The AP questions thread (All the questions you want to ask about AP but were afraid to)

[cbshitter]

I am curious about this, why can't one wear the watch before plating it? I have done plating for a lot of used watches.

Hi legend!

I had contacted a few plating services on rwi and reptime, and they stated that they can only plate a watch if it’s new/unworn because scratches make the watch harder to plate and they’d have to repolish it and then replate it. However I’ll stay off the PT plating since there’s not that much of a

 

[legend]

Hi legend!

I had contacted a few plating services on rwi and reptime, and they stated that they can only plate a watch if it’s new/unworn because scratches make the watch harder to plate and they’d have to repolish it and then replate it. However I’ll stay off the PT plating since there’s not that much of a

That makes sense. It’s the surface damage which inhibits perfect plating and not a worn watch per se. A brand new unworn watch being dragged on the tarmac wouldn’t be a good candidate for plating either.

 

[QueTip]

Change and mod what matters to you and keep what works!

Correct and please let’s keep this thread facts based rather than based on assumptions and not sure. It can be very confusing for other members if there’s several different statements all of which contradict each other and causing even more work for staff to correct wrong informations rather than just giving factual answers to questions if they haven’t been answered correctly already.

@legend is an absolute wealth of knowledge and the undisputed king of AP and has been going above and beyond giving tips and advising on all kinds of questions no matter how repetitive they may be.

Let’s please not fill this thread with half knowledge and assumptions and stick to facts only.

 

[Simmilava]

I’m looking for a factory that makes AP royal oak, but want the crown to screw down completely. I have been doing some research and found that ZF is supposedly the best for APs. I already got two watches from them, but the crown does not screw down. Any info or help would be much appreciated.

 

[cbshitter]

That makes sense. It’s the surface damage which inhibits perfect plating and not a worn watch per se. A brand new unworn watch being dragged on the tarmac wouldn’t be a good candidate for plating either.

Haha sounds amazing! Moving forward I’ll reach out to you for the other mods, I’m sure it’s about a 4-8 month wait list you have so willing to be patient.

 

[Frank Martin]

Well the primary visual differences would be the dial tapisseries construction and the resulting color and finish especially on the blue and grey dials. You just need to google pics of gen 15500 blue dials they are available in all kinds of lighting and angles. Same for the rep blue dials. If you’re conscientious enough or seen the gen in person you would be able to perceive the differences. It is not a difference you can do anything about anyway, so my advice would be to get the color you like and enjoy it. Even if the color is somehow close, you’re still wearing a $500 replica and not an actual AP which will come with its own issues and inaccuracies if you know where to look. Even if it looks accurate you will always know that it’s not a gen so you need to reconcile that with your visual assessment of the watch.
So don’t worry about color. The blue of the gen and rep will never be identical. Ever. But they can appear close enough in real life and that should be good enough for the majority. For those who still cannot accept the visual variants, the only way is to fork out money to buy the gen and the worth of doing so is down to the individual. No right or wrong but rather what you can accept and what you can’t.

 

[Frank Martin]

Well the primary visual differences would be the dial tapisseries construction and the resulting color and finish especially on the blue and grey dials. You just need to google pics of gen 15500 blue dials they are available in all kinds of lighting and angles. Same for the rep blue dials. If you’re conscientious enough or seen the gen in person you would be able to perceive the differences. It is not a difference you can do anything about anyway, so my advice would be to get the color you like and enjoy it. Even if the color is somehow close, you’re still wearing a $500 replica and not an actual AP which will come with its own issues and inaccuracies if you know where to look. Even if it looks accurate you will always know that it’s not a gen so you need to reconcile that with your visual assessment of the watch.
So don’t worry about color. The blue of the gen and rep will never be identical. Ever. But they can appear close enough in real life and that should be good enough for the majority. For those who still cannot accept the visual variants, the only way is to fork out money to buy the gen and the worth of doing so is down to the individual. No right or wrong but rather what you can accept and what you can’t.

