Finally.. someone else who appreciates the finer timepieces.


How did you like the 41mm RO and ROC?

I spent quite a while at the Boutique last weekend and was surprised by the sheer size of the octagon bezel on the 41mm. When I held the 15400 and my 15202 next to each other.. I thought there was a significant difference to the eye, which I wasn't expecting. The 15400 was too oversized. The proportions seemed off. The 15202 is symmetrically perfect in all aspects. Most will love it, but I believe the 15202, 15300 etc. owners will come to appreciate the symmetry of the iconic 39mm versus the new oversized 41mm.

 

Haven't worn the Lum-Tec in about 6 months but I finally pulled it off the winder again and put a new strap on it.



I was thinking about selling it soon.

 

thanks bo yosif i emailed them about the side lining asking if this is the yellow or orange because the colours are different between it and the inner bezel, or let me at least say the yellow stitch on the original hornback!

on this visit i did not see the 15400, however when i went before that i did and even tried it on. i know EXACTLY what you mean when you say "proportions" .. this is exactly how i felt about the newer 44 ROOs (if you remember i asked about the screws' distance from each other) so perhaps your knowledge of the RO is like that of mine with the ROO and we felt the same about the different watches but on the same grounds.
i cannot say the same for the 15400 vs 15300 at least because i did not hold them next to each other, but YES, the 15400 did not strike me as a perfectly harmonious watch. i also prefer the AP logo location on the 15300, and to be honest as a gentleman's watch the 39mm size is just perfect, much like the previous rolexs before the ceramic bezels and fatter cases (gmt/sub). both series from both brands are cleaner, refined, and timeless.

that being said, when it comes to: 26300 vs 26320, i prefer all 3 dial variations on the SS 26300s (blue, white, and brown), as opposed to the monotone of the black/white 26320s YET the 26320 felt really good on the wrist and the spaciousness helped the sportiness with the chrono dials and the chrono pushers making it a perfect sports watch.
as a rollie daytona wearer, this is ridiculously close in all design aspects. flattering to say the least, but i do not think i could bring myself to part with the daytona for a white 26320 - and i say this without knowing how much those white 26320s go for





this allllllll basically brings me back to square one:
if i want a 'next AP', it will definitely have to be a bracelet but either ROO panda vs ROC panda (39)

 

One of the nicest IWC's ever!

 

Adam from APbands has been great, he is very polite and offered graciously to swap

i have replied that i just cannot get over the tone/shade difference, it just does not seem "right" .. and i am in no way aiming for him to pay for my decision making or something like that, i have bought it willingly and stand by that decision

however since he offered graciously to take care of it
i replied that i should also compromise
i proposed to him that i instead get a "cheaper" strap
and while it is not of wider 24mm throughout width, we both disregard the suede tone and finish, and i still get what i want in a smooth, racey sport look
financially, he gets to save on shipping and price-difference

i just sent him the email
but i am sharing this to ask you guys as watch nuts like me to honestly tell me if this is something that i am in the right to offer?
would you take that offer?
more importantly, would you MAKE it?
i mentioned that i also bought the tang buckle (in pvd) and i do not wear panerais so all that just adds up on my cost since i do not get to use it

i will keep you guys updated
but fwiw, huge kudos to them for admitting that i am correct .. this has gone to great lengths and why i feel compelled that i do this in return even if it is not what i 100% want but i do not wish to turn this into any sort of situation where this a "winner"

 

i spoke too soon lol
he just replied with an email to which i replied

basically
he is telling me that i should just send it back to him and he will refund me

so there you have it guys
apbands are disappointing for sure


edit: i have edited my message with one word because it is the holy month of ramadhan and i should always be gracious and positive and not fret over material things

 

lol sorry guys but this is too rich not to share
here is part of the last email he sent me at the end

"I really have no idea what else I can do other than give you a free strap which I will not do. What will please you?"


damn guys, i did not know i wanted a free strap all this time .. having collected as many cars and watches when allll this time i am just begging for a $170 strap? lol

 

^ too funny. At least if he will refund it, you'll get your money back and be at square 1. From there, since your watch is amazing (not that it needed mentioning), I'd just pay up for a genuine AP strap and call it a day.

 

thanks a lot mate thing is, i cannot trust the local mail (as fedex/dhl will be expensive + why would/should i? i am not the businessperson here) initially when he mentioned the exchange i did mention a fedex return-envelope and he said it was too expensive, HENCE my offer for a cheaper strap which i will be compromising for to let him save the difference on the shipping AND the difference on the strap's price .. i really was trying to be a good guy because obviously as i mentioned in my little review the strap is NOT BAD at all, it just is NOT as i expect from a top-quality seller as the reviews have said and i take comfort in that he has admitted that the strap was not in "selling" condition or else why would he offer to exchange .. that said, what else would i do with the tang buckle that i bought as well?

do i want a refund? NO i would rather keep it and be unhappy if he is going to be a child

is it worth it to me that i keep this strap even though imperfect by the seller's admission? no, but the linear width is good for what i want and now i can use the strap as a rubber-band basically without much 'care' as with the OEM hornback (not worrying about discolouration since .. well already it isn't perfect)
other alternative would be to buy the OEM Diver strap .. and that is silly coz i have the oem 'normal' rubber

the way he said "just send it and i will refund" or whatever as if i was begging was VERY disappointing, i will not say insulting because he obviously doesn't know me so i will let that slide.
the tone and attitude is just clearly not that of a PASSIONATE watch guy

so i wish him well

my attitude is in no small part related to the fact that i have had another back-and-forth with one of our members here regarding a bezel insert for the rollie gmtii

sorry carl but member SHH is that guy and you would not believe what he is doing - EVEN WHEN ON VACATION - for a fraction of the cost

so yeah, huge difference

 

I hope you didn't mis-take my post. Any way you slice it, the AP BB is a stunner -- it's just a little heartbreaking when you order something (for anything) and it comes up a little short. Also, the salesperson was definitely unprofessional...