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Review - Audemars Piguet ROO Rubberclad


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The Review

I remember first setting my eyes on the Rubberclad AP ROO and actually enjoying the sight. The contrast of the black rubber with the stainless steel gives it a very rugged look, whilst the lighter coloured subdials give it a slightly retro look, similar to the Navitimer (which I adore) and the porthole shape gives it a really unique look.

One thread a while ago asked us to put photos of our grail sports watches in there. If money were no object, the AP ROO would be my daily sports watch. Unfortunately, the list price being at approximately $21,000 doesn

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Great review and pics. Thanks much for all the efforts. I have been thinking about converting to a rubber bezel. Can anyone definitively report that the rubber bezel is truly fixed (i.e. there is some real durability to it)? The other question I had based on the pics above is whether the rep rubber bezel has the same shape and proportions as the gen. It doesn't look like it from the pics above but we all know how different camera angles can impact the picture. Thanks again though for the review. :thumbsupsmileyanim:

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As for the durability, I don't have any first hand experience of the before and after results. However, from much reading, I could confidently say that there has been an improvement from the old peeling rubber bezel that first came on the Rubberclad. I don't know how much more durable it is, but since they updated it, there haven't been as many (if any) problems of the bezel peeling away.

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Great review and pics. Thanks much for all the efforts. I have been thinking about converting to a rubber bezel. Can anyone definitively report that the rubber bezel is truly fixed (i.e. there is some real durability to it)? The other question I had based on the pics above is whether the rep rubber bezel has the same shape and proportions as the gen. It doesn't look like it from the pics above but we all know how different camera angles can impact the picture. Thanks again though for the review. :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Hi kruzer00,

let's see if someone can confirm on the new bezel. I tried to find a picture which makes it easier to compare the gen/rep bezel. Light and angle make it difficult to compare but here we go:

Rubberclad-frontal.jpg

In any case, the difference (if any) is such that only a WIS in an extensive side-by-side will find them.

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J what a great review..i wish i could post reviews like yours mate!!!

Although i am not a great fan of the AP i read the review cause i know

you always deliver well documented reviews.

Thanks for your time and effort James

Don't stop keeping us all informed and educated with your

thing!!!

John

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J what a great review..i wish i could post reviews like yours mate!!!

Although i am not a great fan of the AP i read the review cause i know

you always deliver well documented reviews.

Thanks for your time and effort James

Don't stop keeping us all informed and educated with your

thing!!!

John

John, thank you for the such kind words! I really enjoy writing reviews of watches, and unfortuantely I have run out of incoming watches, so I won't be able to write any for a while....best get that plastic out :)

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I have one of the newer bezels and it does seem very durable

No signs of peeling or anything of that nature

Though I do notice a small chip in the rubber from a bezel screw indenting it?

Anyway the bezel seems to be definitely improved

Thanks for the review

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AFAIK the sec@12 case is contructed just like the gen and because of that, it can't be solid rubber. The screws you see on the bezel go all the way through the case and are fixed on the caseback with corresponding nuts. The force on these screws would pull them through the rubber.

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that is such a nice piece man.

AFAIK the sec@12 case is contructed just like the gen and because of that, it can't be solid rubber. The screws you see on the bezel go all the way through the case and are fixed on the caseback with corresponding nuts. The force on these screws would pull them through the rubber.
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Hi kruzer00,

let's see if someone can confirm on the new bezel. I tried to find a picture which makes it easier to compare the gen/rep bezel. Light and angle make it difficult to compare but here we go:

Rubberclad-frontal.jpg

In any case, the difference (if any) is such that only a WIS in an extensive side-by-side will find them.

PS: in the above picture, the rubber was still on...

rubber looks too "soft" compared to gen imho, from what i've seen from pics the rep looks best the rubber peeled off

gen got a very hard and dark rubber, you cant just easly stratch with finger

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  • 2 weeks later...

great write up - my review was just - "Great freaking watch, i love it"

2 quick stories, first i became a big fan of the rubberclad about 6 years ago. Our biggest client, (who turned out to be a crook) work the gold rubberclad it was an awesome looking watch. I never asked to try it on but, spending a lot of time staring at it, it became grailish for me.

second story ( i said they were quick) i have posted this before, but 1 time at disney, i saw a guy with a white face rubberclad, i had the black face, we both remarked that we kind of liked the other dial style. This guy's watch was gen. It was seconds at 12, and the rubber was worn in, and the seconds at 12 had only been out for like 3 weeks. anyway, this guy was on a 3 month waiting list to get the black dial. he said to me - "you wanna switch?"

of course i said no thanks. but we were holding them side by side and he was ready to swap his for mine - and he wasn't a citizen (buy guessing) i think he was a tourist from Germany. i walked away from an easy 15k quick sale and cash. but who knows, he might have been in the mob and send someone to rub me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps i went and got chieftang AR on it. The gen doesn't have AR, but the crystal is 'clearer" to me when i have tried it on. Anyway i don't care about it not being accurate, its bad ass. do you want to really see the detail of those wafers? get the chief.

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Great post Phoband, I remember reading about your encounter with the guy who wanted to switch with you. It's good to see such honesty from our members!

If the price ever drops on the black I will buy it in a heartbeat, as it is the one AP I really like....we'll see, maybe at the end of the year the price might come down :g:

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  • 1 month later...

Fantastic review. I also enjoyed reading all the posts that you have inspired!.

As I have posted several times I have the black dial rubber clad updated bezzle. I wear it everyday. I love it, love it love it. My only problem is I want more!!!!!

I am considering the Rose Gold Rubber clad but I know many members have issue with the dial face.

I wanted to comment on the updated bezzle. It is hard and very durable. I have banged it, bumped it and knocked it around. My 3 year old even dropped it a few times and it still looks and works amazingly well.

I would like to also say quickly, mentioning my earlier post about my "ROO wake up call" I have held the GEN in my hands, side by side to my rep.

To the naked eye, all the flaws you mention are not noticeable.

The one MAJOR flaw only by side by side comparison is the LUM and color texture of the black face.

Immediately it jumped out at me and my friend that the GEN was bold in color and LUM.

I was not prepared for the comparison and didn't want to get into the "it's a rep" thing at that time (I since have)

At the time, I mentioned... "oh, that's because you have had yours in the sun all day" (as he was by his pool)

I have since discussed it with him and he is amazed by the quality and feels a bit foolish that he plunked down the 15k for his when I spent 500!!.

Great post, thank you!

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