Clean vs BTF 116509 Blue Dial

[Scottymagic]

Folks - just some quick words/pics as I have both watches in hand. Both are well built and good quality.

I'd say the major flaw with these (outwith the weight) are the subdial colours are a little too purple - doesn't look as obvious on BTF as their dial is darker. Clean Factory's dial colour looks great - there's just too much contrast on the subdials but only really noticeable in strong daylight.

 

[Reaps]

Considering the dial is 90% of this watch, clean blows BTF out of the water on this one. Thanks for taking the time and money to do this thread.

And I can even see that Clean crystal on these sundial/reflective Daytonas is completely ok, no need to swap to a deep.

 

[oceaon]

Thanks Scotty. Good thoughts. It's great to see them side-by-side in the same light. I don't think Clean "blows it out of the water," as the dial isn't 90% of the watch. But do agree it's significant. As always, up to this point, most will agree that Clean is the best OOTB, with BTF usually reining king on case shape and xtal, while Clean owns the dial. If this was a project I was doing, I would still use the BTF base and throw in the Clean dial as we have done for many many other builds.

 

[KJ2020]

Agree that CLEAN dial has a more pleasing effect to my eye. In this collage from the same source pic, the BTF blue tends toward indigo (blurple), a characteristic I disdain.

Colors are cherry picked, but this describes how they appear to me.

I did not note any of the subdial color contrast you mentioned. The eye is so much better at detecting this than pics.

Some random actual gens in studio lighting

Actual gen in AD showroom

 

[oceaon]

+1 for not being a fan of the blurple lol.

 

[Scottymagic]

Agree that CLEAN dial has a more pleasing effect to my eye. In this collage from the same source pic, the BTF blue tends toward indigo (blurple), a characteristic I disdain.

Colors are cherry picked, but this describes how they appear to me.

I did not note any of the subdial color contrast you mentioned. The eye is so much better at detecting this than pics.

Some random actual gens in studio lighting

Actual gen in AD showroom

Appreciate the response mate - as for the sub dial issues, can best be seen at QC but as I said in real life its only really in strong daylight you notice the subdials being massively different in colour from the beautiful blue of the dial:

页面未找到 | 又拍图片管家

geektimeqc.x.yupoo.com

I actually bought both to put a bezel on the BT and sell the hybrid but the Clean looks so much better than it did in QC that I'm just going to keep them as they are.

 

[KJ2020]

Appreciate the response mate - as for the sub dial issues, can best be seen at QC but as I said in real life its only really in strong daylight you notice the subdials being massively different in colour from the beautiful blue of the dial:

页面未找到 | 又拍图片管家

geektimeqc.x.yupoo.com

I actually bought both to put a bezel on the BT and sell the hybrid but the Clean looks so much better than it did in QC that I'm just going to keep them as they are.

Oh yeah this pic really shows it. Looking back at your pics I see it now, I had been focusing on the subdial sunbursts not the subdial rings. Hmm, shame about that.

I went back and looked at all my Noob pics and see the same thing in some lighting conditions. Must be a rep thing.

Looks fine here

Some purple spikes and patches on subdial rings here

 

[mmaggi]

Thanks @Scottymagic - Great pics and dial comparisons. Might I add that the bezels on both appear to be very similar although I would give the edge to CF to be closer to gen.

 

[Scottymagic]

Clean in daylight - subdial difference is there but very subtle:

 

[rhern213]

@Scottymagic What do you think of the bezels and markings between CF and BTF?
I'm wanting to do a custom 116509 build and was leaning towards using a CF case because most of what I've seen shows Clean has a much better bezel? Consensus I've read is the BTF case has a more gen-like shape, but I think the bezel accuracy is more important overall.
From your pictures of the BTF it looks like there's a lot more space between the inside edge of the bezel and the markings. The Clean markings are closer to the edge that seems more gen like. Curious what you think when looking at it in person?
Thanks for the comparison shots!

 

[Scottymagic]

@Scottymagic What do you think of the bezels and markings between CF and BTF?
I'm wanting to do a custom 116509 build and was leaning towards using a CF case because most of what I've seen shows Clean has a much better bezel? Consensus I've read is the BTF case has a more gen-like shape, but I think the bezel accuracy is more important overall.
From your pictures of the BTF it looks like there's a lot more space between the inside edge of the bezel and the markings. The Clean markings are closer to the edge that seems more gen like. Curious what you think when looking at it in person?
Thanks for the comparison shots!

Cleans bezel is better and I don't think there's a big enough difference in case shape to bother swapping parts

 

[Scottymagic]

In lower lights, clean looks perfect:

 

[rhern213]

Cleans bezel is better and I don't think there's a big enough difference in case shape to bother swapping parts

Great thanks! Yeah that's what I assumed from other posts, just never seen a direct comparison for the 116509 bezels I have a CF 116505 and think it's excellent. Only reason I was considering a BTF now is to save on installing a deep crystal, but I'd rather spend the extra money on that to have the better bezel from CF.

 

[Scottymagic]

I don’t even notice much difference in crystals tbh. Clean is nowhere near as bad as made out

 

[rhern213]

I don’t even notice much difference in crystals tbh. Clean is nowhere near as bad as made out

I thought it was very noticeable actually. I have the CF RG chocolate dial, and after doing the deep crystal I thought it was pretty noticeable. Perhaps the AR is also more noticeable on certain dial colors.

 

[oceaon]

I don’t even notice much difference in crystals tbh. Clean is nowhere near as bad as made out

I would have to agree. I think the differences are night and day on the crystal, especially when you see the difference firsthand in person.

A couple of things to note:
Most of us have gravitated towards BTF in the past due to the case shape and crystal. Also, BTF is a value as it's usually much cheaper than the Clean version. Right now, Mirotime is running a sale for almost 100 off (I think) for BTF, which puts it around $750-ish with no need to change a crystal. So cheaper, and there's no need to crystal swap.

I used to buy a BTF and do a dial swap for the Clean, so I would have case shape, xtal, and dial for a decent franken. With that being said, now that you can acquire deep xtals so cheap, it just makes better sense to go with the Clean and swap out a cheap deep crystal going forward. That is the better overall piece for less work.

 

[Goldsimba1989]

I don’t think my BTF looks that purple. Exchanged bezel to clean recently… no photo yet.. not in the same country as watch atm ^^

 

[Goldsimba1989]

Not so purple. I prefer crystal. Have a clean V3 black and crystal is not great…

 

[Goldsimba1989]

BTF for reference- bezel changed later

 

[bhehe6813]

Wonder if the V2 changed anything regarding the subdials.