V6 what AP are you wearing today?

[Anthropoid]

 

[pam63C]

His actually has the straight long brushing on the bezel. The rainfall brushing is the short and more busy looking one, looking like raindrops and hence the name. The rainfall brushing also exists not just in the last production batch but also randomly across all ceramic bezel batches. You’re right that it’s relatively rare though, maybe one in 8-10.

I must have got my terms mixed up then........rainfall brushing is the more common on this forged carbon diver and the long vertical brushing is the relative rare one.

My gen has the vertical brushing as I remembered it was the last batch of production.



My rep here is the rainfall brushing, quite typical of most reps I have seen.



Between the two types, I much prefer the long vertical brushing. Is it possible to 1) gen a gen bezel to replace the XFv2 bezel; 2) re-brush the XFv2 bezel to a vertical type ?

Many thanks

 

[legend]

I must have got my terms mixed up then........rainfall brushing is the more common on this forged carbon diver and the long vertical brushing is the relative rare one.

My gen has the vertical brushing as I remembered it was the last batch of production.



My rep here is the rainfall brushing, quite typical of most reps I have seen.



Between the two types, I much prefer the long vertical brushing. Is it possible to 1) gen a gen bezel to replace the XFv2 bezel; 2) re-brush the XFv2 bezel to a vertical type ?

Many thanks

Both types of brushing exist for reps and gens, its basically a luck of the draw.
The FC diver was actually a short production model compared with other models, as AP was in a haste to discontinue the forged carbon material due to the waterproof issues. So your diver would be either a H or I series manufuctured in the year 2012 or 2013. Given this, the "late" or "last" batch production does not really matter much, as the difference would have been less than 2 years.
In gens with ceramic bezels, or cases, you can find both types of brushing even up till today. They are not found in a specific batch, but rather, dependent on which technician or craftsman did the brushing. The long brushes (aka waterfall brushing) is a lot more common than the rainfall one. I personally prefer the long brushes as well.
The answer to both your questions are

1. Yes a gen bezel can be placed on the XF watch but it will likely need a little modification to make the fit precise.
2. Yes a short brushed bezel can be refinished to a long brush type.

 

[legend]

LOVE IT! Which strap is that if you dont mind me asking? Its a lighter shade of orange than mine and seems to match the bezel better!

The 2xAR cyclops looks great! Mine has a Domi 2xAR crystal but not the cyclops... Thats really my one criticism of the Divers so far.. the date is difficult to read behind the non-AR glass.
Are the cyclops on gen 2xAR'ed?

The gen cyclop on the gen divers are double ARed. But they are not flat, and slightly curved. This is apparently to allow for optical refraction compensation when the watch is underwater.
The crystal on the gen however is single AR and will always stay that way. Double AR does not make sense on a watch for me because the outer layer is actually laid bare to heat, physical contact like abrasions and scratches, and of course, will eventually tarnish and make the crystal look patchy and marred. It is a matter of preference and not accuracy.

 

[fitipaldi]

I must have got my terms mixed up then........rainfall brushing is the more common on this forged carbon diver and the long vertical brushing is the relative rare one.

My gen has the vertical brushing as I remembered it was the last batch of production.



My rep here is the rainfall brushing, quite typical of most reps I have seen.



Between the two types, I much prefer the long vertical brushing. Is it possible to 1) gen a gen bezel to replace the XFv2 bezel; 2) re-brush the XFv2 bezel to a vertical type ?

Many thanks

If you have good relations with your dealer, try to get a vertical ceramic bezel from the Ceramic Diver (orange)… I think there is a seller in Aliexpress also selling AP diver cer bezel with vertical brushing…

7 years ago I bought a VSF and a HF and I built my ceramic Diver with proper dial… the thing is I take advantage of the other ceramic diver and I use the ceramic bezel in my JF FC diver; funny thing is all 3 factories used compatible parts… a pic of my beloved JF FC diver:

 

[pam63C]

If you have good relations with your dealer, try to get a vertical ceramic bezel from the Ceramic Diver (orange)… I think there is a seller in Aliexpress also selling AP diver cer bezel with vertical brushing…

7 years ago I bought a VSF and a HF and I built my ceramic Diver with proper dial… the thing is I take advantage of the other ceramic diver and I use the ceramic bezel in my JF FC diver; funny thing is all 3 factories used compatible parts… a pic of my beloved JF FC diver:

Thanks for the advise and will look into this. Your bezel is amazing !

