What AP Franken(s) do you have in the works?!

[flofas]

Congrats buddy, I’ve done the same thing with RC White.
All gen but the movt & holder, Mikey’s DW, date cutout and cyclop.

I'm contemplating doing this to my RC White too. The only thing stopping me is that the gen rubber bezel looks horrible after some months of use and the steel part udnerneath starts showing. How do you treat your bezel? Are you just being careful and hope it lasts a bit longer? I've seen way too many gen RC's that the owner had the rubber completely stripped off its bezel just to bypass this problem, and I also remember legend saying that when he had a gen RC he had to replace bezels every 6 months.

The rep parts have a different color (and texture) compared to gen and it's the only thing bugging me in the watch.

 

[Tompa]

I'm contemplating doing this to my RC White too. The only thing stopping me is that the gen rubber bezel looks horrible after some months of use and the steel part udnerneath starts showing. How do you treat your bezel? Are you just being careful and hope it lasts a bit longer? I've seen way too many gen RC's that the owner had the rubber completely stripped off its bezel just to bypass this problem, and I also remember legend saying that when he had a gen RC he had to replace bezels every 6 months.

The rep parts have a different color (and texture) compared to gen and it's the only thing bugging me in the watch.

Every 6months?!! Omg! sounds crazy. I have used my rubberclad for 2years now and no cracks or dings in it. Sounds strange if my rep rubberbezel should be of better quality then a gen one.. iknow old rubber dry and cracks but new one’s? Strange.. it sounds like AP should contact JF to buy rubberbezels from them instead but what do i know.


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[flofas]

Every 6months?!! Omg! sounds crazy. I have used my rubberclad for 2years now and no cracks or dings in it. Sounds strange if my rep rubberbezel should be of better quality then a gen one.. iknow old rubber dry and cracks but new one’s? Strange.. it sounds like AP should contact JF to buy rubberbezels from them instead but what do i know.

Well I'm not saying the JF's are better quality, it's the construction that's different. Gen is steel with a thin rubber coating, rep is all-rubber. Well, all-rubber is obviously 10 times more resistant to dings and bangs and scratches.

 

[Tompa]

Well I'm not saying the JF's are better quality, it's the construction that's different. Gen is steel with a thin rubber coating, rep is all-rubber. Well, all-rubber is obviously 10 times more resistant to dings and bangs and scratches.

No they are not. JF rubberbezels are steel and rubber coating on. Same as gen construction. Old noob used a plastic bezel with rubber coating on top.


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[flofas]

No they are not. JF rubberbezels are steel and rubber coating on. Same as gen construction. Old noob used a plastic bezel with rubber coating on top.

Wow, I had no idea about that. I got four RCs in total (JF & Noob), I have put many dings and scratches on em, and none has ever showed anything under the rubber.

 

[legend]

I'm contemplating doing this to my RC White too. The only thing stopping me is that the gen rubber bezel looks horrible after some months of use and the steel part udnerneath starts showing. How do you treat your bezel? Are you just being careful and hope it lasts a bit longer? I've seen way too many gen RC's that the owner had the rubber completely stripped off its bezel just to bypass this problem, and I also remember legend saying that when he had a gen RC he had to replace bezels every 6 months.

The rep parts have a different color (and texture) compared to gen and it's the only thing bugging me in the watch.

The rubberclad model was one of the first APs I owned, and never again will I buy one. The early rubber bezels were very prone to failure, primarily breakage, peeling and such and are a pain to deal with. AP did improve on this in subsequent batches but a short time after that, the model was phased out.

.. it sounds like AP should contact JF to buy rubberbezels from them instead but what do i know.

Tompa unless you owned the gen before and followed the journey of this model, you will think that its laughable that AP had such low quality bezels (and yes they were the lowest level of crap), but someone like QueTip who knows the history of this gen model will tell you that JF replicated the later and improved AP rubber bezels, which worked a lot better, but wasn't bulletproof all the same. He can tell a more accurate version of the truth I think. JF will have nothing to sell if AP had not first produced those models for them to replicate. So lets not forget where JF came from and put the cart before the horse. If JF factory is so good, then let it produce its own models and watches without COPYING AP models. There is a reason why JF replicates AP watches and not the other way round.

 

[legend]

Well I'm not saying the JF's are better quality, it's the construction that's different. Gen is steel with a thin rubber coating, rep is all-rubber. Well, all-rubber is obviously 10 times more resistant to dings and bangs and scratches.

The gen RG RC bezel is solid rose gold, wrapped by rubber. If you search online you can easily find pictures of the RGRC with the rubber layer removed.
Of course the RG bezel will be marginally smaller than the usual SS bezel for the 42mm ROOs, thereby altering the geometry of the watch a little, but nothing too drastic to prevent guys from doing this for the "All RG" look.

 

[QueTip]

Tompa unless you owned the gen before and followed the journey of this model, you will think that its laughable that AP had such low quality bezels (and yes they were the lowest level of crap), but someone like QueTip who knows the history of this gen model will tell you that JF replicated the later and improved AP rubber bezels, which worked a lot better, but wasn't bulletproof all the same. He can tell a more accurate version of the truth I think. JF will have nothing to sell if AP had not first produced those models for them to replicate. So lets not forget where JF came from and put the cart before the horse. If JF factory is so good, then let it produce its own models and watches without COPYING AP models. There is a reason why JF replicates AP watches and not the other way round.

