Confirming correct side to shave down on ROO open caseback

[ekg]

Have been searching thru countless thread about case back shaving and they either stop with no further progress shown, or they are for closed case back watches. I have the dark knight with an open case back and am confused as to how people are shaving these case backs. See pic, it looks like the part that needs to be shaved to look most gen-like is the top part in the pic, the part that holds the crystal and has the engraving. Is this what people are shaving down? And then just have the engravings redone slightly deeper? Any comments are greatly appreciated!

 

[Garuda]

thin the side without engraving. Dr Fun Socks has a tutorial for 15400. same process.
https://forum.replica-watch.info/forum/modification-repairs/8233491-how-to-thin-your-royal-oak

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

The hardest part is figuring out how much to shave it down by. Pop the crystal off the case back and get creative with measuring the distance to the rotor.

 

[ekg]

thin the side without engraving. Dr Fun Socks has a tutorial for 15400. same process.
https://forum.replica-watch.info/forum/modification-repairs/8233491-how-to-thin-your-royal-oak

I saw that thread. While a great read, didn’t make much sense for the way this caseback is designed. If one shaves from that side then the brushed part will disappear and you’ll be left with a bulging polished side that’s not flush with the mid case. Gen has that brushed side and a much smaller polished side.

 

[tripdog]

I saw that thread. While a great read, didn’t make much sense for the way this caseback is designed. If one shaves from that side then the brushed part will disappear and you’ll be left with a bulging polished side that’s not flush with the mid case. Gen has that brushed side and a much smaller polished side.

It may help to get more precise answers if you try to make distinction in your questions between, side, side, side, side and side.

 

[ekg]

It may help to get more precise answers if you try to make distinction in your questions between, side, side, side, side and side.

Good point. It makes sense in my head hahaha. How about this pic? The top side of the case back appears to look pretty decent compared to gen, so shaving that down doesn't make any sense, because you'll just end up with the beveled polished side--so while the watch will be closer to gen thickness, visually, it will look off since you are missing that brushed portion. That's why it seems to make more sense to start shaving from the bottom most part of the watch, where the engravings are, and shaving it down a bit. But then one needs to figure out how to deepen the engraving of the words. Just curious if anyone has ever done it that way.

 

[legend]

I saw that thread. While a great read, didn’t make much sense for the way this caseback is designed. If one shaves from that side then the brushed part will disappear and you’ll be left with a bulging polished side that’s not flush with the mid case. Gen has that brushed side and a much smaller polished side.

Often when it comes to modding an ROO, you are exchanging the appearance of one flaw for another (often more subtle one).
Theoretically, the optimal way to do the case shaving will be to shave off the top surface (watch being dial down) and also a bit of the bottom. But imagine the work required to re-engrave the caseback again. So modders go for the straightforward method and trim the part next to the midcase. Yes the geometry will change, but most owners understand that this is not something easily seen when the watch is on the wrist.
If you want to fuss about this, there are a ton of visual details which are off when the watch is worn.
The reality is that you need to decide what tell you can live with, and how you want your watch to be. No matter what you do, it can NEVER be 100% like the gen. So owners typically make decisions to correct one flaw by introducing another. An example is tachy shaving, where the space between the date window and tachy edge is created, at the expense of the tachy size and print. Or that the hand base is trimmed, changing the shape and finish of the hand stack (even if the original is not perfect). The same principle applies to caseback shaving.
Decide what you can live with and what you cannot. Theoretically, shaving off the engraved side and then re-engraving everything is possible, but will the cost and effort will be worth the result, which is something you do not see at all when you wear the watch? Will it make your watch gen?

I cannot make the decision for you, naturally, but I am sharing my 2 cents. I hope you find your solution soon!

 

[ekg]

I feel like the tachy and hand mods aren’t as necessary as case mods. The people that wear these watches have no idea, and if you’re around them, you have nothing to worry about. But when your arm is hanging close to another dude’s arm that has a similar piece and that extra bit of shiny caseback is showing, I think it screams.

 

[legend]

I feel like the tachy and hand mods aren’t as necessary as case mods. The people that wear these watches have no idea, and if you’re around them, you have nothing to worry about. But when your arm is hanging close to another dude’s arm that has a similar piece and that extra bit of shiny caseback is showing, I think it screams.

