what do you guys think of the 15500 movement? Should I swap with it for a genuine one?
Yeah, totally. They sell the new AP 4302 caliber now at Walmart and I've heard 7-Eleven will start introducing a 24/7 service desk for AP swaps.
Ignorance is bliss. Until it hits you.
I was not trying to troll him but the question was rather meaningless. Of course the gen movement will be better but it is not possible to get the cal 4302 movement alone currently and the cost is prohibitive for most. So it’s not very practical to ask if one should get a gen movement for a $400 rep like it’s a crystal upgrade or even a gen dial upgrade. My guy at AP did quote me S$7500 (that’s more than usd5500) for a gen 4302 caliber when I asked how much it will cost if the movement in my 15500 is damaged due to my own carelessness. And the old movement needs to be exchanged for the new one. The parts policy is getting stricter for AP and Rolex among other brands and it’s getting very difficult to source for even the 3120 caliber used by the divers and 15400. That’s the reason I felt that the question was asked in ignorance/complacency like you can just go on eBay to purchase a caliber 4302 right now.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to buy one. Someday somewhere one will pop up for sale for one reason or another. But it’s literally like striking the lottery finding one in complete and working condition. Backdoor parts sales do exist and will continue to exist. It’s just that the channel will be a lot more constricted than before. I will be delighted to see 15500 frankens being built soon with gen dials and possibly hands and maybe 2-3 with gen movements years later. But guys need to be aware of the situation and not ask unrealistic questions. Everyone knows that gen parts make the reps better, but their current availability makes the question almost rhetorical in nature.
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We all started with a first watch, rep or gen. The decision came after deliberation. To me, deliberation implies some level of research, unless it is the result of an impulse.
You were being diplomatic and called the question: "rhetorical". If that equals "ignorance", I aquiesce the euphemism.
Ignorance is one of those traits that requires every single bit of our efforts to fight against. Usually I keep my opinion to myself, but this is one of those things when I simply cannot keep my trap shut.
Do some research, educate yourself. It will serve you well, not only in this hobby, but in life in general.
AP15500 is a marvellous watch for the reasons listed before by all the knowledgeable posters. It deserves a bit more diligence, if not respect. And that applies to ZF15500, which is a remarkable iteration of the gen.
I agree with this.
Please guys don’t go with anecdotal but unproven treatments. Going with shampoo is like going with ketchup or mustard, unless you know 100% how the components in the shampoo react with steel.
Ultrasonic cleaning can make the bracelet cleaner yes.
Baby oil can smooth out all the joints and therefore make the bracelet more pliable. So yes.
To make the edges less sharp you need to bevel and polish it a little. And if you want to rebrush the bracelet surface to make it look better then it’s a separate process again.
Hot water can actually compromise the rust-resistance of steel depending on the anti-corrosiveness treatment done on the steel originally and the temperature of the water.
There IS a proper process to soften and refinish a bracelet and make it more comfortable to wear.
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A, nothing in that shampoo could have harmed the steel to that extent. There are loopholes for consumer products to get FDA approval, but they are more of a technical nature and less pertaining to the ingredients.
Just as a sidenote, FDA and EPA are governmental agencies. They are not regulatory authorities, but "merely" acting to enforce governmental regulations for consumer protection. I won't get political here, there would be too much to talk about. As a general rule, FDA authorizes products that can be applied to humans, whereas EPA deals with everything else.
Based on my empirical and scientific observations, I very much doubt that a shampoo destined for human use could contain anything corrosive. I have spent the enterety of my professional career in a line of business that has a lot of interferences with related topics.
And it could not have been the water either, no matter how hot. Its boiling point should be way lower than any level of temperature that could harm metal even remotely, unless there were other corrosive ingredients involved, unbeknown to the user.
I forget, but did he say he subjected it to an ultrasonic bath? Then yeah, that could have potentially originated the issue. I don't know if you guys are familiar to what in science is referred to "acoustic cavitation"? This is an amazing physical phenomenon that occurs in liquids when sudden changes in pressure occur. It generates cavities, or bubbles which will eventually collapse. This can lead to a microclimate where temperatures, pressure and velocities are immense. One of the side-effects is surface fatigue, which can be correlated with the results in this case.
I am not advocating against ultrasonic baths, but I would use it rather sparingly, since some of the devices might not be calibrated to avoid this phenomenon and even they were, the laws of physics do not necessarily follow the rule on men.
*the rules of men, rather. sorry for the typo.
*entirety.
Ah, fuck that, you all know what I mean.
See, we all have our compulsions. I wish mine were confined just on immaterial topics. Would have saved me a lot of money, but it would have made my life so much more boring.
Enjoy your objects of admiration for what they're worth to you and you only, but don't take anything material (and yourself, for that matter) too seriously, because at the end of the journey, we take nothing with us.
Nothing material, that is.
We all started with a first watch, rep or gen. The decision came after deliberation. To me, deliberation implies some level of research, unless it is the result of an impulse.
You were being diplomatic and called the question: "rhetorical". If that equals "ignorance", I aquiesce the euphemism.
Ignorance is one of those traits that requires every single bit of our efforts to fight against. Usually I keep my opinion to myself, but this is one of those things when I simply cannot keep my trap shut.
Do some research, educate yourself. It will serve you well, not only in this hobby, but in life in general.
AP15500 is a marvellous watch for the reasons listed before by all the knowledgeable posters. It deserves a bit more diligence, if not respect. And that applies to ZF15500, which is a remarkable iteration of the gen.
And obviously A, the advising part of my post was dedicated to ManuelCalavera, but I got the quotes mixed up.