The details you provided were very helpful. It sounds like all the modding, polishing, repainting in the world is not going to provide a near duplicate of the gen dial. The best you could probably do is replace the dial with a gen, if you could ever locate (or afford) one.

 

[Frank Martin]

Well the primary visual differences would be the dial tapisseries construction and the resulting color and finish especially on the blue and grey dials. You just need to google pics of gen 15500 blue dials they are available in all kinds of lighting and angles. Same for the rep blue dials. If you’re conscientious enough or seen the gen in person you would be able to perceive the differences. It is not a difference you can do anything about anyway, so my advice would be to get the color you like and enjoy it. Even if the color is somehow close, you’re still wearing a $500 replica and not an actual AP which will come with its own issues and inaccuracies if you know where to look. Even if it looks accurate you will always know that it’s not a gen so you need to reconcile that with your visual assessment of the watch.
So don’t worry about color. The blue of the gen and rep will never be identical. Ever. But they can appear close enough in real life and that should be good enough for the majority. For those who still cannot accept the visual variants, the only way is to fork out money to buy the gen and the worth of doing so is down to the individual. No right or wrong but rather what you can accept and what you can’t.

Just checked out a YouTube video comparing gen versus rep blue dial on an AP. The differences are obvious when magnified.

 

[legend]

Just checked out a YouTube video comparing gen versus rep blue dial on an AP. The differences are obvious when magnified.

Yes and the good news is that in real life the watches are almost never subject to such magnification.

 

[legend]

The details you provided were very helpful. It sounds like all the modding, polishing, repainting in the world is not going to provide a near duplicate of the gen dial. The best you could probably do is replace the dial with a gen, if you could ever locate (or afford) one.

Yes gen is gen. But in this hobby achieving a semblance of the gen is good enough I feel. No need for perfect structural replication.

 

[legend]

Haha sounds amazing! Moving forward I’ll reach out to you for the other mods, I’m sure it’s about a 4-8 month wait list you have so willing to be patient.

Currently it’s actually 3-4 weeks.

 

[legend]

I’m looking for a factory that makes AP royal oak, but want the crown to screw down completely. I have been doing some research and found that ZF is supposedly the best for APs. I already got two watches from them, but the crown does not screw down. Any info or help would be much appreciated.

What watches are these I’m curious.

 

[legend]

Correct and please let’s keep this thread facts based rather than based on assumptions and not sure. It can be very confusing for other members if there’s several different statements all of which contradict each other and causing even more work for staff to correct wrong informations rather than just giving factual answers to questions if they haven’t been answered correctly already.

Let’s please not fill this thread with half knowledge and assumptions and stick to facts only.

Thank you @QueTip
Of late, this thread has been harder to manage due to the enthusiastic but frequently incomplete or erroneous input from others.
While I appreciate the assistance and support, I would ask members to kindly let me reply to questions addressed to me rather than hijacking them and worse, providing a less than accurate or complete answer, which I would need to correct or refine.

If I have to make it clear, this thread is primarily for ALL members to ask questions in (any language is accepted), and for me (or the proven veteran or expert members here like @Tompa @j21 @W47chl0v3r @QueTip etc) to reply to, especially for questions addressed or tagged to me specifically. While I appreciate enthusiasm, it should be accompanied by corresponding knowledge, expertise, or experience. In an effort to keep this thread clean for members reading it and seeking proper information, all non relevant or inaccurate replies will now be deleted or edited for this thread. This isn't a thread for opinions but facts, unless opinions are requested. So this thread is actually monitored closely and I will prune it if necessary to maintain the integrity of the information within. Thank you guys. I truly appreciate the input.

 

[silver.forever]

@legend is there something to keep in mind when buying a gen dial / gen datewheel?
I saw that some datewheels for the black 15400 do have gold color on the teeth/spikes and some are black. Are these normal variations through out the different versions? You mentioned that there are different blue / grey shaded but how is with the black dials? Are there different versions? On some of the pictures it seems that there are no lines on the tapisserie but not sure this is due to the camera and that they wont pick up these small details. Thanks in advance for your input on that.

