About to pull the trigger on this AP Offshore Panda - help me take a look?

[Tompa]

Thanks very much and liking it a lot so far!
Now, looking at getting a rep hornback + tang buckle to fit

Please dont ruin you beautiful piece with a rep hornback leather. We have many talent strapmakers on this board, and they are not super expensive. Or buy a gen, check ebay.c24.etc..


Skickat från min Sputnik satellit

 

[legend]

Hi- just bought mine too and was wondering if your date changes at midnight exactly? Mine does flip instantly but a little bit past midnight.

Re the over polish; i suppose one way to tell would be whether the screws are sunken or flush with bezel?

Over-polish has nothing to do with whether screws are flushed or not, more of that later.
For overpolish, the edges will become rounded and soft. Jurgenk is an expert on this, I will leave it to him to explain if he wants.
Next, it is a fallacy that all AP ROO/RO screws are sunken. That is not true. I have owned enough APs to say that some bezel screws are flushed, and some are barely sunken. Seldom do you get obviously sunken screws.

 

[Jurgenk]

I do like this subject because once you understand the concept you’ll be able to evaluate used ROO models to know if they have been polished inappropriately to soften the edges, or even if they have been refinished appropriately by AP or a skilled artisan, whether there is sufficiently material left in the case to permit future refinishings (2-3 is the limit for the lifetime of an AP ROO per AP themselves, depending on how extensive a refinishing is needed each time).

For reference see my old thread which some examples of poor polishing or too many refinishes. My techniques are conservative using easily obtained tools, but I would not use my methods on a gen case— that is best left to AP or pros who understand AP case design, there are 2-3 shops in the US I would trust...


Finishing and refinishing an AP ROO or RO case - need for a tutorial?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/to....php?tid=7662155&share_type=t&link_source=app

 

[mqwthng]

Thanks everyone for the replies! I've picked up a strap from a local store first because the strap I got was too small. I got a 105/55mm strap which I thought was the regular length - but now I suspect it might be the short version

 

[Foo1984]

In a nutshell, to make it easy for you:

1. Over-polished case leads to rounded edges and soft angles, and in severe cases, alters the geometry and shape of the watch case. An AP ROO case is supposed to be sharply angular and well-defined.
2. An unpolished case does not mean anything, the case can be full of scratches, dings, dents, marks, gouges etc and unpolished at the same time. Describing the case simply as "unpolished" tells only half the story. Check for case condition.
3. Turn the hands until the date changes. It should change instantaneously with a soft audible click as opposed to the datewheel rolling a little (you being able to see 2 dates or only part of the current date) before flipping.
4. Check the serial number and model number against the warranty papers. This is an older model so it should be on the first page of the warranty booklet as opposed to being on a card like the modern APs.
5. Just don't buy it if you do not feel comfortable about anything!

Thats really helpful- thanks legend

On point 3- my date does not change at midnight but 10 past instead; is that something i should be concerned about or that’s normal?

 

[legend]

Thats really helpful- thanks legend

On point 3- my date does not change at midnight but 10 past instead; is that something i should be concerned about or that’s normal?

No that’s fine. The key point is that the date flips instantly instead of rolling and then flipping. It can be 2359hrs or 0000hrs or 0010hrs. The hands can be reset easily to whatever position for the date flip but the flip itself must be instantaneous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jurgenk]

Assuming you mean it clicks over all at once and doesn’t do a slow roll, but with a 10 min delay after MN, this is a simple adjustment that requires resetting the hands. It suggests whoever serviced the watch wasn’t attentive to this at the time, as 10 minutes is a big delay and doesn’t change over time. Any qualified watchmaker could do this but you should find someone capable of doing this without damaging or scratching the hands... you’d be surprised by what’s out there...

 

[Foo1984]

Thanks again both- great insight! Yes mine changes instantly but after midnight.

I am based in Singapore currently so if anyone knows of a reputable place (non ap service centre ha) to get it fixed do shout

Else i guess i can live with it until i take it in for a service

 

[legend]

Thanks again both- great insight! Yes mine changes instantly but after midnight.

I am based in Singapore currently so if anyone knows of a reputable place (non ap service centre ha) to get it fixed do shout

Else i guess i can live with it until i take it in for a service

If you are in Singapore, I can get it done for you.

 

[Foo1984]

Ok great i will send you a pm with my contact details.