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RB2 - Rep vs Gen Mini Review


mspeed

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rb2ss.jpg

rb2ss2.jpg

rb2ss3.jpg

rb2ss4.jpg

rb2ss5.jpg

(both have a gen strap and clasp)

For years I had lusted after pictures of it. The RB2 is the AP holy grail for me. Limited edition only 1000 made in titanium.

These pictures show how close the two look from a foot away. The rep case is absoutely excellent 1:1 size. inish is very good, but the backplate is a little too thick. Overall, people who have only seen pics would be fooled by a replica.

Comparing the two in person in person not as convincing as these pictures, many details that are innacurate.

Weight- the rep weighs about 1oz more. surprisingly it makes a big difference in the feeling

Ceramic Bezel- the rep is excellent. but the genuine has a deep glossy black polish that looks like its wet. Its also more curved on the edges the finishing is much more finely brushed and exactly staight. the screws perfectly milled on the gen, the rep look like plastic instead of metal

Dial- the most innacurate. Everything the rep has, the gen has in the right place but much sharper and shinier. The date window is in the too far to the right, in the wrong color size and font and not AR coated on the rep. The subdials on the rep are too shiny. The black cut-out dial is more matte and thicker, of course the coto de geneve coating. the silver tech ring on the rep is very very close. Overall the gen dial just pops and looks like it has so much depth and incredibly sharp and detailed. sadly the rep only captures a fraction of that effect

Hands- i thought the rep hands were good, but the gen is much shinier, and look like tiny sharp polished swords and are more visible, the rep I sometimes struggled to tell what time it is

Crown- very good, except for the black glass AP logo, the gen is etched deep and big and straight.

Ceramic Buttons- very good, but the gen tilts outward a bit, rounder edges and glossier

Cost- $600 vs $45,000 Enough said.

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i dont have the rep anymore to take pics, but the caseback is very accurate. Id need a real macro lens so you can actually see the difference in pics, but the finishing in the "B" is incorrect and overall too thick, lettering not as defined.

you're only supposed to be able to order parts if you own the genuine watch, PM me

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the rep strap is great quality and looks very close in texture and feel. on mine the stitching wasn't straight was the only thing that gave it away

the rep clasp looks decent, but it has screw holes where there are none on the gen, and wouldnt close securely. the gen finishing is different, more matte and detailed, and of course feels solid as a rock, but the gen clasp by itself costs more than the entire rep watch lol

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Thanks for the review.

Great to see how close it is.

Was the gen strap a straight swap with the rep one?

I tried to put on a gen strap on my black themes and it looked terrible.

It worked fine with the kit from AP bands though.

I guess at least 2 reps for one gen strap and deployant? :D

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Great write-up, thanks. I would guess rep is heavier than gen because of the movement. Since I've had one of my sec-at-12 movements serviced, and held just movement in hand, I must say it's one heavy piece. Much heavier than regular 7750.

regards

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impressive review and gen!

this is an amazing design.

i agree the finishing is not as good on the rep... i wonder how many sec at 12 owners have tried to improve the finish on their reps, leveling out bezel screws, resanding, repolishing, or rebrushing uneven surfaces? With the gen as a reference and some decent skills I bet you can get pretty close by picking up where GZ left off...

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This is a fantastic review indeed! Amazing comparison... The RB2 is a fairly complex case design. The rep factories did an outstanding job in duplicating the details; the crown, the pusher base, dial grid etc. all look fairly difficult to replicate, and yet they did a great job.

Great pics and break down by line item on each detail reviewed/compared as well. This was a very enjoyable read :)

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