Welcome to the rep world bro. I just received my 29th and 30th yesterday and I still hate it that these samples get you 90% of the way there and then leave you ultimately feeling disappointed. It does get easier after that realization sinks in and then you start doing the tweaks on things you just can't tolerate.
Comments on your service.
What you got is typical, way better than some I've tolerated. I paid for a Daytona Aug 27 2018 and received it Dec 8 2018. I once paid a 15% restocking fee not to get stuck with a watch I hated after seeing it. And I had a TD give me "credit only" in the form or TWO SEPARATE coupons not to be used in the same order after failing to source a part for me. So yeah I'd say your service was A OK.
Comments on your watch.
The color transition at 18 should happen 15% into the 8. And the number 1 in 18 should be straighter, almost parallel to the transition line. The transition point flaw has been pointed out in this thread by me, I think they chose to do it to eliminate the chance of a speed bump in a cutout. Known issue, all samples will be the same.
Clasp is not scratched, it's on the plastic.
The watch will need to be regulated, I keep all mine at under 5 s/d. The beat error is 0.0, which is a much more important measurement. The amplitude is low, should be at least 270 but this is affected by winding. Don't reject it for the timegrapher readings.
The box picture is just showing you how it will come as an example. You can't see any details, so who cares what watch is there? The pics overall are very good quality, many TDs provide worse - they don't want you to see flaws.
The rehaut is the biggest flaw. See the minute tic mark reflections in the rehaut? That's exactly where all those letters should be. The rehaut is tiny and a lot of people can overlook it, at least the crown at 12 o'clock is OK. I rejected a GMF Sub on which this the only flaw, real shame because otherwise it was a near perfect watch. You have to decide what you can live with. My choice on the Batman was a Noob with a replacement insert. The rehaut engraving is much better. I paid hell getting an insert to where I could live with it. Sourcing, digging out white paint, multiple paint mods. Easily 15 hours of work over about a month.
Your rehaut
If you want a GMF, you aren't likely going to see a better one. I've learned to "blur my vision" a little when looking at my reps and try to fix what I can't tolerate. There are a lot of good things to say about your watch, most of these minor flaws dissolve away after a few weeks on your wrist.
BTW other tells on all ICHS GMT reps besides the rehaut and the insert are always going to be there - the GMT hand on the bottom, and the second hand is uncapped (hole in the middle). Most reps will not look gen without a lot of help. We must delude ourselves to be pleased. How delusional can you be is the question we all must answer.