 

[legend]

@legend is there something to keep in mind when buying a gen dial / gen datewheel?
I saw that some datewheels for the black 15400 do have gold color on the teeth/spikes and some are black. Are these normal variations through out the different versions? You mentioned that there are different blue / grey shaded but how is with the black dials? Are there different versions? On some of the pictures it seems that there are no lines on the tapisserie but not sure this is due to the camera and that they wont pick up these small details. Thanks in advance for your input on that.

I’ve seen rep dials and datewheels sold as gen. The gen datewheels have the gold/silver edges but I haven’t seen the black.

For black dials, believe it or not there ARE color tone variations. There are deep gloss black dials and also charcoal colors and finishes which are a little more matte. It all depends on the batch and variations are normal. Swirls should be present but not on the raised tapisseries per se but in the “valleys”.
If you are looking for a black 15400 set or already have one you’re looking at you can PM me I’ll help where I can. Thanks.

 

[silver.forever]

I’ve seen rep dials and datewheels sold as gen. The gen datewheels have the gold/silver edges but I haven’t seen the black.

For black dials, believe it or not there ARE color tone variations. There are deep gloss black dials and also charcoal colors and finishes which are a little more matte. It all depends on the batch and variations are normal. Swirls should be present but not on the raised tapisseries per se but in the “valleys”.
If you are looking for a black 15400 set or already have one you’re looking at you can PM me I’ll help where I can. Thanks.

 

[silver.forever]

Is there a resource that shows the difference? Was checking the AP chronicles but there is only something about the 5402 Dial but not the more modern 15400/15500 dials. The 15510 (2023) dial is very vibrant and seems to have more sunburst than all the 15400 dials I have seen yet. Maybe you have some more background information on that?

 

[W47chl0v3r]

Is there a resource that shows the difference? Was checking the AP chronicles but there is only something about the 5402 Dial but not the more modern 15400/15500 dials. The 15510 (2023) dial is very vibrant and seems to have more sunburst than all the 15400 dials I have seen yet. Maybe you have some more background information on that?

Every generation of dial that comes from J, K, H or I and so on is different. I think the white 15400 dials range from a creamy color to more of a stark white between a certain timeframe. Same with other colors. I’ve handled a few Gen dials but the exact hue corresponds to their paint mix on a given series of letter (H J K I etc) production run and the laziness of their AP’s blends of colors haha. There is no official source but various members know more than others on the topic. Don’t try to go down that rabbit hole either.

 

[silver.forever]

Every generation of dial that comes from J, K, H or I and so on is different. I think the white 15400 dials range from a creamy color to more of a stark white between a certain timeframe. Same with other colors. I’ve handled a few Gen dials but the exact hue corresponds to their paint mix on a given series of letter (H J K I etc) production run and the laziness of their AP’s blends of colors haha. There is no official source but various members know more than others on the topic. Don’t try to go down that rabbit hole either.

Thank you @W47chl0v3r. Don't tease me with a good time, I really wanna learn more about it.
Are these "Releases" associated with years when they were produced or is this more dependent on the team/location these dials were produced? How should I then decide on the perfect dial for my watch? I really liked the sunburst of the 15510 but not sure this would suit the more busy dial of a 15400. Would you be able to see a picture of a dial on ebay and say which version it belongs to?

 

[silver.forever]

Every generation of dial that comes from J, K, H or I and so on is different. I think the white 15400 dials range from a creamy color to more of a stark white between a certain timeframe. Same with other colors. I’ve handled a few Gen dials but the exact hue corresponds to their paint mix on a given series of letter (H J K I etc) production run and the laziness of their AP’s blends of colors haha. There is no official source but various members know more than others on the topic. Don’t try to go down that rabbit hole either.

Ah, and my question was related to black dials for the 15400 but of course its also interesting for the other dial colors.