Yep, I've seen the earlier version before but didn't buy it as the tailcap wasn't very nice. I bought this new one in August, when it just came out, which is improved from the old one.
I bought my torch in August. I think it's different from the one you described. Probably a newer version. I think it's not bad after using a few months. It feels brighter when I use a rechargable battery.
Here's what my spring looks like:
I took a picture of the whole torch from the side...
I bought one recently too. The spring in my torch is a straight, gold coloured spring. It uses the SSCT4 LED and is very bright. Maybe this is the newest version? I'll post up some pictures later when I have time.