Finally, the day has come for me to say... I'm done with my AP collection, with modifications! It's been an expensive hobby over these few years, and after all that buying and selling, I'm set on my final collection of APs. This post is a photo essay of the AP ROOs I've collected, modded, and grown to love. (Don't ask me why only ROOs and no Divers, somehow I don't feel the love for Divers.) While others are happy with their original replicas or frankens, I prefer to have my stuff modded, so that I can have a larger variety. Many thanks to my go-to modders and fellow members, namely Legend, Blackboxes, StevenLee, Spongebob, Spin, Prof, SMP Lover, Jacob, and Mikey for providing their services. It's been fun seeing these watches 'grow', step-by-step. I hope you enjoy seeing these photos as much as I do!
Here are the first 9 watches that have been completed.
1. 42mm Silver Themes aka 'Panda'
One of my favourite reps. Both Noob and JF had their own distinct faults on their dials. Noob with the over-sized logo, and JF with the shiny lacquered numerals. So I found a Noob dial, and used the JF logo on it. The Noob dial needed to be modded in order to fit the JF case and tachymeter.
The latest work done on this was the thinning of the JF case. I used to think it can only work with frankens and their LWO movements. But Spongebob managed to thin the case to 14.5/14.4mm, which is even thinner than my Safari franken, which stands at 14.8mm. I'll make the comparison and post in another thread soon.(Update: The link can be found here. https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...e-thinning-mod)
Mods done:
Noob dial with JF logo
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Thinned case
Paired with SMP Lover Saffiano Leather with double red stitch strap
2. 42mm Classic Navy Themes
Another classic ROO. Likewise with the Panda, this watch also had its case thinned, down to 14.4mm.
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter, with paint touch-up
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Thinned case
Paired with Jacob's Blue Hornback with white stitch strap
3. 42mm 'Bumblebee'
The first FC watch in my collection. A beautiful ROO that is also one of the most popular in this forum. One of JF's best replicas.
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with SMP Lover Black Hornback strap
4. 42mm Forged Carbon 'Ginza' 7
The second FC watch I have in the collection. While the case construction of the case is identical to the Bumblebee, the most striking part of this watch is its dial. One of the most unique dials in the ROO collection. Legend kindly suggested and helped me to change the logo colour from gold to silver, which is according to gen (JF, you need to change the logo colour!).
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Logo mod
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with rep rubber
5. 42mm 'Juan Pablo Montoya' Rose Gold
This watch is a beast! I used to have the titanium version, but when this model was released by JF, I sold the titanium and bought this instead. Visually, this model looks stunning with its FC bezel patterns. This is one of the very few models in the ROO series that once you have its tachymeter properly shaved, the spacing between the tachymeter and DW window looks very significant. Initially, I thought of letting this go, but after seeing the photos again, I don't think I'll sell this anytime soon!
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter, with paint touch-up
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with SMP Lover perforated leather strap
6. Forged Carbon 'Grand Prix'
A true classic, in the sense that there was the Zorro version, followed by the C&W version. This is the Aflop version, where lots of work was done on this. After I bought it, StevenLee helped me to upgrade and change the dial to another totally new level. The anodization of the dial needs to be seen in person in order to believe it. It's in a class of its own. Photos definitely do not do it justice. (I'll put up a video soon)
Mods done:
Customized tachymeter
Customized dial
Custom DW
Prof cyclops
Matte treatment of FC case
Shaved pinion
Replacement logo on dial
Paired with SMP Lover Grand Prix leather strap
7. 'Schumacher' Titanium
While this is another awesome release by JF, I wouldn't have kept this watch if not for StevenLee and Mikey. StevenLee for helping me to spray the dial to a lighter and closer grey to gen, and Mikey for creating the red font DW. Now the watch looks much better....
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey Red Font DW
Dial spray treatment
Prof cyclops
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
8. 44mm 'Novelty' Black Ceramic 2017
One of the latest models by JF. When AP first released this, I was eagerly waiting for JF to rep it. Love the gold accents on this watch! The brushing on the bezel is also much better than older 44mm models. However, JF screwed it up by using the older thin logo (also happened on their other 2017 44mm models.) Thus, after seeing AP Byblos having the correct 'fatter' logo (which is the next watch in the list), I bought the spare dial and had the logo on the black ceramic changed.
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey Gold Font DW V2
Prof cyclops
Logo change
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
9. 'Novelty' Limited Edition 'Byblos'
Another beast of a watch by JF. There's this thing about pairing white with gold. It really makes this watch stand out. One thing I noticed JF finally got the logo right for this particular model. I wonder why can't they do it for the rest of their newer 44mm models? I hope they will release the V2s of these watches. It irks me seeing these logo flaws (and that goes the same for the 57th Street, Ginza etc....)
