legend A, buddy i just want to say, that it is very brave of you to open your heart like that. I see you as a gentleman and an honest person. You are a big and important ressource to specially the AP community. And i sincerely hope that you will keep contributing
Thank you kindly J.
I have learnt that I cannot please everyone, and also, some guys just only want to hear the good stuff and get pats on the back after sharing a build. The reason why many members build frankens is to get them to look more credible and authentic on the wrist. I just happen to know what "authentic" is about when it comes to AP, that was all.
To give 3 concrete general examples out of many:
1. There is currently no substitute for the look of 26170 ROO gen hands, and objectively, the gen hands have a finish, shape, geometry and stack unmatched by any other replica, modded or substitute aftermarket hands
2. A lot of the franken ROOs have wrong visual geometry when looking at the crystal-bezel-gasket-tachy-dial stack. Gaps exist where they should not, or have no gaps where there should be. This is due to the different constructions of the gen/rep bezel, case, and tachy and also crystal.
3. Most of the white and black dial rubberclad frankens shown here have the wrong datewheel font. With exception of the newer batches of the 26178OK RGRC, the rest ALL use the 2226 and 2326 movements, which uses a different datewheel font, in addition to having different cyclops (at least 3 different types for the 25940 rubberclad series), and a rectangular datewheel surround. Many rubberclad frankens here use the mikey datewheel, or datewheels more suited for the 3120 movements. An ETA datewheel pictured below would have been more accurate visually IMHO for the 25940 series (and any other build using the 2326 cal, for example, the Ruben Barrichello and the Juan Pablo Montoya series). The hands used for the 2326 caliber and 3120 calibers are also different slightly in terms of the base and stack.
As promised, I will not be commenting on any specific builds anymore unless tagged. This should allow all the "Look at my awesome build" owners to share their watches freely without worry. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion and fantasies. My opinion will not change, I cannot give up what I know just because some members do not like it, but I can learn to keep my mouth shut (ok fingers off the keyboard) for the greater good of community harmony. :legend:
Times are evolving, and what is possible today when it comes to build quality, was not common even 5 years back. For example, gen 26170 and 26470 cases are now more available in specific vendors channels, and gen movements/rotors/datewheels are also more practical options now. I have zero doubt that the guys spending franken money have the means to afford these, and I will love to see more "AP quality builds" like the ones flying tommy did some time back. Most guys will not be able to understand the intricate details of the brand and this specific brand is all about details which you cannot unsee once you know what to look for.
Once again, thank you for your kind message. I appreciate this. I am doing this not to placate the few guys who are hurt, but to improve the general atmosphere of this section.
