V6 what AP are you wearing today?

[gilrob]

Legend modded blue watch to match with the blue shirt

I like the idea of matching watch dials and shirt

Legend modded blue watch to match with the blue shirt

I like the idea of color matching watch dials and shirts. It's become an obsession with me. Anybody else?

 

[speedywombat]

I like the idea of matching watch dials and shirt

I like the idea of color matching watch dials and shirts. It's become an obsession with me. Anybody else?

Yeah that's the reason I kept on getting these damn RO's in different colored dials

 

[samsoniteman]

Yeah that's the reason I kept on getting these damn RO's in different colored dials

I like the way you think!

 

[QueTip]

I can’t realistically call out a 15400 case as rep. I wonder what @QueTip thinks.

Usually if the wearer tries to cover the case with his hands it’s a good indication it’s a rep for me.

Besides that and on wrist, it’ll be difficult to call it out as a rep for certain. In hand that’s a different story as all details will be able to be examined much better that way.

 

[speedywombat]

I am a bit autistic so I pay more attention to these things than I should lol. But having several 15400 and 15500 reps, I noticed that the front bolts are inconsistent. Sometimes fluctuation of the dimension's tolerance between the bolt and the holes on the case is on the higher side, causing some "play" when the bolts are tightened which results in imperfect front bolt orientation. I've noticed from the gens I've seen that they are at least far more consistent on these.

This is an example of what I mean, you can see that these 2 gaps I circled in red exists showing that the front bolt can be rotated sliiiiightly clockwise and it will fill in these gaps. If the bolt and the bolt hole from the case is much more precise, which in some reps actually are like that, then there won't be this issue. This is the one that I said in gen I rarely ever observe. Maybe it is nitpicking but it's just something that once I saw, I can't unsee it.

 

[pam63C]

This is an example of what I mean, you can see that these 2 gaps I circled in red exists showing that the front bolt can be rotated sliiiiightly clockwise and it will fill in these gaps. If the bolt and the bolt hole from the case is much more precise, which in some reps actually are like that, then there won't be this issue. This is the one that I said in gen I rarely ever observe. Maybe it is nitpicking but it's just something that once I saw, I can't unsee it.

Magnification does brings out a lot of imperfections.

I just randomly pick up some pics of my gen and you can see for yourself, these are neither perfect under magnification.

My gen 15400 black with SS hex screws (see the hex at 11 o'clock) :



My gen 15300 blue with white gold hex screws

 

[Tompa]

This is an example of what I mean, you can see that these 2 gaps I circled in red exists showing that the front bolt can be rotated sliiiiightly clockwise and it will fill in these gaps. If the bolt and the bolt hole from the case is much more precise, which in some reps actually are like that, then there won't be this issue. This is the one that I said in gen I rarely ever observe. Maybe it is nitpicking but it's just something that once I saw, I can't unsee it.

I can guarantee you many gens have this ”gaps” to. Not a 100% bulletproof way to call out a rep

 

[speedywombat]

I can guarantee you many gens have this ”gaps” to. Not a 100% bulletproof way to call out a rep

It's not, but just something I observe that gens seems to be more consistent. At least late build 15400 and 15500s anyways.

 

[speedywombat]

Magnification does brings out a lot of imperfections.

I just randomly pick up some pics of my gen and you can see for yourself, these are neither perfect under magnification.

My gen 15400 black with SS hex screws (see the hex at 11 o'clock) :



My gen 15300 blue with white gold hex screws

That's a good point. for the 15300, that fitment is definitely a bit loose, but for the 15400, it is the lighting more likely because the bolt angle is still correct. Then again, my observation is mainly just with late build 15400 and 15500 in gens. Maybe the gens got more consistent after they switched from white gold screws to SS screws lol.

 

[speedywombat]

Again, in my opinion these front screw/bolt gaps and angle is not 100% foolproof way to call out a rep, but it seems to occur a lot more common in reps than in gens, at least for later year gen builds anyways. Simple observation that we can do to confirm is just looking at 15500 listings on Chrono24, and you'll find almost none with big screw gaps. I did find a few but they are few and far in-between and are not that pronounced unless you're looking for it.

I mean, I guess that is to be expected for the prices that they're charging as compared to reps

 

[legend]

It's not, but just something I observe that gens seems to be more consistent. At least late build 15400 and 15500s anyways.

To talk about consistency, you will need a fair sample of gens and reps and I’m not talking about just pics off the internet.

I can assure you that the bezel bolts on the gen are not always machined perfectly and having bolts (colloquially named bezel screws) which are skewed or crooked aren’t tells. Similarly, having perfectly aligned bolts on the reps won’t mean that the case is gen-like either. The tells on the rep royal oak cases aren’t really visual. Other than the caseback engravings, the key certainty tells are the midcase construction and minor tells on some angled facets.
Gens have also the bezel bolts misaligned a fair bit, @pam63C was right in pointing that out. I can also show the same on some of the gen royal oaks in my possession. So does it mean my cases are rep?

 

[cotti-rottie]

 

[speedywombat]

The gens I did hold and have pics of (Mostly 15500 and 15510s), so far all of them have perfect or near perfect alignment. The ones with worse alignments tend to be the older models. That's why I was thinking maybe the consistency is better after they switched from white gold bolts/screws to stainless steel?

I just want to make clear that it's not a surefire way to call a rep, but just my observation seems like for newer model with worse alignment tend to be the reps. In some cases, I guess some gens can "look" rep . This is not necessarily a bad thing as it just reinforces the point that the biggest tell for these watches are the wearer!

 

[speedywombat]

Picnic watch

 

[legend]

Picnic watch

Does everything have to seriously match lol

 

[speedywombat]

Does everything have to seriously match lol

I swear this one was actually unintentional

 

[grillbrill]

The gens I did hold and have pics of (Mostly 15500 and 15510s), so far all of them have perfect or near perfect alignment. The ones with worse alignments tend to be the older models. That's why I was thinking maybe the consistency is better after they switched from white gold bolts/screws to stainless steel?

I just want to make clear that it's not a surefire way to call a rep, but just my observation seems like for newer model with worse alignment tend to be the reps. In some cases, I guess some gens can "look" rep . This is not necessarily a bad thing as it just reinforces the point that the biggest tell for these watches are the wearer!

Regarding the bezel screws afaik their relative size and position to the bezel may also be those things which the rep factories can hardly replicate perfectly. However, sometimes OCD is necessary to call those discrepancies out.

 

[speedywombat]

Regarding the bezel screws afaik their relative size and position to the bezel may also be those things which the rep factories can hardly replicate perfectly. However, sometimes OCD is necessary to call those discrepancies out.

It's a curse man, I can't enjoy the reps out of the box as is most of the time lol even though there will never be a callout. It's my own OCD calling me out, freaking OCD!

 

[C Master]

 

[weathermanGTS]