APSF and ZF Royal Oak 15500 w 4302 clone caliber

[legend]

IIRC the dial color of @legend's gen looked similar in pics but it had more sunburst.

Colors on screen can be rather subjective due to lighting, angles and filters on the camera lenses. The only way to accurately ascertain colors is to have both watches side by side under the same lighting condition. The comparison will only be meaningful that way.
I think reps should and can be enjoyed on their own, the level to which they are manufactured these days is impressive. Put it another way: if a watch costing say $30k can be replicated perfectly for $500, then the price difference between the two can be attributed to brand value, provenance and pedigree, and the product value of the gen will be $500. This is however not the case as there are many details on the gen, subtle and small as they are, which are not replicated on the rep. They may or may not be noticeable in real life but they exist for sure. So the gen owner pays $30k for his watch and the rep owner pays $500 for his, which looks and feels (subjectively) between 80-95% of the gen one. There is already a lot of value in the rep in this aspect and there is no need to compare the gen and rep further. Visuals aside, gen luxury watch ownership is far beyond owning a luxury watch, but rather the holistic experience of knowing your watch has Swiss provenance and history and the satisfaction of the ownership experience across its spectrum. This can never be replicated. How much that is worth is subjective though and for those who don’t really care or mind not enjoying this spectrum, then owning a rep is good enough as far as having a nice watch on the wrist for whatever purpose which suits the wearer.
So when someone asks “how close is this to gen?”, it depends on how far you wish to consider the experience of gen ownership. Most wearers take themselves out of the equation when it comes to comparisons but for me that is a significant factor in pulling off any watch at all. Confidence and attitude are key, far more important than the shape or size of tapisseries on the dial.

 

[BillyMadison]

Reps are reps and do not need to be “gen worthy” to be enjoyed. They can be worn and appreciated on their own, let’s not forget the different price points of the two.
You have a nice looking watch on your wrist. It isn’t an AP but it doesn’t need to be one. You will get the due admiration and compliments when wearing it in real life and for me it’s very impressive how something costing $500 or so replicates something costing far more, to this respectable degree. Wear it well!

Totally agree. I only meant that although I'm not qualified to assess this dial and its sunburst as compared to gen, but I'm sure it does not compare (because no rep really can). For $500, this is a nice watch. My only disappointment with it is that it isn't the black dial I ordered . As an owner of several reps and a couple gens (not AP), I appreciate each watch for what it is. Some of my reps are at least arguably prettier than the gens, but the gens being gens hold a different kind of value to me.

 

[legend]

Totally agree. I only meant that although I'm not qualified to assess this dial and its sunburst as compared to gen, but I'm sure it does not compare (because no rep really can). For $500, this is a nice watch. My only disappointment with it is that it isn't the black dial I ordered . As an owner of several reps and a couple gens (not AP), I appreciate each watch for what it is. Some of my reps are at least arguably prettier than the gens, but the gens being gens hold a different kind of value to me.

You have a very nice watch. If you like you can always swap the dial and dw out for the black set. I agree it’ll look more palatable, with the color clearly defined at least.

 

[Ekko95]

The color of the gen and rep greys are as far off as can be, trust me. If you look at them side by side, you will instantly be able to tell which is which.
The material of the dial, the way the tapisseries are created, the color and the finish all combine to give you the visual effect which only gen dials can have.

The color of the gen and rep greys are as far off as can be, trust me. If you look at them side by side, you will instantly be able to tell which is which.
The material of the dial, the way the tapisseries are created, the color and the finish all combine to give you the visual effect which only gen dials can have.

@legend and which dial from ZF would you say as an expert is the closest one to gen? Black or blue?

 

[legend]

@legend and which dial from ZF would you say as an expert is the closest one to gen? Black or blue?

To answer you directly my opinion is that the black dial from ZF is closer than the blue. But that isn’t to say that the black (or any color) dial is 1:1 with gen. It is just closer IMHO.

 

[joeyc]

Colors on screen can be rather subjective due to lighting, angles and filters on the camera lenses. The only way to accurately ascertain colors is to have both watches side by side under the same lighting condition. The comparison will only be meaningful that way.
I think reps should and can be enjoyed on their own, the level to which they are manufactured these days is impressive. Put it another way: if a watch costing say $30k can be replicated perfectly for $500, then the price difference between the two can be attributed to brand value, provenance and pedigree, and the product value of the gen will be $500. This is however not the case as there are many details on the gen, subtle and small as they are, which are not replicated on the rep. They may or may not be noticeable in real life but they exist for sure. So the gen owner pays $30k for his watch and the rep owner pays $500 for his, which looks and feels (subjectively) between 80-95% of the gen one. There is already a lot of value in the rep in this aspect and there is no need to compare the gen and rep further. Visuals aside, gen luxury watch ownership is far beyond owning a luxury watch, but rather the holistic experience of knowing your watch has Swiss provenance and history and the satisfaction of the ownership experience across its spectrum. This can never be replicated. How much that is worth is subjective though and for those who don’t really care or mind not enjoying this spectrum, then owning a rep is good enough as far as having a nice watch on the wrist for whatever purpose which suits the wearer.
So when someone asks “how close is this to gen?”, it depends on how far you wish to consider the experience of gen ownership. Most wearers take themselves out of the equation when it comes to comparisons but for me that is a significant factor in pulling off any watch at all. Confidence and attitude are key, far more important than the shape or size of tapisseries on the dial.

Very well put, I feel
The same exact way, however i always think if I was a diver, my diving watch would be a gen, like a race car driver driving a replica. Your life depends on it- I want a Swiss watch lol

 

[locvs]

Very well put, I feel
The same exact way, however i always think if I was a diver, my diving watch would be a gen, like a race car driver driving a replica. Your life depends on it- I want a Swiss watch lol

If you were a diver, you'd be wearing a diving computer. I doubt any pro divers use swiss diving watches anymore. Maybe as a back up, but diving computers are the norm, as they give you a lot more information, better readibility etc. etc.