Hi, if you're interested, here's my experience with AF over the last two months, which I told someone on Reptime. After conclusion, 3 different crowns were used for the May 26 batch (photos A, B, C), and this batch also has other defects: missing "i" on the "swiss made" of the clasp and too thin "Cartier" writing on the dial. Apparently, these problems are due to a raid that AF has undergone in recent months. Personally, I prefer to wait a few months until all the defects have been corrected. I've opted for a Tank Solo AF which, in my opinion, presents no problems. The Tank must large K11 has, in my opinion, the glaring defects you mentioned.
My experience with AF (Tank must large) over the last two months :
« Hi, honestly AF drove me completely crazy and I won't be recommending them again, or at least not for a few months until all their problems are sorted out.
What I’m telling you only applies to the Cartier Tank Must references WSTA0041 (leather strap) and WSTA0052 (steel bracelet). Everything started to go wrong at the end of June. From April to June, I ordered four Cartier Tank Must watches. All four were great, exactly like the ones AF has been making for several years: good crown, correct font, good strap, etc. Then, at the end of June, I tried to order more, and to my surprise, the crown had changed—it became rounded (photo A) and not flat as it should be and as it has been all these years (photo B). So, I rejected the QC, and the same thing happened with the next QC. I decided to get a refund and waited a few weeks to see new QCs from other Reddit members before ordering again. I noticed that recent QCs had the correct crowns (photo B), so I reordered, and yet again, there was a new crown on my watch (photo C)!! It was acceptable, but there were other flaws: the “Cartier” inscription on the dial was too thin, and the “i” was missing from the “Swiss made” engraving on the clasp (for the WSTA0052). So, I rejected the QC and asked for a replacement, and once again, it had the rounded crown (photo A)!! When I told you they drove me crazy, I wasn’t kidding!
In the span of a week, you could get three different QCs, each with a different crown and a different font! After talking a bit with the TDs and other members, and after seeing many QCs, I came to a conclusion. I think AF tested several batches with different parts over a short period of time, and they need to sell all their watches from all the batches they tested, which is why two QCs from the same day can have different parts. TheOnewatch asked the factory for an explanation, and they said the crowns weren’t “standardized,” which means you can get different crowns from one QC to another, confirming my hypothesis.
Fun fact: I saw a QC of an AF Ballon Bleu with a steel bracelet, and the “i” was also missing from the “Swiss made” on the clasp, which proves that they’re still using new parts and need to sell them. »