What he said. It's always easier to find ways of improvement on already existing ways rather than completely coming up with the whole thing. JF did find out a substitute way of wrapping that rubber around the base bezel which is the reason why JFs bezels are a bit more durable than most AP RC bezels.
However, and this is unconfirmed by all means but IIRC AP had several batches of these and thus also several levels of quality improvement due to feedback and self analysation of their products. These are still unmatched to the way JF has done it but that's besides the point.

 

[Tompa]

I totaly agree with you legend and QueTip. But its strange, i see on roman sharfs Chanel when he talks about rubberbezels and he says it cost 2k dollar to change the rubber bezel for SS models. And you say that every 6months need to change bezel. Crazy expensive.. they(AP)should change the bezel for free if you need to change every 6months.. they should have some sort of guaranty on there products.(if you dont beat the crap out of the watch offcourse) anyway back to topic now.


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[legend]

I totaly agree with you legend and QueTip. But its strange, i see on roman sharfs Chanel when he talks about rubberbezels and he says it cost 2k dollar to change the rubber bezel for SS models. And you say that every 6months need to change bezel. Crazy expensive.. they(AP)should change the bezel for free if you need to change every 6months.. they should have some sort of guaranty on there products.(if you dont beat the crap out of the watch offcourse) anyway back to topic now.


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Tompa you were right about the quality of the early RC bezels.. they were ridiculous. I had a total of 3 bezels on the same watch and changes were 6 months apart for the 2nd and 3rd bezels. The first was due to wear and tear and the second one was cracked and peeling somehow after installing it for about 1 month. Maybe it is the humidity in Singapore or maybe I was just unlucky. AP did change them for free for me, but you are right in saying that if it is a known issue, it should be done for free for every owner, and the bezel quality should be upgraded.
I am however a fan of the ceramic bezel and I think that all regular non-precious metal ROOs should come with one, given the fact that ROOs are large watches and the bezels WILL get contact with another surface no matter how careful one gets. I have stopped wearing my gold APs for that reason, and other than the beast, the ones in my daily rotation all sport ceramic bezels.

I think that discussion of the rubberclad bezel is pertinent to this thread and helps potential owners be aware of the risks and downfalls associated with the RC bezel.

 

[flofas]

I am however a fan of the ceramic bezel and I think that all regular non-precious metal ROOs should come with one

I agree. I had such high hopes of being able to install the ceramic bezel from my JF bumblebees to some of my other JFs, but unfortunately they're not interchangeable, the holes are different.

 

[legend]

I agree. I had such high hopes of being able to install the ceramic bezel from my JF bumblebees to some of my other JFs, but unfortunately they're not interchangeable, the holes are different.

Try the one from the Dark Knight, the construction is different. I have fitted the DK ceramic bezel on a rep Vampire before...

 

[flying-tommy]

The gen RG RC bezel is solid rose gold, wrapped by rubber. If you search online you can easily find pictures of the RGRC with the rubber layer removed.
Of course the RG bezel will be marginally smaller than the usual SS bezel for the 42mm ROOs, thereby altering the geometry of the watch a little, but nothing too drastic to prevent guys from doing this for the "All RG" look.

I had a RGRC in Switzerland in my Hand. Please have a look at the Bezel and Tachy.

Definitely to go with clean RG Bezel without the Rubber. Or it has been changed frequently.

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[sfbatman787]

All done!



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[sfbatman787]

Decided to go with a grey gen 18k rotor vs the gold rotor and I think it looks much better.
Also goes well with the overall color theme of the watch.



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[legend]

Decided to go with a grey gen 18k rotor vs the gold rotor and I think it looks much better.
Also goes well with the overall color theme of the watch.


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Grey rotor, gold rotor, gen is gen, and that’s all that matters. Congrats brother. It’s the epitome of the hobby and imho a level above walking into the boutique and buying a gen. The dedication, resources and time taken to build this is the apex of what this hobby is about. There is literally nothing higher.


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[sfbatman787]

Grey rotor, gold rotor, gen is gen, and that’s all that matters. Congrats brother. It’s the epitome of the hobby and imho a level above walking into the boutique and buying a gen. The dedication, resources and time taken to build this is the apex of what this hobby is about. There is literally nothing higher.


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Greatly appreciate your support, guidance, and mentorship, brother!

 

[slavix]

This just arrived on my bench today. I've worked on a bunch of these over the years, but I never really studied them.
I'm going to measure the crap out of this case for future reference. Though for now I will probably wait for a 15202 and I'll try to modify my rep to better match it, and not a 5402.

 

[SuperLory]

Who’s the joker who set the bezel screw like that..

 

[jasonbaylee]

Slavix, do remember to adjust the bezel so that the brushing effects are vertical n of cos superlory was kind to highlight the correct position of those bezel screw heads.

Beautiful work there!


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