | Movement in the guide | 3KF's place |
|---|---|---|
| Calatrava 5227 and 6007 | 324 clone | First |
| Calatrava 5327 | Custom | First |
| Grand Complications 6102 Celestial | Clone | First (added in February 2026) |
| Nautilus 7010 (33 mm) and 7118 (35 mm), ladies | 324 clone | First (7118: Super Rep) |
| Nautilus 5711 | 324 clone | Third, Super Rep (DDF first, BBF second) |
| Nautilus 5711 sold as "330" | "330 Clone (cosmetic only, really just the 324)" | Second (DDF first) |
| Nautilus 5811 blue | 324 clone | Second (DDF Heavy first) |
| Aquanaut 5167 and 5168 | 324 clone | Third (DDF first, BBF second) |
| Cartier Pasha 35 mm | 9019 Miyota | First |
| Cartier Santos (four rows) and Ballon Bleu 33, 36 and 41 mm | Not listed for the Santos; quartz or Miyota for the Ballon Bleu | Second (not listed for the Ballon Bleu 36 mm Miyota row) |
| Richard Mille RM052 Skull | Not listed | First |
The 3KF movement: a 324 clone
Patek Philippe uses the calibre 26-330 S C in the current Nautilus. Patek's own page for the 5811/1G lists this calibre "with sweep seconds, date at 3 o'clock and stop-seconds function". An owner who compared 3KF and DDF in October 2025 explained that the 5711 moved from the calibre 324 to the 26-330 in 2019, and that 3KF follows the older 324 version.
Where the 324 clone comes from. Owners call it the Dandong 324. In late 2025 a reviewer wrote that 3KF had "monopoly on supercloned 324 (Dandong) caliber" for a time, and that "the fun ended for 3KF when their exclusive contract on DD 324 ended". After that, DDF and BBF used the same base.
What it looks like. 3KF prints its movement text in a dark color; it is not engraved (October 2025 comparison). A March 2026 commenter wrote that all 324 clones use a regulator arm on the balance, while the genuine 324 is free-sprung.
The "330" label. The guide calls the 330 versions "cosmetic only, really just the 324". In June 2026 a post shared a Telegram claim of a 3KF update with stop seconds. In July 2026 a top commenter answered that only the PPF SH330 and BBF's new DPB330 have stop seconds, and that the watch in the video was most likely a PPF. Treat a 3KF with stop seconds as unconfirmed until owners show one.
3K Factory in 2025 and 2026
- August 2025: a thread claimed that "3KF is Top Factory now" and made the AP 15510. Some commenters doubted it because major dealers did not stock that watch; others said it was real. One commenter said that 3K owns Top Factory; no other commenter confirmed it.
- October and November 2025: owner comparisons put DDF ahead of 3KF on the 5711 case and dial. On the 5811, the same reviewer found the 3KF case at the correct, larger size and the DDF case about 1 mm too small.
- February 2026: the guide added 3KF for the 6102 Celestial. In the same month, members could not agree if the real 3KF or a "fake 3KF" makes the Calatrava 5261R.
- March 2026: a five-factory 5711 comparison called 3KF "the classic superclone mod base", held back by its dial and movement finishing.
- July 2026: a top commenter wrote: "3KF is like so 2024. DDF and BBF were 2025."
- September 2026: a dealer account announced a new 3KF Aquanaut 5167 with a "Dandong 26-330 free sprung movement", the "true 330 calibre". Asked if it has hacking seconds, a buyer answered: "No! I was very disappointed." The same month a buyer said the dial of a 3KF Aquanaut 5167R looked "completely off".
What owners report about 3KF
Nautilus 5711. The bezel is a little wider than genuine, and the lugs are rounded, without the sharp "bird beak" profile (October 2025). In an October 2025 dial comparison, the 3KF color was far from the genuine dial.
A base for upgrades. Before DDF arrived, owners built the best 5711s on a 3KF base with an aftermarket dial, movement parts and CNC case parts, for 3,000 to 5,000 USD in total (October 2025).
Nautilus 5811. The case has the correct larger size. The dial is "a very shameful excuse of a Nautilus dial" to one reviewer: too bright, with a rough sunburst. The DDF 5811 is about 20 g heavier because of tungsten weights (November 2025).
Where 3KF falls short
- Dial color on the 5711 and 5811.
- Printed movement text instead of engraving.
- No stop seconds, even on "330" plates.
- Case details: rounded lugs and a slightly wide bezel on the 5711.
How to buy a 3KF watch
- Ask for daylight photos of the dial, and compare the blue with genuine photos.
- Ask for a caseback photo and check if the plate says 324 or 330. Both are the same base.
- Pull the crown in the QC video: the seconds hand of a 324 clone does not stop.
On our Trusted Dealers list, 3K Factory Direct sells Patek Philippe models under the 3K Factory name: the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava, Complications and Cubitus. Its policy page gives a 1-year limited warranty and a 30-day return window. Reverie Watches also lists 3K Factory watches.
For direct comparisons, read 3KF vs PPF on the Nautilus and ZF vs 3K Factory.
Sources
All dates are the posting dates of the threads.
- Who Makes the Best guide, spreadsheet updated May 29, 2026 and the February 20, 2026 update post (r/RepTime)
- Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G, official page
- 3KF is Top Factory now? August 12, 2025 (r/RepTime)
- Best Nautilus 5711 dial? October 2, 2025 (r/RepWatchForum)
- 3KF vs DDF 5711: case and movement, October 8, 2025 (r/RepWatchForum)
- BBF 5711 vs DDF 5711, October 29, 2025 (r/RepWatchForum)
- 5811 comparison: 3KF vs DDF, November 7, 2025 (r/RepWatchForum)
- Is 3KF producing the 5261? February 24, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- Big 5711 factory comparison, March 3, 2026 (r/Rep_Watch_World)
- Patek Philippe 324 clone 3KF, March 20, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- Is the hacking seconds finally here? June 17, 2026 and new 3KF 5711 with the hacking seconds hand, July 28, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- 5711 DDF vs 3KF, July 16, 2026 (r/RepTime)
- ORA: Aquanaut 5167 3K Factory with Dandong Cal.26-330 free sprung movement, September 15, 2026 (r/RepCulture_Timepieces, dealer post)
- 5167R 3KF seems to be completely off? September 14, 2026 (r/RepTime)
Related pages
- Patek Philippe buyer's guide
- ZF factory profile
- Replica watch movements explained
- Trusted Dealers list
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