The Noob lume looks bluer than on the JF 9.5, which is greener. Or are my eyes deceiving me? If there is a diffence, which is the more accurate?
Can Noob really move from a standing start to compete with JF factory already on a version 9.5?
Technically, Noob started producing AP reps long before JF did. Noob also produced the first few iterations of diver reps. They went stagnant after some years and JF took over and ran with the mantle of the premium AP rep manufacturer. But it is not difficult for Noob to come back into the game to re-establish their stronghold. I always prefer the Noob cases and dials in general, JF is not superior in every way. Also, the fact that there is a "v9.5", shows that JF has not been focused on getting the rep 100% correct, but rather, positioning its products to milk the market as much as they can with each version release. There is nothing impressive about v9.5 or v12.3, it just shows how many wrong versions were released prior to, and including the current ones.
I am happy to settle for a v1, almost 1:1 super rep of a certain model, but we know how unlikely that is to happen in this hobby.
The fact that there are more than 10 versions of the diver reps, more than 6 versions of the 15400, and multiple versions of the ROO reps show us how the releases have been designed with profitability for the makers in mind, as opposed to getting the details right for us. I now own and wear only gens for this reason, but will be happy to buy a rep which makes sense to me, instead of buying another release which I personally feel to be exploitative.