Well to each his own. But trust me, even with a 100% correct caseback I can call out your rep as a rep in the situation you mentioned.
Like I said different things matter to different owners. Whatever it is your watch will never be mistaken as gen for those who know what to look for anyway, even if it’s 100% modded. So you just have to please yourself, that’s the good news.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ekg]

You, my friend, are in the .00001% so I’m not worried about you calling me out! : )

 

[legend]

You, my friend, are in the .00001% so I’m not worried about you calling me out! : )

Actually I do think you’re in the .00001% too yourself haha to be thinking about this very specific mod among all the available mods.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ekg]

Hahaha I came from a lot of gens and as douchey as it is to say, no one would around me would ever think my watches are reps based on history and lifestyle. But at the same time, I know how typical people that can afford these pieces, think. And if they have no reason to doubt they won’t. You can hand them a brick and tell them it’s valuable and they will believe you if you’re reputable.

So for me, my priority so to get my watches to pass the weight and size test first, then worry bout details like poor engraving on the rehaut, if at all. Now, I say this until I get called out. If I do, I might rethink my logic.

 

[Tompa]

Buddy if i was you i should have bought a AP diver, mutch harder to be ”called out” just looking at the case/case thicknes, if thats your goal. Or why not go gen? You can find second hand gen ROO for a decent prices now


Skickat från min Sputnik satellit

 

[legend]

Buddy if i was you i should have bought a AP diver, mutch harder to be ”called out” just looking at the case/case thicknes, if thats your goal. Or why not go gen? You can find second hand gen ROO for a decent prices now


Skickat från min Sputnik satellit

well, people choose not to get gens for many reasons. I am sure that many here can afford to buy gen APs, but actually buying them and being able to do so are vastly different.
ekg has his own reasons why he chose this rep ROO, and that is his own business. My point in the discussion is that on the wrist, there are many other tells and having a perfect caseback does not prevent a rep ROO from being called out. But it is an interesting approach (I do believe the adage To Each His Own when it comes to this hobby), and as long as owner is happy, he is entitled to do whatever hell he wants with his watch.
Its just that when asking for opinions, one will get plenty on the forum and not all of them agreeable with the idea being put forward.

 

[QueTip]

I feel like the tachy and hand mods aren’t as necessary as case mods. The people that wear these watches have no idea, and if you’re around them, you have nothing to worry about. But when your arm is hanging close to another dude’s arm that has a similar piece and that extra bit of shiny caseback is showing, I think it screams.

Tachy and hands modifications aren’t necessary, I give you that but not out of the same reason. Regardless if you do these or not, your watch will look fake either way. And that’s not just 0.000001 percent :lol:

 

[thorne]

I feel like the tachy and hand mods aren’t as necessary as case mods. The people that wear these watches have no idea, and if you’re around them, you have nothing to worry about. But when your arm is hanging close to another dude’s arm that has a similar piece and that extra bit of shiny caseback is showing, I think it screams.

I got no skin in the game here - but if my arm was close enough to another dude’s arm for him to make out the difference in the thickness of brushed and polished finishes on my caseback edge, that would seriously be too close for comfort...

On a serious note, it is as others more well-read than me on this thread have pointed out - the optimal method is shaving the CB from the midcase side and living with the fact that you lose about half to a third of the brushed edge.

 

[legend]

Tachy and hands modifications aren’t necessary, I give you that but not out of the same reason. Regardless if you do these or not, your watch will look fake either way. And that’s not just 0.000001 percent :lol:

Harsh but true.
No fully modded ROO will ever fool the owner, but modding each watch to owner satisfaction is part of the hobby and I can understand that very well.
If one is worried about being called out by anyone, get the gen. Else, wear the rep and enjoy it without worries.

 

[legend]

Estimated probability of a member here meeting a guy with exactly the same watch in gen, and standing in the same 1m space: close to 0% or negligible
Estimated probability said guy with gen will be able to call out the rep, even if its completely stock: close to 0% or negligible in social conditions. The more likely reaction, if any, will be mild surprise followed by a brief exchange of social pleasantries, followed by the desire to get the FO of the zone, to avoid being mistaken as two guys wearing couple watches.
Estimated probability of the watch being identified as rep when posted on RWI, even fully modded: 100%
Percentage of the watch which is rep after the usual mods, all done: 100%

My point is, take this hobby and the modding with a liberal dose of salt. Modding the watch to please the owner in specific ways is understandable, be it for visual appeal, ergonomic reasons or wear-feel. But there is no point to mod the watch with the intention of trying to make it "look gen". You can fool the ignorant and even the world, but you will ALWAYS know that the watch is a rep, so it is important to be happy with that fact, and not try to misrepresent the watch otherwise. IMHO there are two categories of watches: gen and rep, and all china factory releases and versions and even the most frankened AP falls into the latter category. The differentiation between factories and versions exist only in the rep hobby, but they are all flawed, imperfect and most importantly, fun watches to play around with.

