- 23/10/06
- 1,799
- 447
- 83
Hi. I think this may have already been covered, but I can't find it, so I'll air my comments on it anyway.
I've been wearing the brown Rep strap for a couple of days now. The air temperature is cold here in the UK, I'm not very sweaty and the strap hasn't been subjected to any scuffing/abuse.
First of all, when the strap was unused it felt firm and well padded. After a short period of manipulation to soften it up, it became very supple. Great, I thought, no need to bed in!
The Gen strap (black) on the other hand took frikkin ages to soften up - it was actually uncomfortable to wear at first, but now its fine. The Rep was very comfortable straight out of the wrapper.
As you can just see in this pic, the grain is slightly coarser on the Gen, Rep stitching looks ok. Buckle shape and size looks fine but Rep logo stamp isn't as clearly defined; the anchor fading away. The strap keepers of the Rep seem as good and thick as the Gen.
I'd say that both Gen & Rep straps are of a very similar thickness. I really can't see any difference. The pic angle doesn't help though! :roll:
Also, the Rep stitching has started to fluff up. Not so apparent in the pics. The Gen has fluffed a little, but thats seen more use.
What I did notice was that the edges of the Rep strap have started to 'fray' where it contacts the edges of the buckle. I think this is a common occurence with most 'cheap' strap & buckle combinations.
The Gen so far looks unaffected. Oh by the way, I've worn the Gen strap quite a lot - and not a mark on it! 8)
OK, lets move inside the straps: its quite obvious now isn't it?! :shock:
The text is quite faithful to the original, but is lighter and again less defined. The Rep lining is also quite thin, wrinkles easily but is still comfortable. Feeling the two linings, you can tell the difference in grain quality.
On a closing note, the Rep is not bad for a early attempt. Maybe they'll get better. The best part about the Rep is that you just don't notice that it's there. Great. What I'm dubious about is its longevity. It simply doesn't feel 'man' enough for constant Breitling use. Umm, it'd be great for the occasional dress watch though - say, if you went for the croc style. In the long run, get the Gen & gen buckle. Its worth it :wink:
I've been wearing the brown Rep strap for a couple of days now. The air temperature is cold here in the UK, I'm not very sweaty and the strap hasn't been subjected to any scuffing/abuse.
First of all, when the strap was unused it felt firm and well padded. After a short period of manipulation to soften it up, it became very supple. Great, I thought, no need to bed in!
The Gen strap (black) on the other hand took frikkin ages to soften up - it was actually uncomfortable to wear at first, but now its fine. The Rep was very comfortable straight out of the wrapper.As you can just see in this pic, the grain is slightly coarser on the Gen, Rep stitching looks ok. Buckle shape and size looks fine but Rep logo stamp isn't as clearly defined; the anchor fading away. The strap keepers of the Rep seem as good and thick as the Gen.
I'd say that both Gen & Rep straps are of a very similar thickness. I really can't see any difference. The pic angle doesn't help though! :roll:
Also, the Rep stitching has started to fluff up. Not so apparent in the pics. The Gen has fluffed a little, but thats seen more use.
What I did notice was that the edges of the Rep strap have started to 'fray' where it contacts the edges of the buckle. I think this is a common occurence with most 'cheap' strap & buckle combinations.
The Gen so far looks unaffected. Oh by the way, I've worn the Gen strap quite a lot - and not a mark on it!
8)
OK, lets move inside the straps: its quite obvious now isn't it?! :shock:
The text is quite faithful to the original, but is lighter and again less defined. The Rep lining is also quite thin, wrinkles easily but is still comfortable. Feeling the two linings, you can tell the difference in grain quality.
On a closing note, the Rep is not bad for a early attempt. Maybe they'll get better. The best part about the Rep is that you just don't notice that it's there. Great. What I'm dubious about is its longevity. It simply doesn't feel 'man' enough for constant Breitling use. Umm, it'd be great for the occasional dress watch though - say, if you went for the croc style. In the long run, get the Gen & gen buckle. Its worth it :wink:
