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ZF AP 15500

SHB

Mythical Poster
31/10/18
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Morning fam, apologies for the hijack, stay reassured I won't hijack the new one :legend:
 
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bupeapoop

You're Saying I Can Sell?
5/9/20
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I am now working with the gen dial side by side to try to emulate that finish as well as I can. And I will definitely tag you when I am ready to make that thread, so you can have your input and feedback./QUOTE]

How's the progress legend? I can't speak for everyone, but I'm super excited to see what you've got in store once you finally make the big announcement. If there is any man worthy of tackling such a task, it's yourself!
 
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bupeapoop

You're Saying I Can Sell?
5/9/20
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Do all ZF 15500s have a reasonably loud rotor bearing assembly or does it differ from watch to watch? From what I can tell, it seems to be a real concern for some owners, while others don't seem all that bothered in the slightest.
 

SuperLory

Well-Known Repist
22/10/15
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Do all ZF 15500s have a reasonably loud rotor bearing assembly or does it differ from watch to watch? From what I can tell, it seems to be a real concern for some owners, while others don't seem all that bothered in the slightest.

i had lots of miyota, some were silent some were embarrassing loud so much so a flick of the wrist could cause social awkwardness

Also some people might be more sensible to it than others and some might be cursed by the fact that once you hear it, it keeps echoing in your head

so i doubt we can have a statistical approach here
 

bupeapoop

You're Saying I Can Sell?
5/9/20
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Thanks for the swift response!

Yikes.. when I thought they were loud, I never thought they were ever going to be as LOUD as you've described. That's a little worrying to say the least!

Is it something your chosen TC can resolve during the QC process? No one certainly wants an embarrassingly loud watch right? It's definitely something that will be hard to judge though. A great deal of it comes down to selective hearing. Two people may have varying opinions on how loud it actually is.

It sounds like it may be a roll of the dice and whether you fancy gambling when buying a particular watch like the AP 11500 with its Miyota movement. Luckily, we have the likes of legend who can help resolve any of those issues.
 

Da9b

You're Saying I Can Sell?
12/7/20
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My watches with Miyota movements have quiet down significantly after a service. Before service they were like jumbo jets.
 

legend

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Thanks for the swift response!

Yikes.. when I thought they were loud, I never thought they were ever going to be as LOUD as you've described. That's a little worrying to say the least!

Is it something your chosen TC can resolve during the QC process? No one certainly wants an embarrassingly loud watch right? It's definitely something that will be hard to judge though. A great deal of it comes down to selective hearing. Two people may have varying opinions on how loud it actually is.

It sounds like it may be a roll of the dice and whether you fancy gambling when buying a particular watch like the AP 11500 with its Miyota movement. Luckily, we have the likes of legend who can help resolve any of those issues.

I’ll make it simple for you:

Most (meaning 95%) of the AP reps I handled with miyota movements, sample size >200, have rotor sounds which aren’t acceptable as far as how their gen counterparts (mostly cal.3120 and 4302) would sound.

However, just to add, a lot of guys do not realize that the gen Patek cal.324, can be just as loud and “whirry” if not more, than the miyota movement. It’s just that the AP cal.3120 and 4302 sound a lot more refined. The 2121 on the other hand, can be noisy as well.

So when we talk about soft and loud, we need to also understand how the gen counterparts sound. Some gen movements, like the Patek cal.324 and also the Hublot unico cal, are not quiet movements out of the box. They can sound exactly like how the miyota 9015 does and often do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Nikz19

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I’ll make it simple for you:

Most (meaning 95%) of the AP reps I handled with miyota movements, sample size >200, have rotor sounds which aren’t acceptable as far as how their gen counterparts (mostly cal.3120 and 4302) would sound.

However, just to add, a lot of guys do not realize that the gen Patek cal.324, can be just as loud and “whirry” if not more, than the miyota movement. It’s just that the AP cal.3120 and 4302 sound a lot more refined. The 2121 on the other hand, can be noisy as well.