If you want a "gen like" watch, your best bet is to get a gen. If you want a watch to wear for your own entertainment and fun, the choices are a lot less restrictive, wear what pleases you, but don't ask the meaningless "which color/model is closer to gen?" because there is no crossing the chasm between the two. If you like the black dial 15400, get it and quit worrying if silver or grey is "closer to gen". All are 100% reps, and for rep prices at 2-5% of the gen prices, you are literally spoilt for choice.

 

[QueTip]

Estimated probability of a member here meeting a guy with exactly the same watch in gen, and standing in the same 1m space: close to 0% or negligible
Estimated probability said guy with gen will be able to call out the rep, even if its completely stock: close to 0% or negligible in social conditions. The more likely reaction, if any, will be mild surprise followed by a brief exchange of social pleasantries, followed by the desire to get the FO of the zone, to avoid being mistaken as two guys wearing couple watches.
Estimated probability of the watch being identified as rep when posted on RWI, even fully modded: 100%
Percentage of the watch which is rep after the usual mods, all done: 100%

My point is, take this hobby and the modding with a liberal dose of salt. Modding the watch to please the owner in specific ways is understandable, be it for visual appeal, ergonomic reasons or wear-feel. But there is no point to mod the watch with the intention of trying to make it "look gen". You can fool the ignorant and even the world, but you will ALWAYS know that the watch is a rep, so it is important to be happy with that fact, and not try to misrepresent the watch otherwise. IMHO there are two categories of watches: gen and rep, and all china factory releases and versions and even the most frankened AP falls into the latter category. The differentiation between factories and versions exist only in the rep hobby, but they are all flawed, imperfect and most importantly, fun watches to play around with.

If you want a "gen like" watch, your best bet is to get a gen. If you want a watch to wear for your own entertainment and fun, the choices are a lot less restrictive, wear what pleases you, but don't ask the meaningless "which color/model is closer to gen?" because there is no crossing the chasm between the two. If you like the black dial 15400, get it and quit worrying if silver or grey is "closer to gen". All are 100% reps, and for rep prices at 2-5% of the gen prices, you are literally spoilt for choice.

I wouldn't essentially just group in these two factors. Have to keep the very low percentage of people in the equation that are in it as a challenge of some sorts to get from a shitty rep to as close to gen spec as possible and also grow to the watch in the process. Of course, this is talking about a completely different bracket of people and of price but that type of guys are out there as well. However other than that, you are having more than valid points and I couldn't agree more.

EDIT: No, plain modded reps do not fall under this category specified by me. :lol:

 

[WATCH HACKER]

Estimated probability of a member here meeting a guy with exactly the same watch in gen, and standing in the same 1m space: close to 0% or negligible
Estimated probability said guy with gen will be able to call out the rep, even if its completely stock: close to 0% or negligible in social conditions. The more likely reaction, if any, will be mild surprise followed by a brief exchange of social pleasantries, followed by the desire to get the FO of the zone, to avoid being mistaken as two guys wearing couple watches.
Estimated probability of the watch being identified as rep when posted on RWI, even fully modded: 100%
Percentage of the watch which is rep after the usual mods, all done: 100%

My point is, take this hobby and the modding with a liberal dose of salt. Modding the watch to please the owner in specific ways is understandable, be it for visual appeal, ergonomic reasons or wear-feel. But there is no point to mod the watch with the intention of trying to make it "look gen". You can fool the ignorant and even the world, but you will ALWAYS know that the watch is a rep, so it is important to be happy with that fact, and not try to misrepresent the watch otherwise. IMHO there are two categories of watches: gen and rep, and all china factory releases and versions and even the most frankened AP falls into the latter category. The differentiation between factories and versions exist only in the rep hobby, but they are all flawed, imperfect and most importantly, fun watches to play around with.

If you want a "gen like" watch, your best bet is to get a gen. If you want a watch to wear for your own entertainment and fun, the choices are a lot less restrictive, wear what pleases you, but don't ask the meaningless "which color/model is closer to gen?" because there is no crossing the chasm between the two. If you like the black dial 15400, get it and quit worrying if silver or grey is "closer to gen". All are 100% reps, and for rep prices at 2-5% of the gen prices, you are literally spoilt for choice.

Words of wisdom. Nice =)

f course, this is talking about a completely different bracket of people and of price but that type of guys are out there as well. However other than that, you are having more than valid points and I couldn't agree more.

I'm on the bracket of people that is just happy to receive anything