Platinum Grand Prix with NEW Forged Carbon

[Racer686]

Hi Guys,
Like Zorrolondon I was quick to order a set from Imaknockov. In person, the colour variations in the carbon is very subtle and peeks out at you when the light hits it. It is a fantastic effect and I am absolutely in love with my rejuvenated GP. I had trouble wearing it after I saw Imaknockov's prototype because there is just no comparison. This watch now, has a distinctly "gen" feel to it. Here is the forged carbon on my platinum GP, enjoy.

First up, a few with the original DLC parts for comparison:

Now the Carbon:

And finally, some wrist shots:

Hopefully, you enjoyed the pix!

Pete

 

[zorro-l]

looking great pete ,, welcome to the carbon club!!!

 

[boostin20]

Gorgeous!

 

[trailboss99]

Wow, what a difference. That just makes that watch, the PVD always looked so fake to me. Very, very nice indeed.

 

[PecMan]

it looks really good on u bro , how big is ur wrist??

 

[Racer686]

it looks really good on u bro , how big is ur wrist??

I am about a 7 inch wrist.
Thanks, my wife loves it too!

Pete

 

[PecMan]

now im really worried about myself , the watch is already expensive , im sure the parts to mod it are not cheap
wtf am i gonna do when this repica is ready for us!!!

 

[Bonesey]

It's like night and day between the PVD and the carbon.

 

[PecMan]

well said my friend

 

[GreenHornet]

It's like night and day between the PVD and the carbon.

That's an understatement!

 

[Buddalondon]

Nice one.
Phat watch - didnt like the old carbon but this phat!!
On my wishlist in a heartbeat!
Congratulations.

 

[levelmanroger]

It now exudes class. That is a gorgeous watch.


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[Racer686]

It now exudes class. That is a gorgeous watch.


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Thanks. Boy is is comfortable on my wrist. My wife catches me looking at it all the time.

Pete

 

[frigpig]

Stunning piece you have now.

 

[Imaknockov]

Thanks. Boy is is comfortable on my wrist. My wife catches me looking at it all the time.

Pete

Agreed. It's a big watch, but the strap is wide and doesn't create any pressure points on the wrist like the older style narrower strap and deployant. I imagine that the carbon/ti will be that much more comfortable with the reduced weight.

 

[spaidak2]

I've worked with carbon fiber in other applications before and generally it's a weave with multiple layers of CF fabric sandwiched together w/ epoxy. The incredible strength is derived from the anti-parallel orientation of the fibers within the layers. The deliberate orientation of the weave in the layers can also dictate the characteristics of the part in regards to how an applied force is distributed, etc. I don't know much about the forging of CF.

If someone with extensive knowledge about CF and/or current owners of these bezel mods can chime in? How does this bezel material compare to regular CF in terms of strength or brittleness. How does it compare to ceramic? I'm sure there is some sort of binder for the CF strands in the forging process but how does this material derive its strength? I'd like to guess that its due to the randomness of the orientation of the fibers? Thanks to all the forum members in advance!

On top of knowing more about this material, I mainly want to know how it is in comparison to the ceramic bezels that look pretty and crack when you breath on them!

 

[Imaknockov]

I've worked with carbon fiber in other applications before. Generally its a weave with layers sandwiched together w/ epoxy. I know the strength is derived from the anti-parallel fibers in the layers. How does this bezel material compare to regular CF in terms of strength or brittleness. How does it compare to ceramic? From what I've read and know about the extruded CF process that AP uses, there is no epoxy resin? I may be wrong but anyone with knowledge about CF and current owners of these bezels please chime in! I mainly want to know about its characteristics because I'm tired of brittle ceramic bezels that look pretty and crack when you breath on them!

Are you planning to play football with the parts or something? :lol:

For what it's worth, the ceramic rep bezels only seem to crack if you over-tighten the screws, as a great many people have the RBII and of all of them, I've only ever seen one person(maybe two tops) report a cracked bezel.

As the one who made the aftermarket CF bezel for the AP reps, I can tell you that I use genuine carbon and employ a laminate that is far less brittle/prone to cracking than regular polyester or epoxy laminates. If anything , the material responds more like a conventional plastic found in everyday digital watches. If anything, I suggest that if you're wearing the rep of a $45,000-$120,000 watch, treat it as if it were a gen and you shouldn't have any issues. Also, my material won't crack if you over-tighten the bezel screws slightly but may deform the material slightly in the long-term... Not to mention the risk you run of breaking or stripping the screws from excess force. Best is not to overtighten, and then use a fraction of a drop of white glue or nail polish on the threads to secure them in place.

 

[spaidak2]

Are you planning to play football with the parts or something? :lol:

For what it's worth, the ceramic rep bezels only seem to crack if you over-tighten the screws, as a great many people have the RBII and of all of them, I've only ever seen one person(maybe two tops) report a cracked bezel.

As the one who made the aftermarket CF bezel for the AP reps, I can tell you that I use genuine carbon and employ a laminate that is far less brittle/prone to cracking than regular polyester or epoxy laminates. If anything , the material responds more like a conventional plastic found in everyday digital watches. If anything, I suggest that if you're wearing the rep of a $45,000-$120,000 watch, treat it as if it were a gen and you shouldn't have any issues.

Thanks for the reply but darn you responded to my unedited post! I assumed this particular material would be far less brittle due to the variability in direction of the carbon fibers but I wanted an expert opinion . Thanks!

 

[poorchap]

Pete, was it easy to have all the forged carbon parts assembled onto the watch or you have a watch smith that did that for you?

 

[Racer686]

I had trouble with one of the caseback nuts not wanting to come off, so I took it to my watch smith. It was a 20 min job for him. Can easily be done at home if the watch cooperates.

Pete