So when we talk about soft and loud, we need to also understand how the gen counterparts sound. Some gen movements, like the Patek cal.324 and also the Hublot unico cal, are not quiet movements out of the box. They can sound exactly like how the miyota 9015 does and often do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You know what A., most of the guys out there compares noise to how Rollies sounds. They don’t have a clue about how different in construction they are.

A jeweled oscillating weight shaft hole (i.e. RLX 3135s) CAN’T be compared to one spinning on ball bearings. Ball bearings WILL make noise, no matter if rep or gen.
 

matadore

Horology Curious
28/4/20
12
9
3
First time to post on the thread, read all the 128 pages and I am planning on ordering one soon. I was in Geneva couple a of days ago and of course, I had to visit the AP boutique.

My god.... the 15500 blue dial is just... wow. Under every single light, it just looks different. I was so mesmerized by the tapestry, that I forgot to enjoy the movement :D. Dropping some pics below: Blue:


Black & Blue:


Grey:
 

legend

The RWI Dragon
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First time to post on the thread, read all the 128 pages and I am planning on ordering one soon. I was in Geneva couple a of days ago and of course, I had to visit the AP boutique.

My god.... the 15500 blue dial is just... wow. Under every single light, it just looks different. I was so mesmerized by the tapestry, that I forgot to enjoy the movement :D. Dropping some pics below: Blue:

You're so lucky to come across the blue dial in the boutique, you didn't pick it up on the spot?
 

legend

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You know what A., most of the guys out there compares noise to how Rollies sounds. They don’t have a clue about how different in construction they are.

A jeweled oscillating weight shaft hole (i.e. RLX 3135s) CAN’T be compared to one spinning on ball bearings. Ball bearings WILL make noise, no matter if rep or gen.

Lol, exactly this.
Gen 2121s sound very much like a Miyota 9015, if not more noisy. Potential owners should always be aware of this and understand that silencing the rep movement is a matter of individual preference and NOT aural accuracy.
 
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matadore

Horology Curious
28/4/20
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You're so lucky to come across the blue dial in the boutique, you didn't pick it up on the spot?

Thanks legend, but it was not the real deal. It was a mock-up or something like that which they show to clients. For me the 21K CHF is a bit steep at this moment so did not even tried to go for it. And she also has said (the sales person- Nadya) that I need to develop a relationship with the boutique closest to me and make an order there and be on one waiting list around the world. And the wait times are about 3-4 years so yes. ???? I’m thinking of going to Prague and if there is no deposit put myself in the list as a target to achieve and get one or just flip in 3-4 years.
 
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P..DR..D

- Pátrún Bródúil -
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Thanks legend, but it was not the real deal. It was a mock-up or something like that which they show to clients. For me the 21K CHF is a bit steep at this moment so did not even tried to go for it. And she also has said (the sales person- Nadya) that I need to develop a relationship with the boutique closest to me and make an order there and be on one waiting list around the world. And the wait times are about 3-4 years so yes. ???? I’m thinking of going to Prague and if there is no deposit put myself in the list as a target to achieve and get one or just flip in 3-4 years.

If Nadya was cute, ya coulda developed a relationship with her instead ;)

Jokes aside though, I received the black dial yesterday and the more I look at Legends grey gen and then the blue option, am thinking I may need to start doing double double orders with my TD :D
 

matadore

Horology Curious
28/4/20
12
9
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If Nadya was cute, ya coulda developed a relationship with her instead ;)

Jokes aside though, I received the black dial yesterday and the more I look at Legends grey gen and then the blue option, am thinking I may need to start doing double double orders with my TD :D

haha, probably or she could have made me a discount :D

I saw that in PureTime there is a ROYAL OAK 39MM 15202 RG ZF BLUE TEXTURED DIAL ON RG BRACELET A2121... I was super convinced for the 15500, but I guess they will make a V3 as they have created an A2121 movement at 28800vph for the RG...

I hate to wait but I think that would be best :D What do you guys think? Is it worth it to wait and get a new custom movement that replicates the original, but might be less reliable than the Miyota?