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey New Font DW
Prof cyclops
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So there you go. The first group of my modded watches. Part 2, which consists of the QEII 2016, Volcano, 57th Street, and my beloved franken Safari, will be posted once I receive them.
Here are the first 9 watches that have been completed.
1. 42mm Silver Themes aka 'Panda'
One of my favourite reps. Both Noob and JF had their own distinct faults on their dials. Noob with the over-sized logo, and JF with the shiny lacquered numerals. So I found a Noob dial, and used the JF logo on it. The Noob dial needed to be modded in order to fit the JF case and tachymeter.
The latest work done on this was the thinning of the JF case. I used to think it can only work with frankens and their LWO movements. But Spongebob managed to thin the case to 14.5/14.4mm, which is even thinner than my Safari franken, which stands at 14.8mm. I'll make the comparison and post in another thread soon.(Update: The link can be found here. https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...e-thinning-mod)
Mods done:
Noob dial with JF logo
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Thinned case
Paired with SMP Lover Saffiano Leather with double red stitch strap
2. 42mm Classic Navy Themes
Another classic ROO. Likewise with the Panda, this watch also had its case thinned, down to 14.4mm.
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter, with paint touch-up
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Thinned case
Paired with Jacob's Blue Hornback with white stitch strap
3. 42mm 'Bumblebee'
The first FC watch in my collection. A beautiful ROO that is also one of the most popular in this forum. One of JF's best replicas.
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with SMP Lover Black Hornback strap
4. 42mm Forged Carbon 'Ginza' 7
The second FC watch I have in the collection. While the case construction of the case is identical to the Bumblebee, the most striking part of this watch is its dial. One of the most unique dials in the ROO collection. Legend kindly suggested and helped me to change the logo colour from gold to silver, which is according to gen (JF, you need to change the logo colour!).
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter
Shaved pinion
Logo mod
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with rep rubber
5. 42mm 'Juan Pablo Montoya' Rose Gold
This watch is a beast! I used to have the titanium version, but when this model was released by JF, I sold the titanium and bought this instead. Visually, this model looks stunning with its FC bezel patterns. This is one of the very few models in the ROO series that once you have its tachymeter properly shaved, the spacing between the tachymeter and DW window looks very significant. Initially, I thought of letting this go, but after seeing the photos again, I don't think I'll sell this anytime soon!
Mods done:
Shaved tachymeter, with paint touch-up
Shaved pinion
Mikey Classic DW
MK3 cyclops
Paired with SMP Lover perforated leather strap
6. Forged Carbon 'Grand Prix'
A true classic, in the sense that there was the Zorro version, followed by the C&W version. This is the Aflop version, where lots of work was done on this. After I bought it, StevenLee helped me to upgrade and change the dial to another totally new level. The anodization of the dial needs to be seen in person in order to believe it. It's in a class of its own. Photos definitely do not do it justice. (I'll put up a video soon)
Mods done:
Customized tachymeter
Customized dial
Custom DW
Prof cyclops
Matte treatment of FC case
Shaved pinion
Replacement logo on dial
Paired with SMP Lover Grand Prix leather strap
7. 'Schumacher' Titanium
While this is another awesome release by JF, I wouldn't have kept this watch if not for StevenLee and Mikey. StevenLee for helping me to spray the dial to a lighter and closer grey to gen, and Mikey for creating the red font DW. Now the watch looks much better....
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey Red Font DW
Dial spray treatment
Prof cyclops
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
8. 44mm 'Novelty' Black Ceramic 2017
One of the latest models by JF. When AP first released this, I was eagerly waiting for JF to rep it. Love the gold accents on this watch! The brushing on the bezel is also much better than older 44mm models. However, JF screwed it up by using the older thin logo (also happened on their other 2017 44mm models.) Thus, after seeing AP Byblos having the correct 'fatter' logo (which is the next watch in the list), I bought the spare dial and had the logo on the black ceramic changed.
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey Gold Font DW V2
Prof cyclops
Logo change
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
9. 'Novelty' Limited Edition 'Byblos'
Another beast of a watch by JF. There's this thing about pairing white with gold. It really makes this watch stand out. One thing I noticed JF finally got the logo right for this particular model. I wonder why can't they do it for the rest of their newer 44mm models? I hope they will release the V2s of these watches. It irks me seeing these logo flaws (and that goes the same for the 57th Street, Ginza etc....)
Mods done:
Shaved pinion
Mikey New Font DW
Prof cyclops
Paired with XS rep rubber strap
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So there you go. The first group of my modded watches. Part 2, which consists of the QEII 2016, Volcano, 57th Street, and my beloved franken Safari, will be posted once I receive them.
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