- 22/1/19
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OK, just got CF Pepsi delivered yesterday and wanted to compare it to the Noob. Nothing scientific here; no measurements or weights, just visual and on-the-wrist feel comparison and contrast.
Let's get stuck in!
Noob
CF
Even, identical 5500K LED lighting shows subtle differences in bezel insert colours. Noob is more purple in the blue and more brown in the red. Overall winner for color goes to CF.
These two outdoor shots show the colour difference to be a bit closer. Still, Noob is purple and brown, but not by much.
CF on the wrist in natural light. Wow. Just Wow. I know the flaws, but still.
Direct natural light makes the CF colours really pop!
Case comparisons: Noob on left, CF on right
Here you can see differences in overall thickness, crystal height, case lug shape, bezel knurls, etc.
The engravings between the lugs are much nicer on the CF.
Noob 6 & 18 transitions under macro:
CF 6 & 18 transitions under macro:
Noob bracelet SELs:
CF bracelet SELs:
Overall impressions: CF is clearly better, but not by as much as I would have thought. The Noob is still a great build. There is a reason why it was so flippin' expensive when it came out. But today, I'll take the CF, as it's 10% better in every direction, despite some flaws. I'm not even comparing xtals here, because they both suck. Going gen or Prof is a given.
Build quality on the CF feels excellent and the bracelet is a bit nicer than the Noob. Having had four Noobs since they were released, I can attest to massive differences in bracelet quality. This Noob bracelet is the best I've had, but the CF is better (clasp code Y8C).
Upgrades? Crystal for sure, but not much else. I'm over the pixel jockey nitpicking. No one will notice any of this stuff, not even ADs. Fat lugs, missing bezel lip, wrong bezel knurls....none of this is noticeable on the wrist. The CF is very, very good. The Law of Diminishing Returns will kick in hard after the crystal replacement. Everything else is just a waste of money, IMHO. YMMV.
Let's get stuck in!
Noob
CF
Even, identical 5500K LED lighting shows subtle differences in bezel insert colours. Noob is more purple in the blue and more brown in the red. Overall winner for color goes to CF.
These two outdoor shots show the colour difference to be a bit closer. Still, Noob is purple and brown, but not by much.
CF on the wrist in natural light. Wow. Just Wow. I know the flaws, but still.
Direct natural light makes the CF colours really pop!
Case comparisons: Noob on left, CF on right
Here you can see differences in overall thickness, crystal height, case lug shape, bezel knurls, etc.
The engravings between the lugs are much nicer on the CF.
Noob 6 & 18 transitions under macro:
CF 6 & 18 transitions under macro:
Noob bracelet SELs:
CF bracelet SELs:
Overall impressions: CF is clearly better, but not by as much as I would have thought. The Noob is still a great build. There is a reason why it was so flippin' expensive when it came out. But today, I'll take the CF, as it's 10% better in every direction, despite some flaws. I'm not even comparing xtals here, because they both suck. Going gen or Prof is a given.
Build quality on the CF feels excellent and the bracelet is a bit nicer than the Noob. Having had four Noobs since they were released, I can attest to massive differences in bracelet quality. This Noob bracelet is the best I've had, but the CF is better (clasp code Y8C).
Upgrades? Crystal for sure, but not much else. I'm over the pixel jockey nitpicking. No one will notice any of this stuff, not even ADs. Fat lugs, missing bezel lip, wrong bezel knurls....none of this is noticeable on the wrist. The CF is very, very good. The Law of Diminishing Returns will kick in hard after the crystal replacement. Everything else is just a waste of money, IMHO. YMMV.