 

[fitipaldi]

Thanks for the advise and will look into this. Your bezel is amazing !

Thanks!! Btw how close is the rep with your gen? Apart crystal and cyclops

 

[lmdh]

15510st green dial

 

[lmdh]

15510st green dial (better picture).

 

[legend]

If you have good relations with your dealer, try to get a vertical ceramic bezel from the Ceramic Diver (orange)… I think there is a seller in Aliexpress also selling AP diver cer bezel with vertical brushing…

7 years ago I bought a VSF and a HF and I built my ceramic Diver with proper dial… the thing is I take advantage of the other ceramic diver and I use the ceramic bezel in my JF FC diver; funny thing is all 3 factories used compatible parts… a pic of my beloved JF FC diver:

This is one of the nicest pics of the fc diver which I’ve seen. Beats a lot of gens.

 

[Tompa]

i hade the same rainfall brushing on my old HF diver, not the best picture but if you zoom you can see it has a different brushing
HF :



XF:

 

[pam63C]

Thanks!! Btw how close is the rep with your gen? Apart crystal and cyclops

I am actually not good at telling rep and gen apart.

Other than the date magnification (size and clarity of date), the XF v2 I have is indistinguishable from gen from the front. I suppose if you use a magnification glass and know what to look out for, you can see some differences but I am not bothered at all.

I just send mine to be fitted with a deep crystal and am keen to see the improvements.

The biggest tell for me is the back. Here I think the factory is being lazy.

Here is the gen :



Compare to the XFv2 below :



The font of the serial and case numbers are different (not sure is there any variation in gen as I have only one sample size) and more importantly the etching of the "Royal Oak Offshore" is rough, thin and not refined.

Well, at $3-400 what to complain ? It is such a great rep.

 

[pam63C]

15510st green dial

Is that a custom hand here ?

 

[lmdh]

Is that a custom hand here ?

No changes, it is as it came from AP.

 

[Tompa]

I got back and forth on this or the ceramic version. Maybe just have to get both!

I have never owned the ceramic so i cant help you i think the carbon is so cool and uniq and i like the closed CB so i have allways like the carbon version better. But i have always wanted the ceramic just to trie it, i think the ceramic version is little more elegante

 

[legend]

Smoked blue

 

[samsoniteman]

I have never owned the ceramic so i cant help you i think the carbon is so cool and uniq and i like the closed CB so i have allways like the carbon version better. But i have always wanted the ceramic just to trie it, i think the ceramic version is little more elegante

"Getting both" is always the right answer

 

[Jp100]

Gen dial?

No, stock JF

 

[Endez]

No, stock JF

Best stock dials

 

[fitipaldi]

I am actually not good at telling rep and gen apart.

Other than the date magnification (size and clarity of date), the XF v2 I have is indistinguishable from gen from the front. I suppose if you use a magnification glass and know what to look out for, you can see some differences but I am not bothered at all.

I just send mine to be fitted with a deep crystal and am keen to see the improvements.

The biggest tell for me is the back. Here I think the factory is being lazy.

Here is the gen :



Compare to the XFv2 below :



The font of the serial and case numbers are different (not sure is there any variation in gen as I have only one sample size) and more importantly the etching of the "Royal Oak Offshore" is rough, thin and not refined.

Well, at $3-400 what to complain ? It is such a great rep.

Thanks for the detailed answer!! so you confirmed what I was thinking: this FC Diver rep (JF, XF) is just amazing for the price we got it, and crystals mods (front crystal+cyclops) worth 100% the extra money. In my case I was lucky to get custom AP datewheels from Mikey (for 2824, 2836 and 7750) back in 2016 I think.