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New VRF Pepsi GMT Max

KJ2020

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Just got my QC Images from Li. What do you think of the speedbumps, especially around the number 6?

hNRvhehA_o.jpg


LQr0p7b7_o.jpg


I was a little worried about the Rehaut engravings but these look pretty good from what I can see.

Just for the record bro, "speed bumps" are raised glue joints formed by pressing pieces together. It's largely an old problem that has been corrected.

Speed bumps on an old Noob
Z71sHJ.jpg


What you have is just a visible join line, and it is present on all rep two piece ceramic inserts if you look closely enough at the right angle. Even the ARF Batman.

Your sample is a good one. No other sample would look substantially better. Some paint fill (either Molotow or spray) would help hide the join line, even make it not visible but the whole insert needs to be paint modded so it all matches. As it is, you shouldn't notice it much IRL. Sometimes we let things bother us just because we know they are there.

I paint modded my ROF (same insert) with Molotow the first night I had it and the join lines are not visible. At some point I'm going to remove the insert and spray paint it. That's a more lasting mod.

KJ2020 Paint Mod

16175554940061.jpg
 
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Duckber

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You sure that’s noob? Colours look way off

Yeah it was just taken with flash on. Here is another shot with flash off.
Z76ZLb.jpg

So yeah no brown... I think I prefer it to the VRF. Deeper and whiter engravings on the insert. VRF's is too shallow
 
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stevier88

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Yeah it was just taken with flash on. Here is another shot with flash off.
Z76ZLb.jpg

So yeah no brown... I think I prefer it to the VRF. Deeper and whiter engravings on the insert. VRF's is too shallow

Looks more like a gmf
Z76atD.jpg


it’s not so much that the vrf engravings are too shallow but appear more narrow and duller and grey/silver in colour. Although at certain angles it mimics gen the gen looks much whiter. IMO vrf have nailed the colours closer to an mk1. I’ve sent mine off to spongebob for a platinum mod to hopefully sort this.

Noob overlaying vrf
Z76iEk.jpg
 
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Duckber

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Looks more like a gmf


it’s not so much that the vrf engravings are too shallow but appear more narrow and duller and grey/silver in colour. Although at certain angles it mimics gen the gen looks much whiter. IMO vrf have nailed the colours closer to an mk1. I’ve sent mine off to spongebob for a platinum mod to hopefully sort this.

Noob overlaying vrf

It's not a GMF. It's Noob. The colors are more Noob's latest style. The engraving is different than GMF's. The speed bumps are not there like on that GMF. The depth and whiteness of my bezel is akin to that of your Noob photo way more so than the GMF shot. It's 100% Noob.... look at the transition from red to blue on the 18 mark, signature of Noob. I just got one with a better shade of red than yours was.
 
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bupeapoop

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Just for the record bro, "speed bumps" are raised glue joints formed by pressing pieces together. It's largely an old problem that has been corrected.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for clearing that up for me mate! I got myself muddled up and thought that "speed bumps" were the obvious visible join lines. Your example image helped clarify that. It seems I still have a lot to learn. Thankfully there is a wealth of information to be gained from all the great sticky threads throughout the forum.

I paint modded my ROF (same insert) with Molotow the first night I had it and the join lines are not visible. At some point I'm going to remove the insert and spray paint it. That's a more lasting mod.

You've done a cracking job with your paint mod. It's clear that you've got the confidence and knowledge to tackle and fix any small annoyances you have with your own reps to try and improve them to the best of your abilities. Right now, I think I'm just going to appreciate the watches for what they are - high quality reps. Honestly, I think all these macro QC images blow up any minor flaws and turn them into major catastrophises when they really aren't all that big of a deal. Once the watch is around your wrist, there's only one person who's going to notice any small flaws and that's the person wearing it.
 
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Mark1937

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It's not a GMF. It's Noob. The colors are more Noob's latest style. The engraving is different than GMF's. The speed bumps are not there like on that GMF. The depth and whiteness of my bezel is akin to that of your Noob photo way more so than the GMF shot. It's 100% Noob.... look at the transition from red to blue on the 18 mark, signature of Noob. I just got one with a better shade of red than yours was.

Yes. Your insert is Noob. But it is so far from gen bro! Colors are wrong, transition is wrong, paint is too much white.
 
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Duckber

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Yes. Your insert is Noob. But it is so far from gen bro! Colors are wrong, transition is wrong, paint is too much white.

To me it's more accurate and better looking than vrfs insert. So until VSF gives it their shot this is the best we have in my opinion.
 

stevier88

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It's not a GMF. It's Noob. The colors are more Noob's latest style. The engraving is different than GMF's. The speed bumps are not there like on that GMF. The depth and whiteness of my bezel is akin to that of your Noob photo way more so than the GMF shot. It's 100% Noob.... look at the transition from red to blue on the 18 mark, signature of Noob. I just got one with a better shade of red than yours was.

Z7tlMo.jpg


I didn’t say it was, I merely said it looks like a gmf, which the colours are closer to out of any current rep. I suppose you have bragging rights now to have the only mk4 out as it’s not close to any rep or gen....or gmf mk2
 

Duckber

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Z7tlMo.jpg


I didn’t say it was, I merely said it looks like a gmf, which the colours are closer to out of any current rep. I suppose you have bragging rights now to have the only mk4 out as it’s not close to any rep or gen....or gmf mk2

It's closer than your VRF... but to each their own. Enjoy your Pepsi mate :)
 

bertieng

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It seems that VR has stopped using the blue hairspring in their latest batches, are they?
 

KJ2020

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It seems that VR has stopped using the blue hairspring in their latest batches, are they?

I think it's still blue bro. Just past the regulator arm you can see some blue. It's still easy to tell it's a VR with the all gold shock absorber block. The SA has the regulator arm on the opposite side.

Z7gtib.jpg


I doubt the rep blue on the hairsprings is anything but cheap coloring of some kind anyway - some of it comes off or sometimes it turns purplish or crimson when I dip a balance in One Dip.

Nothing like the alloys in a real Rolex Parachrome Bleu

https://www.signaturewatches.com/blogs/signature-magazine/what-is-rolex-s-parachrom-bleu-hairspring