Love AP: want to get it for my first rep. Help me choose please.

[CanadianJungle]

Hi All,
Been a long time lurker on this forum and have read pages upon pages upon pages of information on various TD's, quality of all brands vs the factories they come from etc etc. However, I'm still at a loss as to which rep I would be most happy with to start. My plan is to get more and more reps as time goes on but I want my first to be special.
I have narrowed my list down to AP from all the fine watchmakers out there as I just love the "look" the most. It's so manly!!!!
In an ideal world I would get myself a few sporty watches and a few formal ones and a few of these and a few of those etc. I can only get one to start though and I would like it to be a blend of formal and a bit sporty so I can wear it with multiple outfits. Is silver or gold look better? Is leather vs rubber better? (I wouldn't want metal links).

Help me RWI! What AP is best for my scenario? Neutral watch that's both sporty and formal? That's manly and interesting to look at?
Any and all help is truly appreciated!

Cheers!

 

[Tompa]

I will say the diver. That is sporty and elegant. Some might say the 15400 is the best one to start with but i should go for a ss diver with rubber strap. And later buy a nice lether strap to it. but Hey thats just me..


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[CanadianJungle]

I will say the diver. That is sporty and elegant. Some might say the 15400 is the best one to start with but i should go for a ss diver with rubber strap. And later buy a nice lether strap to it. but Hey thats just me..


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Really appreciate the feedback! I'm partial to the diver as it's very interesting to look at. What about color? I don't want to go all black and I for sure can't pull off any Yellow, Orange or white colors (for straps i mean). Would a dark blue work with a lot of outfits? aka: is it versatile? I'm in love with the blue diver and the yellow numbering but that's too bold. Anything else as an option?
What about a darker gray?
I'm getting analysis paralysis I fear.

 

[Tompa]

Here is some pics of my divers.. i hope i can inspire you a little bit Buddy

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[Tompa]

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[Woundup]

Welcome OP - I would also recommend either the white 15710 or the black 15703 Offshore Diver as a great model to kick off your collection with. Personally I prefer the white JF V9 over the black JF V9.5 as the dial is a very nice silvery white color and can be worn with versatility. The 15710 dial color is not the same as gen, so if your intent is to pass your watch as gen, the 15703 is probably a better choice.

Changing straps really transforms the look and feel of the diver also - we have some amazing strap makers here such as SMP_Lover that can create a bespoke leather strap that fits & feels as good or better than gen for $200 or so.

Just remember that you are buying a rep that will have a mediocre (at best) movement and the stem could break the first time you pull on it! Consider sending your watch to one of the watch makers that participate here for a movement clean and service / swiss main spring swap to help with reliability and good time keeping.

Enjoy!

 

[M_Hall]

You can’t go wrong with rep AP’s, are they perfect? No, they are flawed like all reps but the quality coming out of factories like JF and XF is outstanding.

If you want my advice in the rep world buy the watch because you love it and don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t buy a rep because it’s a so called super rep if it’s not a model you love.

Trust me I’ve been there and ultimately you end up flipping them and losing lots of money.

Personally for me the 15400 from JF is my go to AP although be careful it scratches easy so treat it well.

My ROO 44m is a better beater as it has a rubber strap and ceramic bezel.

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[CanadianJungle]

Daaaaaaamn!!!! So nice! All of them look amazing. I guess that didn't help at all hahahaha! Just makes me want all of them.
However, looking at it analytically, I think I prefer to get a dark band, silver and a dark face (dark blue). But honestly, I want all of them. One step at a time.
Are they all same movements? Same TD you got them from?

Quick edit: Not too concerned about it looking like a gen or me trying to pass them off as gen. I'm not a brand whore and I'm not trying to come across as someone i'm not. Just love the look of AP and think it's a great watch.

 

[M_Hall]

Yeah all JF Factory, I use Supermirrors as my TD but any of our TD’s can get them for you.


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[nobigdeal2010]

Can't go wrong with a diver. I love my XF V2 FC Diver